Mindstalkers
Space
Mindstalkers is a 40mm Scale "skirmish" wargame - based in History yet steeped in Fantasy and Science Fiction. A full battle-system for entire armies is planned. A lot of elements have been designed to make Mindstalkers a very innovative game - Proper rules for climbing, running, jumping are included - these rules aren't abstract as they are in some Wargames. You can drop items and pick those up taken from or abandoned by your enemies. All these rules and ideas make for a more realistic and exciting game, but it plays so smoothly by comparison to other similar skirmish games its surprising the first time you play!
The Duchy of Milan - The Sforzeschi Leaders
Those are difficult times for Milan. After Visconti's death and the short tumultuous parenthesis of the Ambrosian Republic, sparkling with an alternation of wars and alliances with the Republic of Venice, the Republic of Florence and the Papacy, now Milan is fall down under the military and political attack of Francesco Sforza, that till the year before was in the pay of the Republic of Venice, and now is the Duke of Milan.
The military and political alliances of the Duchy are continuously changing, the boundary districts are constantly in war, the territorial borders are changing night and day; the politically pushing of the national and neighbouring powers make vacillate the fragile alliances, the Leaders are passing too easily from an faction to another, and the plague, started the year before, is spreading over the territory. In this chaotic situation the Mindstalkers of Ordo Excubiarum are making their entrance, they are controlling key persons inside the Duchy of Milan, so they can overuse the regular army and the politically influences in order to oppose the acts carried out by the Mindstalkers of the Psya Legion sneaked inside the rival Republic of Venice. This way the Mindstalkers's wars for the Lost Books are smother and mix with those for the supremacy in Italy.
The Great Priory of the Ospitaliers - The Secret Keepers
The The Great Priory of the Ospitaliers originate as Military-Religious Order, recognized by The Papacy as charity organization, and their Commendam and Hospitables are open in all the Christianity providing assistance to the pilgrim, the suffering and the needy persons.
Behind this façade, yet, is hiding an ancient sect called Kybalion, secret heir and guardian from time immemorial of one of the Lost Books (Toth's Book), that is his precise duty to protect at all costs. The secondary purpose of the sect is searching the trail to retrieve the other Lost Books. The real Kybalits, commanded by the Grand Master, are the only ones to have knowledge of this secret, while the rest of the fighting and welfare forces are unaware confederates at the secret plot line of the sect.
Acting constantly undercover, the Kybalits have large recourse to hush-money mercenaries (Hunters, murderers and robbers in primis), that are however affiliated at The Priory by an oath of allegiance, while the real soldiers are used only for the façade or diversionary operations. The affiliated mercenaries are often hired by others Factions or armies, obviously unaware of the affiliation at the Priory, that allows this displacements in order to privilege or secretly contrast the own adversary….the enemy of my enemy is my friend! Recently, their enquiries leads them to discover that The Templars, considered extinct after the 1314 persecutions (that allows at The Ospitaliers to appropriate of the treasures cumulate by The Templars, with the ratification of the Papacy), are actually secretly survive as The Order of the Shadow Templars, and that the secret found inside The Salomon's Temple is nothing but one of the Lost Books, called Code or Parchment of the Temple... and they will move heaven and earth to appropriate of, and to defend themselves from the Shadow Templars revenge, that won't be late to arrive!
The Guild of Rogues - Mercenaries and Adventurers
Since the remote ages, under the great movements of armies and ideas, has always exist hangers-on addicted exclusively to surviving, with the only aspiration of a little financial or social improvement…adventurers, murderers, cheaters, mercenary and so on…the classic mixture of shady-looking fellows that you can find at any hour in the tavern of ill repute of the ports and settlements.
It was Robaldo Pastorino, a Genoese merchant fall into disgrace, that wander through the tavern of the port of Genoa, start to create loyalty and mutual support agreements between this shady-looking persons, function as middle-man for those whom want to order skilled works (almost always illegal) to the "professional" in the field, without expose themselves in person. Originate like this, almost by chance, the Guild of Rogues, ready to rent all their piebald and assorted abilities and human resources to the highest bidder.
