Lancer (role-playing game)

Player characters are mecha pilots, and the setting is on the outskirts of a far-future, post-apocalyptic, technological utopia. Lancer features tactical battle mechanics and detailed character customization. Instead of experience points, Lancer tracks character growth using milestones, allowing players to level up after each mission by hand-picking upgrades from any mech in the game.{{Cite web |last=Pilon |first=Zachary |date=16 July 2022 |title=Lancer Is the Perfect TTRPG for Players Who Wish D&D Had Mechs |url=https://www.cbr.com/lancer-mech-ttrpg/ |access-date=3 November 2024 |website=CBR |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Zambrano |first=J. R. |date=15 July 2024 |title='Lancer' RPG Gets a New Mech-Filled Print Run |url=https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2024/07/lancer-rpg-gets-a-mech-filled-new-print-run.html |access-date=3 November 2024 |website=Bell of Lost Souls |language=en}} There are also rules for narrative play, although there are less mechanics regarding roleplay.{{Cite web |date=2023-03-01 |title=Lancer (RPG) Review |url=https://ttrpgfactory.com/2023/03/01/lancer-rpg-review/ |access-date=2025-03-30 |website=The TTRPG Factory |language=en}}

It was important to the creators for Lancer not to be a dystopian sci-fi setting, as they were tired of cynical sci-fi. They wanted the game to be fundamentally optimistic in its worldview, like classic sci-fi. According to Lopez-Hall, Lancer’s setting has a Gramscian-style pessimism of the intellect and optimism of the will. The creators wanted player characters to focus on defending something dear to them. To help prioritize this, they avoided a monetary reward system. The creators also chose to add more narrative descriptions to mechanics in the rule book as well. Tom Bloom believes that it is important for tabletop role-playing games to have narrative surrounding abilities, citing it as something that Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition does well.{{Cite web |last=Shaw |first=Luke |date=2020-10-07 |title=LANCER: An Interview Transcript |url=https://luke-shaw.medium.com/lancer-an-interview-transcript-ea118cebfbf8 |access-date=2025-03-30 |website=Medium |language=en}}

Lancer was first independently published by Massif Press in 2019 after a Kickstarter campaign raised over $400,000. In an interview with Luke Shaw for Dicebreaker, the creators attributed their disciplined work ethic on the project to Lopez-Hall's recent MFA in Creative Writing and Bloom's previous work producing the weekly webcomic Kill Six Billion Demons.{{Cite web |last=Shaw |first=Luke |date=21 September 2020 |title=Lancer: Inside the cockpit of the mech RPG looking to a positive future for roleplaying – and the universe |url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/lancer/interview/lancer-rpg-interview-future-roleplaying |access-date=4 November 2024 |website=Dicebreaker |language=en}}

In 2023, Massif Press announced a second printing, to be published as an illustrated hardcover book in collaboration with Dark Horse Comics.{{Cite web |last=Morrison |first=Matt |date=4 October 2023 |title=Dark Horse Comics Now Publishing Roleplaying Game Books |url=https://www.superherohype.com/geek-culture/549550-dark-horse-comics-now-publishing-roleplaying-game-books |access-date=3 November 2024 |website=Comic Book Movies and Superhero Movie News – SuperHeroHype |language=en-US}} The second print run was released in July 2024.{{Cite web |title=Lancer TTRPG Core Rulebook by Tom Bloom, Miguel Lopez: 9781506742915 {{!}} PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/747896/lancer-ttrpg-core-rulebook-by-tom-bloom-miguel-lopez/ |access-date=3 November 2024 |website=PenguinRandomhouse.com |language=en-US}}

Lancer was initially nominated for the 2020 ENNIE Awards for "Best Electronic Book"; however, the creators later asked to be withdrawn from nomination, in protest against a 2017 award for a Lamentations of the Flame Princess supplement. In a public email to the awards committee, Massif Press said that the supplement contained "casual graphic sexual assault and racism."{{Cite web |last=Jarvis |first=Matt |date=7 July 2020 |title=Quest, Alien and Mörk Borg among nominees for best RPGs of the year at 2020 ENnie Awards |url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/topics/ennie-awards/news/ennie-awards-2020-nominees |access-date=3 November 2024 |website=Dicebreaker |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Zambrano |first=J. R. |date=2 July 2020 |title=RPG: Lancer Withdraws From ENnies, Protesting Controversial Title Receiving Award |url=https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2020/07/rpg-lancer-withdraws-from-ennies-protesting-controversial-title-receiving-award.html |access-date=3 November 2024 |website=Bell of Lost Souls |language=en}}

• No Room For A Wallflower: A Lancer Narrative{{Cite web |title=Massif Press |url=https://massifpress.com/shop |access-date=3 November 2024 |website=massifpress.com}}
• The Long Rim: A Lancer Setting
• The Karrakin Trade Baronies: A Lancer Setting
• Operation Winter Scar: A Lancer Narrative
• Operation Solstice Rain: A Lancer Narrative
• Dustgrave: A Lancer Narrative
• Siren's Song: A Mountain's Remorse
• Shadow of the Wolf: A Lancer Narrative

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Category:Indie role-playing games

Category:Mecha role-playing games

Category:Role-playing games introduced in 2019

Category:Science fiction role-playing games