Dishonored is getting a tabletop RPG adaptation this year

Rat-dodging monarch restoration sim Dishonored is getting a tabletop roleplaying adaptation this very year.

Announcing the news last week, publishers Modiphius say they're working "in close collaboration" with the games' creative director Harvey Smith, also famed for his work on System Shock and the first two Deus Ex games. That's some pedigree, alright.

Players will "delve into the turbulent Empire of the Isles, to tell stories of occult lore, intrigue and drama". It sounds like there'll be a big focus on narrative rather than combat, and a ruleset for poking your head into, and borrowing powers from the Void, Dishonored's mysterious magic-ish alternate dimension and source of its spookier trinkets.

The release will centre on a 300-page rulebook based on an adapted version of the 2d20 system used in Star Trek Adventures. There'll also be "custom dice, cards, and other accessories to add to the experience". Modiphius publish a pretty impressive roster of titles, including multiple adaptations of other media including games like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, so they ought to know what they're doing.

Dishonored 2 was one of our favourite games of the decade, and the more recent Death Of The Outsider spoke to Alec's suppressed desire to kill the rich and the goth alike. Though I may be a mere dabbler in the world of dices and the putting on of wizard hats, I'm curious to see how this adaptation will turn out, and will be rather surprised if it isn't interesting at the very least.

It's always bothered me that so many great game worlds are squandered on just a game or two, but Dunwall's decrepit industries, damp basements, and political scheming were particularly refreshing. It's good that we'll get another chance to explore it a bit, and the whole archipelago setting ought to make custom adventures pretty easy to set up.

The Dishonored roleplaying game is due out this summer. You can read more about it on the website.