Excalibur d20

[Vigilance]

Exactly correct, and exactly why Malory was my choice

He took disparate sources and blended them together.

Any opinions on the quality of the work as literature aside, I also felt Malory was THE best choice for a game. His arthurian universe is VAST, and not overly focused on the main characters.

That was where my choice for Malory as primary source came from. I think an Arthurian roleplaying game based on (for example) Tennyson's Idylls of the King would suffer from "Dragonlance Syndrome", being far too concentrated attention wise on the main characters.

Malory will branch off and tell stories about relatively minor characters.

So that was my thought process

Chuck

 

[zenld]

So, are you looking at this as a relatively low magic setting with only the magic artifacts and few casters or more of a "traditional" d&d-ish fantasy setting?

Minor characters are what make a story. You always expect the main character to be fairly detailed, but the squire with a personality sells the story.
And of course always remember, "There are no small parts, only small monkeys. Actors. I mean small actors."

zen

 

[Vigilance]

There is magic in the setting, but I do think its fair to call the game a "low magic" game. However, that is decidedly different from a "no magic game".

Of the new core classes we have the Hedge Mage, the Hermit, and the Priest concerned with magic.

For the prestige classes we have the Crusader with some minor priestly magic, the Lady of the Lake, an extension of the Druid, and the Enchantress, who uses magical charms to get her way.

The biggest two changes, from a magical point of view, are the elimination of the offensive spells from the hedge mage and the way spells are recovered.

Excalibur uses spell points, and all spellcasting is spontaneous.

Each class has its own source of spell point energy. Druids have stone circles, hedge mages ley lines, and priests cathedrals and other areas of worship.

Chuck

 

[zenld]

Sweet. And I would never confuse "low" with "no".

I like the idea of spontaneous casters and spell energy much better than the slot based casters. The use of different sources for energy will be cool as well.

Now I am extremely interested. I can't wait. This sounds more and more like a must-buy. Stop teasing me and get the damn thing out!

Thanks again for answering questions. I am sure I will have some more after I sleep on things. Until then, goodnight.

zen

 

[zenld]

Hey Vig, any chance on getting in on some of that play testing? I have a group that would love to try it out. They were quite excited when they heard of the project.

Let me know.

zen

 

[Vigilance]

That sounds good zen- drop me a line off list.

Chuck

 

[Vigilance]

Now that I think of it, anyone else interested can drop me a line as well. Obviously there is a limit to how many playtest groups I will feel I need, but I could use a few more.

Chuck

Hey Vig, any chance on getting in on some of that play testing? I have a group that would love to try it out. They were quite excited when they heard of the project.

Let me know.

zen

 

[francisca]

Now that I think of it, anyone else interested can drop me a line as well. Obviously there is a limit to how many playtest groups I will feel I need, but I could use a few more.

Chuck

Bummer. My game group says "no" -- they don't want to scrap the current campaing to playtest, or I'd jump all over this.

Best of luck! I'd love to run an Arthurian game with a Mary Stewart (Crystal Cave, et al.) kind of feel.

 

[Vigilance]

Best of luck! I'd love to run an Arthurian game with a Mary Stewart (Crystal Cave, et al.) kind of feel.

I loved those books, especially the Hollow Hills, and I think Excalibur could handle that type of feel pretty easily.

I'll be posting a class list soon, so keep your eyes peeled

Chuck

 

[Bates]

Hey guys, just wanted to drop a quick note about my latest game. I'm pretty excited about it, it's the first fantasy project I've ever done, and it's a complete comprehensive workup of Arthurian legend for the d20 system.
Chuck

Synergy in action. We're also well on our way to producing a fantasy take on the Arthurian mythos for the d20 System. It's halfway through final copyediting now, scheduled for April 2004 release. Here's an excerpt from the solicitation one-sheet:

Relics & Rituals: Excalibur is a genre sourcebook, blending the trappings of Arthurian myth with the familiar ruleset of the d20 System. It contains a wealth of new spells, magic items, prestige classes and more -- including guidelines for incorporating dwarves, elves and other fantasy staples into an Arthurian game! This 200+ page hardcover sourcebook can be used to build an entirely Arthurian-style campaign, or to add elements of chivalry and courtly romance to any existing d20 campaign. Recreate the legends of the Round Table, or populate your own Camelot with elven enchantresses, orcish black knights and more!
​

Marketing should be putting together a press release on Sword & Sorcery's new Relics & Rituals genre sourcebooks, but I don't think they're up quite yet. I believe formal solicitations should hit in another month or so.

Anyway, having two Excalibur d20 projects should make for an interesting time!

Regards,

Bates
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