The Lord of the Rings of sci-fi novels, Dune, has returned to popular culture in a big way this year with a feature film that was scheduled to debut in a few weeks and a brand new role-playing game by British publisher Modiphius. Due to the pandemic, both have been delayed, but fans thirsting for the film (now scheduled for October 1, 2021) will be able to play their favorite parts in Dune-based stories starting in the first quarter of 2021.
In Dune: Adventures in the Imperium, players will create a House of the Landsraad, the collective of powerful families and organizations that support the Emperor's rule. Just as Denis Villeneuve's new film includes a star-studded cast, so too has Modiphius assembled a team of game developers and artists to rival other major RPG publishers. Set during the time of the Imperium, the game offers a chance to "Build your house, carve your place in the universe, and fight for the Imperial throne."
The RPG will use Modiphius's 2d20 system, a cinematic system in which players roll 2d20s and hope to roll beneath the target number set by their ability and skill modifiers. Those mechanics should provide excellent support for the kinds of action-packed and intrigue-oriented scenes that define the Dune novels. Players will engage with stories adjacent to the novels, rather than retelling those stories themselves. The game will span the 20 novels by Frank Herbert, Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, providing a wealth of story opportunities.
Herbert wove ideas about environmentalism into the original novel, which came out around the time that the environmental movement was gaining traction worldwide. Many read the spice Mélange as a stand-in for oil, and the exploitation of the Fremen people by the Imperium could be seen as the Arabic world and the colonial powers that dominated that region. However, the novels were incredibly white and centered on the experiences of the powerful elite. The intentional composition of the creative team behind Dune suggests that the game will have a more inclusive scope and allow players to explore the stories of more marginalized people in this amazing world. That kind of worldbuilding will enhance the novel's legacy of humanizing heroes and questioning power structures.
The game is helmed by Modiphius's Nathan Dowell (Infinity, Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of, Star Trek Adventures), Andrew Peregrine (Doctor Who, Victoriana, Star Trek Adventures) will serve as line manager and Jason Durall (Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of, Runequest, A Game of Thrones) as line editor. The rest of the creative team is a virtual who's-who of today's top TTRPG talent, including Chris Spivey (Harlem Unbound, Cthulhu Confidential), Mari Tokuda (Achtung! Cthulhu, Malifaux), Rachael Cruz (Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of, Star Trek Adventures), Jack Norris (John Carter, Marvel Heroic, Mutants & Masterminds), Banana Chan (Dads on Mowers, Terrors Below), Khaldoun Khelil (Vampire 5th Edition, Call of Cthulhu, Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition), Peter Wright (7TV, John Carter of Mars), Helena Nash (Runequest, 7TV), Richard August (John Carter of Mars, Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of), Ben Woerner (7th Sea, Warhammer 40k) and Simon Berman (Eclipse Phase, Iron Kingdoms).
The team of creatives is truly exciting for fans of both RPGs and Dune. While the game itself won't be available until next year, Modiphius will showcase it with a live play stream during ModCon, which starts on December 4th. Fans will be able to put in their preorders next month, too. Fans should be treated to character types like mentats, swordmasters, Bene Gesserit and Fremen and to see how the 2d20 system gets adapted to a game where "those that control the spice control the universe."