Jack Vance Dying Earth RPG ending, Sale, Experiences?

[Robin_D_Laws]

I never did understand why the Dying Earth RPG never got more traction in the RPG community. Someone upthread made a good point that you could compare it quite well with Paranoia, which was very popular and seems to be more widely known.

I think it did well for a first RPG from a new company releasing in the early oughts. Companies need to build profile with distributors and retailers to secure the market penetration needed for widespread recognition. Often this pays off down the road when the company releases a new game -- Pelgrane has broken through with GUMSHOE/Trail Of Cthulhu in a way it wouldn't have been able to do without Dying Earth coming first.

Vance is not as well known among today's fantasy readers as he should be. Wit and subversion are out of fashion; epic power fantasy is in.

Paranoia owes its mindshare not only to the brilliance of its central conceit but to its earlier release date, when there were fewer games competing for a permanent spot in gamer consciousness.

 

[Galloglaich]

I think it did well for a first RPG from a new company releasing in the early oughts. Companies need to build profile with distributors and retailers to secure the market penetration needed for widespread recognition. Often this pays off down the road when the company releases a new game -- Pelgrane has broken through with GUMSHOE/Trail Of Cthulhu in a way it wouldn't have been able to do without Dying Earth coming first.

Vance is not as well known among today's fantasy readers as he should be. Wit and subversion are out of fashion; epic power fantasy is in.

Paranoia owes its mindshare not only to the brilliance of its central conceit but to its earlier release date, when there were fewer games competing for a permanent spot in gamer consciousness.

Very interesting Robin, thanks for your reply. Highlights how little I understand the game industry. I'm glad Pelgrane is doing well, I'm still a little depressed to see DEPRG finishing out it's life.

I've yet to try out GUMSHOE or Trail of Cthulhu I really need to check them out.

G.

 

[Piratecat]

I love GUMSHOE Trail of Cthulhu; somehow, while I wasn't looking I suddenly preferred it to either BRP or d20 rules.

I'll be working on a Dying Earth one-shot over the enxt month. If people promise to buy the rules or PDFs, I'll post it here when I'm done.

 

[Voadam]

How does it work?

(Reading Jack Vance right now - Eyes of the Overworld.)

Mechanically fairly simple. Off the top of my head (I expect there are mistakes in the following) roll a d6 1-3 = failure, 4-6 = success. Your attributes and skills give you a number of points to spend on rerolls depending on the appropriate mechanic check, which can also be used to make your opponent reroll if it is an opposed check. Sometimes matter of success is indicated by how extreme the roll, (i.e. succeed by the skin of your teeth or brilliantly outmaneuver your foe).

These reroll points refresh based off of different criteria such as full resting or appropriate and sometime amusing actions.

Attributes are basically persuasion, resisting persuasion, fighting offensive, fighting defense, and magic.

Each attribute has six different types of archetypes or styles so your fighting offense style might be overpowering brute strength or cunning deception or quick finesse based. Each style does better against one other style and worse against one other style.

You are expected to roleplay out the result when someone persuades you and there are vice stats as well that you roll against and are supposed to roleplay out when you succumb to them.

There are very few health levels so fighting is fairly risky.