[Sorcerer] Reference Sheets

[Moreno R.]

Hello!

Recently my gaming group tried to play some Sorcerer & Sword based on the "Dictionary of Mu", but we had a lot of problem with the searching time for the rules and values in the Sorcerer game manual. Every time that we didn't remember exactly the malus for a fast banishment or something like that we had stop the game for minutes searching in the book for the answer (we could have made a decision on the fly without referencing the manual, but we want to learn the system, eventually, and if we don't search for the right answer we will never learn the system...). And a lot of rules are hidden in the text without any marking (a player commented that the manual was a "reading" book, not a reference one, and I must agree). The fact that English is not our native language don't help.

I searched on the sorcerer site (and in the web, with google) for some reference sheets to use, but I didn't find any.  Before beginning to write some myself I would like to know if somebody has already done this work.

Thanks!

[hix]

Dave (aka Nev the Deranged) did a pdf rules summary, which he talks about in this thread. Way down on the second page, he gives an email where you can contact him for a copy.

[Moreno R.]

Thanks! I downloaded the pdfs from the link in the last post in that thread, here

[Doyce]

You might also find the Sorcerer Wiki handy to have nearby: http://random.average-bear.com/Sorcerer/HomePage

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

Between Doyce and Nev, you have some of the best possible Sorcerer explanations available.

a player commented that the manual was a "reading" book, not a reference one, and I must agree

I agree as well and have posted this point many times in the past. The book is definitely intended to be read as a unit. At least one person at the table and preferably more than one should have done so in order to play.

When I wrote it, I never imagined that anyone would ever, ever read it who was not a native English speaker. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to deal with a book in English in order to enjoy the game. So I will do my best to answer all the questions and direct to parts of the book that will be useful during play.

Best, Ron

[Moreno R.]

Thanks!  The problem wasn't so much about reading the books, as remembering the values, names and formulae.

Of 4 players (GM included) 3 had read the book.  I had read the books three times (once when I brought them in 2003, but at the time I hadn't the play experience to understand it. Another time last year when, after playing DitV, I began to understand "what they were talking about at the Forge", and the third time in the weeks before playing.  But it's a given that you can memorize a book as much as you want, but you will always forget exactly the bit you will need...

The layout of the Sorcerer book, the way it's written, little bit to little bit, is useful to let the reader absorb the concepts one by one, but after reading it I have really a difficult time making a "mental map" of where things are.  With much bigger books I can find the things that I can't remember because I have a sort of "way of finding things". If I don't remember the exact values of a bonus I can look it up the "exact bonus values" chapter, to use a silly example. Not so with Sorcerer. When I don't remember a value or a rule, I don't remember even where (in what chapter) it was.

What I needed was, for example, a pdf with a reference sheets, to look up during play. The books to read and understand, the sheet to use and remember. Like the ones on page 131 and 132 but much expanded. (to tell the truth, I was surprised to find no such reference sheet in the Sorcerer website)

Anyway, I read some older threads, and I have some questions about the practical procedure of play. It's better if I open another thread, or should I post them here?

(wow, look at these last sentences... my English is really bad today...)

[Ron Edwards]

If you'd like to make such a PDF, I'd be happy to post it at the website.

Best, Ron

[Nev the Deranged]

For what it's worth, my Sorcerer Quicker Reference is available as a PDF, from me. The link to the site that was hosting it earlier in this thread is broken. The most current version is 2.6.7, which I think is at least one or two minor iterations past the one ScottRPG was hosting.

I also have quick references and/or character sheets for Pagoda, Pretender, Polaris, My Life With Master, Don't Rest Your Head, and a beta for It Was a Mutual Decision, all available upon request in PDF format.

Anyone who wants copies (or wants to host them for direct download), contact me at nevthederanged@aol.com