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Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea, the AD&D-based Swords & Sorcery game Jeff Talanian (who worked on Castle Zagyg with Gary Gygax, amongst others) is currently designing.

Dragonsfoot link to the post:
http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=984024#p984024

Quoting now:

Quote from: GhulWhat is Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea?

Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea is a role-playing game designed by Jeffrey Talanian and illustrated by Ian Baggley. The rules are derived from the works of Gary Gygax and David Arneson. The setting is inspired by the pulp fiction of Robert Ervin Howard, Howard Phillip Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and others.

AS&SH might be classified as a "simulacrum" or "retro-clone" game, but it does not "clone" any specific rules system. While some retro-clones seek to emulate specific traditional systems as closely as possible, AS&SH takes its inspiration from a variety of 0e and 1e related sources; also it is interwoven with its own alternative procedures.

Hyperborea the campaign setting is brimming with locations filled with adventure, conflict, weird horror, and intrigue. It comprises environs, cities, men, and monsters inspired by pulp fiction and mythological resources, but also a mix of traditional RPG monsters hand-picked to best fit the milieu; consequently, describing Hyperborea as "pastiche" might not be inaccurate.

Here follows a brief overview of Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea:

Attributes: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma. These attributes are generated using one of five different methods. While attributes can modify a character's capabilities, these are handled on a flat progression curve. Example: A 16 strength provides +1 "to hit" and +1 damage, 17 strength provides +1/+2, and 18 strength provides +2/+2. On the whole, AS&SH takes a minimalistic approach for handling modifiers to rolls.

Classes: There are four principal character classes.
•   Fighter: a swordsman, bowman, or other warrior type.
•   Magician: a sorcerer who studies magical tomes and casts spells.
•   Cleric: an armed and armoured fighting sorcerer of mystical nature.
•   Thief: a nimble swordsman possessed of numerous specialty skills.

Subclasses: There are eighteen subclasses.
Fighter:
•   Barbarian: an outland warrior possessed of feral reflexes and instincts.
•   Berserker: a rampaging shock trooper renowned for his unbridled battle rage.
•   Cataphract (Knight): a mail clad horseman and warrior elite.
•   Paladin: a champion who crusades for Law.
•   Ranger: a righteous borderland fighter and wilderness warrior.
•   Warlock: a mail clad fighter who wields steel and sorcery interchangeably.
Magician:
•   Illusionist: a sorcerer who manipulates light and evokes illusions and phantasms.
•   Necromancer: a sorcerer who practices black magic and communicates with the dead.
•   Pyromancer: a sorcerer who manipulates the elemental power of fire.
•   Witch: a sorceress who brews potions, divines portents, and lays curses.
Cleric:
•   Druid: a mystic sorcerer empowered by ancestral, elemental, and animistic spirits.
•   Monk: a warrior-priest who strives for physical and mental mastery.
•   Priest: a chaplain mystic sorcerer of enhanced spell casting capacity.
•   Shaman (Witch Doctor): a primal sorcerer who divines portents and confers with spirits.
Thief:
•   Assassin: a thief who specializes in murder and intrigue.
•   Bard (Skald): a versatile warrior, scholar, sorcerer and word weaver.
•   Legerdemainist: an adept thief who also commands the power of sorcery.
•   Scout: a lightly armed explorer, intelligence gatherer, and stealth master.

Alignment: Alignment is governed by the opposing forces of Law (Civilization) and Chaos (Barbarism). Law and Chaos are subdivided by the ethos of Good and Evil. Thus the four alignments of Lawful Good, Lawful Evil, Chaotic Good, and Chaotic Evil define the world view of most intelligent beings, whilst Neutrality forms a nexus of behavioural indifference.

Weapon Skills: Any AS&SH character can use any weapon. However, several classes begin with a favoured weapon list. Learning a weapon that is not on the favoured list may occur at specific level gains. For instance, your low level magician may begin play with dagger, dart, and quarterstaff familiarity, but should he wish to take up the long sword in the future, he may well do so. Fighters and fighter subclasses have weapon mastery, which means they enjoy a +1 "to hit" and +1 damage bonus with player chosen weapons, and also an increased rate of attack.

Armour and Weapons: Includes 10 armour types that are broadly classified in groups of light, medium, and heavy. Medium and heavy armour types provide damage reduction. There are 35 melee weapons and 12 missile weapons from which to choose. Each melee weapon is assigned a "weapon class" which may determine first strike when melee is first engaged; e.g. a long spear wielder (WC 5) will beat short sword wielder (WC 1) when two such combatants first clash.

Sorcery: AS&SH features over 400 spells presented in six spell levels. There are six spell casting schools, including magician, cleric, druid, illusionist, necromancer, pyromancer, and witch. Other spell casting types draw from these lists. For example, the bard draws from the druid and illusionist lists.

Task Resolution: Many character classes have special class abilities that are resolved, for example, by using a d6, a d12, or some other resolution method. For actions not specifically covered by the rules, two different resolution methods are presented: a d6 method in which the referee determines a probability of success (1:6, 2:6, etc.); and an attribute check method in which the attempted action is associated with a specific attribute: 3d6 for a moderate difficulty check, 4d6 for a heroic check, 5d6 for a super-heroic check in which the player must roll at or under the associated attribute.

Time and Movement: Rounds = 10 seconds. Turns = 10 minutes. Movement rules are included for land and sea travel.

Combat: An attack matrix is referenced to determine what AC the modified d20 attack roll hits. The combat sequence features an innovative 5-step phase sequence that covers movement, melee attacks, missile attacks, and magic. At each phase, each side in the battle takes turns, though combat movement is simultaneous, which is to say two respective closing sides will meet in the middle before engaging one another.

There are 21 different combat actions presented. A few require mastery in a specific weapon, some are available only to fighter types, though most others can be attempted by any character. Combat actions include arrow setting, charging throw, disarm, dodge, double arrow shot, firing march, indirect fire, off-hand weapon parry, parry & block, pike hedge, pommel strike, ready shooter, reckless fighting/conservative fighting, recumbent fire, running dodge, saddle fire, shield bind, shield cover for ally, shield wall, spear charge, and two-weapon fighting.

An optional critical hit system presented. It is simple and intuitive. It does not, for example, allow a magician to "crit" as well as the fighter can; i.e. fighters, upon rolling a natural 20 have a greater probability of delivering a larger amount of bonus damage.

Saving Throws: There are five different saving throw categories. Each character has a base saving throw determined by character level. Each character class (fighter, magician, etc.) has modifiers to two of the five saving throw categories. Attributes can also modify some saving throws. For example, Death is a saving throw category that includes death ray, death magic, paralysis, poison, and radiation. A high constitution score can provide a bonus to poison and radiation saves, but not all death saves, per se.

Other Combat: Other combat types include aerial combat, underwater combat, naval combat, and warfare & siege.

The Hyperborea Campaign Setting: The setting is treated in full, though brevity is paramount; this intended to provide the referee with digestible chunks of information and leaving plenty of room for individual development. That is to say, it is my belief that a campaign setting should not be the game designer's attempt to satisfy the urge to write a fantasy novel. The Hyperborea setting includes a brief history, calendar, physical geography, position in the heavens, climate & seasons, and population examination.

Hyperborea is a hexagonal shaped flat-earth campaign setting with a diameter of about 3,200 miles. It is hemmed in by the boreas (North Wind) beyond which lies the illimitable Black Gulf (space). The map for Hyperborea is a large, hex based (each hex = 24 miles) affair developed by cartographer Andreas Claren.

There are nine races of men. These are Common (men of mixed ancestry), Amazon, Atlantean, Esquimaux, Hyperborean, Ixian, Kelt, Kimmerian, Pict, and Viking.

The deities of Hyperborea are a non-pantheon mix of otherworldly beings that  include Apep, Apollo, Artemis, Aurorus, Boreas, Helios, Kraken, Krimmr, Kthulhu, Lunnaqqua, Mordezzan, Rel, Thaumagorga, Tlakk-Nakka, Ullr, Xathhoqqua, Yikkorth, Ymir, Yoon'Deh, Ythaqqa, and Yug.

Bestiary: Nearly 200 monsters are included, these inspired by the pulp fiction creations of noted authors as well as a liberal selection of traditional RPG monsters hand-picked to best fit this sword-and-sorcery milieu.

Magic & Treasure: A listing of magic weapons and items that might be found in the course of adventuring, including some displaced high-tech items such as ray guns, etc.

Final Word: AS&SH draws close to completion, and should see publication by early 2011. The preceding information does not cover the entire scope of the rules and setting. I have tried to touch on some of the points that may be of interest to the reader. I am willing to answer questions on any of the above, including that which may have been excluded in this summary. As the final beta is soon to go out to my readers and idea contributors, some of the preceding may be altered before final publication. As I continue to gather printer quotes (admittedly, an exercise in frustration), the final physical format is not yet set in stone. I prefer a boxed set over a hardcover (with map insert), but there is much to consider. A final decision should be made by the end of 2010.

Cheers,
Jeff Talanian

I'm very excited about this, personally.

So yet another D&D clone. Wonderful.

I have to agree. The clone field is overfull now. With ASSH and Goodman both still to come.

Heh. I'm not interested in straight clones anymore. I understand your point.

I'm more interested in that particular take because it is basically S&S inspired straight for sources I really love, with a very cool setting, Hyperborea, which you can plug into pretty much any campaign setting. I know Jeff *knows* his AD&D, so that right there sells it to me. It's a bit like what Monte Cook did with is Arcana Unearthed, if you will.

