Time to Fight Crime in Capital City
In the new Capital City Casefiles module series for the Ascendant tabletop RPG!
I’m excited to announce the launch of Capital City Casefiles, a series of scenarios for Ascendant, my superpowered role-playing game. Capital City Casefile #1 is on sale now on DriveThruRPG for $5.00 PDF. But you can use this link to get your PDF copy for just $1.50. Everyone who buys the PDF using the special offer will get a coupon to purchase the POD once its become available for $5 off, too.
Each Casefile offers a single Issue of exciting play for a group of metropolitan metahumans with Power Levels ranging from 18 to 22 and a collective challenge rating of between 100 and 150 points. These scenarios are designed to be easy to run with any type of heroes, be they super-powered police, costumed crimefighters, or underground antiheroes.
The Casefiles are set in Capital City, Delaware, a fictional city first introduced in the Ascendant rulebook and detailed in the Capital City Gazetteer and Map Set (available separately from Autarch).
Located on the west shore of the Delaware Bay, approximately 22 miles southeast of Dover, Capital City is the largest and most populous city in Delaware. The city’s founders, real estate developer Arthur Richville and financier Chase Livery, hoped it would be “a testament to the power of American capitalism.” From the art deco skyscrapers, with their dirigible docking stations and decorated cornices, to the streamlined trains that streak across the city’s elevated monorail, to the mighty Statue of Fortune that overlooks the Bay, Capital City was built to be the city of tomorrow – but tomorrow never came. True, more than 60% of the country’s Fortune 500 companies maintain an office here, and the city’s elite Richville neighborhood hosts some of America’s most luxurious mansions. But Capital City is also a city of poverty, crime, and decay, where endless rows of rusted factories and abandoned buildings are the legacy of lost hope, broken promises, and shattered American dreams.
Even before the rise of ascendants, Capital City had been devastated by crime, poverty, and deindustrialization. Now it is a city under siege, beleaguered by Exodus terrorists, El Cartel criminals, and more. But don’t worry – if you’re not interested in playing in Capital City, you can easily adapt the scenarios to your city of choice. Capital City can be Chicago, Detroit, or New York. It can be your hometown with a fresh coat of graffiti and a layer of rust and grime.
Whether you use the scenarios in Capital City or another metropolis, you’ll find the Capital City Casefiles to be something special. These aren’t just beat-em-ups or thinly-disguised dungeon crawls. Strip away the superpowers and the Casefiles could be police procedurals or detective mysteries. These are scenarios that challenge your problem-solving and role-playing as much as your tactical prowess; and they do so by taking advantage of the robust rules for Fighting Crime and Saving the Day in the Ascendant rules.
The series begins with Capital City Casefile #1: High Summer, set in late summer 2021.
A heatwave has been scorching America’s East Coast and cities up and down the coast have seen mass protests and riots. None has fared as badly as Capital City, Delaware where rising tempers, rising temperatures, and rising crime rates have made life hellish all summer long. Now things are about to get a lot worse. This morning, five police officers making a routine drug bust died at the hands of ascended criminals. The CCPD has called on every superhero in the city to hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice. But while the heroes investigate the shady side of Capital City, the perpetrators have other plans, plans that will bring the city to its knees…
Remember you can use this link to get your PDF copy for just $1.50. Everyone who buys the PDF using the special offer will get a coupon to purchase the POD once its become available for $5 off, too.
After High Summer, we’ll be moving on to Capital City Casefile #2: Served Cold. This scenario has been written and edited, and is moving to art and cartography. The incredible Joe Bennett (Immortal Hulk) did the pencils for Served Cold’s cover:
The third installment, Capital City Casefiles #3: Holiday Heist, has been written and is in currently in the editing stage. It also features a Joe Bennett cover:
Installments 4, 5, and 6 are being written as we speak.
Meanwhile, in November, we’ll be launching the Kickstarter for Ascendant: Rogues Gallery, which blows open the Ascendant Universe with dozens of ready-made villains, plot hooks, and more. You’ll also be able to grab copies of the second printing of Ascendant, too!
If you’ve been holding off on playing Ascendant because you don’t know where to start, now’s the time!
Now For a Word From Our Sponsor
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