Stefano Buonocore
Today we are pleased to present you the preview of Terra Mortis. In the words of the authors of Lion Banner Games, it’s a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk RPG. Set in a cataclysmic future, Land of the Dead crosses and allows the main themes of the two genres to emerge: transhumanism and survival.
Anyone interested in purchasing can find Terra Mortis on The project’s Gamefound page, which exceeded one thousand followers even before its launch. In addition to the 270-page hardcover manual, it is possible to purchase a deck of cards (in tarot format) with a personalized binder, to represent weapons and enemies. Also available are the set of official miniatures, a collection of maps, the GM screen and all the add-ons unlocked with the project.
Preview of Terra Mortis: the Game
Do you dare to survive in the Fringes?
Terra Mortis is a highly adrenaline-filled role-playing game that promises tactical and spectacular clashes in lively scenarios. The wastelands of the Fringes are no place for the faint of heart: only augmented humans, gangs of mutants, and other sentient creatures survive there. Grafts, heavy weapons and armoured vehicles are essential to see tomorrow’s dawn and, perhaps, discover the secrets of the ancient civilization now reduced to a forgotten wreck.
To accomplish this, Terra Mortis takes advantage of the game system Year Zero Engine, developed by Free League and available under an OGL license. The YZE, appropriately adapted to the game, promises action-focused mechanics that are fast and lethal enough. However, all without giving up a strong tactical component and a rich series of customization options for the characters.
Game Features
The mechanics of the game will have strong points that the publisher firmly reiterates:
- The exploration system “pointcrawl“, which identifies fixed points on the map and, thanks to the tables, randomly generates encounters, treasures and events
- A game strongly focused on the recovery of resources and on crafting starting from the latter
- Augmentations, which allow even the most harmless of humans to survive on the Threshold
- A strong tactical combat, where gears, weapons and battle maps will create epic encounters
- Wide use of vehicles, both as mobile bases and as platforms for race combat
Preview of the Handbook of Terra Mortis
The volume will be rich in content, with deep lore and a complete rules package. 16 Archetypes and Backgrounds will allow you to create unique heroes to customize with equipment and cybernetic implants. However, the lore will be the protagonist, delving into factions, gangs and every element useful to the game. To complete the manual, there will be an epic campaign to play with your foot on the accelerator and a 40-page bestiary, an indispensable resource for the narrator.
At the moment the setting is mentioned, but it promises a very significant development; already in the preview we consulted, reference is made to the history of humanity and the present that the characters will live in. All are accompanied by a plethora of factions with conflicting or competing interests and various customization options that completely open the doors to the concept of transhumanism.
Certainly one of the most striking aspects of this project is the artistic part. The preview illustrations are ambitious and of great impact. A biting style conveys how much a game like this can be pushed to the limit, perfectly conveying the “punk” style that you want to set from the start. Cyberpunk, Mad Max and Hokuto no Ken were taken, blended and served on fire.
Game Themes
Terra Mortis will focus on four very specific cornerstones, which will allow it to fully exploit its potential. These are themes that emerge strongly as a declaration of intent:
- the relationship between humanity and a world that has completely moved on. In particular transhumanism (the boundary between life and artificial intelligence) and the comparison with new human beings. What does the relationship with technology entail? Ethical dilemmas will play a key role in the game.
- the survival in the Fringes, with the continuous search for resources and energy sources. With the knowledge that Land of the Dead it’s a zero-sum game: feeding yourself means starving someone else.
- the exploration of wastelands, and all the dangers that a post-apocalyptic scenario can offer. Players will always be asked to choose which and how many risks to take.
- the violence, as a tool or as a vice. The one that fuels endless cycles of revenge, and which seems impossible to stop. But the alternative is to watch the world continue to burn.
Another very important feature will be that of the DLC, borrowed from the world of video games. Lion Banner Games has announced that there will be various playable adventures and scenarios to download in addition to the basic manual. This will allow you to live on the Fringes in a myriad of facets, without the fear of running out of “material”. Transforming the world of Terra Mortis into a living, as well as vivid, project.
With the premises of one of the most popular OGL game systems of the moment and a setting that brings ever-hot themes into play, Terra Mortis presents itself as one of the most interesting independent games of 2024. The curiosity to bring it to the table is very high!
