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Arcanum 30th Anniversary EditionClick to magnify

Arcanum 30th Anniversary Edition

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[ Current: Release 1.5 ]

In the mid-1980s, a small publishing company released a genuinely original role-playing game. While most other companies were releasing clones of the larger press games, or generic systemless supplements, ARCANUM took a bold, fresh look at the infinite possibilities of fantasy gaming.

ARCANUM has unconventional races, more than 30 professions, dozens of skills, a way to track fame, and an approach to alchemy and magic that has not been equaled in the more than three decades since its initial release.

The 30th Anniversary Edition of this classic is an evolution, not a revolution. It cleans-up, modernizes, and re-organizes text, fills gaps, and fleshes out concepts.

Re-discover the wonder of ARCANUM.

The errata file for all releases of Arcanum can be found at https://zila.games/arcanum/

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Reviews (2)
Discussions (22)
Customer avatar
Tim G August 30, 2023 8:43 pm UTC
Any chance of putting a preview up?
Customer avatar
John M September 04, 2022 12:29 am UTC
PURCHASER
The links to the SRDs are here: http://zila-games.com/arcanum/

http://zila-games.com/wp-content/uploads/SRD.pdf
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Customer avatar
Brian G January 09, 2023 1:19 pm UTC
I think ZiLa Games may be defunct now. I tried going to the URL you listed as well as the base URL and get placeholder sites like the domain has expired and is up for sale.
Customer avatar
Darryl F August 26, 2022 1:14 am UTC
PURCHASER
Love the Arcanum and Bard Games was one of my first RPGs... until a fire took everything. I was lucky to get a copy from Zila Games. However, does anyone have Errata 1.3, Arcanum SRD and Bestiary SRD that was formerly available at zila-games.com? The website is essentially 404. The Wayback Machine does not possess the SRDs or errata 1.3, apparently, though it has everything else (errata 1.1 & 1.2 , p361, and character sheet pdfs) as long as you look for all files...
Customer avatar
Myron M April 21, 2022 2:34 pm UTC
PURCHASER
It would be very interesting to see how playing as a Saint would work.
Customer avatar
Boyd P October 23, 2021 5:27 am UTC
PURCHASER
Does anyone know how movement works in this system? I know it is based on the Speed attribute, but is that equal to yards or feet? Also, are you able to move and make an attack in combat? I do not see this addressed in the rules.
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Customer avatar
Nicholas T December 03, 2021 6:32 am UTC
PURCHASER
I use speed as one five foot square of movement. remember it's a rules light system and largely up to you. I do a movement, attack and defense action per turn.
Customer avatar
Kyrinn E August 26, 2021 1:35 am UTC
What happened to the print edition of this?
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Customer avatar
Scott W September 22, 2021 5:02 am UTC
It can still be ordered, just not currently through DTRPG. You'll need to check another well-known POD site. Good luck!
Customer avatar
Stacie W May 21, 2021 10:18 pm UTC
Didn't this book have a print option?
Customer avatar
Ryan C March 31, 2021 12:12 am UTC
PURCHASER
Still my favorite FRPG of all time hands down.
Customer avatar
Jeremy H March 06, 2021 5:22 am UTC
I was thinking about this one again. But now the art samples are no longer visible?
Customer avatar
Fredrick R December 27, 2020 9:30 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Wish there was a character sheet in Roll20 for this
Customer avatar
Daniel B December 03, 2019 1:48 am UTC
I used to own The Lexicon: Atlas of the Lost World of Atlantis, but was foolish enough to sell it in the mid-80s. Could you tell me if this product reprints it?
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Customer avatar
GM D January 23, 2020 8:00 am UTC
PURCHASER
It doesn't - the rights to the Lexicon were sold separately from the Arcanum and belong to Khepera Publishing (who got them from Morrigan Press).

