Swords-and-Sorcery seems to have made a serious surge in the gaming zeitgeist as of late, and not just for OSR fans. Mighty-thewed barbarians, frightening sorcerers with dangerous arcane power, and a complete lack of plumbing and lattes - what's not to love! This is the genre that breaks it all down into savage, survival-of-the-fittest adventure, with quests for glory and gold the driving force of any journey that starts in a tavern, but which so often leads to deciding the fate of the world. Welcome to the Week that was Positively Barbaric!
ASTONISHING SWORDSMEN AND SORCERERS OF HYPERBOREA
Seeing this floating in the Hot List on DriveThruRPG inspired my theme for the week – Positively Barbaric! It would seem the RPG zeitgeist has once again embraced the savage wonder of sword-and-sorcery, with barbaric, mighty-thewed heroes facing unspeakable horrors and terrible sorcery. Let’s spend a week looking at games that cast off the trappings of civilization and embrace savagery in the name of survival… and glory!
ASTONISHING SWORDSMEN & SORCERERS of HYPERBOREA™ is sword-and-sorcery role-playing at its pinnacle. Play an Amazon fighter, Atlantean magician, Esquimaux shaman, Hyperborean warlock, Ixian necromancer, Keltic barbarian, Kimmerian cataphract, Pictish thief, Viking berserker, or one of many other possibilities.
The heroes of a HYPERBOREA campaign delve the mazes and labyrinths of vast dungeons filled with horrifying monsters, lethal traps, and bewildering puzzles. They explore savage frontiers, breach hostile borderlands, probe ancient ruins, and investigate cursed tombs. They plunder for treasure and magic in a decaying world inhabited by bloodthirsty beasts and weird, otherworldly beings.
Now in its second edition, AS&SH™ has been expanded to include new classes, news spells, new monsters, new magic items, and more! It also includes a new, full colour map, an introductory town and adventure, as well as hundreds of new illustrations! This new edition is backwards-compatible with the original edition of the game.
Explore endless challenges and infinite realms of imagination with this complete sword-and-sorcery role-playing game!
THUNDERSCAPE: THE WORLD OF ADEN
It’s Positively Barbaric! Week here at the Pick, with a gaming stuff that focuses heavily on sword-and-sorcery flavor and a decidedly pre- (or post-) civilization aspect to the worldbuilding. Today’s Pick actually does some different things with this idea, including a strong steampunk aesthetic and influence, and the latter idea of a world that had plenty of civilization until that One Terrible Day. Be sure to take a look at the extensive product support they’ve crafted for this line across multiple systems.
PS – My good friend Mark Swafford is one of the creators for this setting.
An Epic World of Steam and Darkness
In Aden, a thousand-year Golden Age of prosperity gave rise to an unprecedented development: the fusion of magic and technology into a unique discipline called mechamagic. Arcane power, steam power, and gunpowder changed the world almost overnight. The Golden Age ended, and the Age of Thunder began. It seemed that there would be no limit to the industry and ingenuity of man.
Until the Darkfall.
A supernatural cataclysm of unknown origin, the Darkfall plunged the world into darkness as the sun was blotted out for only a moment. In that moment, every nightmare and horror imagined by the people of Aden sprang into existence, and the world was thrown into chaos. Villages were wiped from the face of the world, entire cities burned, and tens of thousands perished in an instant. It seemed that the world would die in flames.
But Aden will not die so easily.
Now, ten years later, the people of Aden struggle to survive in the face of unrelenting assault by horrors beyond imagining. It is a world of magic, a world of industry, a world of horror.
It is the World of Aden.
Savage Thunderscape: the World of ADen is a setting and mechanics sourcebook compatibly with the Savage Worlds role-playing game. Within the pages of this book you will find the following:
BEASTS & BARBARIANS GOLDEN EDITION
It seems Savage Worlds is just a great system for uncivilized gaming (must be the name, yeah?), so here’s another Savage pick for Positively Barbaric! Week. This one is from my Polish friends at GRAmel, and it’s pretty much the definitive swords-and-sorcery setting line for the SW crowd.
Welcome to the dangerous Dread Sea Dominions, a place where mighty barbarians do battle with hideous monsters, dark warlocks whisper terrible sorceries in forgotten temples and noble amazons duel in the sun-scorched arenas of Faberterra, capital of a decadent empire!
In this book, you will find a full-fledged Sword and Sorcery setting for Savage Worlds, complete with history, timeline and a detailed gazetteer full of adventure hooks.
Ruleswise, you’ll find:
+Rules for Heroic Incapacitation, After the Adventure rules (to squander your loot and handle downtime activities and events)
+An adventure generator specifically tailored for Sword and Sorcery to create a great plot in no time
+Abstract navigation rules to handle mapless dungeons
+More than seventy new creatures
+A full adventure…
+ …and much, much more!