It's right up my alley. Mileages will of course vary.

The Goodman clone to come, for instance, completely leaves me cold.

I hope that Legerdemainist is not actually used in the final product. Horrible name. Too scientific for something that's supposed to be S&S. Call them a rogue or pickpocket, instead.

With D20, things kind of went in two phases.  First, people put out a lot of stuff for the D20 license, then as time went on, the increased flexibility of the OGL allowed for more experimentation and customization of the normal D20 ruleset.

The OSR seems to be entering the second wave.  All the old A/D&D games have been retro-cloned, with lot of different modules available.  The next phase is "sort-of" clones.  Clones not really of D&D but more a D&Dish type of game.  Should be some good stuff in here, ASSH sounds cool.

Eventually, I hope it enters the third wave, where they invent Old School games that don't have a direct D&D lineage.  Then they can embrace games like BoL, FtA and Dragon Age and actually be the Old School Renaissance instead of the D&D Revival.

Quote from: danbuter;415922I hope that Legerdemainist is not actually used in the final product. Horrible name. Too scientific for something that's supposed to be S&S. Call them a rogue or pickpocket, instead.

I was actually the one who suggested Legerdemain for the name, which literally means "Light of Hand."
I'm not a big fan of the -ist added at the end, but I can live with it.

Quote from: Benoist;415919Heh. I'm not interested in straight clones anymore. I understand your point.

I'm more interested in that particular take because it is basically S&S inspired straight for sources I really love, with a very cool setting, Hyperborea, which you can plug into pretty much any campaign setting. I know Jeff *knows* his AD&D, so that right there sells it to me. It's a bit like what Monte Cook did with is Arcana Unearthed, if you will.

It's right up my alley. Mileages will of course vary.

The Goodman clone to come, for instance, completely leaves me cold.

I can understand why you like the look of it based on all this. Oddly enough, it reminds me of why I like HackMaster - it takes the game we know and refurbishes it to have a definite viewpoint. I've been curious to see what this is going to be like.

Quote from: Benoist;415926I was actually the one who suggested Legerdemain for the name, which literally means "Light of Hand."
I'm not a big fan of the -ist added at the end, but I can live with it.

If a fair portion of players won't be able to pronounce the name, it's probably a bad idea. ;)

Quote from: danbuter;415933If a fair portion of players won't be able to pronounce the name, it's probably a bad idea. ;)

If Gary Gygax had thought like this, I wouldn't have known of this word in the first place. :D

/ˌlejərdəˈmān/ (http://tinyurl.com/29uo2xz)

I sense a lack of playtesting with ASSH along with a misguided adherence to AD&D's most outdated aspects.   However, it may have some aspects worth stealing for other OSR games.

The OSR is 90% "D&D Revival" and I doubt that will ever change.   I am stunned that Mazes & Minotaurs hasn't gotten more notice on OSR forums.

Quote from: Spinachcat;415959I sense a lack of playtesting with ASSH along with a misguided adherence to AD&D's most outdated aspects.   However, it may have some aspects worth stealing for other OSR games.

The OSR is 90% "D&D Revival" and I doubt that will ever change.   I am stunned that Mazes & Minotaurs hasn't gotten more notice on OSR forums.

There was a really nice thread about M&M on Dragonsfoot about 2 years ago and then some knobhead called Kersus fucked it up by insulting the creator or something (my recollection is slightly vague) and he was so pissed off by it he just left the forum.  I didn't like what Kersus had done and told him so in a frank and forthright manner.  I got a friendly warning off Solomoriah so I let it go, then Skathros gets to emailing me and acting like a complete cunt, playing it all high handed even though it was already sorted.  So I told Skathros to get get fucked and like the creator of M&M I've never been back since.  Shame.

Quote from: Spinachcat;415959The OSR is 90% "D&D Revival" and I doubt that will ever change.   I am stunned that Mazes & Minotaurs hasn't gotten more notice on OSR forums.

I ran an adapted version of the Tomb of the Bull King megamodule. It is highly recommended; needs some work to make it work smoothly, but the concept and execution are very solid. Haven't tried the full game; if someone was running it in my area (ha ha, like that's going to happen :rolleyes:), I'd be in.

WRT AS&SH, I am not usually in the market for new rules, but I am interested in how Jeff did the S&S-meets-D&D thing. Some of the content like spells, monsters and world also looks interesting.

I once started creating a Dungeon out of the Palace of Knossos. I quickly found out Mazes & Minotaurs already had done this. I was so angry, that I stopped looking at both. M&M stole my thunder and made me feel stupid, so it can fuck itself with its good ideas.

Quote from: danbuter;415922I hope that Legerdemainist is not actually used in the final product. Horrible name. Too scientific for something that's supposed to be S&S. Call them a rogue or pickpocket, instead.

Legerdemainist is a monstrosity -- sloppy, careless, and ugly. If they don't want thief, rogue, pickpocket, or burglar -- all perfectly legitimate and traditional terms -- why not "maitre de main" ("master hand") to suggest skill at legerdemain (i.e., "slight of hand")?

Quote from: Bill White;416072why not "maitre de main" ("master hand") to suggest skill at legerdemain (i.e., "slight of hand")?

Because it's not English? "Legerdemain" on the other hand,  has passed into English, and adding an "-ist", while unwieldy, strikes me as thoroughly Gygaxian.

I have S&W, 3.0 and 4e.
I'm all D&Ded up, really.

FWIW, I doubt the current crop of "D&D revivalists" are, as a group, going to embrace games outside of D&D en mass anymore than Beatles fan clubs are likely to shift their focus over on to the Kinks. If the 'osr' is anything at all it is an unofficial D&D fan club.

Might give this a look for steal able setting material. Surprised to see that many spell casting classes which seem to be PC accessible. Only two or three of the eight magic classes look like classes I would see as potential S&S heroes.

Quote from: Aos;416086FWIW, I doubt the current crop of "D&D revivalists" are, as a group, going to embrace games outside of D&D en mass anymore than Beatles fan clubs are likely to shift their focus over on to the Kinks. If the 'osr' is anything at all it is an unofficial D&D fan club.

By and large you're right. Games like say, Mutant Future (the Gamma World retroclone from Goblinoid Games) show that there's a possibility for publishers to branch out of this core of D&D OSR into new territory. OpenQuest might be such an early venture, too, depending on how you look at it. We might see some revival of other games later down the road, who knows?

Quote from: Spinachcat;415959...
The OSR is 90% "D&D Revival" and I doubt that will ever change.   I am stunned that Mazes & Minotaurs hasn't gotten more notice on OSR forums.

I really did M&M, but I suspect that the fact that it is not available in print form (via Lulu or elsewhere) has limited its popularity.

Quote from: The_Shadow;416081Because it's not English? "Legerdemain" on the other hand,  has passed into English, and adding an "-ist", while unwieldy, strikes me as thoroughly Gygaxian.

Both "legerdemainist" and "maitre de main" are neologisms in English, to be sure. Arguably, either move is a tiny bit of setting embedded in character creation; I would like it if the term being adopted suggested somewhat greater linguistic savoire faire than "legerdemainist." Even "rogue" is better (its 2nd ed. connotations notwithstanding).

I'm not sure I can accept your claim about "legerdemainist" evoking Gygax; I think he'd roll over in his grave. But I can be convinced: Give me some examples of Gygaxian coinages similar to "legerdemainist," please.

Regarding AS&SH: I am far, far more interested in the setting than the rules.  The setting sounds very intriguing.  (Although I will also check out the rules to see if there is anything interesting.)

In general, I would much prefer if 'OSR' products used existing rule-sets (LL, S&W, or OSRIC) for their products (settings, modules, etc.), and simply included variant rules, etc., as appropriate.

Quote from: Benoist;416092...OpenQuest might be such an early venture, too, depending on how you look at it...

OQ is a bit odd, "neither fish nor fowl," in that it is a simplified version of the d100/BRP system, which never went out of print.  Yet it does seem to have a distinct 'old school vibe,' especially its supplement 'The Savage North'.

Quote from: Settembrini;416055I was so angry, that I stopped looking at both. M&M stole my thunder and made me feel stupid, so it can fuck itself with its good ideas.

You need marijuana.  A lot of it.  

Quote from: Akrasia;416114I really did M&M, but I suspect that the fact that it is not available in print form (via Lulu or elsewhere) has limited its popularity.

Agreed.  

S&W getting into game stores should be interesting.

Quote from: Akrasia;416118Regarding AS&SH: I am far, far more interested in the setting than the rules.  The setting sounds very intriguing.  (Although I will also check out the rules to see if there is anything interesting.)

In general, I would much prefer if 'OSR' products used existing rule-sets (LL, S&W, or OSRIC) for their products (settings, modules, etc.), and simply included variant rules, etc., as appropriate.

I'm sort of in the opposite camp.
I believe that rules help create the proper feel, the proper physics and background.  That's why including these in character creation does not just create some interesting options, it creates in the background the setting history that would bring these classes into being.

Quote from: Melan;416051I ran an adapted version of the Tomb of the Bull King megamodule. It is highly recommended; needs some work to make it work smoothly, but the concept and execution are very solid.

What do you suggest modifying?

Thanks :)

Quote from: Cole;416134What do you suggest modifying?

I did a lot of modifying since I run a campaign very different from Mythica, so you don't really have to. I think there are two things to consider, though.