I know Morrigan Press's "Atlantis: The Second Age" substantially reprints the text of The Lexicon (merging it with their own game system), and I believe Khepera's version (available elsewhere on Drivethru) does the same.
Customer avatar
Matthew S March 16, 2019 11:10 pm UTC
I think it is fair to say that I love the original book right up to the point of obsession. It's the first game book that I bought out of sheer, unholy desire. I used to pour over the ads in Dragon magazine. I tried to purchase the rights - with Steve Secchi's blessing - when Morrigan Press was going under. I tried to work with Khepera when they got it instead (Jerry Grayson is a total class act, by the way, and even though I couldn't agree with the direction that he took the game, I still think he is an awesome dude, as well as the other guys who wrote for their version). I have obsessed over the minutiae to a truly unhealthy degree (e.g. my reviews of the both the Morrigan and the Khepera editions over at RPG.net.

And...I totally missed the KS on this.

So, given all that, could you tell me what has been "cleaned-up" such that I would get this?

P.S. The fact that you got to do this thing fills me with envy.
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Customer avatar
K. David L March 30, 2019 3:05 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Wow. Sorry to hear of the woe you have had with this product. :)

As far as what was cleaned up...

...corrections of typos, tense, grammar, etc.
...much of the original layout was not conducive to readability
...the material has been organized into logical chapters
...some spells were missing information (duration, range, etc.)
...and so on...

In addition, some small changes have been made to mitigate a few metagaming issues that often crop up (e.g., the highly trained fighter build with 2+ to hit at all times), and a few pet peeves of mine with the system were straightened out. Overall, not much has changed from the 2nd/3rd edition of the game. But I personally believe this to be the best edition that has ever been released. But that would probably be my personal biases speaking. :)
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Customer avatar
Boyd P October 23, 2021 2:47 pm UTC
PURCHASER
David, I just got this PFF and the print version from lulu is in the way. Absolutely loving it - this is an absolute hidden jem that I stumbled on.

One area in the rules I am uncertain about is character movement - is it one yard per each point of speed? Does running double it? Are you able to move before or after in combat?
Customer avatar
David G March 12, 2019 6:57 am UTC
Would like to see a pdf preview! Also interested in PoD
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Customer avatar
K. David L March 30, 2019 3:06 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
PDF preview is supposed to be there.... I will check on that.

POD is coming very, very soon.
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Customer avatar
Kyrinn E August 26, 2021 1:36 am UTC
Follow up on this? I had the print version on my Wishlist and noticed it missing.
What has happened to the PoD?
Customer avatar
John R March 10, 2019 9:39 pm UTC
PURCHASER
It isn't letting me download the file: there's no link...
Reply
Customer avatar
John R March 10, 2019 9:53 pm UTC
PURCHASER
(I'm also one of the kickstarter backers, so I'd really like to get my copy...)
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Customer avatar
John R March 12, 2019 9:38 pm UTC
PURCHASER
DriveThru fixed it. But, now I have to ask:

Why'd you drop the Druas from this edition?
Reply
Customer avatar
K. David L March 14, 2019 12:45 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
The Druas became a major part of Talislanta -- Sechi's other major RPG. So he asked, when I purchased the rights, to maintain ownership of that one element of the game.
Reply
Customer avatar
Geoffrey E December 23, 2019 6:34 pm UTC
PURCHASER
That sucks, especially now since Druas are available under creative commons.
Customer avatar
February 21, 2019 10:17 pm UTC
PURCHASER
One of my favorites. Have enjoyed it and the Atlantis setting. I even liked and used the Compleat Series by Bard Games which was added as a supplement my AD&D 1e game.
Reply
Customer avatar
K. David L February 26, 2019 4:47 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Same here. Love this material... the primary reason I purchased the rights. I hope you like this edition.
Customer avatar
Herbert N February 20, 2019 7:44 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Will we be seeing the other two books or any other additional material?
Reply
Customer avatar
K. David L February 26, 2019 4:46 am UTC
PUBLISHER
The other two books are owned by Khepera publishing... so sadly, no. They have allowed me the opportunity to include a Bestiary chapter in this volume so as to make this a complete RPG. Original material... that may come about. We will see how well this sells before I make a final decision on that. :)
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Product Information
Electrum seller
Author(s)
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Pages
366
Publisher Stock #
A30-001
File Size:
79.94 MB
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File Last Updated:
April 26, 2022
This title was added to our catalog on February 14, 2019.
Publisher
ZiLa Games
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