As lead writer of the The Terminator Role Playing Game, I am responsible for the lore, tone, and canon of the project. With this role in mind, I set out to do for The Terminator the same I have done on the ALIEN Role Playing Game—take a publisher’s epic game and make sure it serves as a fandom friendly universe sourcebook as much as an amazing RPG. Normally that would include pouring over every minute source and grabbing any and all elements I can use from throughout the expanded materials. For the Terminator, things quickly proved to be a little different.
Due to the curious licensing nature of The Terminator franchise, I had to consider the overall working canon of the Terminator universe while focusing only on the parts that related specifically to the 1984 film, “The Terminator” and its ancillary materials in Nightfall Games’ first T-RPG offering.
AN OLD HAT’s HAT TRICK
I am no stranger to licensing and expanded universe franchises—I have previously worked as a franchise consultant on such canon projects for 20th Century studios, compiling their entire in-house Predator Bible for them as well as significantly contributing to their Alien and Planet of the Apes timelines.
While working on these other licenses, I had encountered scenarios where specific materials were off limits—for example, AVP may have both Aliens and Predators in it, but it is a different universe and franchise to both Alien and Predator. Anytime a Predator appears in an Alien comic, its considered AVP, and not Alien or Predator—despite what it may say on the cover—and is therefore off limits to those individual series’ Bibles.
What makes it challenging on Terminator is that I may not mention a particular bit of canon in this core book, I also won’t contradict it—so further releases in the Terminator series will dovetail nicely into and compliment each other. So you may see a nugget of something that might allude to something you know could possibly be there, but it isn’t, for now. It will be, you just have to wait for it. Possibly. 😉
YOUR POST APOCALYPTIC WORLD
At the end of the day, the Terminator RPG is a guide to YOUR Terminator universe, official or not. Make your game universe your own. What you want in your campaign is absolutely what should be in there, no matter what. As for what I am using, this is the baseline list I stick to. It draws upon my experience as a franchise consultant, and I’ve laid out The Terminator corebook setting and whatnot accordingly.
Film and Novelizations
The Terminator (1984)
Dark Horse Comics
The Terminator: Tempest
The Terminator: One Shot
The Terminator: Secondary Objectives
The Terminator: The Enemy Within
The Terminator: Hunters and Killers
The Terminator: Endgame
The Terminator: Suicide Run
The Terminator: Death Valley
The Terminator: The Dark Years
The Terminator: Sector War
The Terminator: 2029 to 1984
The Terminator: Enemy of My Enemy
The Terminator: Burning Earth (originally published by NOW, but reprinted under Dark Horse).
Right now, you can backThe Terminator RPG on Kickstarter–-you’ve got less than half a day to get in on backer exclusives, so jump to it by clicking here.
That’s that for now—but I also recommend bookmarking this page. As my sources expand and evolve, I will update this list here.
—Andrew E.C. Gaska
An award winning game-writer, author, designer, and graphic novelist with twenty years of industry experience, Gaska is the creative force behind BLAM! Ventures. He has worked as a freelance consultant to 20th Century Fox and Rockstar Games and is the lead writer of Free League Publishing’s ALIEN Role Playing Game. In addition to being the senior development editor for Lion Forge comics and animation, he is a contributor to both their game division and their licensing team.
In 2005, I decided to pursue my dream of writing for comics, novels, and role-playing games. I was working in video games as a visual consultant (not a writer) at the time, which made use of my Adobe skills, and I was doing well. But it was writing that I had wanted to do since college, and really what I had been on a course for my entire life.
While I had several false starts, it was in 2010 that I had my first success. From that point on, I had one book or book with me in it out per year. Still, it was a side thing.
In 2017, I left my video game job of seventeen years and devoted myself completely to writing—and it shows in the number of projects I’ve involved in over the past few years. Starting in 2019, I’ve written at least two published books per year. The lesson here is you have to follow dreams in order for them to come true. While it’s smart to have a job you can rely on as security, don’t let that security keep you back from what you really want.
