TheQuestionMan Posted November 20, 2003 Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 Hello Folks , looking for details requarding this product and wondering if Steve and Friends are open to input ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted November 20, 2003 Report Share Posted November 20, 2003 When I start writing TA, in just a few weeks, I'll probably start one of my "what do you want to see?" threads. That's when I'll be looking for fan input. TA is our "high fantasy" setting, the one with lots of magic, races, monsters, gods meddling with mortal affairs, and other such cool stuff. In short, it's probably closest to "the average Fantasy gaming campaign" than any other FH setting we have planned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheQuestionMan Posted November 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2003 Excellent ! Looking forward to seeing the "What do you want to see threads " . Good work Steve and (super)friends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 Steve; I have actually been wanting to ask what the main differences between the two fantasy hero settings you were planning on The Turakian Age and Valedarn Age (spelling on that one?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 I'm sure Steve will clarify my poor summation as needed, but from his remarks it seems that the Turakian Age will be the environment allowing for high magic, epic adventures and world-threatening menaces - essentially the kind of campaigns common to D&D games, with some of the same conventions and tropes. The Valdorian Age will be more like Conan's Hyborian era, with low magic and picaresque adventures across various lands, usually for lesser stakes - the common "sword and sorcery" story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 I think LL's summarized it pretty well. The TA is what I call a "High Fantasy" setting in the D&D sort of style. Magic's comparatively common, powerful, and easy to use; there are lots of different races; monsters abound; the gods involve themselves directly in mortal affairs (at least to some degree); and so on. The VA is a "Swords And Sorcery" setting, in the style of Conan, Fafhrd & the Grey Mouser, Elric, some of Clark Ashton Smith's stuff, etc. Magic isn't nearly as common or powerful, and it's harder to use (Extra Time, Concentration, etc.); many magical effects (e.g., resurrection, flying) aren't available; the number and types of monsters is much smaller; and so on. This is trickier to pull off in a gaming context, but I'm confident Allen can do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 Actually, Steve, this brings to my mind a question about the third official setting you've mentioned, Tuala Morn. I understand that it's patterned after Celtic myth and folklore, but in terms of style and game play what is it that you see as making it distinct from the other two? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Long Posted November 23, 2003 Report Share Posted November 23, 2003 Well, I'm not sure I can speak to style of play, since I think that's something specific to each player or group. In terms of setting, the things that set Tuala Morn apart, in my mind, are: 1. An emphasis on a particular culture, in this case one derived from a sort of romanticized/game-ified medieval Irish/Celtic sort of thing. That affects many aspects of play, including character creation. For example, it's always bugged me to see games where bards were yanked out of culture context and just dropped into any old setting. Here they've got the culture context that makes them more interesting (and socially powerful). 2. Adventures, monsters, etc. suitable to what I'll call a "Northern European" style of Fantasy. 3. A distinctive magic system -- a flavorful sort of low magic, kinda-sorta. It's difficult to explain; I'm mainly just going to have to create it and present it as a whole. Compared to TA and VA, TM is much more narrowly focused. It emphasizes depth -- lots of information about particular types of settings, characters, etc. -- rather than breadth (relatively minimal information about a wide variety of settings, characters, magic, etc.). In TA, for example, you could play a half-gnome, half-human barbarian wizard with magic abilities and a hotline to Zeus (well, the equivalent of Zeus, anyway). That sort of thing would be Right Out in TM; it would wreck the feel of the setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenrisUlf Posted November 25, 2003 Report Share Posted November 25, 2003 I've got to admit, I'd prefer to see the Tuala Morn or 'Age of Legends' settings more than another generic high fantasy setting (though I've no doubt Mister Long and Co. will do a bang-up job; I'm getting it just to see what Takofanes was like back when he was really powerful, if nothing else). But yeah, TM sounds to be somehwat original. Of course, considering the brief write-up I've seen for the 'Atlantean Age', I wouldn't mind seeing /that/ done as a Fantasy Hero/Champions crossover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechnoViking Posted November 25, 2003 Report Share Posted November 25, 2003 Originally posted by FenrisUlf I've got to admit, I'd prefer to see the Tuala Morn or 'Age of Legends' settings more than another generic high fantasy setting (though I've no doubt Mister Long and Co. will do a bang-up job; I'm getting it just to see what Takofanes was like back when he was really powerful, if nothing else). A high fantasy setting will have more universal appeal, and maybe attract more people to the Hero System. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted November 26, 2003 Report Share Posted November 26, 2003 Actually, I welcome any and all. Its interesting to see what's out there. The Fantasy Hero Setting I've been kicking around in my head is far more High Fantasy, and basically an homage to the Consol RPG's I love so much. It will almost certainly start looking like a Champions Campaign with armor and robes as I go along; but I digress... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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