First, presentation: the module is sensibly organised but a bit wordy. Go through it and highlight some key sections and understand how the pieces come together (since it is the complexity that makes it so cool). Mark open-air areas on your printed map, probably with colour pencils, since there are a lot of them and the basic map doesn't show you where they are - you have to tell it from the text. Also, mark the position of the several towers, as they aren't marked either.

Second, while the module does a great job with conflicting NPC factions, there is a lack of fantastic "dungeon puzzle" like things - you know, crazy rooms with walking frescoes, horrible traps and that sort of thing. There are some, but they are often just for show. I suggest adding a few special encounters here and there - not that many, just to spice things up a bit.

Hi fellows,

Thank you for the interest in my project. I'm pretty thick-skinned, so do feel free to continue to criticize my quoted post as you so choose. Also, if I can answer any questions, I'd be happy to do so.

Legerdemainist, as I perceive it, is one who practices legerdemain. Perhaps my nomenclature is awkward or unwieldy, but I've come to like the term.

Cheers,
Jeff T.

Quote from: The_Shadow;416081Because it's not English? "Legerdemain" on the other hand,  has passed into English, and adding an "-ist", while unwieldy, strikes me as thoroughly Gygaxian.

I  look at it this way too. :)

Alright, guys. I asked Jeff if it was alright for me to show you the draft map of Hyperborea so you guys can see the beauty. He very kindly agreed to it (thanks Jeff!). So without further introduction, here it is:

(http://enrill.net/images/maps/hyperborea-map2-800.jpg)

Now bear in mind: this is just the draft (a rough pencil sketch, as Jeff put it - this is not the actual map that is going to come with the game, which is done by Andreas Claren and is going to be 100 times better, I was told).

But man. This one just as well could be, for me. I love this stuff. :worship:

What are the edges of the "Big hex" supposed to represent?

Quote from: Cole;416294What are the edges of the "Big hex" supposed to represent?

From my interpretation of the map: the edge of the world. Like in medieval legends, where waters just endlessly fall off the edge. The map indicates some winds blowing all around Hyperborea. Maybe they have a role to play in the way the waters behave, or not. I don't know.

It looks like you can actually venture to Hyperborea from any setting. A bit like travelling on the oceans through the mists and -bam- you end up in Hyperborea. Maybe this is detailed in the setting, I remember Jeff talking about the possibility to plug the setting to your homebrew. We'll see.

It would be funny if the world was hex-shaped. If it is, I hope there's some mythology explaining why written up in the setting notes.

If anyone would like to download the pdf of my pencil sketch Hyperborea map, it can be found here (http://www.sendspace.com/mysendspace/files.html). Indeed, the entire setting is hex shaped.

Thanks to Benoist for mentioning the map, and yes, please do note that the chicken scratchings of the author are not indicative of the quality mapping rendered by cartographer Andreas Claren.

Quote from: ghul;416186Hi fellows,

Thank you for the interest in my project. I'm pretty thick-skinned, so do feel free to continue to criticize my quoted post as you so choose. Also, if I can answer any questions, I'd be happy to do so.

Legerdemainist, as I perceive it, is one who practices legerdemain. Perhaps my nomenclature is awkward or unwieldy, but I've come to like the term.

Cheers,
Jeff T.

I look at it this way, Jeff: you've got some capital earned up from your great work on the Castle Zagyg line (sad is it was that ended prematurely). I'll at least give a look-see at anything you're producing. Plus, the setting sounds like it might work well with the setting I'm still tweaking!

Here's a question: it sounds like there's a lot of different stuff (21?) that's named as an option in combat.  How much of this is defined in the book vs. GM adjudication? Thanks!

I always look at rulesets as being better if they are setting specific; I'm quite pleased that you took the time to try to integrate many retrogame functions into the rules while adding/changing rules to (presumably) to match up better with the setting and the feel of that world.

1) What are the difference between the classes and the subclasses, or are all PCs supposed to be sub classes? If not, please include a snippet descriptor for them as well, as it will be vague otherwise.

2) No alchemist or Artificer?  Who makes items in this world?  If this is just a function of the Magician, would you say this skill will be purposely depowered in Hyperboria?

3) Pyromancers with no counterbalance class?  No water or weather specific magi? I can see the druid is somewhat elemental, but I am haing trouble figuring out the pyromancer being in the wizard camp alone, while the possible counterbalance spells are deilogic in nature.

4) Love your Bard description, and the makeup of the thief subs in general.  I am imagining thieve's guilds would have a few of many classes for different jobs.

5) Alignment system with good classes and no counterbalance on the evil side.  On purpose?  Setting specific?  Help me out.

6) I'll need to see the spell lists to really get a handle on the setting, and you don't mention what type of spell power/usage system tyou plan on using, which is really definitive in the feel/power curve equation.  I look forward to that.

I actually was using the TD Hypeborea 1 as background to my IRC game a few sessions ago.  Something you like as well?

I look forward to reading more.

Quote from: ghul;416186Also, if I can answer any questions, I'd be happy to do so.

How much playtesting is involved?

Quote from: Zachary The First;416340I look at it this way, Jeff: you've got some capital earned up from your great work on the Castle Zagyg line (sad is it was that ended prematurely). I'll at least give a look-see at anything you're producing. Plus, the setting sounds like it might work well with the setting I'm still tweaking!

That's very kind of you, Zachary, and thank you. It was a great honor to work with Mr. Gygax, because he was always an idol of mine. We got to be good pals in the process. I keep in touch with his sons, Ernie and Luke, and I will see them in March. But to tell you the truth, I can think of other gamers who might have done a better job than I did. I was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time when I was selected to develop CZ. How it turned out after Gary passed was indeed a shame.

QuoteHere's a question: it sounds like there's a lot of different stuff (21?) that's named as an option in combat.  How much of this is defined in the book vs. GM adjudication? Thanks!

The 21 combat actions are each defined. Some are simple in their function. For example there is one called Reckless Fighting / Conservative Fighting. The former provides a +1 "to hit" bonus at a -2 AC penalty; the latter provides a +1 AC bonus in exchange for a -2 "to hit" penalty.

I used the above example because it is perhaps one of the simpler combat actions, but each of these has some type of mechanical effect. It is the purview of the referee as to which combat actions are acceptable in his game, and when their implementation is appropriate. As a point of emphasis, we note that each combat action must be declared in advance before initiative is rolled. Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Jeff T.

Quote from: LordVreeg;416418I always look at rulesets as being better if they are setting specific; I'm quite pleased that you took the time to try to integrate many retrogame functions into the rules while adding/changing rules to (presumably) to match up better with the setting and the feel of that world.

Hi LV, and thanks. It sounds like we are on the same page regarding the above, because I not only agree with your statement, I have been using this sort of criteria as a design goal. :)

Quote1) What are the difference between the classes and the subclasses, or are all PCs supposed to be sub classes? If not, please include a snippet descriptor for them as well, as it will be vague otherwise.

I think you might have missed that part of the post Benoist quoted, but I realize it was a large post and that some info may have gotten buried.

Classes: There are four principal character classes.
• Fighter: a swordsman, bowman, or other warrior type.
• Magician: a sorcerer who studies magical tomes and casts spells.
• Cleric: an armed and armoured fighting sorcerer of mystical nature.
• Thief: a nimble swordsman possessed of numerous specialty skills.

Of course, these are the most minimalistic descriptions of each the classes.

Well, I was prepared to answer all your questions while sipping my coffee, but my 3 yr old daughter is crawling all over me... Be back later, or maybe not until tonight. ;)

Quote from: LordVreeg;4164182) No alchemist or Artificer?  Who makes items in this world?  If this is just a function of the Magician, would you say this skill will be purposely depowered in Hyperboria?

Yes, purposely depowered in Hyperborea. This is largely the purview of NPCs, otherworldly beings, and dwarfs, who are not Tolkien's dwarfs, but malign worms of the earth of strange and perverse predilections.  

Quote3) Pyromancers with no counterbalance class?  No water or weather specific magi? I can see the druid is somewhat elemental, but I am haing trouble figuring out the pyromancer being in the wizard camp alone, while the possible counterbalance spells are deilogic in nature.

I suppose we might not be of the same mind in this regard, LV. You see, I've never taken an interest in balance or counter-balance. In Hyperborea, the sun, referred to as Helios, is a massive red giant that never rises to a zentih, but ever remains at or near the horizon, bathing the realm in cool, scarlet light. Some sorcerers draw power from the sun, and the pyromancer (and yes, the druid, too) are among these. There are plenty of weather related spells, cast by magicians, clerics, druids, priests, shamans, etc.

Quote4) Love your Bard description, and the makeup of the thief subs in general.  I am imagining thieve's guilds would have a few of many classes for different jobs.

Exactly so. In the City-State of Khromarium, I have established much the same. The variation of the bard is a skald, a Viking version of the bard who does not use a musical instrument or song to effect his sorceries; rather, he employs kennings and sagas infused with sorcerous content.

Quote5) Alignment system with good classes and no counterbalance on the evil side.  On purpose?  Setting specific?  Help me out.

Well, certainly necromancers are largely Evil or, at their best, Neutral, and druids are Neutral with Evil leanings, so there are some classes that might be seen as Evil in the same sense that other classes might be viewed as Good. But again, I must stress that balancing the classes has not been part of my design criteria for this campaign setting and rules.

Quote6) I'll need to see the spell lists to really get a handle on the setting, and you don't mention what type of spell power/usage system tyou plan on using, which is really definitive in the feel/power curve equation.  I look forward to that.