The Republic of Venice - The Lions of the Serenissima
At the beginning of 1400 the Venice people became convinced about the necessity of an background control so to avoid the cut off of the passageways to the lagoon by any power, passageways that are vital for surviving, for the commerce and for the raw material supplying. Starts like this an mainland expansion period, when the Republic is alternatively allied and enemy of Milan, first with Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then, after his death, with the government of the Ambrosian Republic and last with Duke Sforza, succeed in enlarging his territory till the doors of Milan. His sea power is at the apogee in this period, even though the increasing marine of the Turkish Empire and the Spanish one are already starting to undermine his power.
Absol Mereth, one of the most ruthless Mindstalkers of the Psya Legion, sneaked into The Council of The Ten, the Doge's counsellors, that now have in his pocket, and he is setting up the necessary forces - obvious and occult - in order to contrast the Mindstalkers of the Ordo Excubiarum and to fulfill his intent of recuperate the Lost Books . . .
The Order of the Teutonic Knights - The Northern Eagles
The Teutonic Order, risen during the Third Crusade (1191), initially was formed by nobleman and germanic Cristian knights has an fraternal ospitalier order for the ill assistance, but very soon charge the task of weapon exercise. Strongly sodden with mystical symbology, their doctrine offer a strong bulwark against the Christianity's enemy but in the meantime was an pretext to satisfy their thirst for power and territorial conquests toward East and South Europe. The Teutonic Order soon becomes famous for the ferocity of his soldiers. In 1411 their walloping in the Tannenberg Battle accelerates the eclipse of the Order, and soon become obvious at the management level that the only way to regain the antique power would-have-been find the ancient Relics, who's powers could aloud them to overcome whatever enemy.
Using the pretext to revenge the property of Dukedom of Milan, which is risking the war with The Republic of Venice, The Teutonic returns in Italian ground, with the secret purpose of finding the Spear of Longinus…but will soon find themselves involved in the meddle of the secret battles for the Lost Books, a war broke out by the Mindstalkers!
The Order of the Shadow Templars - The Knights of the Code
In 1314, the Papacy and Philip The Fair decree the end of The Order of the Templars, exterminating the members and misappropriating their treasures. But the most important members escape the massacre, the keepers of the antique secret found by the Templar Knights after years of researches inside The Salomone's Temple, in Jerusalem... the manuscript called The Parchment of the Temple, or, more commonly The Code, that is nothing but one of the Lost Books of Herbert, allows them to cumulate richness and treasures, learning mysteries and secrets that make them powerful then anyone at the time.
This Masters of the Order hide in secret locations and re-found the Order, with the name "of The Shadow Templars" and introducing the black colour in their banner and their clothing, has a memory of the grieve for their killed brothers and for the suffered offence.
For an century the Shadow Templars keep hidden, reorganizing themselves in various locality of Europe and protecting the secret of the Code…but the Mindstalkers arrived in their age and obviously searching the Lost Books, make necessary recover to the old weapon and fight again in the daylight, in order to buy back the Templar's honour and protect the antique Code against the new and old enemies…first of all the hated Ospitaliers, that tacking advantage from the extermination of the Templars misappropriated their huge treasures!
Mindstalkers is a 40mm Scale "skirmish" wargame - based in History yet steeped in Fantasy and Science Fiction. A full battle-system for entire armies is planned. A lot of elements have been designed to make Mindstalkers a very innovative game - Proper rules for climbing, running, jumping are included - these rules aren't abstract as they are in some Wargames. You can drop items and pick those up taken from or abandoned by your enemies. All these rules and ideas make for a more realistic and exciting game, but it plays so smoothly by comparison to other similar skirmish games its surprising the first time you play!
- The game starts in the distant future of mankind, but the actual action will be set in various historical ages. The first line of Miniatures and Rules - are available right now and are named "Mission: Middle Ages". They are set in the Italian Middle Ages (14th - 15th centuries). The following rulesets will be created according to the preferences of players themselves. New rules will be introduced for different historical ages - From naval battles between Pirates, to remote Future Wars, passing through Barbarian Invasions and even two World Wars - all is possible in the Mindstalkers Universe!
