jdrakeh
Front Range Warlock
I just finished re-reading The Name of the Rose and really want to run a real, honest-to-god, medieval adventure (or two). . .
The system I would like to use for this is Fantasy Wargaming (not just because I find a system that provides combat stats for the Virgin Mary amusing). Despite a proliferation of "It's horrible!" informal 'reviews' prefaced by people who have never actually read or played the game in question, a rather large-ish number of positive and lengthy reviews for the game exist in dedicated medieval roleplay communities and literary roleplay communities alike. This has convinced me that it's worth a shot.
Just so you know, the big factor appears to be tracking roll modifiers and reading charts -- that said, after looking at the charts, it really doesn't seem to be anymore complex than d20 where bean counting is concerned (granted, that might not be saying much). The other big issue appears to be the ambiguities in the magic system -- but that won't be an issue for us, as (again) I'd like to run a historical medieval campaign which will, appropriately, be devoid of actual, working, magic (there may be things interpreted as magic, though you don't really need specific rules to mimic such perceptions).
For the setting aesthetics, I plan on using the Orbus Mundi product from RPGNow (it's fairly accurate, detailed enough to make for good gaming without being so detailed as to bog things down, and easily accessible in the event that you want to snag a copy as a player). I also plan on using PDF handouts (or email attachments, I suppose) of the main charts/modifiers in Fantasy Wargaming to speed up actual game play (I've been told that it is mandatory until you get the hang of the system).
I have not decided on a definite time frame or setting just yet (waiting for the FW books to arrive), though I suspect that we'll be looking at England, France, or Italy. I also suspect that The Church will play a rather prominant role in daily life, though not necessarily the campaign (unless, like some popular medieval mystery novels and films, you really want this to be about insightful monks as detectives). The actual time period will be largely up to the players and based on what the rules support best (I'm told that specific rules for specific eras in specific geographic regions are supported).
So, there you have it -- pure-ish, historical, roleplay with a medieval bent and using a system that is hailed simultaneously as both extremely good and horrible beyond belief. Any takers?
The system I would like to use for this is Fantasy Wargaming (not just because I find a system that provides combat stats for the Virgin Mary amusing). Despite a proliferation of "It's horrible!" informal 'reviews' prefaced by people who have never actually read or played the game in question, a rather large-ish number of positive and lengthy reviews for the game exist in dedicated medieval roleplay communities and literary roleplay communities alike. This has convinced me that it's worth a shot.
Just so you know, the big factor appears to be tracking roll modifiers and reading charts -- that said, after looking at the charts, it really doesn't seem to be anymore complex than d20 where bean counting is concerned (granted, that might not be saying much). The other big issue appears to be the ambiguities in the magic system -- but that won't be an issue for us, as (again) I'd like to run a historical medieval campaign which will, appropriately, be devoid of actual, working, magic (there may be things interpreted as magic, though you don't really need specific rules to mimic such perceptions).
For the setting aesthetics, I plan on using the Orbus Mundi product from RPGNow (it's fairly accurate, detailed enough to make for good gaming without being so detailed as to bog things down, and easily accessible in the event that you want to snag a copy as a player). I also plan on using PDF handouts (or email attachments, I suppose) of the main charts/modifiers in Fantasy Wargaming to speed up actual game play (I've been told that it is mandatory until you get the hang of the system).
I have not decided on a definite time frame or setting just yet (waiting for the FW books to arrive), though I suspect that we'll be looking at England, France, or Italy. I also suspect that The Church will play a rather prominant role in daily life, though not necessarily the campaign (unless, like some popular medieval mystery novels and films, you really want this to be about insightful monks as detectives). The actual time period will be largely up to the players and based on what the rules support best (I'm told that specific rules for specific eras in specific geographic regions are supported).
So, there you have it -- pure-ish, historical, roleplay with a medieval bent and using a system that is hailed simultaneously as both extremely good and horrible beyond belief. Any takers?
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