skyrealms of jorune... any good?

[Tetsubo]

I also own the 1st edition. Some of the best art I've ever seen in a gaming product. Good ideas but I just never seemed to "grasp" the setting. It seemed to be trying too many things at once...

 

[Rel]

Very detailed and interesting setting and I can't help but agree about the artwork. But the system was a bit screwy for my tastes.

 

[CharlesRyan]

I have it. I would agree with just about everything that's been posted so far.

 

[PapersAndPaychecks]

The system was actually pretty good too -- a bit rules-heavy for my personal taste (character sheets with a complete skill and spell list were four pages long) and I didn't like everything about it, but I loved the advantage-based combat.

It's crying out to be cannibalised for the many good bits.

 

[Jhaelen]

It's worth picking up for the setting material, I think. I'm not sure that anyone is clamoring to play the system. The setting material makes for interesting reading, and it's not very expensive to find either on eBay or through online stores.

Here's a link to a Jorune fansite... http://www.jorune.org/index.html

--sam

Yup. I think, it's nice to have it if you're a collector of odd settings and systems. It's on my shelf right between Amber and Over the Edge.
And the artwork is really great!

 

[RichGreen]

Yup. I think, it's nice to have it if you're a collector of odd settings and systems. It's on my shelf right between Amber and Over the Edge.
And the artwork is really great!

Aha, now you're talking! Although Over the Edge is possibly even more obscure, it is one of the best RPGs I've played. I ran an OTE campaign about ten years or so ago and we had great fun with it. Nice simple rules system too!


Richard

 

[s.j. bagley]

thanks for the info, everyone.
the 'amber' game is one i've long wanted to stumble upon, too.

 

[jdrakeh]

Aha, now you're talking! Although Over the Edge is possibly even more obscure...

Actually, OtE has a pretty big following on other RPG sites. Its nowhere near as obscure as Skyrealms. That said, I agree -- it's a great game system

 

[jmucchiello]

Jorune was the first game I remember deciding not to buy because I knew I would never find anyone to play it with. It "violates" the campaign setting rule of not diverging too far from what they players know. From what I understand (and seems confirmed above) it feels very alien and thus the player lack a solid point of reference for understanding the world. Even if you've never done it yourself, you know what swinging a sword is like, you know what riding a horse is like, you know what grass and trees look like, you can imagine the smell of a city sewer. Heck, even elves and dwarves are known to you. The strange alienness of Jorune seems to require too much effort on the part of the players to buy into the setting.

 

[Shadowsmith]

I have both the second edition box set and the third edition from Chessex. I love the setting and the art.

I actually like the system in the box set. Character creation is excellent and combat is deadly. Character advancement, however, is not well thought out.

If you pick up the third edition book, make sure you download the errata from somewhere. There are more than a few errors in the book.