Eclipse Phase

{{About|the roleplaying game|the virology term|Viral life cycle}}

{{Infobox RPG

|title = Eclipse Phase

|subtitle=The Roleplaying Game of Transhuman Conspiracy and Horror

|publisher = {{Unbulleted list|Catalyst Game Labs|Posthuman Studios}}

|date={{Start date and age|2009|08|23|br=yes}}

|image=Posthuman_Studios_Eclipse_Phase_2nd_ed_Roleplaying_game_cover_2019.jpg

|caption=2nd Edition cover 2019

|designer=Rob Boyle

|system = d100/percentile

|players=

|genre = Science fiction

|web = {{URL|http://www.eclipsephase.com/}}

|isbn=978-0984583508

}}

Eclipse Phase is a science fiction horror role-playing game with transhumanist themes. It was originally published by Catalyst Game Labs, and is now published by the game's creators, Posthuman Studios,{{rp|388}} and is released under a Creative Commons license.

Setting

Eclipse Phase is a science fiction horror{{cite web| url = http://www.bluealien.org/node/380| title = Gencon 2008 - Defining the Future: Eclipse Phase Part I| work = BlueAlien.org| date = 2009-08-09| accessdate = 2009-09-01| author = Randol Hooper, Jaime Pittenger and William Stull| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081224114444/http://www.bluealien.org/node/380| archive-date = 2008-12-24| url-status = dead}} role-playing game with transhumanist, post-apocalyptic, and conspiracy themes.{{cite news| url = http://hplusmagazine.com/articles/toys-tools/eclipse-phase| work = h+ magazine| title = Eclipse Phase - Posthuman Studios Has a Game for You| first = Ray| last = Huling| date = 26 August 2009| accessdate = 2009-08-31}}{{cite journal |last1=Lafayette |first1=Lev |title=Eclipse Phase Review and Character |journal=RPG Review |date=June 2012 |issue=16 |url=https://archive.org/details/rpgreview_16/page/n9/mode/2up?q=%22Eclipse+Phase%22 |access-date=18 March 2021}}

The game is set after a World War III project to create artificial intelligence known as TITANs has gone rogue, resulting in the deaths of over 90% of the inhabitants of Earth. Earth is subsequently abandoned, and existing colonies throughout the Solar System are expanded to accommodate the refugees. The setting explores a spectrum of socioeconomic systems in each of these colonies:

A capitalist / republican system exists in the Inner System (Mars, the Moon, and Mercury), under the Planetary Consortium, a corporate body which allows the election of representatives but whose shareholders are nominally most powerful.
An Extropian/Propertarian system is established in the Asteroid Belt. The Extropians are split into two subfactions, an anarcho-capitalist group, more closely related to the Hypercapitalists and a mutualist group, related closely to the Anarchists.
A military oligarchy rules the moons around Jupiter.
An alliance of Scandinavia-style social democracy and Collectivist anarchism are dominant in the Outer System.

From there, the setting explores various scientific advances, extrapolated far into the future. Nanotechnology, terraforming, Zero-G living, upgrading animal sapience, and reputation systems are all used as plot points and background.

With all of this, the game encourages players to confront existential threats like aliens, weapons of mass destruction, Exsurgent Virus outbreaks, and political unrest.

Mechanics

Eclipse Phase uses a simple roll-under percentile die system for task resolution.{{cite book |last1=Appelcline |first1=Shannon |title=Designers & Dragons. '00-'09 : A history of the roleplaying game industry |date=2014 |publisher=Evil Hat Productions |location=Silver Springs, MD, USA |isbn=978-1-61317-081-6 |edition=2nd}}{{rp|395}} Unlike most percentile systems, a roll of 00 does not count as a 100. In addition, any roll of a double (11, 22, 33 etc.) is a critical. If the double is under the target number it is a critical success, while being over the target number constitutes a critical failure.

For damage resolution (whether physical damage caused by injury or mental stress caused by traumatic events), players roll a designated number of ten-sided dice and add the values together, along with any modifiers.{{citation|publisher = Posthuman Studios|title = Eclipse Phase Core Rulebook|date = 11 June 2010|page = 192|isbn= 978-0-9845835-0-8}}

