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Trinity is the first published game in the Trinity Universe trilogy, and the final entry in the trilogy chronologically. Trinity is a science fiction game set in the early 22nd century, a time referred to as both the Trinity Era and the Unity Age. Psions are the protagonists and player characters of the game. Trinity (and the larger Trinity Universe) was created on a very short timeline, conceived and created a mere 10 months before publication. It was designed as a replacement for the Exile game spearheaded by Mark Rein•Hagen, who took the game with him when he left active involvement at White Wolf in 1996. Trinity was the first Trinity Universe game published, and originally was called ÆON (so all the Trinity Universe games began with an A). It was renamed Trinity to avoid legal problems with MTV's Aeon Flux. Early editions of Trinity with the ÆON title are rarities. In 2012, Onyx Path Publishing purchased the full rights to the Trinity Universe, and are planning their own new edition, to be titled the Trinity Continuum: Æon. The game gets a BIG relaunch at the moment, a Kickstarter is running to revive the game line! As long time fan I immediately jumped at the opportunity and backed the game. While the Kickstarter is purely about the RPG, Trinity was more, back in 1997/ 1998 it was also a miniature game - Trinity: Battleground. It's notable for being White Wolf's first — and to date, only — foray into miniatures gaming. The rules were straightforward, and based of the Storyteller System. Converting characters between systems wasn't very difficult. Like many great games of the late 1990s, it eventually disappeared from store shelves and became increasingly difficult for new players to discover.
Unfortunately, Trinity suffered from lower sales than its World of Darkness counterparts. IMO the release date timing was not well chosen, the game was release more or less at the same time as GWs 40K 3rd edition and Warzone 2nd edition. So despite its ease of playability, detailed setting and and how fun it was, a miniatures game based on Trinity turned out to be a financial failure. A mere six months after its initial 1998 release, it went out of print. A real shame as far as I am concerned since the game was in many aspects ahead of it's time, alternate unit activation opposed dice rolls etc. Battleground's default setting presented characters as members of the Legions or as Aberrants fighting for control of Khantze Lu Ge. While very similar to Trinity, the settings were not identical. For example, Trinity's Strike Team Psion was a popular animated series distributed on the OpNet. In Battleground, it's an actual Strike Team.
Some Background information Assuming Battleground would have continued, several supplements were planned. The first was to be called Trinity: Battleground - LoneStar, and would further open up character options. Characters would be either members of Orgotek or from the Federated States Military, fighting in the Tex-Mex District. The next supplement was to have been called Trinity: Battleground - ChromePrime, featuring the invasion of Chrome Prime as seen in Alien Encounter 1: Invasion. It would open up character options to include members of the Æsculapian Order, the Ministry and ISRA, as well as Chromatics. The final supplement mentioned was one involving the Norça and the Qin. The name and setting are unknown. It's possible that two more supplements would have followed, the first involving the Upeo wa Macho and the Coalition, and the second involving the Chitra Bhanu and the Doyen. All miniatures well sculpted by veteran Bob Naismith. 20 years ago the miniatures were on par with contemporary releases, for today’s standards (2018), they suffer from the usual “Big feet, hands and head syndrome”.
Resurrecting a Lost Classic - Wargames Resurrectionist Trinity: Battleground! What makes its return so exciting is that we now have technologies that simply didn't exist when the game was first released. Through modern 3D scanning, digital restoration, and high-quality printing, rare metal miniatures can be preserved and made available to a new generation of gamers. Faceless Publishing's efforts to resurrect Trinity: Battleground are a fantastic example of how classic tabletop games no longer need to remain lost to time. I was fortunate enough to contribute to this project by providing several original and increasingly hard-to-find metal miniatures for the scanning process. Seeing these classic models transformed into detailed digital files and new 3D prints has been incredibly rewarding. Even better, I was able to receive some of the newly produced miniatures in return, helping preserve a small piece of tabletop gaming history while expanding my own collection.