Well, enough preaching (for now). As the year nears its end, I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on a decade of my work in covers. This post will be updated as new projects are released.
—Andrew E.C. Gaska
An award winning game-writer, author, designer, and graphic novelist with twenty years of industry experience, Gaska is the creative force behind BLAM! Ventures. He has worked as a freelance consultant to 20th Century Fox and Rockstar Games and is the lead writer of Free League Publishing’s ALIEN Role Playing Game. In addition to being the senior development editor for Lion Forge comics and animation, he is a contributor to both their game division and their licensing team.
What follows is the published and preorder work by Andrew E.C. Gaska from 2010-2021.
Choose Your Own Adventure:Journey Under the Sea.Graphic Novel, Co-writer, ONI Press/ChooseCo LLC, preorder for 2021
Choose Your Own Adventure: 8th Grade Witch.Graphic Novel, Co-writer, ONI Press/ChooseCo LLC, preorder for 2021
ALIEN RPG: The Colonial Marines Operations Manual.RPG Campaign Sourcebook, Lead Writer, Free League Publishing/20th Century Studios, preorder for 2021
ALIEN RPG: Destroyer of Worlds Cinematic Scenario.RPG Adventure Boxed Set, Lead Writer, Free League Publishing/20th Century Studios, 2020
ALIEN RPG: Starter Set. RPG QuickStart Boxed Set, Settings and Adventure Writer, Free League Publishing/20th Century Fox, 2020
ALIEN RPG: Chariot of the Gods Cinematic Scenario. RPG Adventure, Lead Writer, Free League Publishing/20th Century Fox, 2019
ALIEN: The Role Playing Game. RPG Corebook, Lore and Settings Writer, Free League Publishing/20th Century Fox, 2019
Death of thePlant of the Apes.Science Fiction Novel, Author, Titan Publishing/20th Century Fox, 2018
Plant of the Apes: Tales From the Forbidden Zone “The Unknown Ape”. Short Story, Author, Titan Publishing/20th Century Fox, 2017
Buck Rogers In the 25th Century: Lo, the Moons of Saturn. Science Fiction Novella, Author, BLAM! Noir, BLAM! Ventures LLC, Dille Family Trust, 2016
The Complete Guide to Publishing Comics. “How to” Book, Guest Essay Writer, Comfort and Adam, Watson-Guptill Publications, 2015
Tonight Andrew E.C. Gaska is back! He'll be answering all your questions about the recently released Alien Colonial Marines Operations Manual and discussing taking elements from the movie Outland and putting them in your game
UPDATED 11.29.20: As most of you know, I’m the ENie and UKGE award winning settings writer, adventure author, and canon consultant to the ALIEN Role Playing Game by Free League Publishing. Today I’m offering a limited signed and numbered experience for anyone who wants a copy of the ALIEN RPG Starter Set or the Destroyer of Worlds Expansion. There aren’t many of these to go around, as they are my personal writer’s proofs. Here’s what you get:
ALIEN RPG STARTER Set:
A case fresh Starter with all the maps, cards, and books included.
Signed Starter Set rulebook
Signed Chariot of the Gods booklet
Will sign the box as well upon request.
Signed and numbered Gold, Silver, or Bronze Certificate of Authenticity (see Pricing below)
Pricing (Shipping not included)
GOLD ($120): Limited run of one! Signed in gold ink, this set is numbered 1 of 1 GOLD IS SOLD OUT!
SILVER ($80): Limited run of five—only 3 left! Signed in silver ink, numbered x of 5 and includes a small silver drawing inside by author Andrew E.C. Gaska.
BRONZE ($60): Limited run! Signed in bronze ink, this set is numbered x of 12 BRONZE IS SOLD OUT!
ALIEN: DESTROYER OF WORLDS Cinematic Scenario:
A case fresh Destroyer of Worlds with all the maps, cards, and book included.
Signed Destroyer of Worlds booklet
Will sign the box as well upon request.
