A Castle Falkenstein Bibliography.



A CASTLE FALKENSTEIN BIBLIOGRAPHY.

(in order of publication)

The Castle Falkenstein setting & rules system is wirtten by Mike Pondsmith and published by R TALSORIAN GAMES INC. Judging by their web-store, they have print copies of some the supplements but not of the Core Rules. All the books they publish for the game are available as PDFs via DrivethruRPG.


The Castle Falkenstein Core Rules & setting book.
A Great Game set in an alternate Victorian age where Dragons rule the skies, Faerie Lords duel atop the battlements, and where the forces of Wizardry and Magick meet the gas-lit streets. This is a world of Swashbuckling Fantasy, High Romance, Steam power and Magickal Technology.
Pub: 1994  224 pages Softcover: ISBN 0937279439 Hardcover: ISBN 093727951X


The definitive Guide to living the Stylish Life of the neo-Victorian world of New Europa.

This Handy Reference book contains invaluable assistance concerning the Social Calendar; the Right Clubs; How to Hold a Proper Ball, or Weekend at Your Country Estate and a Falkensteinian timeline from 1870 to 1880.  It contains rules additions and updates on sorcery; weapons and damage; Nine New Skills & Abilities; Three New Roles and other Rules Clarifications.

Pub: 1995  128 pages  ISBN: 0-937279-55-2

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Bottom of Form
THE Notebook for the Engineers of Sorcerous Engines.

Based on the work of Aristotle, written by Leonardo DaVinci, this secret codex has been lost for centuries. Until now.

This sourcebook includes Words of Wisdom from the Master himself on 16th-century society in New Europa; a compendium of Sorcerous mechanical devices and Rules for the construction of such Engines.

Pub: 1995  128 pages ISBN 0937279684


Steam! The mighty force that drives the Falkenstein World.

This reprint of Popular Invention, the official Journal of Steam Age Technology and Invention, details such wonders as: Captain Nemo's Revolutionary Submersible; the Astounding Airship of Robur, the Master of the World and the Land Fortresses of the Iron Chancellor of Prussia.
Pub: 1995  104 pages  ISBN 0937279560


The infamous Book of Sigils reveals the secrets of the many of the world's Magickal Orders.

It contains: Thirty new Sorcerous Orders and their Lorebooks, plus Rules for creating Your Own; Rules for blood magick, curses, magickal foci, sympathetic magick; the Animated Dead, Ghosts, and Spirits.
Pub: 1995  128 pages   ISBN 0937279617 (ISBN13: 9780937279618) 


 America. 1876. The United States,  the Orleans Free State; the Republic of Texas; the Indian Twenty Nations Confederation; and the Bear Flag Empire of California make a Great setting for Adventure.

The sourcebook for North America in the world of CASTLE FALKENSTEIN. Details are provided for the nations of America, along with new Dramatic Personas, new Abilities, new magick, new steamtech, and a Gunslinging Dueling system.
Pub: 1995  176 pages  ISBN 0937279595



Auberon, High Lord of the Seelie Court, reveals the long-hidden origins and nature of the enigmatic Faerie in the magickal world of Castle Falkenstein.

The Memoirs of Auberon of Faerie includes: The History and True Origins of Faeriekind; expanded rules for Faerie Dramatic Characters and a Most Useful Field Guide to the Faerie.
Pub:1997  128 pages ISBN 0937279641

Two Castle Falkenstein Novels were also published:

From Prussia With Love

 A swashbuckling romp through the 19th century court of Mad King Ludwig, in an alternate history where dragons, elves, and dwarves share the stage with Sherlock Holmes, Fu-Man Chu, and Doc Holiday, among others.
Paperback, 261 pages  Published January 1st 1996 by Prima Publishing (first published December 22nd 1995)
 ISBN 0559587724 (ISBN13: 9780559587726) 

