Deadlands & Earthdawn

[tyrlaan]

Also, it seems to be focused a bit too much on the horrors, which grows a bit repetitive.

Yeah, it's easy to fall into this trap with ED because they are very much the centerpiece enemy.

But don't discount the Therans, and the Denairastas (sp?). And other threats that are less defined but very usable with some work: the Invae, Death, heaps of political scheming potential (blood elves, turmoil in the dwarven government, the t'skrang aropagoi), various secret societies (Cult of the Great Hunter and many others that are escaping my mind at the moment).

Oh man, I might need a fix soon!!

 

[Talysian]

The one thing I will say about earthdawn while the horrors are the main, you can run a game without ever touching on them. I know I ran one just on the theran's trying to subjugate a small area of Barsaive, and really you can take the setting and do it anywhere on Earth, and just do your own political backdrops placese and such with an extreme amount of ease.

 

[Matchstick]

Warning, this will be long because Earthdawn was my drug of choice for many a year (and always threatens to come back ). I’ll try to piggyback on other responses to not repeat too much.

If I wanted to sum up why Earthdawn is awesome in a single word, it would be flavor. That should come through below.

<Lots of cool stuff!>

Holy smoke, that sounds really cool!

 

[deganawida]

Warning, this will be long because Earthdawn was my drug of choice for many a year (and always threatens to come back ). I’ll try to piggyback on other responses to not repeat too much.

If I wanted to sum up why Earthdawn is awesome in a single word, it would be flavor. That should come through below.

Dude, feel free to wax poetic about it, because you just sold me on Earthdawn. I'll get the books even if no one in my group will play, and I'll happily read it. That was an excellent summation by you, Vyvyan Basterd and karlindel, that gave me both the rules and the fluff in one easy-to-understand format. Sold!

Also going to pick up Savage Worlds & Deadlands: Reloaded, because it also sounds awesome.

 

[tyrlaan]

What do you want to know about?

The fact that the source material is written like it exists in the game world?

The rising ork nation, Cara Fahd, which threatens to upset the balance of power in the already fragile province of Barsaive?

The three types of honor that are the core of the troll culture or their mining of living crystal that allows them to create everything from weapons to armor ro airships?

Air sailors that risk the deadliness of Death's Sea, a sea of molten lava, to try to mine true fire?

The machinations of the great dragons, such as Icewing and Mountainshadow, or the one dragon who has become tainted by a Horror?

The practice of demonstrating your ability to perform some sort of artistry as evidence you are not tainted by the evil of a Horror?

The corruption of the Elves that chose to stay in their forest homeland during the Scourge and are no known as blood elves, with thorns protruding from their skin and the wounds always bleeding? The eternal pain proving to be the only way to keep the Horrors from destroying them.

 

[Talysian]

This thread has me bloody jonsing now.. sigh.

 

[grufflehead]

I know it's not *quite* like the real thing, but given that a few people have said they like the system but are struggling for a group to try it out, until recently I was playing 3rd Ed Earthdawn as a pbp on the Paizo boards. For some reason it suffered even worse than the usual player dropout rate until there were only 2 of us left (at which point I assumed it was dead and left to concentrate on more active games). I see the other player is still going as a solo venture for now and the GM was keen and very good at going over the rules with us. I think he'd be happy if anyone was interested in joining - we were 2nd circle when I left and he said he wanted to accelerate through to about 4th quickly to give the characters a chance to explore some more abilities.

OC thread - paizo.com - Paizo / Messageboards / Paizo Community / Gaming / Play-by-Post Discussion / Barsaivian Tales [Earthdawn 3e Discussion Thread]

IC thread - http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/community/gaming/playByPost/barsaivianTalesEarthdawn3ePbP

 

[tyrlaan]

I know it's not *quite* like the real thing, but given that a few people have said they like the system but are struggling for a group to try it out, until recently I was playing 3rd Ed Earthdawn as a pbp on the Paizo boards. For some reason it suffered even worse than the usual player dropout rate until there were only 2 of us left (at which point I assumed it was dead and left to concentrate on more active games). I see the other player is still going as a solo venture for now and the GM was keen and very good at going over the rules with us. I think he'd be happy if anyone was interested in joining - we were 2nd circle when I left and he said he wanted to accelerate through to about 4th quickly to give the characters a chance to explore some more abilities.

OC thread - paizo.com - Paizo / Messageboards / Paizo Community / Gaming / Play-by-Post Discussion / Barsaivian Tales [Earthdawn 3e Discussion Thread]

IC thread - http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/community/gaming/playByPost/barsaivianTalesEarthdawn3ePbP

Hehe, evil!!

I've already dropped a note over there .


And Talysian, I am so with you

 

[Talysian]

Man, I just can't do pbp, the pace doesn't keep me interested. I was working on an earthdawn Framework for map tools for a long while... I wonder if I should go back to that.... or maybe convert War of the Burning sky to earthdawn... hrmmm....

 

[tyrlaan]

Man, I just can't do pbp, the pace doesn't keep me interested. I was working on an earthdawn Framework for map tools for a long while... I wonder if I should go back to that.... or maybe convert War of the Burning sky to earthdawn... hrmmm....

Yeah, I'm not a fan pbp pacing either to be honest, but I'm willing to give it the ol' college try for Earthdawn.

Regarding conversion, I'm more interested in converting the opposite direction of you. Instead of moving a different setting into Earthdawn rules, I've pondered moving the Earthdawn setting into 4e rules. I think the two would make a nice couple Of course, I like most of the mechanics in Earthdawn, but 4e is currently my system of mechanics of choice I guess. Redbrick is supposed to be working on 4e Earthdawn, but it's not fast enough for me

Of course, reality being what it is, I'm currently unconvinced I'd have time to run Earthdawn regardless of system