If you can pardon me, I'm going to quote myself, because I just answered a very similar question at Dragonsfoot:

Spells [include] many standards that are associated with traditional RPG gaming, but some have been modified to fit the setting and others are new. Others still are derivative of other spells, or variants if you would. As I am hopelessly devoted to Vancian spell casting and view it as the finest method I have ever played, I am not inclined to try anything else, especially a spell point system. I understand the allure, but it is not to my preference. One thing I would mention that is different is how movement can work in conjunction with spell casting. Combat utilizes a 5-phase sequence in which a level 1-3 spell can be cast on phase 1 (stationary caster), phase 3 (1/2 move caster), phase 5 (full move caster); a level 4-6 spell can be cast on phase 3 (stationary caster), or phase 5 (1/2 move caster).

QuoteI actually was using the TD Hypeborea 1 as background to my IRC game a few sessions ago.  Something you like as well?

Hey, I like Tangerine Dream, too, especially the soundtrack to the movie Legend (the only Tom Cruise movie I like, perhaps). It was years later that I learned that Tangerine Dream was hired to provide the soundtrack after the director, Ridley Scott) decided to ditch a goodly amount of the Jerry Goldsmith. As a YES fan, too, I liked hearing Jon Anderson singing with TD. So, yes, I like it. ;)

QuoteI look forward to reading more.

Thank you.  It means a lot to me to know some folks are interested in the project.

Cheers,
Jeff T.

Quote from: ColonelHardisson;416635How much playtesting is involved?

Hi Colonel H.,

Playtesting has been going on for about two years now. It is confined to select fellow gamers I'm friendly with, and of course my own group which just completed its 66th session of play last week. As this game is derivative of traditional Gygaxian gaming methods, there are many procedures that have not required extensive testing, simply because they are procedures that have been used by gamers for decades now. Where innovation is concerned, we have worked hard to test, revise, test, and revise again. Benoist has kindly offered to be a reader/tester of the soon to be complete final beta of the game before I send it off to my editor.

Cheers,
Jeff T.

Hi Jeff,

Can you talk about layout for a minute?  Are we looking at a more modern-style, easily-referenced book, or (as much as I love it) AD&D DMG reference, where you're digging in the book to find the right tables/modifiers?

Speaking of modifiers, how many reference tables or charts can we expect to find?

Thanks again!

Quote from: Zachary The First;417001Hi Jeff,

Can you talk about layout for a minute?  Are we looking at a more modern-style, easily-referenced book, or (as much as I love it) AD&D DMG reference, where you're digging in the book to find the right tables/modifiers?

Hi Zach,

I am hopeful that information will be easier to locate than, say, the AD&D DMG. Me? I know where everything is in the AD&D DMG, but this is due to 30 years of looking at that book. I understand some folks have trouble finding their way around it, and I'd like to believe that I am working towards having a presentation that is easy and intuitive to reference.

QuoteSpeaking of modifiers, how many reference tables or charts can we expect to find?

Thanks again!

There are many tables and charts, but they are mostly not modifier related. I feel that tables and charts are excellent forms of conveying information to the reader. It is easily accessed and processed. When procedures are buried in thick paragraphs of text, I feel they are more difficult to work with. Of course, this can be unavoidable in some instances, particularly when a spell is complicated, but largely I prefer to table and chart information when possible; or, in many cases, have blocks of text that are supported by the presence of a table. Actually you bring up a good example, Zach. Attack roll modifiers are listed on a table; then, below the table they are more clearly defined in text form.

Cheers,
Jeff T.

Quote from: Zachary The First;416340...you've got some capital earned up from your great work on the Castle Zagyg line (sad is it was that ended prematurely). I'll at least give a look-see at anything you're producing...

I agree.  And "Charnel Crypt of the Sightless Serpent" was very good as well!  So I will definitely check out the core AS&SH book.

I would be curious to know, however, roughly what percentage of the book will be devoted to the rules, and what percentage will be devoted to the setting?

Quote from: Akrasia;418068I agree.  And "Charnel Crypt of the Sightless Serpent" was very good as well!  So I will definitely check out the core AS&SH book.

I would be curious to know, however, roughly what percentage of the book will be devoted to the rules, and what percentage will be devoted to the setting?

Hi Akrasia,

At the early going of AS&SH development, I waffled between having the rules as setting-less with the idea of devoting later chapters to the setting, but at some point I came to accept that there are enough setting-less rules out there that are traditional in scope -- LL, S&W, OSRIC, BFRPG, etc. So, I resolved to infuse the setting into the rules, though decidedly in lightly flavoured manner.

Despite the large amount of time I have devoted to rules development, discussion, and play-test, I feel that the strongest component of this game is its setting. So, the goal has been this: the rules support the setting, and the setting supports the rules. On the surface it may seem that the rules comprise 80% or even more of this game, but when you look under the hood, as it were, you'd see that classes, races, spells, monsters, and treasure are all components of the setting; i.e. not just those chapters that specifically cover the setting itself. In essence, these are the rules for playing Hyperborea, so Hyperborea is included throughout the work.

Thank you for the kind words and the genuine interest. It's important to me.

Cheers,
Jeff T.

Thanks for the info, Ghul.  Sounds like it'll be a great read!

Ghul's been posting some new pieces of art from Ian Baggley for AS&SH:

(http://enrill.net/images/art/ASSH01b.jpg)

(http://enrill.net/images/art/ASSH02b.jpg)

Those are very cool.

From his surcoat, I think that guy with the ray gun may secretly work for Avalon Hill ;):

(http://www.mobygames.com/images/i/47/14/450014.jpeg)

This Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers looks very appealing.

Quote from: Benoist;461024Ghul's been posting some new pieces of art from Ian Baggley for AS&SH:

(http://enrill.net/images/art/ASSH01b.jpg)

(http://enrill.net/images/art/ASSH02b.jpg)

While I am, admittedly, not big on retroclones...I gotta say, I dig the feel of the art.

Quote from: Philotomy Jurament;461027Those are very cool.

From his surcoat, I think that guy with the ray gun may secretly work for Avalon Hill ;):

(http://www.mobygames.com/images/i/47/14/450014.jpeg)

What IS with the ray gun, anyway?

Quote from: Dan Davenport;461036What IS with the ray gun, anyway?

Maybe that dude's a plane-hopping veteran of an expedition to the Barrier Peaks.

AS&SH is a pulp + fantasy game in that it intends to draw from both barbarians-and-sorcerers fiction and mad-scientists-and-mind-rays fiction. So the laser is not an accident there.

Thanks for the kind words, fellows!

@Benoist -- Thank you kindly for posting the pictures.
@Dan Davenport -- Yes, melan's answer is spot on.

Cheers,
Jeff T.

Quote from: ghul;461092Thanks for the kind words, fellows!

@Benoist -- Thank you kindly for posting the pictures.
@Dan Davenport -- Yes, melan's answer is spot on.

Cheers,
Jeff T.

Huh. Interesting. And I'm pleased that armor provides damage reduction.

Just let me know if you need a review. :)

Quote from: Dan Davenport;461100Huh. Interesting. And I'm pleased that armor provides damage reduction.

Just let me know if you need a review. :)

Pretty critical for me as well.

That's some pretty snazzy looking artwork - I'm looking forward to seeing more!

Quote from: Dan Davenport;461100Huh. Interesting. And I'm pleased that armor provides damage reduction.

Just let me know if you need a review. :)

That's very kind of you, Dan. Thanks.

Quote from: LordVreeg;461118Pretty critical for me as well.

I run at least one or two public events for this system per year, LV, and as it appears we may be within an hour of each other (I'm in Southern NH), perhaps we can toss some dice together at a con or store event in the near future.

Quote from: ghul;461168I run at least one or two public events for this system per year, LV, and as it appears we may be within an hour of each other (I'm in Southern NH), perhaps we can toss some dice together at a con or store event in the near future.

A good plan.
I lived in Portsmouth, Dover, Durham, Nashua, Milford, Wilton, and Hudson, at different times.

I tell, you, I actually have not played in anyone elses game since ...a while.  I have 2 homebrew systems I work with (Guildschool for Celtricia, and Accis), and I love talking system.  I think it would be fun to get together and talk Hyperboria.

That is some nice art...

RPGpundit

Those are very cool pictures.

I like the idea of taking out a Nazgul with a laser gun! :D

Obviously there's a lady beneath that nail keg helm...

My D&D clone/variant needs are already pretty well met. If Dan reviews it and gives it a good writeup then I'll check it out. Otherwise, best of luck and I'm glad to hear it has lasers as well as swords.

Yeah, calling AS&SH a 'clone' really doesn't do it justice. It's not a clone.

Every single area of the rules is pretty much its own thing, and yet it's very recognizable as traditional AD&D-like role playing. I would call it a variant. With its specific rules, alternate classes, alternate everything, its own setting and so on, it is to O/AD&D what Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed was to 3rd edition (that's meant as a compliment, for those who don't know MCAU), more or less.

Quote from: Benoist;461445Every single area of the rules is pretty much its own thing, and yet it's very recognizable as traditional AD&D-like role playing. I would call it a variant. With its specific rules, alternate classes, alternate everything, its own setting and so on, it is to O/AD&D what Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed was to 3rd edition (that's meant as a compliment, for those who don't know MCAU), more or less.

Now there's a pitch that piques my interest! :D I'll be looking forward to it.