Masterminds of Falkenstein

A world convention of mad scientists turns Golden Age San Francisco topsy-turvy when steam-powered superdevices clash with Indian sorcery and New Europan wizardry. It's a plot only secret agent Tom Olam and the gorgeous and deadly Countess Marianne could hope to derail.
Paperback, 285 pages  Published March 20th 1996 by Prima Lifestyles  ISBN 0761504842 (ISBN13: 9780761504849) 

Steve Jackson Games


Steam Meets Magic

Imagine a world very much like 19th-century Earth, but with wizards and swashbuckling heroes . . . and Dragons and Faerie! A world where magic meets steam-powered technology against the backdrop of imperial intrigue, and where the writings of Doyle, Verne, and their contemporaries are fact. A world of high fantasy and romance. This is the world of Castle Falkenstein.
GURPS Castle Falkenstein is true to the original in style and substance, and includes full conversion notes so GMs of either system can use all the sourcebooks published for the other.
Pub: 2000  160 pages   ISBN: 1-55634-438-4


There are many empires in the world of Castle Falkenstein . . . but none like the Ottoman Empire. takes you to a land of ancient magicks and mad Sultans..
This book details the declining Ottoman Empire, and explores Middle Eastern magick and the Eastern intrigues of the Sultan, the Prussians and  their allies. It has stats for both the original Castle Falkenstein game and the GURPS version, it's everything you need to adventure in the Lands of the Sublime Porte.
Pub: 2002  127 pages   ISBN: 1-55634-575-5


From the jungles of Africa to the rooftops of London, animals are everywhere. 
Curious Creatures is a bestiary offering  over thirty new creatures for  inclusion in your Adventure Entertainment. It has New and clarified rules for the use of creatures of all types; a new Magick lorebook and Rules on playing a True Unicorn, Beast Folk, or wild Child as a Dramatic Character.
Pub:2016   146 pages

My Review of the PDF version of this book.
This book is beautifully illustrated and the text, pictures and mix of fiction, ‘fact’ and rules in its content are nicely done in a style that is consistent with the original series of books.
The first part clarifies several issues with animals in the original rules and describes how abilities work for slightly differently for creatures. It  adds new abilities for creatures and Dramatic Characters, along with rules for creating your own creatures.
The next part covers Intelligent animals (some suitable for playing as Dramatic Characters) and magickal familiars. We are introduced to Sphinxes and True Unicorns as allies & adversaries.
The story continues by detailing the kingdom of Kongo, Moreau’s beastmen and Dinosaurs, though you will have to design your own T-Rex. Following this is a bestiary of magickal creatures, each with an an adventure seed, and a section on common animals.
The book is finished with a list of Host Characters drawn from our history and fiction who exist in the Falkenstein world and a range of new roles for Dramatic Characters.
This book is a Great Addition to the Castle Falkenstein range.  For the Host, the whole book is scattered with useful adventure seeds and improved, well explained rules additions.  I really like the background for Sphinxes and will definitely be adding them to my campaign.  
For players, it widens the range of species and careers available, as well as expanding the number of dire enemies and helpful allies they may find in creature form.
I certainly hope that Fat Goblin Games will continue to produce new material for the Great Game, especially when it is of this high standard.
An Alternative Sorcery Deck for Castle Falkenstein


A rules variation that makes use of Tarot cards as alternative to using a standard deck of cards as the sorcery deck when playing Castle Falkenstein.
Pub:2016   6 pages

My Review:
I like this variation, it helps to make magick seem less mundane in the game.
As magick no longer uses an ordinary pack of cards, it is separated from making common actions in the game and so adds to the mystique of those who have ‘the Talent’.  The way the 22 Major Arcana are dealt with to provide extra benefits or problems to the spell cast (or spell caster) fits well into the way I think of how Falkensteinian magick works, as a sort of struggle of willpower trying to exert control and form over a random natural flow of Thaumatic Energy.  Plus, it adds about 10% more Thaumatic Energy to draw on in a region - What could possibly go wrong?

Both books are available direct from Fat Goblin Games (by using the links on the products above) or via DrivethruRPG.

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