Mongoose Publishing
Encyclopedia
Mongoose Publishing is a prolific British
manufacturer of role-playing games
, miniatures, and card game
s, actively publishing material since 2001. Its licenses include products based on the popular science fiction
properties Traveller
, Judge Dredd
, and Paranoia
, as well as fantasy titles Conan the Barbarian
and RuneQuest
.
boom sparked by Dungeons & Dragons
Third Edition, quickly achieving popularity and notoriety in equal measure by virtue of the sheer volume of its releases, and the early successes of its initial lines. Early product lines were aimed directly at supplementing the Dungeons & Dragons game. The first releases, the Slayer's Guides, concentrated on different monster types for the d20 system, while the subsequent Quintessential books, detailing specific character classes, went on to become one of the best selling D20 lines outside of Wizards of the Coast. The latter were to span three years and thirty-six different titles.
Mongoose was to gain a reputation for being 'predatory' and targeting other publisher's release schedules by producing similar books at the same time. However, Mongoose later denied any malicious intent, and said that with nearly 100 D20 publishers all producing books at the same time, such clashes were inevitable.
Later, as the company's fortunes solidified, Mongoose began an aggressive pursuit of licensed properties, acquiring the rights to the popular British comic series Sláine
and Judge Dredd in 2002 and the landmark television series Babylon 5
in 2003.
2003 also saw the release of the magazine Signs and Portents, a house organ aimed at supplementing and supporting Mongoose's growing range of products, as well as a range of generic standalone products based on the d20 System, collectively known as the "OGL series". Further acquisitions followed in 2004, including the rights to a roleplaying game based on Conan the Barbarian, the defunct roleplaying game Paranoia, and a joint venture with popular d20 System portal EN World
, the EN World Gamer quarterly magazine. Signs & Portents was turned into an online magazine after two years, which saw its popularity increase to over 50,000 downloads a month.
As of 2007, Mongoose Publishing has released role-playing and miniatures games based on the Starship Troopers
license, as well as the rights to RuneQuest and Traveller.
In 2008 Mongoose announced that it was ceasing production and marketing of its miniatures ranges and would, for the time being, concentrate solely on the production of RPGs and miniatures rules.
In September 2008, Matthew Sprange announced that Mongoose Publishing had "joined the Rebellion Group, becoming a sister company to Rebellion
itself."
In October 2008, Matthew Sprange announced that Mongoose Publishing would be publishing the new Lejendary Adventure
line for Gygax Games.
In May 2011, Matthew Sprange announced that Mongoose Publishing and Issaries Inc had parted ways, meaning that Mongoose will cease to produce RuneQuest and Glorantha, though they retain the RuneQuest II core rule system which will become Wayfarer later in 2011.
was produced as a one-book release; relying on Traveller for its core rules allowed the product to focus on setting-specific rules and colour.
Games which already use another rule system, however, have not changed (for example, Conan and Paranoia) as there is no desire to change systems, but rather to have core systems that facilitate the production of new properties which fit sci-fi or fantasy settings.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
manufacturer of role-playing games
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...
, miniatures, and card game
Card game
A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games...
s, actively publishing material since 2001. Its licenses include products based on the popular science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
properties Traveller
Traveller (role-playing game)
Traveller is a series of related science fiction role-playing games, the first published in 1977 by Game Designers' Workshop and subsequent editions by various companies remaining in print to this day. The game was inspired from such classic science fiction stories as the Dumarest saga series by...
, Judge Dredd
Judge Dredd
Judge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
, and Paranoia
Paranoia (role-playing game)
Paranoia is a dystopian science-fiction tabletop role-playing game originally designed and written by Greg Costikyan, Dan Gelber, and Eric Goldberg, and first published in 1984 by West End Games. Since 2004 the game has been published under licence by Mongoose Publishing...
, as well as fantasy titles Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is a fictional sword and sorcery hero that originated in pulp fiction magazines and has since been adapted to books, comics, several films , television programs, video games, roleplaying games and other media...
and RuneQuest
RuneQuest
RuneQuest is a fantasy role-playing game first published in 1978 by Chaosium, created by Steve Perrin and set in Greg Stafford's mythical world of Glorantha. RuneQuest was notable for its original gaming system and for its verisimilitude in adhering to an original fantasy world...
.
History
Mongoose Publishing grew out of the d20 SystemD20 System
The d20 System is a role-playing game system published in 2000 by Wizards of the Coast originally developed for the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons...
boom sparked by Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
Third Edition, quickly achieving popularity and notoriety in equal measure by virtue of the sheer volume of its releases, and the early successes of its initial lines. Early product lines were aimed directly at supplementing the Dungeons & Dragons game. The first releases, the Slayer's Guides, concentrated on different monster types for the d20 system, while the subsequent Quintessential books, detailing specific character classes, went on to become one of the best selling D20 lines outside of Wizards of the Coast. The latter were to span three years and thirty-six different titles.
