Eddings or Fiest D20

[Squire James]

I suppose you can simulate Eddings-like spellcasting as something like the XPH psionics system, except the caster can attempt to use powers not on their list for 1d6 PP per 1 PP normal cost. If the PP cost of the power exceeds his current PP total, the difference is taken from HP and works if the caster makes a Concentration check (DC 10+ damage taken).

In the Midkemia world, magic seems to work along traditional D&D lines for the most part. "Lesser Path" mages seem to rely on items a lot, making them seem more like Eberron Artificers than actual wizards or sorcerers. The "Greater Path" mages are the standard wizards, and there's a good number of sorcerers popping up from time to time that don't really fit either "path".

Of the two, I can see Feist's world being a lot easier to run than the other. There's a bit of Powerful Good NPC Syndrome going on in both of them, but I think a lot more interesting stuff can come in "below the radar" in Feist's world. I can even see someone besides Pug or Tomas saving the world, for instance.

 

[Krieg]

Of the two, I can see Feist's world being a lot easier to run than the other. There's a bit of Powerful Good NPC Syndrome going on in both of them, but I think a lot more interesting stuff can come in "below the radar" in Feist's world. I can even see someone besides Pug or Tomas saving the world, for instance.

Someone like Jimmy the Hand perhaps?

 

[SSquirrel]

I'd thoroughly love to see a write-up of Stephen R. Donaldson's "The Land" setting from The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant (and Second Chronicles). Anyone know of any projects working on such a thing?

Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed owes many debts to the Chronicles. He even thanks Donaldson in the book.

Hagen

 

[JoeGKushner]

http://www.midkemia.com/

Yeah, that's the link.

Shame as it notes that they haven't updated the site since August 2003.

 

[Jondor_Battlehammer]

The biggest problem with Eddings for the Belgariad/Malloreon environment is that the only spell casters would be a small number of predefined super-high-level NPC sorcerer(/druids?). I would personally be more interested in the Elenium/Tamuli environment from what I remember of it (a decade now?); Sparhawk and the order he belonged to seemed interesting and the cultures a little more ... odd. Haven't looked into the Dreamers series yet.
QUOTE]


Grim Tales would seem to work well for Sparhawk's world. It has been a long time since I read the first series, but the way GT taxes the caster, while allowing powerful magic in the game, fits rather well. I remember a qoute about not teaching the knights a certain spell because the would use it to exaustion.

 

[Krieg]

Yeah, that's the link.

Shame as it notes that they haven't updated the site since August 2003.

FWIW I emailed Steve Abrams of Midkemia Press to see if they had any news
to report.

His reply:

There are (and have been) a number of things in the
works, some of which have fallen by the wayside.
There is a current license for a MUD and we are
in discussions regarding a d20 version of the game
and world, including new modules. Only time will
tell what will happen. Assuming anything does I'll
put the info on the web site but as you can tell
not much concrete has happened for a while.

So anyone interested might want to drop Steve a line and let him know
that there is a market for D20 Midkemia or even just updates of their
old books!

 

[JoeGKushner]

E-mailed 'em.

It's too bad that they don't have any PDF versions of Jonril. It, and the adventure, are the only two books I'm missing from that series.

 

[grodog]

I'll email him too Krieg

 

[Orius]

I'm not familiar with either Fiest or Gemmel, but I've read enough Eddings to be turned off by his work.

The shallow racial stereotypes mentioned by Piratecat didn't appeal to me. His handling of gender is almost as bad.

The concepts that bullying behavior is acceptable if you're on the right side is another issue. There's nothing wrong when one or more characters hold this philosophy, but when an author ingrains it in his world(s) it's a problem.

Shallow.
Simple.
Uninspired.
Repetitive.

I don't realy understand what people find appealing enough about Eddings work that they'd want to play in a game based on any of his settings. Why?

Because Edding's worlds mesh fairly well with a number of standard D&D assumptions.

Yes, the Belgariad and the Mallorean are saddled with the cultural stereotypes, and in addition there's the repeating prophecy which makes the Mallorean in many parts an overpadded rehash of the Belgariad.

However, the abilities of sorcerers in the world is well developed, and it's probably a major inspiration for the D&D sorcerer. Other types of magic are mentioned in the world as well, so wizards and possibly clerics could be worked into it with little trouble. And like Piractecat said, the stereotypes could make things easier for a DM to flesh out the world a bit. Just because Eddings has written some stuff that was less than inspired doesn't mean a DM can't turn it into a good campaign. And besides, I thought he started the Belgariad out fairly well, it's just that he bogged it down with too many extraneous characters and filler.

The Elenium and Tamuli would also make a good choice for a D&D setting (in fact, I'd probably go there before Mallorea, since it's a bit more interesting). The Styric spellcasters are fairly close to the D&D cleric in that the basically pray for their spells. There are also rogue spellcasters out there who might be represented by either wizards or sorceres who get their magic from either evil elder gods or power servants of those gods. In that world gods can die and fade away from a loss of worshippers, which is a concept also found in D&D. Finally, the Delphae would work fairly well as psions or possibly sorcerers. Also, I think that world has a much more interesting history than the bland history of the Belgariad and Mallorean, where nothing happens for centuries at a time.

There are some difficulties though. First of all, neither of those world use anything like the standard non-human races of D&D. In the Belgariad, the only viable non-human race for PCs would probably be the dryads. In the Elenium, there are the trolls (different from standard D&D trolls) which could be used, but would probably face restrictions due to climate preferences, and possibly ogres too. Both worlds have their share of monsters, but they're also very human-centered. Both worlds also are fairly light on magic, particluarly magic items as well, so there will be a departure from standard D&D in that respect.

 

[Orius]

Personally, I enjoyed the whole "racial stereotype" idea presented by Eddings. Barak's people being "barbarians", Silk's people being "thieves", Mandorallen's people being "knights", etc. IMO, that could be translated into "favored" class for that particular race, regional feats, etc.

That could work too. An approach to different human cultures like the various Rokugan clans in OA might work very well with the Belgariad/Mallorean cultures. It might not work as well with the Elenium or Tamuli, since those cultures generally tended to not have the stereotypes, and had characters who were more diverse.