Dark Conspiracy the RPG

[Review] PC Booster Kit

On November 24, 2023

Written by Lester Smith, with additional design by Frank Chadwick (1992, GDW)

The PC Booster Kit was one of the last releases for Dark Conspiracy, and as such sits in a rather strange space in the overall legacy of the gaming. I say this as the PC Booster KIt isn’t your traditional type of release, acting instead as a sort of halfway-house between a rules update and a simple FAQ. To quote Lester directly “This booster kit is designed to enhance your fight. In it, you’ll find rules for expanding character creation, incorporating the results of social status into initial character design, and thereby increasing both skill levels and personal history. There are also a number of new careers that can be followed, including ones that allow the creation of renegade ETs. rogue androids, and canny street urchins.”

But the question, as always, is – was it successful in this mission statement? Does it add to your Dark Conspiracy gaming experience, or is it nothing more than a misguided grab for few more dollars from GDW? Let’s find out together, shall we, as we take a deep dive into this interesting smorgasbord of diverse and complex content for our favourite RPG.

[Interview] Craig Sheeley – From Darklings to Dark Ones

By Marcus Bone

On April 26, 2022

In Interviews

Although the original incarnation of Dark Conspiracy was only with us for a few brief years, I still stand amazed by just how much material was released for our favourite game in such a short period of time. Supported by a steady stream of detailed supplements and a multitude of regular articles, Dark Conspiracy was an incredibly well-rounded roleplaying game by the time its first edition disappeared from the local game stores shelves (along with the rest of Game Designers Workshop’s catalogue).

But, as I thought about this impressive back catalogue of material, it got me wondering just who and how did this ‘machine’ maintain its production line, and surely given the size and budgets of a small gaming company, there must be some secret in making sure Dark Conspiracy thrived and grew?

The answer was obviously, of course, freelancers, those doughty contributors who work – to this day – to ensure that we get our fix of our favourite RPGs. And if we are talking Dark Conspiracy and freelancers then there are few names as prevalent and well respected as Craig Sheeley.

Craig would go on to produce material for numerous publishers, including Steve Jackson Games, R Talsorian and, of course, GDW. In my gaming circles, he’s probably best known as the creator of such iconic darklings as the Mechaniacals (the Symboids), Super Rats (both favourite pf fan everywhere) and the Ptero-Raven (a creature that I used in my own adventure – Urban Nightmares), and was the author of numerous articles in GDW’s Challenge magazine and various other Dark Conspiracy supplements (including Protodimensions and the Empathic Sourcebook).

Recently, I was able to corner Craig and have a brief chat with him about his time working with GDW and his contributions to gaming in the 90s.

[Review] Evil Ascending – A Dark Conspiracy Novel

By Marcus Bone

On September 12, 2021

In Reviews

… “Fiddleback is but one of many. Pygmalion, DeadTongue, Baron Someday and a dozen others all operate here on Earth. Fiddleback has been the most ambitious to date, but all are effective in their spheres of influence” …

Evil Ascending is the sequel to Michael Stackpole’s A Gathering Evil and the second novel in Dark Conspiracy’s Fiddleback trilogy. Be warned spoilers follow!

Plot Summary

Set in the immediate aftermath of the events detailed in A Gathering Evil, Evil Ascending continues the adventures of Tycho Caine (now known by many names, including Michael Loring and Coyote) in the fight against his old master, the Dark Lord Fiddleback. Having successfully thwarted the Dark One’s plan to use the Phoenix Transport Loop as a dimensional doorway into Earth’s reality, Caine and his allies now look to strike back at Fiddleback in any way they can. To achieve this goal, new allies will be discovered, and new enemies revealed, in a mixing pot of stories that sees the novel span the world – from Arizona to Tibet, and finally to Tokyo, Japan.

[Review] Challenge Magazine – The Scenarios (Issues 57-58)

By Marcus Bone

On November 28, 2020

In Reviews

Two Scenarios by Craig Sheeley

From the release of Dark Conspiracy in 1990 through to the closure of its doors in 1995, Game Designers Workshop supported our favourite horror game not only through a variety of official supplements but also within the pages of their inhouse magazine Challenge. Although the magazine existed prior, it was over this run of 5 years (which spanned about 40 issues) that we received a plethora of new scenarios, fiction and other great Dark Conspiracy articles. Here at DCtRPG.info we plan on reviewing each of these ‘releases’, looking back fondly on the foundation of our game and how this material built on (or – please excuse the pun – ‘challenged’) the Dark Conspiracy setting and system.
For those following closely, we’ve previously reviewed the first few offerings found in issues 53 through 56 and so this time round we move on to the two scenarios that appeared in issues 57 (February 1992) and 58 (March 1992) respectively. Interestingly, both of these adventures were written by Craig Sheely, an author who would quickly become a key contributor on many future Dark Conspiracy supplements. So, let’s read on and see what awaits us!

[Interview] Lester W. Smith – The Darklord speaks…

By Marcus Bone

On September 18, 2020

In Interviews

Let me tell you a story of a teenage boy who just happened to wander into a small, out-of-the-way, bookstore deep in rural New Zealand during the winter months of 1992. Imagine – if you can – that same boy, sandy haired, freckled and gangly, running his eyes across the somewhat dire bookshelf of roleplaying games in that very same store. Here he glances past the abundance of 2nd edition D&D supplements, the smattering of West End Games books and FASA product, hoping beyond hope that the game that had intrigued him so much on his last visit still remained somewhere among this aging collection of books, magazines and games. After a moment of panic, his fears are allayed and there, half hidden in a dusty corner, was the book he was looking for; a different type of RPG, one whose cover – complete with armed adventurers and terrifying zombies – promised a something fascinating and new at the gaming table!

That teen, of course, was me and little did I know, as I scraped the last few dollars from my holiday bank account to buy this amazing game, that it would lead me on a lifetime of creativity and adventure. Adventures that could have never even be contemplated if our guest hadn’t taken up the assignment to write the most interesting RPG to ever hit our gaming shelves – Dark Conspiracy!

It is therefore with the greatest of pleasure that I present an interview with the one and only Lester Smith (https://lestersmith.com/) – the man who was not only the creative mind behind Dark Conspiracy, but also a true legend in the roleplaying industry and a pioneer in gaming circles. If you’re a fan of Dark Conspiracy then you’ll know Lester’s name already, but even if you are only a casual gamer then you should at least know him for his time at TSR and his award winning ‘Dragon Dice’ game…

But what am I doing… we have the gentleman himself here to tell us about his life, gaming experiences and, most importantly, his time creating Dark Conspiracy. Welcome Lester, I’m so happy that you agreed to do this interview… I can’t believe it took me so long to get around to asking you to do this!