What are you waiting for? Gird your loins, ready your broadsword and prepare to face the threats of Beasts and Barbarians, the new Sword and Sorcery setting from GRAmel!
PRIMEVAL THULE (5E)
As the horde swarms forward for Positively Barbaric! Week, it crashes through the savage lands of Primeval Thule. Written and designed by WotC alumni Richard Baker, David Noonan, and Stephen Schubert, this one has serious pedigree, and it brings both sword-and-sorcery barbarism and strange eldritch horror and magic together in a particularly well-crafted way. This is the 5e iteration; there’s one for 13th Age, Pathfinder, and Savage Worlds (which me and Ross Watson helped with).
Primeval Thule 5e is a sword-and-sorcery campaign setting redesigned for 5e (For other game systems, go back to our publisher page and select the version you want.)
Welcome to Thule, a primordial land of fierce barbarians, elder horrors, and savage wilderness. In this ancient age, humankind is a young race, newly arisen on a monster-haunted Earth. Cities of cruel spledor lie scattered across the great lands of the north like a handful of gems strewn from a dead thief’s hand.
This is a doomed age, a time of great deeds and inhuman terror destined to be lost and forgotten beneath the numbing cloak of endless winter. But for one glittering moment, Thule lives—and it is a fierce, cruel, splendid, and marvelous moment indeed.
This 272-page tome provides you everything you need to introduce the world of Thule to your 5e game. Inside, you will find:
Also check out the 5e Thule GM Companion, Player’s Companion, and Adventure Anthology, all also available in full-color softcovers!
CONAN THE BARBARIAN
Pretty much everyone should have seen this one coming, as it’s the last day of Positively Barbaric! Week here at the SPOD. This expansion for the Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed of line deals with the particularly barbaric lands of the north of Conan’s world – including his own Cimmeria. For a swords-and-sorcery game that was already steeped in savagery and a kick-in-the-seat for civilization, this book delves into the very heart of what it means to survive and thrive where the old saying about “what is best in life” goes –
“BARBARISM IS THE NATURAL STATE OF MANKIND,” THE BORDERER SAID, STILL STARING SOMBERLY AT THE CIMMERIAN.
“CIVILIZATION IS UNNATURAL. IT IS A WHIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE. AND BARBARISM MUST ALWAYS ULTIMATELY TRIUMPH.”
Conan the Barbarian features the countries of the north: Asgard, Vanaheim, Hyperborea, and Conan’s own homeland of Cimmeria. These rough lands stand in stark contrast to their more civilized neighbors in the south, and the folk of these countries possess a savage vitality that has long been lost elsewhere.
These lands and people survived the great Cataclysm, yet barbarism is still the dominant way of life. Many people in the Hyborian kingdoms think these northern lands near mythical, but contained in these pages is a hoard of legend, lore, and facts for the gamemaster and players alike, to explore and adventure within these harsh and unforgiving kingdoms.
So sharpen your axe-blade and keep your shield held high, for it is a time of barbaric glory!
This book requires the Robert E. Howard’s Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of corebook to use.
-----
So if your blood is racing, and you hear the call to adventure, go forth and do battle with eldritch horrors, psychotic sorcerers, bloodthirsty bandits, strange monsters, and the never-ending encroachment of civilization that threatens your barbaric ways!
As for myself, I'll just enjoy my indoor plumbing and a nice beverage or two tonight, hanging out with friends and playing some games. Tomorrow, a number of us gather to celebrate the Equinox and what it means for the coming season. Sunday, the heroes of Earth's Protectorate gather once more in Ed Doolittle's Epic Age superhero campaign.
Hope you've got good gaming and good times ahead!
The Adventure Continues!
Note that I use affiliate links in all my posts as a way to generate additional revenue for my efforts; I make my Picks and other article choices, however, based on the desire to share a wide variety of things with you. Thank you for your support.
Sean Patrick Fannon
Writer & Game Designer: Shaintar, Star Wars, Savage Rifts, much more
Please check out my Patreon and get involved directly with my next projects!
ASTONISHING SWORDSMEN AND SORCERERS OF HYPERBOREA
Seeing this floating in the Hot List on DriveThruRPG inspired my theme for the week – Positively Barbaric! It would seem the RPG zeitgeist has once again embraced the savage wonder of sword-and-sorcery, with barbaric, mighty-thewed heroes facing unspeakable horrors and terrible sorcery. Let’s spend a week looking at games that cast off the trappings of civilization and embrace savagery in the name of survival… and glory!
