Hollow Earth Expedition
Encyclopedia
Hollow Earth Expedition is a pulp 1930s role-playing game
set in the fictitious Hollow Earth
, published by Exile Game Studio. The game has been nominated for several Origins
and ENnie awards since its release in 2006.
The main rule book is Hollow Earth Expedition, and it is often abbreviated as HEX.
Two organizations are detailed in the main rulebook: the Terra Arcana and the Thule Society
. Further organizations are listed in the first expansion, Secrets of the Surface World.
The Terra Arcanum in an esoteric society dedicated to keeping the Hollow Earth a secret. They have their foundations deep in the mists of time, and only a few of their current members realize their true origins.
The Thule Society
are based on an actual organization associated with the Nazi party during World War II
. In HEX they have a deep interest in getting into the Hollow Earth and the powerful ancient weapons they believe are kept there.
Mysteries of the Hollow Earth expands a great deal on the denizens of Hollow Earth, including rules for beastmen of various sorts, and provides details such as a map and gazetteer for those GMs who want a more fleshed-out world, rather than the more nebulous "land of mysteries" from the core book.
ENnies:
Origins:
Hollow Earth Expedition GM Screen
ENnies:
Origins:
Secrets of the Surface World
ENnies:
Mysteries of The Hollow Earth
ENnies:
Perils of the Surface World
ENnies:
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
set in the fictitious Hollow Earth
Hollow Earth
The Hollow Earth hypothesis proposes that the planet Earth is either entirely hollow or otherwise contains a substantial interior space. The hypothesis has been shown to be wrong by observational evidence, as well as by the modern understanding of planet formation; the scientific community has...
, published by Exile Game Studio. The game has been nominated for several Origins
Origins Award
The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so the 1979 awards were given at the 1980 Origins.The Origins Award is commonly...
and ENnie awards since its release in 2006.
The main rule book is Hollow Earth Expedition, and it is often abbreviated as HEX.
System
Hollow Earth Expedition uses the Ubiquity rules, which were also created by Exile Game Studio. The main feature of the system is its use of binary dice pool rolls to determine success. Under the default rules, each even number rolled counts as a success, while odd numbers count as nothing. Odd 'nothings' do not cancel out even 'successes', making dice rolling quick and simple. This binary system has also led to the development of special Ubiquity Dice, which are not detailed below.The surface world
Hollow Earth Expedition is set in the 1930s. On the surface, everything appears as it does in our real world history books, but if you dig a little deeper you encounter secret societies and villainous organizations, many of whom have a vested interest in the Hollow Earth.Two organizations are detailed in the main rulebook: the Terra Arcana and the Thule Society
Thule Society
The Thule Society , originally the Studiengruppe für germanisches Altertum , was a German occultist and völkisch group in Munich, named after a mythical northern country from Greek legend...
. Further organizations are listed in the first expansion, Secrets of the Surface World.
The Terra Arcanum in an esoteric society dedicated to keeping the Hollow Earth a secret. They have their foundations deep in the mists of time, and only a few of their current members realize their true origins.
The Thule Society
Thule Society
The Thule Society , originally the Studiengruppe für germanisches Altertum , was a German occultist and völkisch group in Munich, named after a mythical northern country from Greek legend...
are based on an actual organization associated with the Nazi party during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In HEX they have a deep interest in getting into the Hollow Earth and the powerful ancient weapons they believe are kept there.
The Hollow Earth
The Hollow Earth boasts a wide selection of beasts and humans. Dinosaurs and other extinct creatures still live and hunt and are hunted by the various human groups who have become stranded in the Hollow Earth over the centuries. Not a great deal of detail is provided about the Hollow Earth in the main book, allowing Game Masters to customize the terrain to suit their campaign.Mysteries of the Hollow Earth expands a great deal on the denizens of Hollow Earth, including rules for beastmen of various sorts, and provides details such as a map and gazetteer for those GMs who want a more fleshed-out world, rather than the more nebulous "land of mysteries" from the core book.
Currently available
- Hollow Earth Expedition (available in French and German)
- Game Master Screen
- Secrets of the Surface World
- Mysteries of the Hollow Earth
- Perils of the Surface World adventure modules: Micracle Stone of the Amazon, Frozen City of Terror, and Legacy of the Terra Arcanum
- Ubiquity Dice
- Ubiquity Style Chips for each of the three sourcebooks
- Quick Start Rules and adventures for Free RPG DayFree RPG DayFree RPG Day is an annual promotional effort by the North American Role-playing game industry. Inspired by Free Comic Book Day, Free RPG Day was started in 2007 and is coordinated worldwide by Impressions Advertising and Marketing...
2008-2011
Awards
Hollow Earth ExpeditionENnies:
- (2007) Best Cover Art (Silver Award Winner)
- (2007) Best Writing (Nominated)
- (2007) Best Game(Nominated)
- (2007) Product of the Year (Nominated)
Origins:
- (2007) Roleplaying Game of the Year (Nominated)
Hollow Earth Expedition GM Screen
ENnies:
- (2008) Best Accessory (Nominated)
Origins:
- (2008) Game Support (Nominated)
Secrets of the Surface World
ENnies:
- (2008) Best Supplement (Silver Award Winner)
Mysteries of The Hollow Earth
ENnies:
- (2010) Best Supplement (Gold Award Winner)
Perils of the Surface World
ENnies:
- (2011) Best Adventure (for Miracle Stone of the Amazon) (Nominated)
External links
- Official site at Exile Game Studio
- Greymalkin Designs Licenses the Ubiquity System for a Post-apocalyptic Fantasy game, Desolation
- Battlefield Press Licenses the Ubiquity System for a Victorian Science Fantasy game, Fantastic World
- Triple Ace games Licenses the Ubiquity System for its Swashbuckling All For One: Regime Diabolque
- DANGER MAGNET! Fanzine specializing in the Ubiquity System
- Uhrwerk Verlag German HEX Publisher