Romance in the Air: A World of Adventure for Fate Core

The latest World of Adventure produced through +Evil Hat Productions' Patreon is now available on DriveThruRPG: Romance in the Air, by +Bill White. Romance in the Air presents a steampunk alternate history in the first decade of the 20th century described as "The Last Exile meets Downton Abbey with a dollop of Dr. Zhivago." Europe is split among the three Great Powers of Britannia, Muscovy, and the Baghdad Caliphate. As these empires play their grand game of diplomacy, espionage, and war, aristocrats float about the continent in salon airships, pursuing wealth, influence, and each other.

Player characters are the passengers (or even crew) of one of these airships, the Pension Bellevue. They set out from Paris amidst the intrigue of the Great Powers in search of romance and adventure. Everyone has a desire that can only be fulfilled by another character, and that person always has a reason to refuse. Over the course of the journey, characters dance around each other, pushing and pulling on these strings that connect them all.

Rather than present a fixed plot, Romance in the Air serves as a gazetteer-style guide to various locations the Pension Bellevue might visit. In addition, the Great Powers themselves have character sheets, and the players take turns between adventures playing out the macro-political game among them. I worry that GMs may get lost in the setting material without a strong adventure to guide them, though the addition of a number of random event tables helps somewhat.

As with all of Evil Hat's products, Romance in the Air looks wonderful. The artwork by Diego Rodriguez captures the period style and dress and often gives a fine sense of action. Priscilla Spencer produced a grand map of Europe under the Great Powers, though I wish it was bigger.

As always, Romance in the Air is Pay What You Want. If you would like to get a sneak peek at future Worlds of Adventure, you should head over to the Evil Hat Patreon page and become a sponsor.

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