ASTONISHING SWORDSMEN & SORCERERS of HYPERBOREA™ is sword-and-sorcery role-playing at its pinnacle. Play an Amazon fighter, Atlantean magician, Esquimaux shaman, Hyperborean warlock, Ixian necromancer, Keltic barbarian, Kimmerian cataphract, Pictish thief, Viking berserker, or one of many other possibilities.
The heroes of a HYPERBOREA campaign delve the mazes and labyrinths of vast dungeons filled with horrifying monsters, lethal traps, and bewildering puzzles. They explore savage frontiers, breach hostile borderlands, probe ancient ruins, and investigate cursed tombs. They plunder for treasure and magic in a decaying world inhabited by bloodthirsty beasts and weird, otherworldly beings.
Now in its second edition, AS&SH™ has been expanded to include new classes, news spells, new monsters, new magic items, and more! It also includes a new, full colour map, an introductory town and adventure, as well as hundreds of new illustrations! This new edition is backwards-compatible with the original edition of the game.
Explore endless challenges and infinite realms of imagination with this complete sword-and-sorcery role-playing game!
THUNDERSCAPE: THE WORLD OF ADEN
It’s Positively Barbaric! Week here at the Pick, with a gaming stuff that focuses heavily on sword-and-sorcery flavor and a decidedly pre- (or post-) civilization aspect to the worldbuilding. Today’s Pick actually does some different things with this idea, including a strong steampunk aesthetic and influence, and the latter idea of a world that had plenty of civilization until that One Terrible Day. Be sure to take a look at the extensive product support they’ve crafted for this line across multiple systems.
PS – My good friend Mark Swafford is one of the creators for this setting.
An Epic World of Steam and Darkness
In Aden, a thousand-year Golden Age of prosperity gave rise to an unprecedented development: the fusion of magic and technology into a unique discipline called mechamagic. Arcane power, steam power, and gunpowder changed the world almost overnight. The Golden Age ended, and the Age of Thunder began. It seemed that there would be no limit to the industry and ingenuity of man.
Until the Darkfall.
A supernatural cataclysm of unknown origin, the Darkfall plunged the world into darkness as the sun was blotted out for only a moment. In that moment, every nightmare and horror imagined by the people of Aden sprang into existence, and the world was thrown into chaos. Villages were wiped from the face of the world, entire cities burned, and tens of thousands perished in an instant. It seemed that the world would die in flames.
But Aden will not die so easily.
Now, ten years later, the people of Aden struggle to survive in the face of unrelenting assault by horrors beyond imagining. It is a world of magic, a world of industry, a world of horror.
It is the World of Aden.
Savage Thunderscape: the World of ADen is a setting and mechanics sourcebook compatibly with the Savage Worlds role-playing game. Within the pages of this book you will find the following:
- Details on the different races of Aden, seven of which are new to this work!
- New Edges of all types, including new Arcane Backgrounds!
- New spells, new technology, and new equipment!
- A sample bestiary of creatures from Aden!
- And much, much more!
BEASTS & BARBARIANS GOLDEN EDITION
It seems Savage Worlds is just a great system for uncivilized gaming (must be the name, yeah?), so here’s another Savage pick for Positively Barbaric! Week. This one is from my Polish friends at GRAmel, and it’s pretty much the definitive swords-and-sorcery setting line for the SW crowd.
Welcome to the dangerous Dread Sea Dominions, a place where mighty barbarians do battle with hideous monsters, dark warlocks whisper terrible sorceries in forgotten temples and noble amazons duel in the sun-scorched arenas of Faberterra, capital of a decadent empire!
In this book, you will find a full-fledged Sword and Sorcery setting for Savage Worlds, complete with history, timeline and a detailed gazetteer full of adventure hooks.
Ruleswise, you’ll find:
+Rules for Heroic Incapacitation, After the Adventure rules (to squander your loot and handle downtime activities and events)
+An adventure generator specifically tailored for Sword and Sorcery to create a great plot in no time
+Abstract navigation rules to handle mapless dungeons
+More than seventy new creatures
+A full adventure…
+ …and much, much more!
What are you waiting for? Gird your loins, ready your broadsword and prepare to face the threats of Beasts and Barbarians, the new Sword and Sorcery setting from GRAmel!
PRIMEVAL THULE (5E)
As the horde swarms forward for Positively Barbaric! Week, it crashes through the savage lands of Primeval Thule. Written and designed by WotC alumni Richard Baker, David Noonan, and Stephen Schubert, this one has serious pedigree, and it brings both sword-and-sorcery barbarism and strange eldritch horror and magic together in a particularly well-crafted way. This is the 5e iteration; there’s one for 13th Age, Pathfinder, and Savage Worlds (which me and Ross Watson helped with).
