Song of ice and fire

[Derro]

Yeah, in a way.

Still, there's a design journal entry, here, which provides some insight.

Oh, hey, that's cool.

I see that's from December. I stopped checking updates near the end of October when it didn't show up.

I hope magic stays pretty loose. It's always been very loose in the novels. I've often read a passage and wondered if that was magic. Sort of like LotR in that way.

As an aside, I am very intrigued about the rules for managing your House and Realm. I think this game will make a big splash if these rules are solid and playable. Society and position are a major theme in the novels and the game really has to give it an accessible framework to be true.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

I love their stab at a social encounter system, but at the same time it puts the finger on a weak point: how could one play the game with a whole group of players?

Take the supplied characters. They belong to one house and have a very good reason to travel together. As soon as the group reaches King's Landing and enters the court, it falls apart. SIF's emphasis on social status means that only certain characters may enter certain parts of the world.

How do you plan to work with (or around?) this assumption?

 

[ValhallaGH]

I love their stab at a social encounter system, but at the same time it puts the finger on a weak point: how could one play the game with a whole group of players?

I would guess that you'd do it by violating every D&D party guideline, ever, and splitting the party into individuals all seeking the betterment of their common house.
Each character sticks with their own approach to the situations in the capitol, and occasionally informs the others about their progress and current status. As necessary, individuals journey to exploit or create opportunities that further both their own schemes and those of their fellows. But, as with the novels this system is inspired by, the characters spend a great deal of time separated in person but not in spirit.

It would be tricky, and cyclical, and you'd probably have to limit each character to no more than 20 consecutive minutes of screen time. Communication, both in and out of character, would be paramount to both success and survival.

It would work, but it wouldn't work for all tables. It might not work for most tables. But it would work.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

I would guess that you'd do it by violating every D&D party guideline, ever, and splitting the party into individuals all seeking the betterment of their common house.
Each character sticks with their own approach to the situations in the capitol, and occasionally informs the others about their progress and current status. As necessary, individuals journey to exploit or create opportunities that further both their own schemes and those of their fellows. But, as with the novels this system is inspired by, the characters spend a great deal of time separated in person but not in spirit.

It would be tricky, and cyclical, and you'd probably have to limit each character to no more than 20 consecutive minutes of screen time. Communication, both in and out of character, would be paramount to both success and survival.

It would work, but it wouldn't work for all tables. It might not work for most tables. But it would work.

Of cause, the idea of interwoven single (or two player) stories might work, but my table is not the place to try it. Not all players are "story active" on the same level, so the more active ones would have their time in the spotlight with the others waiting.

It might be quite stressfull for the GM, too. This system would demand a lot of coherent improvisation plus the need to get everything organised.

The more I think about it the less optimistic I am. Guess I'm having a look on how GR pulls it of with this adventure they're planning.

 

[variant]

The system is why I never posted about it. I don't like it at all much like I don't like games that use similar systems. The OGL system used in Guardians of Order's AGoT looks to be far superior.

 

[Derro]

The system is why I never posted about it. I don't like it at all much like I don't like games that use similar systems. The OGL system used in Guardians of Order's AGoT looks to be far superior.

I'm totally on the other end of that scale. While the GoO book was beautiful the sheer abundance of rules is what turned me off. There were elements that I liked, Influence springs immediately to mind, but overall it just felt like a re-skin of D&D to me. Because d20 based games tie power to level so closely it is, to me, harder to emulate some of the interactions of the novels when characters are so out-classed because of power levels.

Different strokes I suppose. I like dice pool systems. It is fun to throw around fistfulls of d6s.

 

[Tharen the Damned]

Asoif

I had the honor to playtest the rules as narrator back in 07 (yep, this baby is a long time in the making). All I can say that the system is perfect for a gritty low/no magic medieval campaign. It fits hand in glove with the Song of Ice and Fire setting. It makes sense to wear heavy armor and it makes sense to wear light armor. It all depends what style you want to go. Picture this as the fight between the Mountain and the Viper. Both had the chance to win.

 

[Finkin Swiftfingers]

Green Ronin has announced that the book should finally be released next week. I've been looking forward to this since they first announced it - as our group had planned to start a campaign once it was released at GenCon. I am glad the wait is finally over.

I especially like the fact that the game is set 10 years before the events in the first novel. Plenty of room for the PC's to become movers in the world.