Bumping for public interest. Several people have shown some interest for AS&SH, and the game deserves it.

Does this have a release date yet?

Quote from: ghul;418163So, the goal has been this: the rules support the setting, and the setting supports the rules.

I wish more designers were aware of how setting can be presented through rules and that the rules you present often imply setting anyway.

So when can I pre-order the fucker?

Quote from: CRKrueger;557039So when can I pre-order the fucker?

(http://www.matthewratzloff.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/take-my-money.jpg)

The magic systems look really interesting, that might be enough to inspire a look in. I'm honestly a bit satiated with all of the S&S stuff that's been coming out - it'd be nice to see some different kind of fantasy.

And to raise a dead horse... This is English, one of the great bastard languages of all time. Alongside words like "de-plane" and "television", "legerdemainist" is just English doing what English does - whacking a couple of disparate stems together. Sure there will be some weird pronunciations, but hell, 2 out of 4 people at our table can't pronounce Paladin.

Quote from: CRKrueger;557039So when can I pre-order the fucker?

Quote from: jedimastert;556986Does this have a release date yet?

Right now the game's layout is done, it's gone through editing, player's manual and referee manual have been printed for final corrections. David M. Prata, the editor on the project, is either finishing the ultimate proof of the text as we speak or he's done already. Then it's printing and shipping for those who have supported the kickstarter.

From there, the games are open. I'll ask Jeffrey what he intends to do for the general public, but things are moving along, and you will see this game for yourselves soon.

Hello fellows,

Ben, thank you for mentioning the AS&SH game here at the RPGSite. Much appreciated. Your enthusiasm for the game is very encouraging, and I do hope the final printed product meets your expectations.

Re: Pre-orders and release dates:

I will be happy to extend our Kickstarter Copper Support tier until this Friday, the 13th.

The details can be found here:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1806106772/astonishing-swordsmen-and-sorcerers-of-hyperborea

However, this will have to be through Paypal: $50 (free shipping USA, $3 Canada, $5 elsewhere). If you are interested, contact me at the following email address:

jptATswordsmen-and-sorcerers.com.

It is likely that booklet printing will begin this Saturday the 14th, and shipping afterwards. The other components of the game are ready: maps, dice, character sheets, boxes.

At some point very soon, official orders will be available through our web site, but these will be at standard shipping rates.

I hope that helps!

Cheers,
Jeff Talanian

EDIT: Ben, as of this post, I see I have 45 posts and you have 16,045!

Everything is now ready: boxes, dice, character sheets, maps. The booklets are being printed today. Sample page spread from the Player's Manual:

(http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp161/ghul576/PM_22-23.jpg)

Quote from: ghul;557887I will be happy to extend our Kickstarter Copper Support tier until this Friday, the 13th.

Thanks for extending the kickstarter, I wasn't aware of this project before time ran out!

The sample page looks good.  Feel free to send me a review copy.

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;563521The sample page looks good.  Feel free to send me a review copy.

RPGPundit

It does, indeed, look awesome. Nicely done.

I'm keeping an eye out for this one.

I can't help but notice that there's a "casting ability" number. I'm a sucker for D&D variants which introduce spell failure mechanics (it can't be "proper" S&S without magic blowing on the caster's face every now and then, now, can it). I've tried cooking up spell failure house rules of my own but it's a thin line between nerfing the magic-user into oblivion vs. spell failure chances so low that the mechanic seldom comes into play.

DCC has a very nice casting roll mecahnic, but it does complicate creating and converting new spells immensely. Every single spell needs a fairly detailed table. (In retrospect it's no more difficult than cooking up a random encounter table, but it's still more footwork than most editions of D&D.)

Also, the art really is amazing. I am really looking forward to see what the final product will look like.

Also color me impressed with that sample page. I really like how the cleric looks like they stepped right out of a museum.

Quote from: The Butcher;563601I'm keeping an eye out for this one.

I can't help but notice that there's a "casting ability" number. I'm a sucker for D&D variants which introduce spell failure mechanics (it can't be "proper" S&S without magic blowing on the caster's face every now and then, now, can it). I've tried cooking up spell failure house rules of my own but it's a thin line between nerfing the magic-user into oblivion vs. spell failure chances so low that the mechanic seldom comes into play.

DCC has a very nice casting roll mecahnic, but it does complicate creating and converting new spells immensely. Every single spell needs a fairly detailed table. (In retrospect it's no more difficult than cooking up a random encounter table, but it's still more footwork than most editions of D&D.)

Also, the art really is amazing. I am really looking forward to see what the final product will look like.

Yeah, in my skill based game, it was easy.  We assigned a success % to each spell based oin the diffculty, and each spell skill had a spell success bonus as a sub skill.  and if the players wanted to pour more spell points into the spell to increase the success, that is always allowed.

Quote from: LordVreeg;563731skill based game

That's cheating. I want spell failure for D&D. :D

Quote from: The Butcher;563949That's cheating. I want spell failure for D&D. :D

Boost the 'Chance to know Spell' by maybe 5-10% and roll that each time they cast.  I wouldn't advise using it as is; casting a known spell should be easier than learning a new one.

Chainsaw from Knights & Knaves received the boxed set and posted some pics.

Quote from: ChainsawWell, well, well... look what I got in the mail today!  :mrgreen:

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A1.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A2.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A3.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A4.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A5.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A6.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A7.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A8.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A9.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A10-1.jpg)

More pics from Chainsaw...

Quote from: Chainsaw(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A10-2.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A10-3.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A10-4.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A11-1.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A11-2.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A12-1.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A13-3.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A12-3.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A13-1.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A12-2.jpg)

More pics...

Quote from: Chainsaw(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A13-2.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A13-4.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A14-1.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A14-2.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A15-1.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A15-2.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A15-3.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A16-1.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A16-2.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/A16-3.jpg)

I just watched Bakshi and Frazetta's Fire & Ice last night, and suddenly this looks interesting to me.

Bloody awesome, can't wait. Bikini chick with a kukri and laser dude fighting the hydra. That's what I wanna play.

Fucking A, I just wept a little (as a choir of angels thrashed guitar solos in the background). I want a copy, or twelve! NOW!

Must... find... all my... myth metal... and Frazetta, Vallejo, Bell poster art! Need Cheetos, Dew, and primo dank stat!

Glad you guys like the pics. Thanks for posting them, Ben.

Quote from: languagegeek;566661Bloody awesome, can't wait. Bikini chick with a kukri and laser dude fighting the hydra. That's what I wanna play.

This will probably make you jealous then! I had that piece commissioned from Ian Baggley and, thankfully, he and Jeff liked it enough to include it.


The angle here is not great, but you can see the original hydra pic on the left and then the cleric pic on the right. The cleric pic was a pledge level perk.
(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af303/Chainsaw78/2012-07-16_20-11-02_547.jpg)

Zombie with an assault rifle? I have got to hear the background of this setting. :)

Thanks for posting this Donovan. And by the way...

I hate you, mate. I am so jealous right now! :D

These are some sweet, sweet pieces of art my friend.

Have you framed them since you took those shots? :)

Quote from: Benoist;567060Thanks for posting this Donovan. And by the way...

I hate you, mate. I am so jealous right now! :D[/quote

These are some sweet, sweet pieces of art my friend.

Have you framed them since you took those shots? :)

Glad you like them! I have not yet had them framed, unfortunately. Soon, though, very soon.

Quote from: Chainsaw;567065Glad you like them! I have not yet had them framed, unfortunately. Soon, though, very soon.

It's hard to tell, but has the corpse lying in the muck got two knives sticking in his back? I wonder if the rest of the party "sacrificed" him as a diversionary tactic.

Quote from: Dan Davenport;567050Zombie with an assault rifle? I have got to hear the background of this setting. :)

Hyperborea is a continent "beyond the North Wind", which could mean a number of things in your own campaign. It could be a different plane from the one the PCs come from, a realm that is cut off by mysterious seas from the rest of the world, etc.

What is known is that different beings came to prominence in the history of Hyperborea at various times. The Great Race, the Mi-Go, the Elder Things have left ruins and artefacts behind them in the distant past. Snake Men are known to have commanded great power over science and sorcery until their Empire came into conflict with the beings of the oceans' depths. The Beast Men did rule Hyperborea as well before they evolved into different semi-intelligent species. And there is of course the mighty Hyperborean Sorcerer-Kings themselves, the progeny of the Boread giants, who have ruled the land themselves until their civilization entered a slow drift towards an unavoilable death following the great catastrophies born from the Ashen Worm and the Emerald Death much later...

Various people live in Hyperborea, from the Kelts and Kimmerians to the Picts and Vikings, the Atlanteans and the Esquimaux... some people even say there are Saxons, Moors, Romans and Yakuts roaming the land, exiled from their own times and seas to the North Wind which lead them there, to Hyperborea, to try and survive as best they can in that foreign land of swords and sorcery...

Oh yeah man. Hyperborea is cool alright...

Quote from: Benoist;567069Oh yeah man. Hyperborea is cool alright...

Certainly sounds that way. :)

Are there dinosaurs? :)

Quote from: Dan Davenport;567077Certainly sounds that way. :)

Are there dinosaurs? :)

Not in the Monsters section that I remember, but importing them from AD&D should not be a problem at all, and thematically, they could totally fit, depending on the specs of your campaign.

Looks pretty impressive.  Maybe they'll want to send me a review copy...

RPGPundit

It's a genuine labor of love.

