Quote:
Originally Posted by Jack7  I was bemoaning the loss of myth as a basis for game and character and adventure development. |
Come join
Ars Magica. You want it, you
really want it...
I'm very attracted to classical legends and myth, and to the rich intellectual depth of real-world cosmological and philosophical (and hence, magical) thought. Which is why I love the Ars Magica game, whose focus is precisely to weave all of these in.
I find that D&D has its own mythology, but it's shallower, it doesn't strike as deep a chord in me. I realize this is "my fault", that you can play D&D and weave powerful myth in yourself. But I much rather use a system and setting that is built up to allow this from the start. I find D&D myth superficial, and that infusing it with interesting myth is difficult. Whereas an Eladrin may
feystep away in
4e, a character with
Strong Fearie Blood (Sidhe) in Ars Magica would have faerie-eyes allowing him to see into the world of faerie hidden behind the mundane world everyone else sees; while a wizard in
4e might seek to purchase
residium, a wizard in Ars Magica will seek to purchase the white hare born on the first year's eve, to make use of the magical power of this auspicious date. Ars Magica is built with the myth woven in, which is a huge advantage. It's built into the setting and supplements, too, which is important to lazy people like me.
That said, there is nothing wrong with invented fantasy. When done right, it's great. I really like stock tropes that have no substantial real-myth roots, like the 'kingdom ruled by a lich and his undead armies' or 'demons from beyond that invade our world'. There is a lot of great things about invented fantasy too. The best of all worlds is combining both.
Yair
And yet another word from our sponsors
