by RockyMountainNavy, 25 March 2024
“Be prepared for a perilous path that explores the boundaries of Replicant technology and its consequences…” (Case File 02: Fiery Angels ad copy).
Case File 02: Fiery Angels is a new adventure in the Immortal Game campaign arc for the Blade Runner Roleplaying Game from Free League Publishing. This case file sees the Blade Runners assigned to question a suspect arrested while trying to infiltrate the Wallace Corporation Memory Vaults. As the ad copy tells us, “The case leads the team down a perilous path that explores the boundaries of Replicant technology and its consequences. The player characters need to contend with an array of physical, mental, and moral challenges.”
Case File 02: Fiery Angels is a stand-alone adventure for one to four players. The case follows in time just after Case File 01: Electric Dreams found in the Blade Runner RPG Starter Set; play of the first adventure is recommended but absolutely not required. This new case file includes background material for players and GMs as well as in-world handouts, photos, and maps. Case File 02: Fiery Angels is written by Tomas Härenstam and Joe LeFavi (lead designers of the Blade Runner RPG) and illustrated by Martin Grip who worked on both the Blade Runner Roleplaying Game and ALIEN Roleplaying Game from Free League Publishing.
click images to enlarge
In Case File 02: Fiery Angels, Free League Publishing knocks it out of the park when it comes to presentation. From the artwork to the layout of the case file the high standard of quality from Free League Publishing comes through on every page (and handout) of Case File 02: Fiery Angels. Although I got early access to a digital version, it reeks of so much quality that I will almost certainly get a dead-tree physical copy once available.
As far as the adventure goes, well, the content warning at the front which calls out “Violence, Death, Mental Trauma” is very accurate. Then again, the moral and psychological dilemmas found in the Blade Runner RPG were never really for kids anyway.
The campaign hooks in Case File 02: Fiery Angels reach far and wide across the Free League Publishing Blade Runner RPG universe. Free League Publishing notes that while this campaign arc will continue for at least one more adventure this case file can also be used as a precursor adventure to their upcoming Replicant Rebellion expansion coming to Kickstarter later this year. Can’t wait!
Bottom Line: Case File 02: Fiery Angels is both an interesting adventure and look into the Free League Publishing fork of the Blade Runner universe. The quality of presentation is such that purchasing the deadtree version should be seriously considered.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not again thank Regimental Commander Brant for adding me to the Free League Publishing preview group on behalf of The Armchair Dragoons. I also must thank Free League Publishing for providing early digital access and press materials (like the illustrations above) for Case File 02: Fiery Angels.
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I’m very much looking forward to the physical release of Fiery Angels.
I created my own Blade Runner case file for our group after Electric Dreams. And then I realized creating a police procedural case is HARD. It’s not like stocking a dungeon or a skirmish encounter in Twilight 2000. All the BR NPCs, their motivations, pieces of evidence, false trails, organizational actions in the background, and creating a sense of urgency… It was very taxing.
So, yeah, I’m ready to have all that sorted out for me!