Hermit Posted July 19, 2006 Report Share Posted July 19, 2006 I just got The Turakian Age recently, and wow, its a great looking setting. I think I'm going to be hurting for spells until I get my hands on the FHG as well, but that just gives me time to prep and pick the brains of others who've already experienced the setting as either players and/or GMs. Which country are you using? Any troubles arise in your campaigns due to the setting you didn't anticipate? Any pleasant surprises? etc. Any advice you have for getting the most out of this setting? At this rate, I think it is safe to say my group is probably going to end up in the Westerlands, as that has a more traditional Fantasy European feel, but other than that very little is settled on. Thanks in advance to any willing to share some pearls of experience regarding tTA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted July 19, 2006 Report Share Posted July 19, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? All of my experience comes from online gaming, so take that for what it is worth. These games didn't end up lasting long (except for the current one), but I don't believe that is a fault of the setting. I found the setting both familiar and unknown. While building characters, I felt a particular deja vus. That isn't a bad thing, because Turakian Age gives a player the flexibility to get as indepth or simple as they wish in their background and chargen. I believe all four games have been based in the Westerlands and a couple of them use the Inn from Fantasy Battlegrounds. For the most recent game, I enjoyed the Rogue spells available with the grimoires. In fact, the other three games, I tried to play the same character a rustscale Drakine bent on proving to the world that being a rustscale isn't a cursed life... Seeminginly, it just creates a cursed game... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted July 19, 2006 Report Share Posted July 19, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? I am having fun delving back into the setting writing NKN. There's something about creating characters that makes a setting really come alive to me more than just creating the kingdoms, spells, and other "infrastructure." Makes me look forward to doing the Aarn and magic items books next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted July 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? Thanks for the responses, Sav, if it is any comfort, I kind of know what you mean. I have a friend who swears if she ever plays a bard or bard like character the campaign dies. Glad your current one is working out though Steve, I have to confess, some of these realms and races did seem to be just begging for further development. Besides Aarn, are there any plans to do so? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CourtFool Posted July 20, 2006 Report Share Posted July 20, 2006 Don't twist my Aarn Makes me look forward to doing the Aarn and magic items books next year. I just found out you are planning on doing a book on Aarn. To quote a recent movie line, "I am as happy as a tornado in a trailer park." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? Is he talking about Tuala Morn? Or is Aarn something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? Aarn is something else. It's one of the largest cities in Ambrethel, the Turakian Age setting. We're doing a sourcebook on it next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? AHHH. *stares blankly* Tuala Morn? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krieghandt Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? Is it going to have salt flats? In my world, one of the reasons ships stop there is for the sea salt. And since salt is an overlooked force of medieval economies, I added it to Turakian Age. For more historical info, check out the book called.... drum roll please... Salt:D Krieghandt (and here I was getting ready to make Ptoloumus Aarn) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? AHHH. *stares blankly* Tuala Morn? Tuala Morn: Tuala Morn is a pseudo-Celtic fantasy realm of bold warriors, wise wizards, capricious faeries, crafty dragons, and a thousand different types of adventure! Travel the fields, forests, and mountains of the Ten Kingdoms in search of wonder and excitement. In Dunrioga, the seat of the High King has sat empty for ten long years since the death of Davaine the Strong. While his queen Nuala tries to maintain a regency for their son, young Aillin, no one unites the people against the threat of Vulkring raiders from the north, or brings a halt to the longstanding feud between Crogher of Conhaile and Sitric of Seanclough. And without a High King, nothing stems the tide of the ambition of the Cormac of Mar Cormac, who wants a rulership he does not deserve and would sacrifice all the world to obtain it. As if such conflicts were not enough, religious strife besets the land. As the druids who worship the Dronnach Lanva, the Hundred Children, continue to propitiate the spirits of stream and wood, the priests of the Golden Temple cry the ascendancy of their strange faith to the skies, seeking to win converts to their shrines. Some wise men whisper that such disputes on Earth must surely mirror a dispute in the heavens, and if the matter cannot be resolved, then surely only the dark gods of the witches will remain to rule over the Tualans. Even worse, there are those who claim that these dark gods, or something akin to them, has already cast its shadow over the land. Of the source and power of this shadow, they know not, but its intentions are surely evil. Prophecy foretells that unless a true hero finds the Basilisk Orb, fabled talisman of the ancient wizard Coruch Crotha, the High King’s realm will fall to dust and ashes. Are you that hero? Author: Steven S. Long Tentative Release Date: Late 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? *stares at Lord Liaden, watches as his carefully crafted subtly roars over his head. Watches it with interest* So. I see we're bird watching today. *let's the plane take another pass* I know what Tuala Morn is, donk. The point was "Oh, you're talking about a book developed for a setting that I don't own. Let's get back on track! What's the status of Tuala Morn?" The giant s-eating grin should've tipped you off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? Ah, my apologies. I misinterpreted which book you were blankly staring at. Would you like to know more about Turakian Age, then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? Since you've gone to the trouble, and you've got a gabillion links, and I feel vaguely guilty, yes, I would love to know more. "Would you like to know more?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted July 23, 2006 Report Share Posted July 23, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? I really can't describe The Turakian Age better than these excellent online reviews, to which I shall provide a few of my gabillion links: http://www.enworld.org/reviews.php?do=review&reviewid=2011540 http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/10/10309.phtml http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/10/10354.phtml BTW in case the absence of a detailed index mentioned in one review perturbs you, you can more than compensate for it by downloading the free PDF of the Encyclopedia Turakiana. I will add that TA has a fair number of carryovers into the present-day Champions part of the Hero timeline: Takofanes, Nama, the Crowns of Krim, and a few other characters, artifacts and setting elements. If you wanted a high-fantasy magic origin for a super PC or NPC in the CU, this would be a good place to look for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? Actually I know two things about the current timeline. Diddly, and Squat. I've pieced together enough from seeing various posts on the subject that I've grasped Taco-Face is the villain and the meta-setting is all about dealing with him at the end of the day. I know that I'm not personally a fan of meta-setting rules, and would rather texts be divided that way - i.e., 'here's everything you need to know about this place.' Followed by, 'here's the history WE wrote which you are free to ignore,' cause I'm gonna ignore it regardless. However! I understand that TA handles that fairly well, all things being equal. Thanks, LL! Your gabillion links are quite handy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? Actually I know two things about the current timeline. Diddly, and Squat. I've pieced together enough from seeing various posts on the subject that I've grasped Taco-Face is the villain and the meta-setting is all about dealing with him at the end of the day. I know that I'm not personally a fan of meta-setting rules, and would rather texts be divided that way - i.e., 'here's everything you need to know about this place.' Followed by, 'here's the history WE wrote which you are free to ignore,' cause I'm gonna ignore it regardless. However! I understand that TA handles that fairly well, all things being equal. Thanks, LL! Your gabillion links are quite handy! There's a timeline PDF for download at the Free Stuff page. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? But I'm really a home brewer - other than adding to my ability to intelligently converse, it won't do me much good. Although, tragically, someone posted "Taco Face" a while back and now I can't dissaciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? I have now read said timeline. Makes sense to me. I understand where some of the grief comes from, but all things being equal it seems rather elegant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? But I'm really a home brewer - other than adding to my ability to intelligently converse' date=' it won't do me much good. Although, tragically, someone posted "Taco Face" a while back and now I can't dissaciate it.[/quote'] Yes, it's an unfortunate nickname. It may have arisen from people assuming that "Takofanes" is pronounced like "taco-fains." According to Conquerors, Killers And Crooks it's more like faux-Ancient Greek: "tuh-koff-uh-neez." I find his Identifying Quote from CKC washes some of the taste of "Taco Face" out of my mouth: Thou and thy apeish kin will grovel at my feet, or be destroyed. So saith the Lord of the Throne and Crown, and so it shall be done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? I have now read said timeline. Makes sense to me. I understand where some of the grief comes from' date=' but all things being equal it seems rather elegant.[/quote'] Overall I like having it as an option. If you want to know how the whole shebang fits together, or you want time-traveling adventures into a coherent past or future, the timeline is ready to hand. If you don't want that you're free to ignore it. Most of the default Hero Universe house settings are sufficiently standalone that changing or ignoring the earlier "ages" won't affect them much. Had they been designed that way from the start, though, it would be harder to create such a coherent timeline for them if you did want to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? Agreed, which is why, looking at it, it makes a certian amount of sense. It also puts things more into perspective in some of the reviews I read - if you haven't read the timeline, then no, I don't see how it would make much sense, but I can appreciate how Steve & Steve effectively fit every genre into it, blending 'real' time with far past or far future as necessary. Niff. Thanks to both of you for the reference (to the Free Page, CC) and three of the gabillion links, LL. That, and I like saying "gabillion." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? Meh - timelines are for GMs to look at occasionally only if their stuck for inspiration Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? Or as the beginning point for inspiration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? Welcome, Thia. Turakian Age is presently hanging out at the top of my want list from the Online Store. I just can't decide what I actually want to get first (and when I should ask my wife for permission to order it ...). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savinien Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Re: How's the Turakian Age working out for you? So, anybody else got any TA anecdotes to help Hermit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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