Stormbringer redux - Intermission: Which Stormbringer should you be playing?

What I've Learned

I consider myself about halfway done with this Stormbringer redux series, so I thought I'd sit down and reflect on what I've done. Over the course of this project, I have come to realize one thing - there is no one way to play Stormbringer / Elric! Or to put it another way, lots of people have their own opinion on how the game should be played.

Recently, I discovered a Stormbringer / Elric! Facebook page. I really enjoy the shared love of the game and fiction that inspired it there, the deep knowledge of editions, and enthusiasm for play. I hope to run some games for members when this project is done, and (gasp!) maybe even play in a game.

But the variety of opinions about how to play the game has been eye opening.

Some people want to add D&D style experience and levels to Stormbringer. I suggested they pick up a copy of Dragonlords of Melnibone, and was surprised to hear the response "But I want to play Elric!" This sentiment is alien to me. To be honest, I drifted into Stormbringer to get away from all that level and experience grinding. But the Melnibonean mythos was in the original TSR Deities and Demigods, so it is not an altogether unthinkable combination.

Other people recommend using double Hit Points or CON + SIZ for 'heroic' hit points. This too is unappealing to me (NB: in any game I run, at least. If I am playing at someone else's table, I'll happily follow their rules). For me, the lethality of Stormbringer combat is a feature, not a bug. Just as in Moorcock's writing, combat is to be avoided or ended quickly. Elric hides in the dunes of Pikaryd rather than fight his pursuers; he and Smiorgan run from the Olab; he lulls Saxiff Dan into dropping his guard then coldcocks him until his nemesis arrives. To me, avoiding head on combat and surrounding yourself with commoner meatshields is an aspect of play that I wouldn't want to lose.

Elric! changed rolling attributes from 3d6 to 2d6+6 to make characters stronger and to modernize the character generation in a way similar to Call of Cthulhu. But attributes don't affect skill percentages in CoC or Elric!, so this change makes little difference. Additionally, the rules state that Elric has a STR of 5, but 3 would probably be truer to the books. I have never believed in the old chestnut of the 'hopeless character', and to me part of the thrill of Stormbringer is making the most of a character despite what the rolls say. Considering that the PCs have recourse to potions and magic like Elric, for me there is no excuse for inflating attributes needlessly.

Finally, lots of people advocate for increasing skills to give characters a fighting chance. This is only natural considering the finickiness of the old skill system and the boring point-buy of the new. I have my own idea for plugging this hole, which I'll outline in my next post, along with suggestions.

The only way of playing Stormbringer that I would consider capital W wrong would be if you wanted to play a game where everyone is Elric, each with their own Stormbringer by their side. I think this misses the point of the game and the books, and anyone with an inkling of doing so should probably find rules that support that style of play better, such as Exalted.

Anyway, let's turn to answering the clickbait question in the title of this post.

Which Edition Should You Be Playing?

The simple answer is whichever one you love. 

Want old-school (slightly wonky) rules that encourage hard core gaming and emulate the power imbalance of the fiction? Stormbringer 1-4e is for you.

Want tighter rules that encourage strategy and Elric! / Stormbringer 5e / Elric of Melnibone (and maybe Mournblade?) is for you.

Don't like rules as written? Make your own houserules, or steal mine.

Basically, I started this project to make Stormbringer play more like the game I have in mind than the one shaped by 40+ year old rules.

I urge you all to do the same.

Coming Attractions!!

Combat, character creation, roleplaying, monsters & NPCs, and anything else that comes to mind!