As Dungeons & Dragons Goes Woke, Superhero RPG Alternative ‘Ascendant’ Tops Best Selling Charts At DriveThruRPG

John F. Trent |

Jan 5, 2022

Newly released superhero RPG Ascendant is topping the best selling charts at popular RPG website, DriveThruRPG.

Ascendant’s rise to the top of the sales charts comes as both Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder find themselves taken over by political fanatics that has resulted in radical changes to the games’ characters and lore.

According to a press release, the game, which was released on DriveThruRPG on December 14th, took over the top sales charts hitting the top spot for Small Press, Print, and Other System.

In fact, the game is still #1 for Print, Other Systems, and Small Press.

The game would hit #2 overall.

It has since dropped to #3 behind The One Ring Core Rules and Root: The Roleplaying Game [BUNDLE].

The success at DriveThruRPG comes after a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter where it was backed by nearly 500 people to the tune of $32,435.

If you are wondering what Ascendant is, it is described in a press release as a “superpowered role-playing game of infinite possibilities.”

“Ascendant delivers this high-powered comic book action in an all-new universe of iconic superheroes,” the press release adds. “The Ascendant universe is a new comic book universe both literally and figuratively – one where superpowers are just emerging, right now, in the present day.”

In their Kickstarter they specifically described their roleplaying system, “Ascendant strives to be neither a descriptor-based nor effect-based game. It is, rather, a physics-based game. The game mechanics are intended to be the physics engine of the game world.”

“Powers have both descriptors and effects. Some effects are precluded by the logic of the descriptor, and some descriptors inevitably entail certain effects. The mechanics are elaborate and detailed (as in an effect-based game) but they are also broad and universalized (as in a descriptor-based game). Players are expected and encouraged to use their powers in whatever manner makes sense within the physics of a comic-book world, but not in ways that don’t make sense,” Autarch explained.

They further added, “If a descriptor-based system aims to let players experience a comic-book story, and an effect-based system aims to let players play a superhero game, our physics-based system aims to let players simulate a comic book world. To do so, we have created logarithmic chart-based universal mechanics, a style of design that has not been widely used in the last two decades, but which will be instantly familiar to fans of the classic FASERIP and MEGS RPGs from the 1980s.”

The 496-page standalone rulebook includes:

Elegant game mechanics that swiftly simulate the physics of a comic-book world using easy-to-reference real-life benchmarks.
Color-coded challenge action resolution tables that resolve complex actions with superspeed
Infinitely scalable system lets you play heroes of any power level, from streetfighters to living gods – and replicate virtually any character from your favorite anime, comic, manga, or movie settings
Countless powers all customizable with an easy-to-use system of modifier tags that lets you match your power’s specifics to your character concept
Comprehensive detective mechanics for investigating crimes, interviewing witnesses, and finding clues
Detailed options for super-geniuses to create inventions, cure diseases, and even bring their outlandish devices into mass production
Extensive rules for responding to emergencies such as asteroid strikes, avalanches, disease outbreaks, earthquakes, fires, nuclear disasters, tornados, tsunamis, and volcanoes
A huge catalog of pre-built characters and objects including major military vehicles such as aircraft carriers, attack submarines, and ballistic missiles
A dynamic mission generation system to help you create challenges for your heroes
An optional campaign setting with ready-to-use heroes, villains, and organizations
Spectacular artwork by industry-leading pencilers, inkers, and colorists

As noted above, Ascendant is not just a new RPG rulebook, but there are also plans to expand the RPG into a line of comics and graphic novels.

In fact, a 96-page graphic novel featuring artwork by Mel Joy San Juan, Jay David Ramos, Will Conrad, Jinky Coronado, and Rohvel Yumul titled Ascendant: Star-Spangled Squadron is in the works and is expected to arrive on crowdfunding site IndieGoGo.