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A $2 Viking RPG from Robin Laws based on Ars Magica I never knew existed???!
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<blockquote data-quote="Wofano Wotanto" data-source="post: 9307058" data-attributes="member: 7044704"><p>Oh, that. I had a copy of that when it was new-ish. I can see some elements of Ars Magica in the mechanics but don't expect it to be anything like AM in terms of gameplay of tone. Very much meant to emulate the PC game on the tabletop.</p><p></p><p>Most noteworthy feature is that everyone is intended to share GM duties evenly, with each person in turn designing roughly what D&D 4e would have called a delve. Encounter design used an fairly complex and comprehensive system for all the scene elements and treasure you could include, and the (current) GM was rewarded for making their encounter a serious but not insurmountable threat that offered proportionate loot, all based on how powerful the PCs were. The GM's PC is active under the other players' control during these scenes, and you were punished for getting them killed while under player control - while the GM was rewarded for badly injuring PCs but punished for actually killing anyone, so you had to play a balancing game around how dangerous you made things in your delves.</p><p></p><p>It looked like a fascinating system, but the unusual play approach (simultaneously co-op and competitive with ever-changing GMs) was even harder for folks to grok than AM's troupe-style play so I don't think many people actually got to play it. I know I never managed to sell even a small group to try it, mostly because of the "what do you mean I have to be GM and make encounters sometimes?" element.</p><p></p><p>Still, if you can find a copy cheap-ish it's well worth a look as a curiosity, and changing attitudes mean it might be easier to get a group together in 2024 than it was almost a quarter-century ago.</p><p></p><p>EDIT: Heh. Atlas is out of stock on most of the (small) range, but they still have some copies of the <a href="https://www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG3610" target="_blank">Crouching Wizard, Smashing Hammer</a> (can you tell it was 2000?) adventure.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Wofano Wotanto, post: 9307058, member: 7044704"] Oh, that. I had a copy of that when it was new-ish. I can see some elements of Ars Magica in the mechanics but don't expect it to be anything like AM in terms of gameplay of tone. Very much meant to emulate the PC game on the tabletop. Most noteworthy feature is that everyone is intended to share GM duties evenly, with each person in turn designing roughly what D&D 4e would have called a delve. Encounter design used an fairly complex and comprehensive system for all the scene elements and treasure you could include, and the (current) GM was rewarded for making their encounter a serious but not insurmountable threat that offered proportionate loot, all based on how powerful the PCs were. The GM's PC is active under the other players' control during these scenes, and you were punished for getting them killed while under player control - while the GM was rewarded for badly injuring PCs but punished for actually killing anyone, so you had to play a balancing game around how dangerous you made things in your delves. It looked like a fascinating system, but the unusual play approach (simultaneously co-op and competitive with ever-changing GMs) was even harder for folks to grok than AM's troupe-style play so I don't think many people actually got to play it. I know I never managed to sell even a small group to try it, mostly because of the "what do you mean I have to be GM and make encounters sometimes?" element. Still, if you can find a copy cheap-ish it's well worth a look as a curiosity, and changing attitudes mean it might be easier to get a group together in 2024 than it was almost a quarter-century ago. EDIT: Heh. Atlas is out of stock on most of the (small) range, but they still have some copies of the [URL='https://www.atlas-games.com/product_tables/AG3610']Crouching Wizard, Smashing Hammer[/URL] (can you tell it was 2000?) adventure. [/QUOTE]
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A $2 Viking RPG from Robin Laws based on Ars Magica I never knew existed???!
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