Signed and numbered Gold, Silver, or Bronze Certificate of Authenticity (see Signing Tier below)
Pricing
GOLD ($100): Limited run of one! Signed in gold ink, this set is numbered 1 of 1 GOLD IS SOLD OUT!
SILVER ($65): Limited run of five—only 2 left! Signed in silver ink, numbered x of 5 and includes a small silver drawing inside by author Andrew E.C. Gaska.
BRONZE ($40): Limited run of twelve—only 8 left! Signed in bronze ink, this set is numbered x of 12
If buying both, you will receive matching numbers.
SHIPPING:
Continental United States MEDIA MAIL is $10, PRIORITY MAIL is $20.
PAYMENT
These will go very fast! Message me directly on FB at https://www.facebook.com/andrew.gaska for PAYPAL payment instructions, orders are first come first serve!
—Andrew E.C. Gaska
An award winning game-writer, author, designer, and graphic novelist with twenty years of industry experience, Gaska is the creative force behind BLAM! Ventures. He has worked as a freelance consultant to 20th Century Fox and Rockstar Games and is the lead writer of Free League Publishing’s ALIEN Role Playing Game. In addition to being the senior development editor for Lion Forge comics and animation, he is a contributor to both their game division and their licensing team.
As a franchise consultant to 20th Century Fox on ALIEN, Predator, and Planet of the Apes, I often had to take a long hard look at a number of long-beloved franchise stories and try to figure out how exactly that could still fit in canon. If I couldn’t, I had to recommend they be tossed. I proposed a third option–what I’ve come to call barroom canon. These are stories overheard in a bar (or read in a comic, or played in a video game, or even posted on Facebook) that may or may not have some truth to them. This allows canon to have some flex in regards to including stories that otherwise could no longer count in a franchise’s development.
As the lead writer and canon consultant on the ALIEN RPG by Free League Publishing, I developed the following Canon Tier guidelines to working out the ALIEN universe.
Because people like to react before they read completely, I will stress again that this list is a guideline based on my franchise consultant work at FOX . I used it when creating the backstory/lore/history of the Alien Universe for the Role Playing Game. Several fans asked for the list. It’s okay if it doesn’t fit your personal head canon, I am in no way suggesting it should. The game lore is designed to reject what you don’t like and use what you do.
The notes below about Predator, AVP, and Easter Eggs are guidelines I was given by FOX’s franchise department when I was brought on board as a consultant. Remember that canon in any franchise is always fluid–no RPG or novel will stop headlining producers and directors from taking a series in any direction they want to try. This list is canon as canon stands, until it doesn’t.
A NOTE ABOUT PREDATORS
The first thing to understand about ALIEN, Predator, and AVP is that they are three franchise universes.
AVP is officially a separate franchise and therefore a separate canon than Alien/Prometheus. Predator is also separate from AVP and Alien/Prometheus. If a Predator shows up in an alien project, that project is in the AVP universe and not Alien.
THE TRUTH ABOUT EASTER EGGS
Easter Eggs are never an indicator of canon, they are surprise homages and nothing more. The separation of franchises is per Fox themselves, and was handed to me as perimeters to follow when I first worked on the Predator Bible for them. Lots of people get frustrated by the AVP statements above. They want Predator in their Alien. Personally I think both franchises are better on their own, so I’m happy about AVP being a third franchise.
YOUR UNIVERSE
All that being said, the Alien RPG is a guide to YOUR alien universe, official or not. Make your game universe your own. What you want in your campaign is absolutely what should be in there, no matter what. As for what I used, this is the list I stick to. It is based on my discussions and work with FOX as a franchise consultant, and I’ve laid out the setting and whatnot accordingly.
A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR: As new inspiration or products appear, they will be added to these lists. LATEST UPDATES:
01.16.21. Comics section miniseries titled added. The 2007 film “Sunshine “was added to the Non Canon Inspiration list.
02.03.2021. The comics section was clarified . The 1965 film “Planet of the Vampires” added to the Non Canon Inspiration list.
TIER I CANON
Definitive and authorized canon to the Alien/Prometheus universe:
Film Series1
Prometheus
Alien: Covenant
Alien
Aliens
Alien 3
Alien Resurrection
Alien Isolation video game
Mike Tanaka Alien Isolation Twitter account
Covenant Short Films:
The Crossing
The Last Supper
Meet Walter
Five Crew Messages
Phobos
Advent
David’s Lab: Last Signs of Life
Prometheus Short Films:
TED Conference, 2023
Happy Birthday, David
Quiet Eye: Elizabeth Shaw
Project Prometheus: Mission
Weyland Industries Testimonial
Prometheus Transmission
TIER II CANON
These sources are absolutely canon until Ridley Scott or another producer throws a curveball:
Alien: The Weyland-Yutani Report
Alien: The Blueprints
Alien: David’s Drawings
Alien Role Playing Game by Free League Publishing
Alien RPG: Starter Set
Alien RPG: Core rulebook
Alien: Chariot of the Gods
Alien: Destroyer of Worlds
Alien: Map of the Middle Heavens
Alien: Colonial Marines Operations Manual
All upcoming Alien: RPG products
The following Dark Horse comic series:
Aliens: Dead Orbit
Aliens: Dust to Dust
Aliens: Defiance
Aliens: Resistance
Aliens: Rescue
Titan and Imprint Novel Series
Alien: Covenant – Origins
Alien: The Cold Forge
Alien: Into Charybdis
Alien: Infiltrator
Aliens: Phalanx
Alien: Prototype
Alien: Isolation novelization
Alien: Echo
The 40th Anniversary Short Films
Alien: Containment
Alien: Specimen
Alien: Night Shift
Alien: Ore
Alien: Alone
Alien: Blackout Mobile Video Game
Aliens: Colonial Marines Technical Manual
TIER III CANON
Majority of the content is canon with some minor problems that can be explained away as myth or heresay.
Weyland Industries Viral Website (some distances are exaggerated)
Aliens: Colonial Marines Video Game (Creatures and Technology are canon, the story is not)
Movie novelizations (accurate except when contradicted by screen evidence)
Alien
Aliens
Alien 3
Alien: Resurrection
Prometheus (Japanese language only)
Alien: Covenant
Alien Novels:
Alien: Out of the Shadows
Alien: Sea of Sorrows
Alien: River of Pain
MYTHS AND LEGENDS
This stuff should be thought of as tall-tales told in bars. The events may or may have happened as described, but the locations exist:
Alien Survival Manual (was intended as canon but has glaring errors)
William Gibson’s Alien III in all incarnations:
William Gibson’s Alien III: Comic Adaptation
William Gibson’s Alien III: Audio Drama Adaptation
William Gibson’s Alien III: Novelization
William Gibson’s Alien III:Screenplay Draft I
William Gibson’s Alien III:Screenplay Draft II
Unused Screenplays including:
Star Beast
Eric Red’s Alien III
David Twohy’s Alien III
Vincent Ward’s Alien III
Alien: The Original Screenplay (all formats and editions)
Alien: Engineers
Alien: Paradise Lost
The Bantam Books and DH Press Aliens novels:
Novels in the Complete Aliens Omnibus Volumes 1-7 including:
Aliens: Earth Hive
Aliens: Nightmare Asylum
Aliens: Female War
Aliens: Genocide
Aliens: Harvest
Aliens: Rogue
Aliens: Labyrinth
Aliens: Music of the Spears
Aliens: Berserker
Aliens: Original Sin
Aliens: DNA War
Aliens: Cauldron
Aliens: Steel Egg
Aliens: Criminal Enterprise
Aliens: No Exit
Concept art (includes all art books)
Aliens: Adventure Game by Leading Edge
Alien: Covenant Short Films:
x Audi lunar quattro
She Won’t Go Quietly
Aliens: Colonial Marines Video Game(Storyline)
Aliens: Bughunt (Labeled as such in the book)
The following Dark Horse comic series:
Aliens: Field Report
Aliens: Fire and Stone 2 3 4
Aliens: Life and Death 2 3 4
Comics from Dark Horse and Marvel Comics:
Aliens: Dark Horse Omnibus Volume 1-6
Aliens: Marvel Comics Omnibus Volume 1
Aliens: Outbreak
Aliens: Nightmare Asylum
Aliens: The Female War
Aliens: Theory of Alien Propagation
Aliens: The Alien
Aliens: Tribes
Aliens: Space Marines [Kenner Comics]
Aliens: Hive
Aliens: Newt’s Tale
Alien 3 Comic Adaptation
Aliens: Genocide
Aliens: Harvest
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Aliens: Rogue
Aliens: Sacrifice
Aliens: Labyrinth
Aliens: Advent/Terminus
Aliens: Reapers
Aliens: Horror Show
Aliens: Music of the Spears
Aliens: Stronghold
Aliens: Frenzy
Aliens: Taste
Aliens: Mondo Pest
Aliens: Mondo Heat
Aliens: Alchemy
Aliens: Kidnapped
Aliens: Cargo
Aliens: Survival
Aliens: Alien
Aliens: Earth Angel
Aliens: Incubation
Aliens: Havoc
Aliens: Lovesick
Aliens: Lucky
Aliens: Apocalypse – The Destroying Angels
Aliens: Once in a Lifetime
Aliens: Headhunters
Aliens: Tourist Season
Aliens: 45 Seconds
Aliens: Elder Gods
Aliens: Purge
Aliens: Glass Corridor
Aliens: Stalker
Aliens: Wraith
Aliens: Dark Horse Presents
Aliens: Dark Horse Insider
Arcade, computer, and console video games
Aliens: Armageddon
Aliens: Infestation
Aliens: Extermination
Aliens: Thanatos Encounter
Aliens: Online
Aliens: Trilogy
Aliens: A Comic Book Adventure
Alien 3: The Gun
Aliens: Alien 2
Kenner Aliens Toyline
SHOE-HORN CANON:
A similar concept, look and feel film franchise, and a film that might as well be part of Alien though it is not. These will NEVER BE OFFICIAL. They are absolutely not part of the Alien Universe, but can be massaged into it if you squint hard enough.
Blade Runner
Blade Runner 2049
Outland
Soldier
NON-CANON:
Absolutely not connected in any way to Alien—save for possible similar themes and/or easter eggs. While not canon, these properties make for great inspiration for the universe.6
Predator, its sequels, comics, novels, and games 3
AVP, its sequels, comics, novels, and games 4
Avatar (2009)
Firefly (2002)
Alien vs. any and everything 5
Alien 2: On Earth (1980)
John Carpenter’s the Thing (1981)
The Thing (2011)
Raised by Wolves (2020)
LIFE (2017)
Sunshine (2007)
Pitch Black (2000)
Riddick (2013)
Virus (1999)
Underwater (2020)
Prospect (2018)
Saturn 3 (1980)
Pandorum(2009)
Supernova (2000)
The Rig (2010)
Leviathan (1998)
Deep Star Six (1989)
Event Horizon (1997)
Planet of the Vampires (1965)
Ex Machina (2014)
Annihilation (2018)
Species, its sequels, comics, and novels
Terminator, its sequels, series, comics, novels, and games
Screamers (1995)
Whatever
Footnotes
In the case of the films, you can count the special editions OR the feature versions as canon. I have used the special editions when writing the RPG but made nods towards the feature versions)
Only the Aliens issues of “Fire and Stone” and “Life and Death” are part of the Alien Universe. The Predator and AVP portions are not.
Anything with Predator in it is part of the separate Predator universe instead, or…
If an Alien and a Predator appear, that means its part of the separate AVP Universe. Even if it says its an ALIEN labeled product and not an AVP one—if a Predator shows up it’s AVP).
As a rule of thumb, inter-company crossovers mostly do not count towards canon in any franchise. In regards to other companies who DO count the situations that occur during crossovers, those events are never directly referred to again. For example: you will never have Judge Dredd say, “remember that time I punched Batman?” and show a recap panel of batman’s face being smashed after the license has expired. What they did instead was say, “remember when I punched that masked vigilante?” and did not show it again. You can’t use someone else’s characters past the limited time of the license. So while the event could define changes in the world, the details will forever be vague. If one of the companies involved pushed mentioning these things too far, the other could be like, um… excuse me…
Updated thanks to some suggestions by FB user and gamer Pete DeRosa.
I think that’s everything. I’ll add to the list if I remember anything else.
—Andrew E.C. Gaska
An award winning game-writer, author, designer, and graphic novelist with twenty years of industry experience, Gaska is the creative force behind BLAM! Ventures. He has worked as a freelance consultant to 20th Century Fox and Rockstar Games and is the lead writer of Free League Publishing’s ALIEN Role Playing Game. In addition to being the senior development editor for Lion Forge comics and animation, he is a contributor to both their game division and their licensing team.
The following is based on a Discovery Season 1 scenario whereas Harry Mudd had betrayed the star fleet personnel he captive in a Klingon prison with. The question was raised as to whether or not to take Harry with them when they escaped. The scenario would very much play out differently under different captains.
COMMAND STYLE POSSIBILITIES:
CaptainPicard: “The defining principle of the Federation is that all sentient life has the right to exist. We take Mr. Mudd with us. No matter what he has done, he is entitled to a jury of his peers. It’s the right thing to do.”
CaptainKirk: “You are on your own, Harry… unless you promise to STOP DOING what you are going to do even though you PROMISE NOT TO! Do we have a deal? Do. We. Have. A deal? Alright, come with us.”
CaptainSisko: “It would be very tempting to just, leave him here, wouldn’t it.” (long pause with disapproving look followed by sigh) “ Alright, take him.”
CaptainJaneway: “Should we take Mr. Mudd with us, is the question. I remember a time when the galaxy was a little bit rougher and the frontier was a little bit longer. Mudd is from that time. We would get home much faster if we left him behind, but the principles of the Federation are more important than us getting home. We take him with us.”
CaptainArcher: “You set us up, Mudd. One day, my people will form some kind of… federated group that will come up with a set of rules, or directives, that would apply to situations like this. Until then, I will have to go with my heart. Take Mudd with us and put him in the brig.”
Captain Georgiou (Prime): “Mudd must face trial for his crimes. I will make a peaceful gesture to the Klingons and request his extradition.”
Captain Georgiou (Mirror): “This miscreant was amusing the first dozen times. Just snap his neck.”
CaptainLorca: “F*ck off, asshole. You f*cked with the wrong captain this time. Your name is Mudd for a reason. Rot in hell.”
CaptainPike: “I know what Lorca would do with Harry Mudd. I’m not Lorca–I want your trust. Options?”
CaptainFreeman: “Mudd? Didn’t Kirk deal with this asshat like a century ago? Why is he not behind forever bars? Does the Federation bother to follow up on anything?”
—Andrew E.C. Gaska
An award winning game-writer, author, designer, and graphic novelist with twenty years of industry experience, Gaska is the creative force behind BLAM! Ventures. He has worked as a freelance consultant to 20th Century Fox and Rockstar Games and is the lead writer of Free League Publishing’s ALIEN Role Playing Game. In addition to being the senior development editor for Lion Forge comics and animation, he is a contributor to both their game division and their licensing team.
Meet the Andrew E. C. Gaska, lead setting writer of the award-winning game ALIEN RPG. Andrew will talk about writing Alien the roleplaying game and answer questions you might have.
We have just uploaded the 116th episode of the Alien vs. Predator Galaxy Podcast! Corporal Hicks and RidgeTop are joined once again by franchise consultant Andrew E.C. Gaska to discuss Alien: The Roleplaying Game, an award winning RPG that Drew served as the world and adventure writer for! We discuss how to write scenarios for unpredictable players, reconciling different entries in the lore, deep and head canon and plenty more!
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