It's a traditional role playing game, and yet it's really its own thing throughout, thanks in no small part to the setting of Hyperborea and how it brings some components of the source fiction we all know about (like the Elder Things and the Snake People that ruled the world before us, or the Atlanteans and Lemurian people of legend, the planets gravitating around Hyperborea like Kyranos, Yuggoth - I'm sure these names click for many of you here, and they should!) and yet manages to create a world that is both original and coherent, and yet broad and welcoming personal input enough that you DM can take it from there into whatever direction you want to go with your campaign (I was thinking of using Hyperborea as part of the CoC Dreamlands in a CoC/OAD&D crossover idea I had, for instance).

Lots of bits have been added to the rules we all know. They create their own coherent paradigm that is clearly related to some specific iterations of the D&D game (I'm thinking AD&D 1e in many respects, and OD&D in some others) you can use as is, or in part by picking and choosing some specific resolution mechanic or class or whatnot to add it into the vintage D&D game you prefer.

It's hard for me not to be going all out raving about it, seriously. I just think it's a genuinely good game that deserved to be out there for people to enjoy because it's GOOD, and it's going to bring lots of fun hours of play to lots of game tables in the future, hopefully.

Quote from: languagegeek;567066It's hard to tell, but has the corpse lying in the muck got two knives sticking in his back? I wonder if the rest of the party "sacrificed" him as a diversionary tactic.

Ha! I'm afraid it's not quite that sinister - in larger images, it's clear that those are two scrolls tucked in his belt.

Quote from: languagegeek;567066It's hard to tell, but has the corpse lying in the muck got two knives sticking in his back? I wonder if the rest of the party "sacrificed" him as a diversionary tactic.

Ha! I'm afraid it's not quite that sinister - in larger images, it's clear that those are two scrolls tucked in his belt. :)

AS&SH is now available for download on RPGnow for $10 US. Direct link to the AS&SH download on RPGnow. (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/104296/Astonishing-Swordsmen-%26-Sorcerers-of-Hyperborea)

Quote from: Benoist;569501AS&SH is now available for download on RPGnow for $10 US.

I just picked it up.

Quote from: Benoist;569501AS&SH is now available for download on RPGnow for $10 US. Direct link to the AS&SH download on RPGnow. (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/104296/Astonishing-Swordsmen-%26-Sorcerers-of-Hyperborea)

Do you have contact information for the author?

Quote from: Benoist;569501AS&SH is now available for download on RPGnow for $10 US. Direct link to the AS&SH download on RPGnow. (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/104296/Astonishing-Swordsmen-%26-Sorcerers-of-Hyperborea)

There's Taun-Tauns?!?!

Right on!

Lot's of classy pics of demon boobs as well!

Nyooo! Not after I already budgeted my broke-ass self into oblivion! Nyooooooooo!

... Oh, it's just $10. I think I can starve for that. *puts organic endive & arugula pre-made salad back on shelf*

The artwork is spectacular and I've already spotted one Nazareth album cover.

Quote from: Dan Davenport;569515Do you have contact information for the author?

Yes. See this page. (http://www.swordsmen-and-sorcerers.com/contact)

Quote from: Planet Algol;569537The artwork is spectacular and I've already spotted one Nazareth album cover.

Everything about this game is spectacular. Dig in my friend.

I'm cautiously optimistic. If he's addressed the required roles in D&D (that should NOT be in an S&S game), I'd be all over this. If it's just D&D with minor tweaks, I'll skip it.

Also, more tentacles? Yawn.

(I do think Jeff is a decent guy, so I hope the game does well for him. However, I think he's about a year too late for this to be very successful).

I demand more information!

Quote from: The Butcher;569577I demand more information!

What do you want to know?

You could try reading this thread if you've forgotten about it. There's quite a lot of information here already.

Morale scores, treasure type, # appearing for monsters? Check!

Would have liked more new monsters, but I like how the classic D&D monster spread was adapted for Hyperborea.

It's #1 at the moment on RPGnow. That's fairly impressive.

*glances at his review copy*

There are Mi-Go.

And crabmen. With laser pistols.

Sweeeet. :D

Quote from: Dan Davenport;570036It's #1 at the moment on RPGnow. That's fairly impressive.

That's really cool! The game deserves it! :)

Quote from: Benoist;570060That's really cool! The game deserves it! :)

Sure looks that way so far.

Thanks for the contact info, Benoist. The author seems like a really cool guy. I'm getting him hooked up with an #rpgnet Q&A session in the next month or so.

Quote from: Dan Davenport;570051*glances at his review copy*

There are Mi-Go.

And crabmen. With laser pistols.

Sweeeet. :D

(http://vipdictionary.com/img/16692-010846-6745f7fa9ec1ef99a87d18e6416407ef.jpg)

;)

Quote from: Dan Davenport;570061Sure looks that way so far.

Thanks for the contact info, Benoist. The author seems like a really cool guy. I'm getting him hooked up with an #rpgnet Q&A session in the next month or so.

You're welcome, Dan. Glad to be of service. And Jeffrey Talanian is a good guy, yes. :)

Quote from: Dan Davenport;570051*glances at his review copy*

There are Mi-Go.

And crabmen. With laser pistols.

Sweeeet. :D

Kick ass.

RPGPundit

Quote from: Benoist;570063You're welcome, Dan. Glad to be of service. And Jeffrey Talanian is a good guy, yes. :)

Then we need to get him posting on here!

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;570162Then we need to get him posting on here!

RPGPundit

He does. You can see his posts on this thread earlier (user name: Ghul). He's just swamped right now since he's doing the shipping of the boxes himself. It's gonna take a bit of time but he's very aware of the interest about the game on the RPG Site. He's going to show up again soon. :)

Excellent.  We'll see if he feels like daring a Pundit review.

RPGPundit

$10 PDF Pundit.... Support the Scene!

Quote from: Planet Algol;570213$10 PDF Pundit.... Support the Scene!

I get what you're saying, but he does support the scene. He reviews.

And if he's anything like me, he finds himself with a peculiar "problem": he gets so many review copies that he feels awkward buying any games, because reading something he's bought means he's not reading something someone's waiting on him to review.

Quote from: Dan Davenport;570215I get what you're saying, but he does support the scene. He reviews.

And if he's anything like me, he finds himself with a peculiar "problem": he gets so many review copies that he feels awkward buying any games, because reading something he's bought means he's not reading something someone's waiting on him to review.

I find that I HAVE to review anything I buy in order to find time to read it.

Quote from: Tommy Brownell;570225I find that I HAVE to review anything I buy in order to find time to read it.

Not me, bro. If they want me to review it, they can send me a review copy of it. If I buy it, the transaction is done.

Quote from: Dan Davenport;570332Not me, bro. If they want me to review it, they can send me a review copy of it. If I buy it, the transaction is done.

My point is that if I buy something and don't review it, I never take the time to read it (with everything else I'm juggling at any given time).

Quote from: Tommy Brownell;570417My point is that if I buy something and don't review it, I never take the time to read it (with everything else I'm juggling at any given time).

Ah. Gotcha.

If I buy a game, I won't be reviewing it.  And an RPGPundit review is generally going to generate more sales for you than the 1 sale that me buying a game would provide.  It makes more sense for a game designer to send me a free review copy than to hope I'll buy his game.

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;570704If I buy a game, I won't be reviewing it.  And an RPGPundit review is generally going to generate more sales for you than the 1 sale that me buying a game would provide.  It makes more sense for a game designer to send me a free review copy than to hope I'll buy his game.

RPGPundit

Yeah... I'd like to think the same rule applies to a Davenport review. I'm operating under that theory, at least. :p

This is my favorite part of it so far:

Quote"...and the spring years are remarkable for a species of fire beetles (oft called jigs) that cavort about the bogs, scores upon scores emitting their fulvous phosphorescence, as the standing males "jig" on their hind legs in most ostentatious displays."

I'm the sort of dork that cracks up every time I think of that passage.

Quote from: Tommy Brownell;566625I just watched Bakshi and Frazetta's Fire & Ice last night, and suddenly this looks interesting to me.

Hello fellows,

Sorry it's taken me so long to log in here at theRPGsite. I appreciate the interest in AS&SH, and I want to start responding to the recent messages. I'll start with Tommy's, above: Yes! You mention an animated film that is very dear to me, resonating with me in a way that Thundarr always did. :)

Quote from: Chainsaw;567043Glad you guys like the pics. Thanks for posting them, Ben.

Indeed! Thanks for taking the pics, Chainsaw, and thanks to Ben for taking the time to post them here.

Cheers,
Jeff T.

Quote from: Dan Davenport;567050Zombie with an assault rifle? I have got to hear the background of this setting. :)

Well, now that you have the PDF, Dan, and will eventually have the print version, I would refer you to Vol. VI: Hyperborea Gazetteer for the bulk of the background information, but there are many bits sprinkled about the character classes, monsters, treasure, and so on. I do appreciate your interest, so thank you.

Quote from: ghul;571856Well, now that you have the PDF, Dan, and will eventually have the print version, I would refer you to Vol. VI: Hyperborea Gazetteer for the bulk of the background information, but there are many bits sprinkled about the character classes, monsters, treasure, and so on. I do appreciate your interest, so thank you.

I'm loving what I've read so far. :)

Quote from: Benoist;567085Not in the Monsters section that I remember, but importing them from AD&D should not be a problem at all, and thematically, they could totally fit, depending on the specs of your campaign.