One of the most rewarding aspects of the Trinity: Battleground revival has been seeing just how well the original miniatures translate into the modern era. In this group, Fhata Khan is an original miniature from the 1998 boxed set, while Naushka and Drummach are newly produced 3D prints created from scanned original models. After painting them side by side, I can honestly say that it is virtually impossible for me to tell which figures originate from a nearly three-decade-old metal release and which were printed only recently. The quality of the scans and digital restoration work is truly impressive. Fine details, proportions, and the distinctive character of the original sculpts have been preserved remarkably well, allowing these classic miniatures to live on for a new generation of players and collectors. For anyone who loves classic tabletop games, this project is a perfect example of how modern technology can preserve and revive pieces of gaming history that might otherwise have been lost forever.For longtime fans, it's a chance to revisit a forgotten gem. For newcomers, it's an opportunity to discover a unique game that deserves a place back on the tabletop.
Among the ranks of the Aberrants, Sanguine stands out as a deadly Caste 2 mutant whose mastery over the battlefield comes from her devastating Ground Control mutation. With a mere gesture, she can unleash seismic forces capable of tearing through enemy formations and inflicting massive damage across a wide area. Those few who survive her ranged assaults soon discover that closing the distance offers little safety. Empowered by her Crushing Blow Taint Power, Sanguine is more than capable of crushing opponents in close combat, while her Incredible Vision allows her to strike with unnerving accuracy.
Sanguine is rarely encountered alone. Accompanying her are packs of Trogs, savage mutant creatures utterly devoted to their Aberrant masters. Fast, aggressive, and relentless, Trogs combine brutal close-range attacks with the destructive potential of Ground Strike and Matter Acceleration powers. Although their Tough Skin provides only limited protection against concentrated fire, their strength lies in numbers. Deployed in packs, they can spread across the battlefield, overwhelm isolated enemies, and secure large areas through sheer aggression.
Among the ranks of the Aberrants, Drummach is feared for his devastating mastery of sonic warfare. A powerful Caste 2 Aberrant, he can unleash a terrifying Sonic Scream capable of bypassing conventional armour and inflicting lethal damage on even heavily protected enemies. Despite his imposing presence, Drummach is far from a simple assault creature. His mutated Flexible Skin provides remarkable protection against incoming attacks, allowing him to withstand punishment that would cripple lesser beings. His Incredible Vision enhances the accuracy of his attacks, while Sense Psi disrupts enemy Psions and Aberrants alike, making their powers less reliable in his presence. Combining resilience, battlefield control, and devastating offensive power, Drummach is a formidable opponent whose arrival often signals the collapse of organized resistance. Few soldiers who hear his unearthly scream live long enough to forget it.
Few Aberrants inspire as much fear as Naushka, a terrifying Caste 4 Aberrant whose presence can dominate an entire battlefield. Possessing immense Quantum power, Naushka is capable of unleashing devastating Warp Field attacks that tear through enemy formations and leave destruction in their wake. Naushka is equally dangerous against heavily armored opponents. Through Transmutation, he can dissolve armor and protective plating, stripping away an enemy's defenses and leaving them vulnerable to subsequent attacks. Combining overwhelming offensive power with exceptional survivability, Naushka embodies the terrifying potential of Aberrant evolution. Wherever he appears, battle lines crumble, defenses fail, and few enemies remain standing for long.
The Thunes are insectoid mutants bred to serve their Aberrant masters with absolute loyalty. While they possess no Taint Powers of their own, they compensate with rapid-firing Matter Acceleration attacks that make them highly effective support troops on the battlefield. Their alien physiology grants them multiple extra arms, allowing them to fight with surprising ferocity in close combat. Protected by thick chitinous carapaces, Thunes are also more resilient than their appearance might suggest. Typically deployed in broods of three, Thunes excel at spreading across the battlefield, securing objectives, and supporting larger Aberrant forces. Their combination of mobility, firepower, and close-combat ability makes them dangerous opponents at any range. To many UPE soldiers, the appearance of a Thune brood was a warning sign: where these chitinous hunters emerged, a far more powerful Aberrant was usually close behind.
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