Goodman Games has announced an agreement with Dias Ex Machina Games to publish a Fourth Edition-compatible edition of Amethyst, a D&D setting that examines what would happen if a fantasy world of dragon, elves and fairies suddenly appeared in the real world.  Dias Ex Machina has previously published a version of Amethyst under 3.5 rules and it won “Honorable Mention” in the D&D settings category in the 2008 GenCon ENnie Awards.  Goodman’s 4E version of Amethyst will be published under the GSL license from Wizards of the Coast utilizing Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition mechanics.  Goodman plans on releasing the 256-page core setting book Amethyst: Foundation as a PDF in April and in a hardcover print edition at GenCon 2009.

The Amethyst Foundation hardcover will contain a wide variety of new material including, races, technology-based classes, paragon paths, epic destinies, monsters, rituals, and a variety of weapons from bolt-action pistols to plasma cannons.  Goodman Games plans to support the Amethyst line with a full range of supplements starting in October of 2009 with an introductory adventure, which will be followed by a setting sourcebook and a character sourcebook that will be released in three month intervals.

Goodman Games, which is one of the most active third party publishers of 4E material, recently announced a 4E adventure module based on the Image Comic Book series, Frank Frazetta’s Death Dealer (see “Goodman Games’ Frazetta-Themed Module”).