Five Questions With Winter Eternal Game Designer Morné Schaap

winter-eternalFree PDF Contest results at the end of the interview!

We recently reviewed a new Savage Worlds setting by game designer, Morné Schaap, called Winter Eternal. The game recently completely funded through a successful Indiegogo campaign and is now available in PDF. The game will be available in print format soon, with other game supplements on the horizon. If you’re interested in a new, unique setting for the Savage World system, you should check out this interview, check out our review of Winter Eternal, then check out the game! Enjoy…

1) What is Winter Eternal?
Winter Eternal is what I like to call a post-post-apocalyptic setting using the Savage Worlds rules. It started out as a normal fantasy world, but when the sun exploded, everything changed. The now almost dead sun could not keep the planet from cooling rapidly. Things were very tough and millions died.

Then a group of Nature Wardens started camps and used their magic to grow food. Survivors of different races flocked to these camps. Over the years these camps grew into huge cities, heated and lit by magic. It is cramped and busy, but now that the Archways (enclosed roadways) are finished, trade is booming. There are also two underground, dwarven cities and one built by an artificer, on the inside edges of a chasm.

The setting starts a few 100 years after the sun exploded. The discovery of sun shards, crystals that generate heat when light shines on it, is taking the continent into the industrial age. It’s still very new, but steam-punk inventions are now starting to change how people live in this cold and dark world. This world is starting to thrive again and it’s an exciting time on the continent of Ehelerrac.

2) How is Winter Eternal different from other tabletop roleplaying games?
In the beginning I received comments from people worried that this might be like Hellfrost, but the two settings are nothing alike. Winter Eternal give players the chance to tell the stories of this cold and dark world. Since everyone live in these large cities, there are lots of opportunities for urban adventures of all kind. But now, with the sun shards leading to new inventions, players can grab ice suits and go explore the old and forgotten ruins that lie in the frozen wasteland.

The setting blends magic and early steam-punk in a world that changed a lot from the standard fantasy world it was. The environment is deadly and how the survivors adapted differs from anything out there. I picture the cities almost like the Mega Cities in Judge Dredd. Overcrowded, lots of crime and dangerous. And then there are steam-punk tricycles, the main mode of transport in most cities. Just imagine a Chase run with tricycles…

Savage-Worlds-logo-300x2173) What inspired you to create Winter Eternal?
As a boy I often wondered what the world would look like if the sun suddenly disappeared. I pictured that the lights would be switched on the whole time and that we will be playing and going to school in the dark. When I started gaming, I kept the idea of this dark world in the back of my mind and kept on refining the world more and more. After telling some friends around the gaming table about it, I started working on it and now two years later it’s available for download and soon for print as well.

4) What future support (expansions, modules, etc.) can Winter Eternal players expect?
I’ve finished pages of notes with ideas for the Winter Eternal gazetteer and plot point adventure and I will soon begin to write the next book. The first one-sheet adventure should be available in a few weeks and plan to release a few more. I’m also chatting to a friend about a Fantasy Grounds theme.

5) Why should people buy Winter Eternal?
The setting offers players and GMs the chance to adventure in a very different world than the standard fantasy or post-apocalyptic settings. It has a hostile environment, huge cities and exciting locations not seen before. There are also new races to try out like the Grayn (dog race) and Mekellions (a chameleon race). The book is also filled with many plot hooks and mysteries that game groups can use. I’ve received great feedback from buyers so far and many feel it’s a great and immersive world to explore.

Free PDF Contest: There were thirteen total entries into the Free PDF Contest.�� Congratulations to Tim Baker, your Google+ entry into the contest was the winning entry.�� You’ve won a free PDF copy of Winter Eternal from game designer, Morné Schaap.�� You will receive this copy through DriveThruRPG.�� Thank you to everyone who participated!

About Samuel Van Der Wall

Sam has been roleplaying since he first encountered Battletech 1st Edition. It was initially the tactical play that drew him in, but eventually he expanded into the roleplaying game portion and it was a done deal from there. His favorite game is Shadowrun, but he����s also a huge fan of Dungeons & Dragons, Dungeon World, Numenera, Star Wars, Warhammer, and many other roleplaying games. He����s a huge fan of Fantasy Flight Games and numerous other gaming companies and publishers. He prefers playing over game mastering. He likes creating one character, building on that character, integrating it into the story, and seeing how it develops over a campaign. He����s not afraid of character death because it����s often memorable and builds the story! If he had a specialty, it would be that he����s really into helping other players draw out storylines in their own characters and further their own goals. He����s never had the privilege of attending a gaming related convention, but hopes to attend two next year.

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