- The core ruleset is based on Fantasy & Science Fiction concepts - but the game system allows you to play on two different levels. The first is purely Historical, no Fantasy or Sci-Fi Elements at all, and is designed to play as a true historical skirmish Wargame - with rules, equipment and characters are all strictly based on the referenced age. The second level provides special rules for fantasy elements (like psionic powers), according to the plot of Mindstalkers and adding unforeseeable features and fun to the skirmishes, but always keeping the fighting realism high. Players choose how to play!
- The game system is deceptively simple yet very realistic! Each model can choose between 24 or more different actions to use during each turn - and yet the rules can be learned in a remarkbly short epriod of time - redering the sort tactical and strategical components easily accessable - turning a mere throwing-dice game in an awesome Wargame.
- Rulesets, templates, markers, background stories, all the necessary bits and bobs for playing (except dice and miniatures, of course!) will be DOWNLOADABLE FOR FREE (ready to be printed) from the official website. More exacting players and collectors will be able to purchase top-quality gaming materials (such as manuals, markers, templates, etc.) as time goes by.
- The game will be supported worldwide, with official international websites (Italian and English versions so far - other languages in the future).
- ManorHouse envisioned a funny and realistic game, that was based upon a strong and original background - which immersed its players so they felt as if they were part of the story. The plan is new Stories will be published on the website, and so the Mindstalkers saga will become a unique body of work! Weren't you bored by wargames with a one-page background? So were they! Space
The Duchy of Milan - The Sforzeschi Leaders
Those are difficult times for Milan. After Visconti's death and the short tumultuous parenthesis of the Ambrosian Republic, sparkling with an alternation of wars and alliances with the Republic of Venice, the Republic of Florence and the Papacy, now Milan is fall down under the military and political attack of Francesco Sforza, that till the year before was in the pay of the Republic of Venice, and now is the Duke of Milan.
The military and political alliances of the Duchy are continuously changing, the boundary districts are constantly in war, the territorial borders are changing night and day; the politically pushing of the national and neighbouring powers make vacillate the fragile alliances, the Leaders are passing too easily from an faction to another, and the plague, started the year before, is spreading over the territory. In this chaotic situation the Mindstalkers of Ordo Excubiarum are making their entrance, they are controlling key persons inside the Duchy of Milan, so they can overuse the regular army and the politically influences in order to oppose the acts carried out by the Mindstalkers of the Psya Legion sneaked inside the rival Republic of Venice. This way the Mindstalkers's wars for the Lost Books are smother and mix with those for the supremacy in Italy.
The Great Priory of the Ospitaliers - The Secret Keepers
The The Great Priory of the Ospitaliers originate as Military-Religious Order, recognized by The Papacy as charity organization, and their Commendam and Hospitables are open in all the Christianity providing assistance to the pilgrim, the suffering and the needy persons.
Behind this façade, yet, is hiding an ancient sect called Kybalion, secret heir and guardian from time immemorial of one of the Lost Books (Toth's Book), that is his precise duty to protect at all costs. The secondary purpose of the sect is searching the trail to retrieve the other Lost Books. The real Kybalits, commanded by the Grand Master, are the only ones to have knowledge of this secret, while the rest of the fighting and welfare forces are unaware confederates at the secret plot line of the sect.
Acting constantly undercover, the Kybalits have large recourse to hush-money mercenaries (Hunters, murderers and robbers in primis), that are however affiliated at The Priory by an oath of allegiance, while the real soldiers are used only for the façade or diversionary operations. The affiliated mercenaries are often hired by others Factions or armies, obviously unaware of the affiliation at the Priory, that allows this displacements in order to privilege or secretly contrast the own adversary….the enemy of my enemy is my friend! Recently, their enquiries leads them to discover that The Templars, considered extinct after the 1314 persecutions (that allows at The Ospitaliers to appropriate of the treasures cumulate by The Templars, with the ratification of the Papacy), are actually secretly survive as The Order of the Shadow Templars, and that the secret found inside The Salomon's Temple is nothing but one of the Lost Books, called Code or Parchment of the Temple... and they will move heaven and earth to appropriate of, and to defend themselves from the Shadow Templars revenge, that won't be late to arrive!
