1st to 3rd are indeed my first RPG loves. Having the entire Japanese original line in pristine condition with Amano art is my family treasure. Still, it was affordable and pristine and good for reference, even if the spells and lack of randomness aren't my bag.
Ran a ton of 1st through college...farmers who became heroes and beggars who became legends just by surviving. Of course, they'd all meet gruesome, terrible ends...just like the characters in a Moorcock story. Perhaps the most faithful RPG rendition of a literary source ever penned.
Yeah, point buy was a downer. I enjoyed the chaos of chargen and making the best of what you got, but that seems passee in these minmax days. If I recall Jest was statted out in Elric!, so just reverse engineer. That said, I just wing stats and kind of think Chaosium mega statblocks were often overkill.
I'm going to propose a Stormbringer Retrospective game here in Vancouver, see if I can't scare up players to go through all the old scenarios before the Free League / Goodman games hit. Which are YOU buying, JB?
Honestly, probably neither. I'm unfamiliar with Dragonsbane, but if it IS a "spiritual successor" do Chaosium, well, I've already got Stormbringer...why reinvent the wheel?
As for DCC...um.
I'm not a big fan of DCC (and definitely not a fan of 5E). While a lot of DCC procedures seem quite compatible with Elric sensibilities (high body count, inexplicable sorcery), it's a pretty clunky way to play an adventure game. The books have delightful flavor and artwork (like underground comix of the 60s/70s) but the GAME is not to my taste.
An adventure game set in the Young Kingdoms is a killer idea, but I get most of my fill of that with AD&D these days. No, the magic system isn't the same, but the gameplay is pretty spectacular, and the system does planar-hopping Elric better than any RPG on the market...and I include Stormbringer on that list.
Besides, in my campaign, high elves are pretty much Melniboneans...I have a LOT of Moorcock influence in my game. ; )
It IS interesting that almost all the paperbacks in the Goodman Games photo are sitting on my bookshelf. Maybe that's a sign?
Fair enough. Why reinvent the wheel indeed? I am interested in seeing if Free League can make more Moorcockean adventures instead of just lukewarm D&D adventures. But I am uninterested in DCC.
Have you seen swords of the serpentine? I did the play test and it was the first game in decades that blew me away. From the setting, which is very Lankmire to the mechanics that have all these great narrative flourishes, I would definitely take a look. That said Chaosium is my fallback and I stick with it. But all gumshoe games add narrative mechanics that really add something to the experience
I have not seen "Swords of the Serpentine," but I am a fan of GUMSHOE and own at least 2 or 3 (or 4?) of their products.
That being said, I'm kind of OUT on narrative mechanics. If I wanted to do narrative Elric, I'd be using Ron Edwards's "Sorcerer," which (with his "Sorcerer & Sword" supplement) probably has the best narrative mechanics for something like Moorcock. He (Edwards) also did an excellent analysis/model of Stormbringer in terms of his system.
[hmm...I'd post a link, but the Forge web site seems to be folding up]
I'm mostly just adventure gaming and world building these days...it gives me the most enjoyment in the hobby.
I hear that. I mean, storm bringer had narrative mechanics in the form of the allegiance system and being able to call down the gods on people. But it wasn’t too meta like they are nowadays. I guess I just enjoy overthinking these games and running people through a smashing story that they get to smash up and modify in their own way. Since I don’t drink or chase women anymore, it’s what makes me happy.
Mm. I owned that book once upon a time...one of the few RPGs I've sold back to the hobby store over the years.
ReplyDeleteMy "Holy Grail" edition is third. Till then, make mine 1E.
; )
1st to 3rd are indeed my first RPG loves. Having the entire Japanese original line in pristine condition with Amano art is my family treasure. Still, it was affordable and pristine and good for reference, even if the spells and lack of randomness aren't my bag.
Delete"Elric!" killed me with point buy chargen.
DeleteRan a ton of 1st through college...farmers who became heroes and beggars who became legends just by surviving. Of course, they'd all meet gruesome, terrible ends...just like the characters in a Moorcock story. Perhaps the most faithful RPG rendition of a literary source ever penned.
[though Chaosium's ElfQuest wasn't bad...]
Still...I want the stats for Doctor Jest.
; )
Yeah, point buy was a downer. I enjoyed the chaos of chargen and making the best of what you got, but that seems passee in these minmax days. If I recall Jest was statted out in Elric!, so just reverse engineer. That said, I just wing stats and kind of think Chaosium mega statblocks were often overkill.
DeleteI'm going to propose a Stormbringer Retrospective game here in Vancouver, see if I can't scare up players to go through all the old scenarios before the Free League / Goodman games hit. Which are YOU buying, JB?
Honestly, probably neither. I'm unfamiliar with Dragonsbane, but if it IS a "spiritual successor" do Chaosium, well, I've already got Stormbringer...why reinvent the wheel?
DeleteAs for DCC...um.
I'm not a big fan of DCC (and definitely not a fan of 5E). While a lot of DCC procedures seem quite compatible with Elric sensibilities (high body count, inexplicable sorcery), it's a pretty clunky way to play an adventure game. The books have delightful flavor and artwork (like underground comix of the 60s/70s) but the GAME is not to my taste.
An adventure game set in the Young Kingdoms is a killer idea, but I get most of my fill of that with AD&D these days. No, the magic system isn't the same, but the gameplay is pretty spectacular, and the system does planar-hopping Elric better than any RPG on the market...and I include Stormbringer on that list.
Besides, in my campaign, high elves are pretty much Melniboneans...I have a LOT of Moorcock influence in my game.
; )
It IS interesting that almost all the paperbacks in the Goodman Games photo are sitting on my bookshelf. Maybe that's a sign?
Fair enough. Why reinvent the wheel indeed? I am interested in seeing if Free League can make more Moorcockean adventures instead of just lukewarm D&D adventures. But I am uninterested in DCC.
DeleteI *will* say that, with regard to adventures, I've found DCC's Lankhmar stuff to be fairly good and extremely easy to convert to my preferred system.
DeleteBut, I'd be interested in ANY new SB adventures.
Have you seen swords of the serpentine? I did the play test and it was the first game in decades that blew me away. From the setting, which is very Lankmire to the mechanics that have all these great narrative flourishes, I would definitely take a look. That said Chaosium is my fallback and I stick with it. But all gumshoe games add narrative mechanics that really add something to the experience
DeleteI have not seen "Swords of the Serpentine," but I am a fan of GUMSHOE and own at least 2 or 3 (or 4?) of their products.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I'm kind of OUT on narrative mechanics. If I wanted to do narrative Elric, I'd be using Ron Edwards's "Sorcerer," which (with his "Sorcerer & Sword" supplement) probably has the best narrative mechanics for something like Moorcock. He (Edwards) also did an excellent analysis/model of Stormbringer in terms of his system.
[hmm...I'd post a link, but the Forge web site seems to be folding up]
I'm mostly just adventure gaming and world building these days...it gives me the most enjoyment in the hobby.
I hear that. I mean, storm bringer had narrative mechanics in the form of the allegiance system and being able to call down the gods on people. But it wasn’t too meta like they are nowadays. I guess I just enjoy overthinking these games and running people through a smashing story that they get to smash up and modify in their own way. Since I don’t drink or chase women anymore, it’s what makes me happy.
DeleteFunny, had Sorcerer on my shelf for years but gave it away without reading during a move. From a glance it seemed intense.
Delete