Arcane Codex is a german Dark Fantasy Tabletop Game published by Nackter Stahl (Naked Steel, quite fitting). It is set in the fictional world of Kreijor, which is on it's merry way to destruction, being conquered, or something far worse. It is populated by ten races, humans being the most widespread. The other races are Dwarves, Wood Elves (Aborim), High Elves (Sidhe, speak: shii), Dark Elves (Morai), Krask (lizard people), Fairies, Halflings, Orks and Trolls. The setting is depressing: Most deities are power-hungry, warmongering narcissists. Demons under the control of Asmodeus, Demon Prince of Deceit and Corruption, are strong enough and ready to conquer all of creation, only held back by seals, the last of which is about to be broken. The mortal races are bent on conquering and sometimes cannibalizing each other. The majority of the kingdoms are autocratic and run by (in-)human monsters. The rest are chaotic hellholes. Definitely not for the weak of heart.
The game mechanics are simple: You roll 2D10 (2 ten-sided dice, for the unenlightened) and add your value to the result. All in all, you use D10s for any roll. Although it is technically a system without mandatory classes, you have to pick so-called schools if you want your character to achieve anything important. Normal schools have ten levels, magic schools 15.
Arcane Codex contains examples of:
- Crapsack World: To the utmost. See the description above. If that's not enough: The god of death, also the god of Necromancy, has a master plan for enslaving all of creation, the humans of the Verunian Empire serve the eggs of the Lizard People. There are a thousand ways to become transformed into a demon, undead or other monstrosity. Or become a slave to them. Or both. Or suffer eternal torture. You may ask yourself: "Can this world be saved?
Is it even worth it?" - Bedlah Babe: Come with the belly dancer
- Fanservice: Tons. Both female and male.
- Non-Mammal Mammaries: The female Lizard people have breasts. 'Nuff said.
- Squick: Extensive Descriptions of anything sex-related is going to insure this. Especially the descriptions in the Dark Elves Source book.