Mongoose was to gain a reputation for being 'predatory' and targeting other publisher's release schedules by producing similar books at the same time. However, Mongoose later denied any malicious intent, and said that with nearly 100 D20 publishers all producing books at the same time, such clashes were inevitable.
Later, as the company's fortunes solidified, Mongoose began an aggressive pursuit of licensed properties, acquiring the rights to the popular British comic series Sláine
Sláine (comics)
Sláine is a comic hero from the pages of 2000 AD - one of Britain's most popular comic books.Sláine is a barbarian fantasy adventure series based on Celtic myths and stories which first appeared in 1983, written by Pat Mills and initially drawn by his then wife, Angela Kincaid. Most of the early...
and Judge Dredd in 2002 and the landmark television series Babylon 5
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
in 2003.
2003 also saw the release of the magazine Signs and Portents, a house organ aimed at supplementing and supporting Mongoose's growing range of products, as well as a range of generic standalone products based on the d20 System, collectively known as the "OGL series". Further acquisitions followed in 2004, including the rights to a roleplaying game based on Conan the Barbarian, the defunct roleplaying game Paranoia, and a joint venture with popular d20 System portal EN World
EN World
EN World is a role-playing game news and reviews website, which has grown from the earlier "Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News" site .- Description :...
, the EN World Gamer quarterly magazine. Signs & Portents was turned into an online magazine after two years, which saw its popularity increase to over 50,000 downloads a month.
As of 2007, Mongoose Publishing has released role-playing and miniatures games based on the Starship Troopers
Starship Troopers
Starship Troopers is a military science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein, first published as a serial in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and published hardcover in December, 1959.The first-person narrative is about a young soldier from the Philippines named Juan "Johnnie" Rico and his...
license, as well as the rights to RuneQuest and Traveller.
In 2008 Mongoose announced that it was ceasing production and marketing of its miniatures ranges and would, for the time being, concentrate solely on the production of RPGs and miniatures rules.
In September 2008, Matthew Sprange announced that Mongoose Publishing had "joined the Rebellion Group, becoming a sister company to Rebellion
Rebellion Developments
Rebellion is a British computer games company, based in Oxford, who are most famous for the first Aliens vs. Predator computer game. It has published comic books since 2000 and launched its own book imprint, Abaddon Books, in 2006.-History:...
itself."
In October 2008, Matthew Sprange announced that Mongoose Publishing would be publishing the new Lejendary Adventure
Lejendary Adventure
Lejendary Adventure is a role-playing game created by Gary Gygax, the co-creator of Dungeons and Dragons, and creator of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons...
line for Gygax Games.
In May 2011, Matthew Sprange announced that Mongoose Publishing and Issaries Inc had parted ways, meaning that Mongoose will cease to produce RuneQuest and Glorantha, though they retain the RuneQuest II core rule system which will become Wayfarer later in 2011.
Core Rules Systems
Since obtaining licenses for the Traveller and RuneQuest role-playing games, Mongoose Publishing quickly established them as in-house core rules systems -- Traveller for science fiction, and RuneQuest for fantasy. This allows a faster time-to-print for the development of new licenses, as well as permitting the fast production of minor or one-shot licenses. For example, Hammer's SlammersHammer's Slammers
Hammer's Slammers is a 1979 collection of military science fiction short stories by author David Drake. It follows the career of a future mercenary tank regiment called Hammer's Slammers, after their leader, Colonel Alois Hammer...
was produced as a one-book release; relying on Traveller for its core rules allowed the product to focus on setting-specific rules and colour.
Games which already use another rule system, however, have not changed (for example, Conan and Paranoia) as there is no desire to change systems, but rather to have core systems that facilitate the production of new properties which fit sci-fi or fantasy settings.
Miniature Games
- Noble Armada: A Call to Arms
- Babylon 5: A Call to Arms,(now defunct)Babylon 5: A Call to Arms (game)Babylon 5: A Call to Arms is a tabletop miniatures boardgame released in September 2004 by Mongoose Publishing, designed initially as an expansion to their Babylon 5: The Roleplaying Game, it is a complete game in its own right...
- Judge DreddJudge DreddJudge Joseph Dredd is a comics character whose strip in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD is the magazine's longest running . Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where uniformed Judges combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner...
: Gangs of Mega-City One - Starship Troopers: The Miniatures Game,(now defunct)
- Mighty Armies
- Battlefield EvolutionBattlefield EvolutionSet in the near future, and inspired by games such as Battlefield 2, Battlefield Evolution is a miniature wargame from Mongoose Publishing, the same company that created the Starship Troopers: The Miniatures Game. The rules for both games are similar. Battlefield Evolution has prepainted plastic...
