Ideas for an Age of Legends game

[Kweezil]

My current campaign came crashing to a halt today. After surviving a dragon, fiends, the terrors of the underdark, and the opening battle of a war destined to change the world, my brave PCs died while exploring the ruins of an ancient wizard's tower (not quite as cliche as it sounds, honest) - four to one trap in quick succession, and the last (the dwarven fighter with the insane Constitution) to the blanket of CO2 that filled the lower levels. Natural '1's are a killer. With no chance of dice fudging or even deus ex machina to save them, the campaign was a write-off. At least we all agreed it was a fair ending.

:\

With no game left, I'm pulling out an idea I've been brewing, but unfortunately it's still half-done, so I need a little help. The idea is to set a game in the early prehistory of my campaign world - the equivalent of the classical/Age of Legends era where the world was new, gods walked the earth and men were Men etc. The time of great legends and heros (and at least 6000 years and one world-shaking cataclysm before the main time-period of the world, so no chance of players mangling my history too badly).

I'm looking for any help or guidance that folk have for games set in this sort of era.

So far - I'm intending to use the gestalt rules from UA with some of the Heroic Powers from Four Colors to Fantasy to emulate the mythic feel of larger-than-life heros (this idea actually came from a discussion of how gestalts could be used in game without being completely overpowered), and tailoring the classes to the particular character and to preserve uniqueness - eg. one character is gestalt Fighter/Jedi (heavily converted, no lightsaber) to represent an unusual master swordsman, one spellcaster is using the Mage from Elements of Magic, while the bard is using spellsongs from the Book of Eldritch Might.

 

[Morpheus]

Take a look at Dawnforge by Fantasy Flight Games. We have been playing in it since February and it sounds a lot like what you are trying to do. Heck, on the back of the book is "Welcome to an Age of Legend!".

 

[Kweezil]

I've seen some things about Dawnforge and wondered about how much use it would be. Unfortunately my budget is extremely tight for the next few months, so it might be a bit pricey for a book I'll probably only use for one campaign. Time to see if any of my obsessive-compulsive buyer players has it

 

[Steverooo]

Well, depending upon where you want to go, here are a bunch of ideas that you can accept/reject...

First, simply tell all the players that, in the Age of Legend, they are all immortal, unless slain... Thus, no aging. Unless killed, you will live forever. (It has no real game effects, it's just cool!)

Next, you might want to say that magic items simply don't exist. Instead, as PCs advance, they gain powers equal to the DMG prices (doubled for slotless items). So, for 4,000 GP, you can gain +5 to Move Silently (as slotless Boots of Elvenkind), or for 2,000 attack @ +1 (as though with a magic weapon). Such magical effects are innate to the PCs, and cannot be dispelled, disjoined, etc. They are Extraordinary abilities.

As PCs rise in power, they can add new abilities (Ghost Touch, Flaming, spell-like effects, whatever) as new Extraordinary effects that their PCs have learned to do.

In each PC's case, their powers should fit into their class, and character concept. Gandalf, for example, used fire magics. A similar PC might want the Extraordinary powers of such things as Rings of Fire Resistance and Shooting Stars, etc. Later, Magic (+1) weapons, then the flaming ability. Another PC's powers might revolve around Shadow, granting immunity to level draining and/or STR drain, and bonuses to Hide, for instance...

At the start of the game, ask the players what they would like their PCs to be able to do, if they could do ANYTHING. Encourage them to go on, in detail. Then, pick three things ordinarily outside the rules, which fit with the character concept, and grant them as Extraordinary Abilities to that PC.

These should be things unique to that PC, and things that they can do without trying, and without fail. It shouldn't be spell-like, shouldn't be too powerful (certainly not game destroying), but should be fun, unique, and useful at least once in a game session. The Gandalf-guy might be able to use any fire-based Cantrip at will, without memorization or using up a spell slot. The Shadowdancer might be able to Shadow-jump at will. A Barbarian, Fighter, or Ranger might always be able to find enough fibers to make 60' of rope in any terrain, etc.

By putting the abilities of "magic items" within the PCs, instead, it vastly changes the flavor of the game. "Kill'em an' take their stuff" becomes very unimportant, as stuff no longer holds any power - the PCs (and NPCs) now do! Hence, experience becomes the important factor.

The extra, Extraordinary Abilities also allows for a bit of extra character customization. A Monk could choose Uncanny Dodge, for example, as could a Fighter or Ranger. A Barbarian or Rogue could start with it, learning a new ability when they "ought" to be learning that one...

You might also want to allow some abilities to increase with levels, as a Monk's running abilities do. Or not... Use any ideas, here, that you like, and junk the rest...

 

[Terwox]

You could always have some of your gods from the current world be fledling gods -- just Divine Rank Zero or One or just low, or still be mortals.

