S.M.Stirling's "Dies the Fire" Trilogy (cool new map)

[Andor]

Personally I'm less than enthralled with the Dies the Fire series. I quite enjoyed the Island in the sea of time series, and most of S.M Stirlings other books, but this one didn't gel for me. However I'm not going list my reasons for dissatisfaction, because I don't want to turn anyone off from them, I know several people who loved them.

 

[Acid_crash]

I've only read the first book in the series and quite enjoyed it, even thinking to myself how cool it would make for a campaign setting. I'm glad to see that I"m not the only one who has thought this.

To cool, and thanks for the link.

I have to pick up his other series, since it is kinda placed in the same time period. Had I known that I wouldn't have been all that upset at his lack of Nantucket in Dies the Fire, or any events that happened elsewhere. Now I like the series even more, and can understand why he wrote them the way he did.

 

[Shalimar]

A large part of the survivors were also SCA types, or history buff types.

I'm in a PBP that's just staring in which we're playing in the Dies the Fire universe, using the True20 system. I'm playing a japanese-american college student who is deeply obsessed with samurai.

I'd be interested in following the adventure if you'd care to post up a link.

 

[Mystaros]

To run a Dies the Fire style campaign, you really don't need d20 Modern, as all the "Modern" is gone.

Magic is not (yet, apparently) a major active force... no one goes around casting spells, though something seems to happen from time to time whenever a wiccan is involved, especially the Mackenzie. There is no control over that, though, so spellcasters are not needed.

Really, everyone is a fighter of some type.

Considering the way armor works in this game, I think there are four ways to run a Dies the Fire campaign:

1) Regular D&D, but only with the barbarian, fighter, ranger, and rogue classes (and maybe monk, if you like martial arts, but without the supernatural abilities).

2) Use the Conan system (armor in DtF works more like armor in this system than in D&D) with the classes as they are, though the scholar is literally just that, a scholar with lots of general knowledge plus skills useful in a low-technological society (like Ken Larsson and a lot of the Corvallis survivors; PA low-tech knowledge means the difference between life and death).

3) Runequest, without magic. Violent, bloody, and deadly without armor, it is the most perfect fit for the combat in the game.

4) GURPS works well, too. A lot of the writing in DtF reminds me of the battles in the Horseclans series, which got the GURPS treatment many years ago...

 

[Greylock]

Awesome!

I really enjoyed the "Islands" series, but "Dies in the Fire" blows it away. Yeah, there is an initial gut-check moment when you have to wrap your head around the SCA ruling PA Oregon, and the hippy dippy schtick can wear thin, but I still loved it dearly.

Another player in my group and I tried like all heck to get our DM to read it, as he's all about PA. "Dies in the Fire" would make a wonderful PA game. But unfortunately, the DM couldn't get past the items I pointed out above.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

I haven't read any of the books mentioned in this thread (not a post apoc type of guy), but what I've read of Stirling's work I've enjoyed. This includes some contributions to the "Worlds of Honor" anthologies for David Weber's "Honor Harrington" series, The Sky People, and The Peshawar Lancers. The Sky People would make for a decent E.R. Burroughs-esque d20 Modern setting. The Peshawar Lancers, though, would be a fantastic "steampunk-ish" setting. I highly recommend that book to anyone who enjoys swashbuckling derring-do set in a decidedly unusual British Empire based in India.

 

[Michael Dean]

The Peshawar Lancers, though, would be a fantastic "steampunk-ish" setting. I highly recommend that book to anyone who enjoys swashbuckling derring-do set in a decidedly unusual British Empire based in India.

Peshawar Lancers was what got me into Stirling's work in the first place! Excellent steampunky feel. I loved the sly references to Harry Flashman. Come to think of it, he makes references to Willy Garvin and Modesty Blaise in the Dies the Fire books, too. Sky People was also very enjoyable.

 

[iwatt]

I'd be interested in following the adventure if you'd care to post up a link.

Sure thing:

http://pbphouse.com/portal/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=84&board=67.0

We're just getting started.

We're using True20, and using the Warrior, Expert roles, as well as custom role base on the Intellectual from the Horror Chapter in the True20 Companion. We swapped some powers to include some of the ones shown in the books (the Mackenzie seems to have visions, and Rudy has a link to his horse). The rest of the powers are not flashy, and can be used to repesent expert training or heightened sense.