Primeval Thule 5e is a sword-and-sorcery campaign setting redesigned for 5e (For other game systems, go back to our publisher page and select the version you want.)
Welcome to Thule, a primordial land of fierce barbarians, elder horrors, and savage wilderness. In this ancient age, humankind is a young race, newly arisen on a monster-haunted Earth. Cities of cruel spledor lie scattered across the great lands of the north like a handful of gems strewn from a dead thief’s hand.
This is a doomed age, a time of great deeds and inhuman terror destined to be lost and forgotten beneath the numbing cloak of endless winter. But for one glittering moment, Thule lives—and it is a fierce, cruel, splendid, and marvelous moment indeed.
This 272-page tome provides you everything you need to introduce the world of Thule to your 5e game. Inside, you will find:
- A new character race, the Atlanteans;
- 19 heroic narratives such as free blade, ice reaver, and star-lore adept;
- Over 40 new beasts, monsters, and villains to challenge your players;
- 3 ready-to-play adventures to begin your campaign;
- A detailed description of Quodeth, City of Thieves, the perfect home for bold heroes;
- A separate PDF of Player Reference Cards to get your players up to speed on characters in Thule;
- And a whole continent of savage adventure to explore!
- The digital download includes a full poster map in PDF format!*
Also check out the 5e Thule GM Companion, Player’s Companion, and Adventure Anthology, all also available in full-color softcovers!
CONAN THE BARBARIAN
Pretty much everyone should have seen this one coming, as it’s the last day of Positively Barbaric! Week here at the SPOD. This expansion for the Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed of line deals with the particularly barbaric lands of the north of Conan’s world – including his own Cimmeria. For a swords-and-sorcery game that was already steeped in savagery and a kick-in-the-seat for civilization, this book delves into the very heart of what it means to survive and thrive where the old saying about “what is best in life” goes –
To crush your enemies. See them driven before you. And to hear the lamentations of their women.
“BARBARISM IS THE NATURAL STATE OF MANKIND,” THE BORDERER SAID, STILL STARING SOMBERLY AT THE CIMMERIAN.
“CIVILIZATION IS UNNATURAL. IT IS A WHIM OF CIRCUMSTANCE. AND BARBARISM MUST ALWAYS ULTIMATELY TRIUMPH.”
Conan the Barbarian features the countries of the north: Asgard, Vanaheim, Hyperborea, and Conan’s own homeland of Cimmeria. These rough lands stand in stark contrast to their more civilized neighbors in the south, and the folk of these countries possess a savage vitality that has long been lost elsewhere.
These lands and people survived the great Cataclysm, yet barbarism is still the dominant way of life. Many people in the Hyborian kingdoms think these northern lands near mythical, but contained in these pages is a hoard of legend, lore, and facts for the gamemaster and players alike, to explore and adventure within these harsh and unforgiving kingdoms.
So sharpen your axe-blade and keep your shield held high, for it is a time of barbaric glory!
- New archetypes, talents, backgrounds, and equipment allowing you to create your own unique barbarian characters, born to the warlike and savage north.
- A gazetteer covering the region Conan came from, bleak lands shrouded in snow and ice, and wreathed in fog. Detailed guides to the walled fortress cities of Hyperborea, the unruly clans of Cimmeria, and the warring tribes of Nordheim, the Æsir and Vanir.
- A raid system, allowing the gamemaster to create and run raids, defining their loot, and determining the consequences.
- Guides to running barbaric-themed games, with barbaric carousing rules, head-taking, shield-walls, berserkers, bardic abilities, and other features unique to the lands of the north.
- Stunning art and maps, produced by worldrenowned Conan artists.
- Developed with leading Conan scholars, this is the barbaric north of the Hyborian Age, just as Howard created it!
This book requires the Robert E. Howard’s Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of corebook to use.
-----
So if your blood is racing, and you hear the call to adventure, go forth and do battle with eldritch horrors, psychotic sorcerers, bloodthirsty bandits, strange monsters, and the never-ending encroachment of civilization that threatens your barbaric ways!
As for myself, I'll just enjoy my indoor plumbing and a nice beverage or two tonight, hanging out with friends and playing some games. Tomorrow, a number of us gather to celebrate the Equinox and what it means for the coming season. Sunday, the heroes of Earth's Protectorate gather once more in Ed Doolittle's Epic Age superhero campaign.
Hope you've got good gaming and good times ahead!
The Adventure Continues!
Note that I use affiliate links in all my posts as a way to generate additional revenue for my efforts; I make my Picks and other article choices, however, based on the desire to share a wide variety of things with you. Thank you for your support.
Sean Patrick Fannon
Writer & Game Designer: Shaintar, Star Wars, Savage Rifts, much more
Please check out my Patreon and get involved directly with my next projects!