Inspired by CAS's Hyperborea led me to include some Pleistocene beasts, such as mammoths, ground sloths, saber-toothed cats, aurochs, and more. One of my favorite creatures is the 6-limbed smilodon superior.

There is also the archaeopteryx; oh, and I forgot, there are pterodactyls, too. Nothing really Jurassic Period , if that's what you are looking for, but there are many allusions to Underborea where perhaps dinosaurs may thrive. ;)

Quote from: RPGPundit;567117Looks pretty impressive.  Maybe they'll want to send me a review copy...

RPGPundit

Your reviews are highly regarded, and would be a fool to ignore your request to receive a review copy, but at the moment I'm afraid I am swamped trying to fulfill Kickstarter pre-orders, and these must be honored first. Would you, for now, settle for a PDF?

Also, do you really live in Uruguay, because the game weighs over 4 lbs. and shipping would cost just under $48. I know. Ridiculous.

Quote from: Benoist;567124It's a genuine labor of love.

It's a traditional role playing game, and yet it's really its own thing throughout, thanks in no small part to the setting of Hyperborea and how it brings some components of the source fiction we all know about (like the Elder Things and the Snake People that ruled the world before us, or the Atlanteans and Lemurian people of legend, the planets gravitating around Hyperborea like Kyranos, Yuggoth - I'm sure these names click for many of you here, and they should!) and yet manages to create a world that is both original and coherent, and yet broad and welcoming personal input enough that you DM can take it from there into whatever direction you want to go with your campaign (I was thinking of using Hyperborea as part of the CoC Dreamlands in a CoC/OAD&D crossover idea I had, for instance).

Lots of bits have been added to the rules we all know. They create their own coherent paradigm that is clearly related to some specific iterations of the D&D game (I'm thinking AD&D 1e in many respects, and OD&D in some others) you can use as is, or in part by picking and choosing some specific resolution mechanic or class or whatnot to add it into the vintage D&D game you prefer.

It's hard for me not to be going all out raving about it, seriously. I just think it's a genuinely good game that deserved to be out there for people to enjoy because it's GOOD, and it's going to bring lots of fun hours of play to lots of game tables in the future, hopefully.

Ben, your enthusiasm is infectious! Thank you so much for your positive words and encouragement -- it is appreciated.

I've spoken with more than one patron who has mentioned an intention to use Hyperborea as a plane, and I find this to be excellent.

Cheers,
Jeff T.

Quote from: Benoist;569501AS&SH is now available for download on RPGnow for $10 US. Direct link to the AS&SH download on RPGnow. (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/104296/Astonishing-Swordsmen-%26-Sorcerers-of-Hyperborea)

Yes, and thank you kindly for the plug. And thank you to any of my gaming peers here at the RPGsite who have taken a chance on the PDF.

Quote from: danbuter;569560I'm cautiously optimistic. If he's addressed the required roles in D&D (that should NOT be in an S&S game), I'd be all over this. If it's just D&D with minor tweaks, I'll skip it.

Also, more tentacles? Yawn.

(I do think Jeff is a decent guy, so I hope the game does well for him. However, I think he's about a year too late for this to be very successful).

Hey, thanks Dan, and no offense taken. Perhaps AS&SH is not for you, as it is indeed built on the foundation built by Gygax and his fellows, so if you've had your fill of that niche, I can see why you might not be overly enthused about AS&SH.

I've read some criticisms of the game so far that have me curious: Is there an S&S RPG that universally appeals to fans of pulp era weird fiction? See, for me, Hobbits in such a game are a deal breaker, but recently I've read a few criticisms of my RPG that would call into question Vancian magic and other odds and ends that I find perfectly acceptable. Others seem to feel that an S&S game absolutely requires a sanity mechanic; I don't quite understand why. I do enjoy the CoC RPG, by the by, but I suppose I never appreciated the expectations it imposes on other RPGs that would dare use the term "weird" in their descriptions.

Quote from: Dan Davenport;570061Sure looks that way so far.

Thanks for the contact info, Benoist. The author seems like a really cool guy. I'm getting him hooked up with an #rpgnet Q&A session in the next month or so.

Yes, I'd be delighted! Thank you for the invite. I'm looking forward to perusing past Q&A sessions and perhaps taking part in one as well. I'm flattered that you would be interested in having me participate, Dan.

Cheers,
Jeff T.

Quote from: RPGPundit;570205Excellent.  We'll see if he feels like daring a Pundit review.

RPGPundit

Even if you did not find the game favorable, it would not hurt my feelings. I'm not saying that I don't care, because of course I'd like you to like it, but about 10 years ago, someone taught me a lesson regarding criticisms that I will never forget: It is the work that is being criticized, not the man.

Quote from: Planet Algol;571035This is my favorite part of it so far:

"...and the spring years are remarkable for a species of fire beetles (oft called jigs) that cavort about the bogs, scores upon scores emitting their fulvous phosphorescence, as the standing males "jig" on their hind legs in most ostentatious displays."

I'm the sort of dork that cracks up every time I think of that passage.

Ha! That is too funny that you zeroed in on that passage as a favorite of yours, but having read your blog for over a year now, and having a good idea about what kind of stuff galvanizes you, it really should not surprise me. The concept of the "jigs" is inspired by Vance. ;)

Quote from: Dan Davenport;571858I'm loving what I've read so far. :)

That's very kind of you, Dan. I'm happy to hear it. Thanks for taking the time to look it over.

Cheers,
Jeff T.

How does the game handle skills beyond thief abilities and the like?

Come to that, how does it handle someone other than a thief trying to climb something, for example?

Quote from: ghul;571861Your reviews are highly regarded, and would be a fool to ignore your request to receive a review copy, but at the moment I'm afraid I am swamped trying to fulfill Kickstarter pre-orders, and these must be honored first. Would you, for now, settle for a PDF?

Also, do you really live in Uruguay, because the game weighs over 4 lbs. and shipping would cost just under $48. I know. Ridiculous.

You'd certainly be welcome to send me a PDF, but I don't actually do full reviews of PDF products (or I'd be absolutely swamped).  Anyways, there's no special hurry on my end, obviously.

And yes, I do really live in Uruguay; that's a pretty crazy shipping cost; is that just by regular mail? I imagine a courier would be more costly still.

RPGPundit

Another neat tidbit:

Rangers aren't trained to hunt humanoids.

They're trained to hunt Mythos races.

Quote from: danbuter;415918I have to agree. The clone field is overfull now. With ASSH and Goodman both still to come.

Reminds me of the 3.x days of d20 gluttony.

Quote from: RPGPundit;572192And yes, I do really live in Uruguay; that's a pretty crazy shipping cost; is that just by regular mail? I imagine a courier would be more costly still.

RPGPundit

Indeed. Packages over 4 lbs. (this game weighs about 4 lbs., 4 oz.) must be shipped Priority International. To your country it thus costs $47.95 to ship using the flat rate shipping in a medium sized box.

ASTONISHING SWORDSMEN & SORCERERS of HYPERBOREA

A Role-Playing Game of Swords, Sorcery, and Weird Fantasy

(http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp161/ghul576/ASSHBOXCOVER.jpg)

ASTONISHING SWORDSMEN & SORCERERS of HYPERBOREA™ is sword-and-sorcery role-playing at its pinnacle. Play an Amazon fighter, Atlantean magician, Esquimaux shaman, Hyperborean warlock, Ixian necromancer, Keltic barbarian, Kimmerian cataphract, Pictish thief, Viking berserker, or one of many other possibilities.

The heroes of a HYPERBOREA campaign delve the mazes and labyrinths of vast dungeons filled with horrifying monsters, lethal traps, and bewildering puzzles. They explore savage frontiers, breach hostile borderlands, probe ancient ruins, and investigate cursed tombs. They plunder for treasure and magic in a decaying world inhabited by bloodthirsty beasts and weird, otherworldly beings.

Explore endless challenges and infinite realms of imagination with this complete sword-and-sorcery role-playing game!

Text: Jeffrey Talanian
Illustrations: Ian Baggley
Editing: David Prata
Cartography: Andreas Claren
Box Cover Art: Charles Lang
Box Cover Design: James Kramer
Foreword by Stuart Marshall

Rules: An OGL-based game informed by the original 1974 fantasy wargame and miniatures campaign rules as conceived by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
Milieux: Sword-and-sorcery setting inspired by the fantastic literature of Robert Ervin Howard, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, and Clark Ashton Smith.
Product Type: Complete role-playing game designed for 2 or more players.
Product Format: 8 x 10 x 2.5-inch boxed set that includes a 252-page, 7 x 8.5-inch, spiral-bound Players' Manual; 236-page, 7 x 8.5-inch, spiral-bound Referee's Manual; a 22 x 28-inch poster map of Hyperborea, 6 character sheets, and 6 polyhedral dice.
Product Code: NWA101
Product Price: $50.00
Product Availability: Available Now!(*) Order at our Online Store (http://www.swordsmen-and-sorcerers.com/store). Also available in PDF, for $10.00, exclusively at RPGNow (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/104296/Astonishing-Swordsmen-%26-Sorcerers-of-Hyperborea).

(*)Please note the following: Although the AS&SH game is now shipping to pre-order customers, we do not expect general sales orders to begin shipping until early October 2012.

I read through the 250 pages of the Players' Manual in one day. I haven't been sucked into a pure rules book like this for quite some time.

I'm starting reading volume V right now (p. 120 of the Referee's Manual).