That way they'd still be touchable, get eaten by dragons, and fight/help the pcs without being possibly deus ex machinas. they'd just be... well, my latin is bad, but they'd be deus ex machinas. Ok that was awful, I'm going to bed.

 

[Yair]

Well, depending upon where you want to go, here are a bunch of ideas that you can accept/reject...

First, simply tell all the players that, in the Age of Legend, they are all immortal, unless slain... Thus, no aging. Unless killed, you will live forever. (It has no real game effects, it's just cool!)

Next, you might want to say that magic items simply don't exist. Instead, as PCs advance, they gain powers equal to the DMG prices (doubled for slotless items). So, for 4,000 GP, you can gain +5 to Move Silently (as slotless Boots of Elvenkind), or for 2,000 attack @ +1 (as though with a magic weapon). Such magical effects are innate to the PCs, and cannot be dispelled, disjoined, etc. They are Extraordinary abilities.

As PCs rise in power, they can add new abilities (Ghost Touch, Flaming, spell-like effects, whatever) as new Extraordinary effects that their PCs have learned to do.

In each PC's case, their powers should fit into their class, and character concept. Gandalf, for example, used fire magics. A similar PC might want the Extraordinary powers of such things as Rings of Fire Resistance and Shooting Stars, etc. Later, Magic (+1) weapons, then the flaming ability. Another PC's powers might revolve around Shadow, granting immunity to level draining and/or STR drain, and bonuses to Hide, for instance...

At the start of the game, ask the players what they would like their PCs to be able to do, if they could do ANYTHING. Encourage them to go on, in detail. Then, pick three things ordinarily outside the rules, which fit with the character concept, and grant them as Extraordinary Abilities to that PC.

These should be things unique to that PC, and things that they can do without trying, and without fail. It shouldn't be spell-like, shouldn't be too powerful (certainly not game destroying), but should be fun, unique, and useful at least once in a game session. The Gandalf-guy might be able to use any fire-based Cantrip at will, without memorization or using up a spell slot. The Shadowdancer might be able to Shadow-jump at will. A Barbarian, Fighter, or Ranger might always be able to find enough fibers to make 60' of rope in any terrain, etc.

By putting the abilities of "magic items" within the PCs, instead, it vastly changes the flavor of the game. "Kill'em an' take their stuff" becomes very unimportant, as stuff no longer holds any power - the PCs (and NPCs) now do! Hence, experience becomes the important factor.

The extra, Extraordinary Abilities also allows for a bit of extra character customization. A Monk could choose Uncanny Dodge, for example, as could a Fighter or Ranger. A Barbarian or Rogue could start with it, learning a new ability when they "ought" to be learning that one...

You might also want to allow some abilities to increase with levels, as a Monk's running abilities do. Or not... Use any ideas, here, that you like, and junk the rest...

Excellent ideas.
I am putting together a game where the players play gods incarnated upon the earth to prevent the apocalypse, so it has similar themes. A I have had some similar ideas - but your advice is much more thought out then my ideas were

I am allowing normal-price for the magic-items-like abilities (not x2), but make them supernatural (not Ex) abilities. Probably stronger, but hey.

I think I'll adopt that idea about unique powers - sounds very appropraite.

In my campaign if a character dies it will just reincarnate of its own accord, but that probably won't work for the the thread's topic.

Thanks!

 

[Kweezil]

Thank you all for the ideas, they've been a great help.

The first session was yesterday, and while only half the group made it, it was enough to make a start. Especially since character creation took a little longer than we expected, and this allows characters to join the roup more organically, rather than clumping them all in at the start (which wouldn't really fit the mood).

We ended up with 3rd level gestalted characters, all of whom have either a bloodline or levels in their racial paragon class (their choice, not mine, though it does fit), and each has 2 points worth of Heroic Powers (more to come later as they level up). To keep with the legendary feel, we're also using the reserve hit points from UA (so they can catch their breath after a fight, rather than start hunting for a cleric), and gone back to using the standard critical system (I had been using Bastion's Torn Asunder, but it's more suited to a grimmer and down-to-earth game.)

The characters (in case anyone's interested):
Leonidas, a wanderer looming for something, he's not sure what, with a great well of inner strength and an affinity for fire that he does not truely understand. [Monk/Psion with a phoenix bloodline (modified from the efreeti]
Galanalodies, the last warrior of a city consumed by an undead horde, following a dream of "a dragon of many colours" to try and free his home, or gain revenge. A master spear-fighter with a knack for acrobatics and dramatic combat. [Fighter/Mage-Blade with elemental air bloodline]
Elghinn, an outcast high elf sorcerer, part of the casualties of the great war between his people and their dark kin, wandering the human lands out if curiosity [Sorcerer/Elf Paragon, demon bloodline (tainted by their dark essence in the war)]

 

[blackshirt5]

My suggestion, honestly? BESM D20. I love it for capturing over-the-top, legendary stuff. Although maybe that's because all my games get modelled on anime, but...