I just picked up Glorantha

[Coleslaw]

Not that I think too many people will care, but I just picked up the Glorantha boxed set today.  I must say, I am very, very pleased with the system thus far.  I hope I can talk my group into playing it for a couple of sessions.
I have been debating for awhile now as to whether or not I should purchase the game.  After reading reviews and reading discussion boards I could no longer resist.  Thanks Ron, your review and recent post on this board in regard to one of gaming sessions was the final "shove" that did it for me.
This is the second independent game that I've bought this week, and as long as I keep discovering these wonderful games that emphasize GM/player story contribution I will continue to buy them.

Although not new to roleplaying, I am new to "independent" games.  Therefore, I was wondering if anybody could suggest more games that might interest me if I provide a brief list of what has interested me thus far.  Here are a few of the games that have caught my eye:

The Pool:  I can't keep this game out of my head; man, the possibilities!!  This is by far my favorite.

Soap: Pure roleplaying enjoyment!

Glorantha:

Little Fears:  Closetland!! Overcoming your own fears!! What great ideas!

Take care,
Phillip

[Jason L Blair]

Philip,

Hey man, glad you liked Little Fears. