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Modiphius has returned to the ruins of Evera Prime with Dreams and Machines: The Broken Steppes, a setting guide that offers expanded lore, landscapes and player options for the publisher’s acclaimed post-apocalyptic sci-fi RPG.
In particular, the book explores the scorched deserts and volcanic badlands of the Surienta Simio, a part of the planet where ancient technology sleeps beneath the surface and where humanity struggles to survive both the elements and themselves. First announced back in July 2025, you can pick up The Broken Steppes hardcover now from Modiphius, with the PDF available on DriveThruRPG. Below, we plug into all the details.
What is the Dreams and Machines RPG?
Dreams and Machines is a post-apocalyptic science-ficition RPG published by Modiphius Entertainment. The setting is focused on Evera Prime, a once-utopian colony world left shattered after its AI creations turned on their human masters. Centuries later, humanity is rebuilding among the Old World ruins, with society divided between the Dreamers, who believe in progress and harmony, and those who fear the resurgence of the Machines. Among them are also the Conduits, rare individuals capable of interfacing with ancient systems, and who are viewed as both a miracle and a menace by the various survivors. It’s a world inspired by pop culture franchises like Horizon Zero Dawn, Avatar: The Last Airbender and Mass Effect, blending tribal mysticism with futuristic technology.
Mechanically, Dreams and Machines uses Modiphius’s 2d20 System (which is also used for their Star Trek Adventures and Fallout TTRPGs). Players roll two 20-sided dice to resolve actions by rolling equal to or under a target number. Each success counts toward beating the task’s difficulty and extra successes generate Momentum for bonuses, with the GM using a Threat pool to introduce complications. Additional mechanics unique to Dreams and Machines include GLIFs (genetic-linguistic implants that grant special abilities), settlement-building rules and Conduit interface rules, which let players interact with lost technology.
Launched in 2023, Dreams and Machines is one Modiphius’s few original properties, after largely creating games for licenses like Fallout, Star Trek and Dune. The core books of Dreams and Machines so far include the Player’s Guide, Gamemaster’s Guide, the Echoes of an Ancient Enemy campaign book and the Emerta Valo setting guide.
What is “Dreams and Machines: The Broken Steppes” about?
The Broken Steppes is a 128-page setting guide for Dreams and Machines that takes place in the Surienta Simio region of the Broken Steppes. It’s an arid and forbidding wasteland filled with volcanoes and Old World ruins. The book includes:
- New character options letting players create their own unique Conduit characters, with new talents and Advanced Archetypes.
- A regional guide that covers the lore and locations of Surienta Simio, with details on various factions, such as the traders of Lotus Canyon, the engineers of Trench City and the lost underground research city of Trisagasimio.
- New settlement rules that allow players to create their own communities filled with NPCs, allies and services that act as hubs for downtime and roleplay opportunities. An appendix also includes a new form for tracking settlement growth, resources and major developments during play.
- New GLIFs, talents and equipment, including new mounts, vehicles, weapons, talents and GLIFs that enhance both player capabilities and world-building.
- GM advice for running adventures and long term campaigns in the Broken Steepes, with adventure seeds and narrative tools for exploring the tension between humanity and machine.
Notably, the book does requires the Dreams and Machines Player’s Guide and Gamemaster’s Guide to play.
Why pick up “Dreams and Machines: The Broken Steppes”?
- A new region: The book explores a completely new part of Evera that’s much different than what we’ve seen in previous supplements and offers a ton of new lore to expand the overall setting.
- Supporting an overlooked TTRPG: Dream and Machines hasn’t quite achieved the kind of recognition it deserves among the TTRPG community, but it’s definitely worth supporting.
- A great starting point for new Dreamers: If you’re a new GM or player, this is a great starting location that taps into some of the game’s most compelling elements.
- Solid art, writing and design: Modiphius produces some absolutely gorgeous books, and The Broken Steepes also features contributions from a design team that includes TTRPG vets like Nathan Dowdell, Jess Gibbs and Dave Semark.
Final Thoughts
Dreams and Machines is one of the most unique sci-fi TTRPG to have come out recent years, exploring unique themes about technology and humanity, while also layering in innovative mechanics like settlement building and genetic augementation. With The Broken Steepes now published, the setting is continuing to expand. Whether or not the TTRPG community is willing to explore this strange new world, however, remains to be seen.
You can pick up Dreams and Machines: The Broken Steepes now in hardcover from your local game store or the Modiphius website, with the PDF version available on DriveThruRPG.