The Guild of Rogues - Mercenaries and Adventurers
Since the remote ages, under the great movements of armies and ideas, has always exist hangers-on addicted exclusively to surviving, with the only aspiration of a little financial or social improvement…adventurers, murderers, cheaters, mercenary and so on…the classic mixture of shady-looking fellows that you can find at any hour in the tavern of ill repute of the ports and settlements.
It was Robaldo Pastorino, a Genoese merchant fall into disgrace, that wander through the tavern of the port of Genoa, start to create loyalty and mutual support agreements between this shady-looking persons, function as middle-man for those whom want to order skilled works (almost always illegal) to the "professional" in the field, without expose themselves in person. Originate like this, almost by chance, the Guild of Rogues, ready to rent all their piebald and assorted abilities and human resources to the highest bidder.
The Republic of Venice - The Lions of the Serenissima
At the beginning of 1400 the Venice people became convinced about the necessity of an background control so to avoid the cut off of the passageways to the lagoon by any power, passageways that are vital for surviving, for the commerce and for the raw material supplying. Starts like this an mainland expansion period, when the Republic is alternatively allied and enemy of Milan, first with Gian Galeazzo Visconti, then, after his death, with the government of the Ambrosian Republic and last with Duke Sforza, succeed in enlarging his territory till the doors of Milan. His sea power is at the apogee in this period, even though the increasing marine of the Turkish Empire and the Spanish one are already starting to undermine his power.
Absol Mereth, one of the most ruthless Mindstalkers of the Psya Legion, sneaked into The Council of The Ten, the Doge's counsellors, that now have in his pocket, and he is setting up the necessary forces - obvious and occult - in order to contrast the Mindstalkers of the Ordo Excubiarum and to fulfill his intent of recuperate the Lost Books . . .
The Order of the Teutonic Knights - The Northern Eagles
The Teutonic Order, risen during the Third Crusade (1191), initially was formed by nobleman and germanic Cristian knights has an fraternal ospitalier order for the ill assistance, but very soon charge the task of weapon exercise. Strongly sodden with mystical symbology, their doctrine offer a strong bulwark against the Christianity's enemy but in the meantime was an pretext to satisfy their thirst for power and territorial conquests toward East and South Europe. The Teutonic Order soon becomes famous for the ferocity of his soldiers. In 1411 their walloping in the Tannenberg Battle accelerates the eclipse of the Order, and soon become obvious at the management level that the only way to regain the antique power would-have-been find the ancient Relics, who's powers could aloud them to overcome whatever enemy.
Using the pretext to revenge the property of Dukedom of Milan, which is risking the war with The Republic of Venice, The Teutonic returns in Italian ground, with the secret purpose of finding the Spear of Longinus…but will soon find themselves involved in the meddle of the secret battles for the Lost Books, a war broke out by the Mindstalkers!
The Order of the Shadow Templars - The Knights of the Code
In 1314, the Papacy and Philip The Fair decree the end of The Order of the Templars, exterminating the members and misappropriating their treasures. But the most important members escape the massacre, the keepers of the antique secret found by the Templar Knights after years of researches inside The Salomone's Temple, in Jerusalem... the manuscript called The Parchment of the Temple, or, more commonly The Code, that is nothing but one of the Lost Books of Herbert, allows them to cumulate richness and treasures, learning mysteries and secrets that make them powerful then anyone at the time.
This Masters of the Order hide in secret locations and re-found the Order, with the name "of The Shadow Templars" and introducing the black colour in their banner and their clothing, has a memory of the grieve for their killed brothers and for the suffered offence.
For an century the Shadow Templars keep hidden, reorganizing themselves in various locality of Europe and protecting the secret of the Code…but the Mindstalkers arrived in their age and obviously searching the Lost Books, make necessary recover to the old weapon and fight again in the daylight, in order to buy back the Templar's honour and protect the antique Code against the new and old enemies…first of all the hated Ospitaliers, that tacking advantage from the extermination of the Templars misappropriated their huge treasures!