Post by Lord Huthor on Oct 12, 2014 13:33:19 GMT
A number of people have asked me about doing a MERP game via chat.
I've come to the conclusion that it's probably not likely. The system is far too open-ended and detailed to run in that fashion.
However!
I've been thinking over this for a few weeks now, and I think Dragon Warriors might be a good alternative for a chat campaign.
If there's enough interest in trying it out, I might be willing to give running one a go.
The character creation system is quick and easy, and it has a lot of other things going for it as well:
1) Combat mechanics can be understood soon as you see a few rounds. Though it has it's own intricate details, these don't tend to appear until around mid-level.
2) There is no presumed 'lore' a player has to know.
3) I have a ton of adventures ready to run of all levels.
4) Aside from the fact that there's monsters and magic in it, doesn't bear a lot of resemblance to (A)D&D really.
To give you an idea on what it is:
The world is based on Earth (loosely) around the period of the Dark - Middle Ages.
The old gods like Wotan have been replaced by a faith which bears a lot of resemblance to Christianity. The knighthoods of various nations are bringing it to the unenlightened at sword-point.
Magic exists, but is very low-key. There might be one practitioner in a hundred miles. And he's not available for interviews.
Monsters are more than just a random selection of things to be cut-up for experience points. Little is known about them by any sizable portion of humankind - except for the fact that they were once more numerous and despise man for becoming the ascendant race. Even the humble Goblin has some degree of minor magic to call upon.
The Demi-human races are just as rare (and feared by the superstitious populace) as any monster. They are playable as a character, but it's likely to cause you severe issues at the hands of pitchfork wielding peasants every time you enter a settlement.
Classes (called Professions) available are: Knight, Barbarian, Sorcerer, Mystic, Assassin, Elementalist (Earth, Air, Fire or Water - there is also Darkness, but you have to keep the fact that you're one secret - which gets harder and harder as you cast more spells as they leave behind identifying marks), and Warlock.
All are pretty self-explanatory except Mystic - kind of a monk/psion type thing.
Race isn't so much a function of human or non-human, but from what region of humanity you come from. Pretty much any type of society you can imagine from the time period exists somewhere.
If you've ever seen the movies "Legend' or "Excalibur" (1981 movie), both are pretty close to the mark with the atmosphere.
People don't go outside their villages at night, anything not human is the enemy, and those who use magic probably are the enemy.
Forests are draped in cob-webs and are inhabited by forgotten things, while remnants of the older days of mankind periodically rear their heads to curse the present.
I've come to the conclusion that it's probably not likely. The system is far too open-ended and detailed to run in that fashion.
However!
I've been thinking over this for a few weeks now, and I think Dragon Warriors might be a good alternative for a chat campaign.
If there's enough interest in trying it out, I might be willing to give running one a go.
The character creation system is quick and easy, and it has a lot of other things going for it as well:
1) Combat mechanics can be understood soon as you see a few rounds. Though it has it's own intricate details, these don't tend to appear until around mid-level.
2) There is no presumed 'lore' a player has to know.
3) I have a ton of adventures ready to run of all levels.
4) Aside from the fact that there's monsters and magic in it, doesn't bear a lot of resemblance to (A)D&D really.
To give you an idea on what it is:
The world is based on Earth (loosely) around the period of the Dark - Middle Ages.
The old gods like Wotan have been replaced by a faith which bears a lot of resemblance to Christianity. The knighthoods of various nations are bringing it to the unenlightened at sword-point.
Magic exists, but is very low-key. There might be one practitioner in a hundred miles. And he's not available for interviews.
Monsters are more than just a random selection of things to be cut-up for experience points. Little is known about them by any sizable portion of humankind - except for the fact that they were once more numerous and despise man for becoming the ascendant race. Even the humble Goblin has some degree of minor magic to call upon.
The Demi-human races are just as rare (and feared by the superstitious populace) as any monster. They are playable as a character, but it's likely to cause you severe issues at the hands of pitchfork wielding peasants every time you enter a settlement.
Classes (called Professions) available are: Knight, Barbarian, Sorcerer, Mystic, Assassin, Elementalist (Earth, Air, Fire or Water - there is also Darkness, but you have to keep the fact that you're one secret - which gets harder and harder as you cast more spells as they leave behind identifying marks), and Warlock.
All are pretty self-explanatory except Mystic - kind of a monk/psion type thing.
Race isn't so much a function of human or non-human, but from what region of humanity you come from. Pretty much any type of society you can imagine from the time period exists somewhere.
If you've ever seen the movies "Legend' or "Excalibur" (1981 movie), both are pretty close to the mark with the atmosphere.
People don't go outside their villages at night, anything not human is the enemy, and those who use magic probably are the enemy.
Forests are draped in cob-webs and are inhabited by forgotten things, while remnants of the older days of mankind periodically rear their heads to curse the present.