The Strange

[Hex08]

I am curious about people's opinions of The Strange from a mechanics standpoint. I bought it when and a few of the supplements when it first came out but never played it. I have been staring at it on my bookshelf recently and thinking about running it. I only read the rules once when I first got it and I remember really liking the setting but was underwhelmed by the mechanics. It seemed to me, among other things, that too much time would be spent changing up your character when moving between recursions.

I was also thinking about trying to convert it to Savage Worlds, which is my current default game system.

I get that the game's setting might not be everyone's thing and that people sometimes have strong feelings about Monte Cook but I am really just looking for feedback on the mechanics of the game.

 

[Arilyn]

I really like the ideas and the setting behind this game, but character creation turns me off. I don't think the reworking of characters will be too big a time sink, however. The actual game play is fine, a solid enough system that many people really like. Personally, I just don't like the character creation being the I am a who....

Like you I've been thinking of using the setting for another game system.

 

[PaulBaldowski]

I was also thinking about trying to convert it to Savage Worlds, which is my current default game system.

I think you can safely judge that conversion to another system—such as Savage Worlds—would make the transition between worlds more complex. In the Cypher system, you're really only swapping words or phrases in the declarative sentence that outlines the Descriptors of your character. Under the hood, that change provides the mechanical heft. I'm not certain that a game like Savage Worlds would so easily support the same shift.

In my experience of running The Strange, I think the greater concern was more about the progress of the setting and that, unlike Numenera, The Strange felt underserved as the various Monte Cook lines built on Cypher expended. Yes, there was a bestiary, some additional character options and some adventures, but if it had more Glimmers (mini-supplements and maybe a campaign outline or two with more ideas for worlds) that might have helped.

 

[Arilyn]

Numenera definitely has way more support but I prefer The Strange. It's too bad it's been left to languish.

It's almost enough to make me play the Cypher system. Note: absolutely nothing wrong with the Cypher system. Should be one I like, I just can't get excited about it.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I liked it. Wouldn't say I loved it, but it played pretty smoothly, and the genre-crossing translations were fun. Too many recursions would, I think, get odious, but the GM only had two or so for the couple of sessions we played, so that was fine.

 

[Hex08]

I think you can safely judge that conversion to another system—such as Savage Worlds—would make the transition between worlds more complex. In the Cypher system, you're really only swapping words or phrases in the declarative sentence that outlines the Descriptors of your character.

Thanks, that was helpful. I started re-reading the core rulebook for The Strange and realized I had forgotten a lot and I think you are right, converting it would be a nightmare

 

[Laslo]

I Kickstarted it and really support the MCG crew. But like I've heard here, they didn't support it as well as Numenera, I wanted to learn more about the organizations and why they are doing what they are. But I was also thinking that with more VTTs creating and managing different characters might be a little easier?

 

[Mbrichman]

I really recommend reading the novel that was the original inspiration for the game - The Myth of the Maker. I’ve not had a chance to play since reading the Novel, but it was really run to read the origin story, and see a full story play out in this worId. Spawns lots of ideas about what I’d do with my own campaign.