- Victory At Sea (game)Victory at Sea (game)Victory at Sea is a set of World War II naval wargaming rules published by Mongoose Publishing. They were a development of Mongoose's Babylon 5: A Call to Arms SF starship combat rules written by Matthew Sprange, with assistance from David Manley, Richard Bax, Erik Nicely and Agis Neugebauer,...
Role-playing games and supplements
- The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchaunsen (scheduled for a September 2008 release)
- Armageddon: 2089
- Babylon 5Babylon 5Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
: The Roleplaying Game - Cities of Fantasy series
- Skraag: City of Orcs
- Stormhaven: City of a Thousand Seas
- Highthrone: City of the Clouds
- Stonebridge: City of Illusions
- Classic Play series
- Conan: The Roleplaying Game - translated into FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
by the SpanishSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
publishing house Edge Entertainment. - CthulhuTechCthulhuTechCthulhuTech is a science-fiction and horror roleplaying game created by Wildfire LLC and published by Sandstorm that combines elements of the Cthulhu Mythos with anime-style mecha, horror, magic and futuristic action...
Developed by WildFire llc, printed and distributed by Mongoose. Now being published by Catalyst Game LabsCatalyst Game LabsCatalyst Game Labs was created in May 2007 by InMediaRes Productions, LLC for the purpose of publishing print Classic BattleTech and Shadowrun sourcebooks...
No longer, Catalyst Game Labs has returned the license. - Dragon WarriorsDragon WarriorsDragon Warriors is a fantasy role playing game system written by Dave Morris and Oliver Johnson and published by Corgi Books between the years 1985 and 1986. In 2009 it was re-collected in a new hardcover edition by Mongoose Publishing...
(scheduled for an October 2008 release) - Elric of Melnibone
- Encyclopedia Arcane series
- InfernumInfernumInfernum is a black metal band founded in 1992 in Wrocław, Poland by Grzegorz "Anextiomarus/Karcharoth" Jurgielewicz and Tom Balrog playing also Oppressor at present Baphomets Throne.-Band history:...
- Jeremiah RPG
- Judge Dredd: The Roleplaying GameJudge Dredd (role-playing game)Judge Dredd has been the inspiration for two role-playing game systems. These games are based on the fictional world of the Judge Dredd series from the British comic 2000AD. The first was published under license by Games Workshop in the 1980s and used a rules system created specifically for the...
- Lone WolfLone Wolf (gamebooks)Lone Wolf is a series of 28 gamebooks, created by Joe Dever and initially illustrated by Gary Chalk. The series began publishing in July 1984 and sold more than 10.2 million copies worldwide....
: The Roleplaying Game - Macho Women with GunsMacho Women with GunsMacho Women with Guns is a comedy role-playing game created by Greg Porter and published by Blacksburg Tactical Research Center . Nominally a science-fiction game, it parodies both action films and other role-playing games.-Setting:Macho Women with Guns is set in a near-future America...
- NoctumNoctum (role-playing game)Noctum is a pen and paper survival horror Role-playing game developed by Mischa L Thomas. There are two earlier Swedish editions published by Wicked World Games 1.1. The third edition is published by Mongoose Publishing under their Flaming Cobra imprint....
- OGL Ancients
- OGL CyberNet
- OGL Horror
- OGL Steampunk
- OGL Wild West
- ParanoiaParanoia (role-playing game)Paranoia is a dystopian science-fiction tabletop role-playing game originally designed and written by Greg Costikyan, Dan Gelber, and Eric Goldberg, and first published in 1984 by West End Games. Since 2004 the game has been published under licence by Mongoose Publishing...
- Power Classes series
- Quintessential series
- RuneQuestRuneQuestRuneQuest is a fantasy role-playing game first published in 1978 by Chaosium, created by Steve Perrin and set in Greg Stafford's mythical world of Glorantha. RuneQuest was notable for its original gaming system and for its verisimilitude in adhering to an original fantasy world...
- SláineSláine (comics)Sláine is a comic hero from the pages of 2000 AD - one of Britain's most popular comic books.Sláine is a barbarian fantasy adventure series based on Celtic myths and stories which first appeared in 1983, written by Pat Mills and initially drawn by his then wife, Angela Kincaid. Most of the early...
: The Roleplaying Game of Celtic Heroes - Slayers Guide series
- Stars Without Number
- Starship Troopers: The Roleplaying Game
- TravellerTraveller (role-playing game)Traveller is a series of related science fiction role-playing games, the first published in 1977 by Game Designers' Workshop and subsequent editions by various companies remaining in print to this day. The game was inspired from such classic science fiction stories as the Dumarest saga series by...
- Travellers' Tales series
- Ultimate series
- Wars RPG