David Eddings' Belgariad and Mallorean- 3e campaign?

[Lazarus Long]

Hey all,

I just finished The Mallorean series by David Eddings (for the umpteenth time ) and it struck me how similiar D&D3E combat and David Eddings' combat discriptions are.

And of course, that led me to thinking about how you could use his setting as a great campaign. The only things that I would need to think about changing are the rules for magic, and the alignments (I'd use D20 Modern's system instead).

What would you all suggest for Eddings' magic system?

 

[Sanackranib]

eddings magic

have you concidered the "epic level handbook"

except for the extreemly high level of the magic that exists in his books I have long felt it made an excelent adventure area (esp Malorea!)

 

[MerakSpielman]

I think it'd work great. Just take the maps, gods, and cultures and you're good to go. Of course, the magic system has to go, but the installation of D&D-style schools of magical learning in the larger cities wouldn't affect it that much.

Maybe the mages have to get their powers from one of the 7 (8 for UL) gods. Anyway, go for it. It'll be fun.

 

[Buttercup]

I've been wondering for some time why no one has published a Belgariad D20. I think it would be excellent! It could have Kell-type seers, the will & the word type wizards, clerics of Ul could be geomancers. Wouldn't you just love to exterminate some grolims?

 

[Sanackranib]

grolims

why kill them? far better to kill a few and makethem powerfull undead and then use them to control the others. fear is a wonderfull tool when its application is in the right hands.

 

[Warmaster_Horus]

Well I didn't try a campaign in the Belgariad and Mallorean world as the only non-epic sorcerers would be Grolim priests and they don't strike me as PC material.

However we had several successful campaigns set in the Elenium+Tamuli world. Which is IMO better suited to run a D&D game in.

 

[Winterthorn]

Imitation is the highest form of flattery...

Hi...

While the magic is a big issue to resolve in the Belgariad/Mallorean setting, I found I really liked the "world"! I think I prefer the Belgariad over the Mallorean--the former possessed the new wonder "feeling" on the first reading that the second series lacked...

Additionally the Belgariad left such a strong impression upon me with respect to the mix of colourful cultures that I modeled my first homebrew setting on it! I didn't copy the nations or geography, but I borrowed the cultural concepts, the setting style, and anything that would convey the "feel" of the Belgariad's setting--without directly copying... What an inspiration that series was for me at the time!

In 3E terms, the magic is rather high powered, yet only a very very small population of denizens have access to it... My first guess is that you'd have to define The Will & The Word as divine magic... Arcane magic seems quite weak in this setting, even though, it seems strongly associated with outsiders of duboius morality... I think a d20 treatment of this setting will require more than just a "plug-and-play" set-up!

Good luck, have fun! I remain ever curious on the results ya get...

-W.

 

[Sanackranib]

the will and the word

I disagree, clearly this is sorcery. none of these mages carried arround spell books and stop and think . . . how much variety was there in each of the casters selection of spells.

 

[Gumby]

Hey all,

I just finished The Mallorean series by David Eddings (for the umpteenth time ) and it struck me how similiar D&D3E combat and David Eddings' combat discriptions are.

There's certainly a lot of hackery in those books, all right.

 

[Dragonblade]

I like the setting as well but it would require some serious thought to tweak the magic system.

You'd pretty much have to start from scratch. The Sorcerers are super rare individuals but very powerful. You could probably adapt the rules for Force powers and use a skills and feats system for the sorcery.

Grolims are basically Sorcerers.

Magic in the Belgariad universe is nothing like DnD magic. It is based off of summoning spirits and manipulating them for power.

They can be nature spirits (witchcraft like the woman who lived in the fens)

Or sprites and other spirits like Seers of Kell control.

Or Demons and Devils like the Karands and Morindim summon and control.

Magic is much more ritualistic and incantational. It is not like flashy fast-casting DnD magic.