Books

File:Eclipse Phase logo.png

= Publications =

Eclipse Phase (Core Rulebook) (2009) {{ISBN|978-0-9845835-0-8}}
GM Screen (2010){{rp|397}}
Sunward, {{cite book |last1=Boyle |first1=Rob |last2=Knevitt |first2=James |title=Sunward : the inner system, a location sourcebook for Eclipse Phase |date=2010 |publisher=Cubicle 7 |location=UK |isbn=978-0984583522}}{{rp|399}}
Gatecrashing {{cite book |last1=Boyle |first1=Rob |last2=Graham |first2=Jack |last3=Rosenberg |first3=Aaron |title=Gatecrashing |date=2011 |publisher=Cubicle 7 |location=UK |isbn=978-0984583539}}{{rp|399}}
Panopticon Volume 1: Habitats, Surveillance, Uplifts (2011) (2011){{rp|400}}
Rimward (2012){{rp|400}}
Transhuman: The Eclipse Phase Player’s Guide (2013){{rp|401}}
Firewall (2015)
X-Risks (2016)
Eclipse Phase (Core Rulebook, Second Edition) (2019)

= Nano Ops =

Nano Op: Grinder{{Cite web|url=https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/253119/Eclipse-Phase-Nano-Op-Grinder|title=Eclipse Phase Nano Op: Grinder - Posthuman Studios LLC | Eclipse Phase Adventures | Eclipse Phase Second Edition | Nano Ops & Nano Drops | DriveThruRPG.com|website=www.drivethrurpg.com}}
Nano Op: All That Glitters{{Cite web|url=https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/345444/Eclipse-Phase-Nano-Op-All-That-Glitters|title=Eclipse Phase Nano Op: All That Glitters - Posthuman Studios LLC | Eclipse Phase Adventures | Eclipse Phase Second Edition | Nano Ops & Nano Drops | DriveThruRPG.com|website=www.drivethrurpg.com}}
Nano Op: Better on the Inside{{Cite web|url=https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/253121/Eclipse-Phase-Nano-Op-Better-on-the-Inside|title=Eclipse Phase Nano Op: Better on the Inside - Posthuman Studios LLC | Eclipse Phase Adventures | Eclipse Phase Second Edition | Nano Ops & Nano Drops | DriveThruRPG.com|website=www.drivethrurpg.com}}
Nano Op: Binge{{Cite web|url=https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/389681/Eclipse-Phase-Nano-Op-Binge|title=Eclipse Phase Nano Op: Binge - Posthuman Studios LLC | Eclipse Phase Adventures | Eclipse Phase Gamemaster Resources | Eclipse Phase Second Edition | Nano Ops & Nano Drops | DriveThruRPG.com|website=www.drivethrurpg.com}}
Nano Op: Body Count{{Cite web|url=https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/253122/Eclipse-Phase-Nano-Op-Body-Count|title=Eclipse Phase Nano Op: Body Count - Posthuman Studios LLC | Eclipse Phase Adventures | Eclipse Phase Second Edition | Nano Ops & Nano Drops | DriveThruRPG.com|website=www.drivethrurpg.com}}

Creative Commons License

The Eclipse Phase roleplaying game was released under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 license, and newer printings have updated to the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 license; the text found on the Eclipse Phase website is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. As stated on their website, the publishers encourage players and gamemasters to recreate, alter, and "remix" the material for non-commercial purposes as long as Posthuman Studios is attributed, and any derivatives are licensed under the same Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. Further, copying and sharing the game's electronic versions non-commercially is legal.{{cite web| url = http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/outofthebox/2009/09/01/hoosier_daddy/| title = Hoosier Daddy? GenCon 2009 Indianapolis Con Report| work = Indie Press Revolution| date = 2009-09-01| accessdate = 2009-09-01| first = White| last = Ken| archive-url = https://archive.today/20110713025947/http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/outofthebox/2009/09/01/hoosier_daddy/| archive-date = 2011-07-13| url-status = dead}}{{cite web|url = http://gamejournal.tv/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=157:eclipse-phase-preorder-a-creative-commons-license&catid=54:tabletopnews&Itemid=132|title = PDF, Hard Copy Preorder for Eclipse Phase – and Creative Commons License|first = Neal|last = Stidham|publisher = Game Journal|date = 2009-08-25|accessdate = 2010-10-01}}{{Dead link|date=February 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web|url = http://boingboing.net/2009/08/12/eclipse-phase-cc-lic.html|title = Eclipse Phase: CC-licensed tabletop singularity RPG|first = Cory|last = Doctorow|publisher = BoingBoing|date = 2009-08-12|accessdate = 2009-09-03}}{{rp|395}}

Reception

In 2010, it won the 36th Annual Origins award for Best Roleplaying Game of 2009.{{rp|396}} It also won three 2010 ENnie awards: Gold for Best Writing, Silver for Best Cover Art, and Silver for Product of the Year.

{{cite web|url = http://www.ennie-awards.com/blog/?page_id=1055|title = 2010 ENnie Winners|publisher = ENnie Awards|date = 2010-08-12|accessdate = 2010-08-12}}