Quote from: ghul;574154Product Availability: Available Now!(*) Order at our Online Store (http://www.swordsmen-and-sorcerers.com/store). Also available in PDF, for $10.00, exclusively at RPGNow (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/104296/Astonishing-Swordsmen-%26-Sorcerers-of-Hyperborea).

Yesss. :D

Must... resist... buying... another... D&D... clone... gaah

Quote from: The Butcher;574283Must... resist... buying... another... D&D... clone... gaah

You are doing yourself a disservice by resisting. You know it. ;)

Quote from: Benoist;574292You are doing yourself a disservice by resisting. You know it. ;)

You know, at $50 plus $48 international shipping, resisting is going to be considerably easier than I predicted. :(

If, however, I chance upon it in some FLGS during my North American sojourn, I will break down and take it home.

Quote from: The Butcher;574297$48 international shipping

For that, the Brazilian PO better deliver it on Adriana Lima's tits.

Hm. I wonder what the shipping cost would be from Canada. Maybe if we organize ourselves and somehow find a way to transit the games through a place with lighter shipping charges to South America that would work?

Quote from: Benoist;574322Hm. I wonder what the shipping cost would be from Canada. Maybe if we organize ourselves and somehow find a way to transit the games through a place with lighter shipping charges to South America that would work?

Holy shit I just tried to see with Canada post. Shipping the box to me would cost $33 US. But then me shipping it from Canada to Brazil would cost $54 of shipping! If the box was *JUST* 4 pounds that'd be $27 instead. The bastards!

As much as I would love to get the box because it looks fantastic, the crippling shipping to New Zealand means that I will probably have to settle for the PDF :(

I know. The international shipping is painful. If anyone wants to see firsthand, just go to USPS.com, and click the "calculate a price" link. From there, start with USA as the starting point and then plug in your country of destination. This is a "medium" sized package that weighs about 4 lbs., 6 oz. Because the game weighs so much, the rule is that it must be sent Priority Mail International, for which the best rate (again for a medium sized package) is Priority Mail Flat Rate shipping. I wish things were different. UPS is even worse. Not sure what has changed over the years, as I did own a mail order business for nearly 10 years, and prices have escalated drastically since then. Cost of fuel? Labor? I don't know, but I'm not thrilled about it, either. In any case, I do appreciate the interest in the game, fellows.

Quote from: ghul;574351Not sure what has changed over the years, as I did own a mail order business for nearly 10 years, and prices have escalated drastically since then. Cost of fuel? Labor? I don't know, but I'm not thrilled about it, either. In any case, I do appreciate the interest in the game, fellows.

I know, Jeff. As an overseas gamer I'm using to increasingly ridiculous shipping charges. All it does is give me something else to look forward when I travel: the local game stores. :)

Speaking of which, do you have a distribution deal in sight for these beauties?

Contents of the boxed set.

(http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/390867_10151355529843976_1166799994_n.jpg)

Map of Hyperborea unfolded.

(http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/304645_10151355530033976_1905176250_n.jpg)

Detail of the Hyperborean map (Boreal Coast and surrounding area).

(http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/292907_10151355530253976_1301525914_n.jpg)

Just got the PDF.  Looks great so far.  Digging Baggley's art... :)

Quote from: Dan Davenport;572187How does the game handle skills beyond thief abilities and the like?

Come to that, how does it handle someone other than a thief trying to climb something, for example?

*bump*

Not sure if ghul saw my question. :)

Quote from: Dan Davenport;572187How does the game handle skills beyond thief abilities and the like?

The game covers this (Players' Manual p.199-200).

There are two principal (but not sole) means of resolutions of actions in the game with the help of dice: the "nonstandard action", and the "attribute check".

The nonstandard action involves a chance-in-6 to succeed at a particular task. The referee decides on the difficulty of the task and the player rolls a d6 to see if he rolls under and succeeds, or not. A moderately difficult task succeeds in 4-in-6, a difficult task in 2-in-6, and so forth.

The attribute check is involved when a character attempts a task that is directly (or even solely) related to a particular inherent physical attribute. Like bending bars is really the province of Strength, running a marathon is Constitution. Those kinds of things. Strength, Dexterity and Constitution each involve two statistics reminiscent of the "bending bars" stat of AD&D in their description at the very beginning of the Players' Manual. A Test value, which is expressed in chances-in-6 to succeed and represents moderate, mundane stressful tasks attempted by the character, and the Extraordinary Feat of (attribute), which is expressed using percentiles, and reflects the chance for the character to perform truly extraordinary tasks with his attribute (like breaking free from steel manacles, running on a tightrope, those kinds of things).

Now that doesn't mean that whatever you attempt should walk all over the province of another character's "niche", so to speak. The basic idea in those corner cases is that anyone can attempt anything, but at a 1-in-6 chance instead, to not overshadow the specialist in the group. Like you could possibly remember something relevant to the carvings on the temple's walls, but the Cleric has a far better chance to have heard about the legends pertaining to a particular dark cult of Hyperborea. This is a default assumption, but isn't always the case - the referee uses common sense, and the rules provide some pointers too. For instance everyone can detect secret doors with a 2-in-6 chance, but the thieves are particularly astute, and receive a 3-in-6 chance instead.

Quote from: Dan Davenport;572187Come to that, how does it handle someone other than a thief trying to climb something, for example?

Everybody can climb, but you need equipment to do so: ropes, pitons, etc. The thief can climb sheer surfaces without the need for such equipment. His skills are expressed in chances-in-12 to succeed, and increase with level as you might imagine.

Ben does an excellent job of addressing the question, Dan, and that is much appreciated. Thanks Ben!

I would like to add that the d6 task resolution adequately allows for anyone to try anything. In the traditional game that inspires AS&SH, there is a consensus opinion that a well-rounded party should have a thief, should have a cleric, or the party is screwed. Not so with AS&SH. Any man (with the proper tools) can pick a lock or search for a trap on a 1-in-6 chance of success; of course, the basic thief is a superior specialist, and even at first level is at a 3-in-12 chance of success at trap finding.

Furthermore, the cleric as walking paramedic is also not necessary, and this, too, is by design. When a character rests for the night (6-10 hours, typically), the character regains hp according to his HD type, so a thief rolls a d6; also, he may apply his con bonus, if applicable.

What this does, essentially, is allow for the type of S&S action that has one hero: the intrepid fighter who steps into the yawning mouth of the dungeon labyrinth. He can fight, search for traps and secret doors, climb, and if he is wounded, he can take rest and shake off some or all of his aches and pains come morning.

These things were important while designing the game, to subtly provide an opportunity for a game play experience that in some fashion emulates a yarn by Howard or Leiber.

Quote from: Akrasia;574433Just got the PDF.  Looks great so far.  Digging Baggley's art... :)

I'm happy to hear you find the game favorable -- means a lot to me! Thanks. :)

I like that, so you are saying that a fighter type is likely to heal faster. Makes total sense to have a person in great physical shape heal quicker as compared to a studious person even if they have a good natural constitution.

Quote from: The Butcher;574369I know, Jeff. As an overseas gamer I'm using to increasingly ridiculous shipping charges. All it does is give me something else to look forward when I travel: the local game stores. :)

Speaking of which, do you have a distribution deal in sight for these beauties?

Well, there is no distribution deal in the cards right now. This is a small hobby business run from my home, and I'm not sure what the future entails, but who knows? So far I'm receiving some great feedback, and thus far the response has been very positive and encouraging.

Quote from: Marleycat;574798I like that, so you are saying that a fighter type is likely to heal faster. Makes total sense to have a person in great physical shape heal quicker as compared to a studious person even if they have a good natural constitution.

Yes. Let's say a 3rd level magician has 10 hp (at full) and a 3rd level fighter has 22 hp (at full). Now let's say they both have been reduced to 5 hp. If they both received 1 hp for a night of rest, the magician would have regained 10% of his or her total hp back, while the fighter would have received less than 5%. Using the AS&SH system, the magician regains 1d4, while the fighter regains 1d10.

There are many, many subtle tweaks like this throughout the rules. I loved the rules for casting spells you haven't memorized directly from the spellbook, for instance. You can do that, but you run the risk to see your entire spellbook burst into flames in the worst case scenario! Something to keep in mind in desperate situations where that one spell you have not prepared could save you from a  TPK, certainly. Or the rules regarding weapons and armor. Favored weapons are those weapons you manipulate without penalties. You can use any type of weapons - your magician can hold a sword and fight with it, he'll just do so with a penalty to the roll unless he becomes skilled with it as he gains levels. Fighters favor all weapons, with the differenciation coming from those they choose to master, which gives them increased accuracy and damage, superior attack rates, etc. You also may cast spells in armor, with a chance of spell failure. Those kinds of little details that add up and give you a different game play experience from the game(s) that spawned it.

As I said this game has my interest and hopefully I can get it soon.

Quote from: ghul;574152Indeed. Packages over 4 lbs. (this game weighs about 4 lbs., 4 oz.) must be shipped Priority International. To your country it thus costs $47.95 to ship using the flat rate shipping in a medium sized box.

That's pretty freaking expensive, and I could certainly understand if you were reticent to send it my way.

Question: if you sent it without the box or the dice, would that bring it down under 4lbs? I would still be willing to do the review in that case; also, the lack of the box and dice would probably make it less likely to grab the attention of the local customs officials, who are forbidden from "taxing" (ie. demanding a bribe) for books, but with a box with dice in it might try to demand a "tax" for it as a game.

If you like, feel free to continue this conversation via PM.

RPGPundit