http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-fierce-forgotten-library-wars-of-the-ancient-world?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=atlas-page

Now here's an RPG someone needs to write.

Scrollhounds of Alexandria?

Sounds like how some D&D campaigns go. Wizards raiding eachother for their libraries and especially their spellbooks. For a while 2e really played up this aspect and then abruptly forgot it.

One of my players currently is from the 2e era and plays his 5e wizard very much as the book raider.

I've never heard of that before, but I think I played 2nd edition AD&D about three or four times back in the late 1980s or whenever it was new. It sounds more intersting than most D&D games I've read about. Was there a module in that vein? (I've never been too interested in Dungeons and Dragons and its tropes and I'm very satisfied with The Fantasy Trip for sword-and-sorcery gaming.)

Mainly it was an outgrowth of the Magic User/Mage/Wizard/Whatever needing to scribe spells from other sources if they wanted to have more than the few they got at each level up. I first heard of it outside actual gameplay in Dragon articles. Think it was Ed Greenwood? I'd have to backtrack issues.

Raiding someones spellbook was a big thing at some groups and could end up the most valuable treasure. Especially in BX where you only got one free spell per level. The rest you have to hunt down and pry from someone elses hands. Hence library raiding was a priority. No clue how OD&D handled it other than apparently Clerics had spellbooks too? AD&D gave the MU Read Magic and 3 other spells at start and one free spell each level thereafter. The DMG even mentions magic users frantically trying to find, buy, or trade new spells. Though in AD&D there was the added problem that the character might be unable to even understand a certain spell.

Ive never seen it as a focus in any modules I had. But some did make mention of finding an enemy spellbook as loot.

Quote from: Omega;959347AD&D gave the MU Read Magic and 3 other spells at start and one free spell each level thereafter.

Not "free" - subsumed in training costs.

Quote from: Dumarest;958929http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-fierce-forgotten-library-wars-of-the-ancient-world?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=atlas-page

Now here's an RPG someone needs to write.

Not unlike the contemporary competition between universities for 'rock-star' professors, and the grant money and endowments they attract, I could see schools of wizardry trying to attract top-shelf (aka high-level) talent to their institutions. This is a great way to enmesh a player character magic-user in the political realm of the game-world - why go off and build a lonely tower when a wizards' college is offering you lab space, access to sages and a magical library, and the chance to tutor the progeny of the powerful?

Quote from: Black Vulmea;959364Not unlike the contemporary competition between universities for 'rock-star' professors, and the grant money and endowments they attract, I could see schools of wizardry trying to attract top-shelf (aka high-level) talent to their institutions. This is a great way to enmesh a player character magic-user in the political realm of the game-world - why go off and build a lonely tower when a wizards' college is offering you lab space, access to sages and a magical library, and the chance to tutor the progeny of the powerful?

Another thing, once you get in, you want to think of Univeristy Politics, now think of the conflict between different colleges within the university for students, access, funding, etc. with normal academic arrogance coupled with the superiority complex of being a mage.  Then add conflict with Kings, Nobles, Churches, Guilds, the people who still remember the good old burning days.  It would be Harry Potter meets House of Cards meets Game of Thrones.  Hell, with that setup, you have the perfect climate for a Fantasy Cyberpunk campaign, with the PCs being deniable assets (detection spells of course can be a problem).  Tons of stuff you can do with a magical college.

Quote from: CRKrueger;959389Tons of stuff you can do with a magical college.

Well, fuck, now I can add 'all magic-user 1e AD&D campaign' to the pile of gaming ideas I'll never use.

Thanks a fuck-ton for that, Mean Green. :mad:

Quote from: Black Vulmea;959361Not "free" - subsumed in training costs.

You are really on the stupid troll train this month arent you?

Free as in you get it at the start of chargen dont have to go out and hunt it down.

And free in game as you get taught it as part of your training. (Theres no mention of fees. )

Try again please.

Quote from: Black Vulmea;959425Well, fuck, now I can add 'all magic-user 1e AD&D campaign' to the pile of gaming ideas I'll never use.

Thanks a fuck-ton for that, Mean Green. :mad:

You're welcome.  

Man, I sure do miss all that gaming time we don't seem to have anymore.

On a semi-related note, you could do a whole Dark Albion campaign focused on the rivalry between the collegiums of Oxford and Cambridge. Plus the crazy fucked-up nature of medieval college life.

Quote from: RPGPundit;960284On a semi-related note, you could do a whole Dark Albion campaign focused on the rivalry between the collegiums of Oxford and Cambridge. Plus the crazy fucked-up nature of medieval college life.

And there is your next supplement after the one on cults. Speaking of which, is it out yet? I have Dark Albion and it is majestic in scope and coverage and makes a great reference for any medieval-inspired setting even if you don't care for D&D mechanics (I don't really). It makes getting into that medieval mindset much easier, which makes immersion much easier. I could do with more books like it in different settings and eras.

Quote from: Dumarest;960307And there is your next supplement after the one on cults. Speaking of which, is it out yet? I have Dark Albion and it is majestic in scope and coverage and makes a great reference for any medieval-inspired setting even if you don't care for D&D mechanics (I don't really). It makes getting into that medieval mindset much easier, which makes immersion much easier. I could do with more books like it in different settings and eras.

Yes, Cults of Chaos has been out for some time now.

Quote from: RPGPundit;960645Yes, Cults of Chaos has been out for some time now.

I will have to check that out. Are there any other associated products I have missed? I only knew of the Dark Albion book itself. I know you are working on the "medieval authentic" thing, presumably compatible with the Dark Albion book, but is there anything else?

Also, when can we look forward to your hardcover Spanish Inquisition and Italian Renaissance City States setting books with awesome art from the era?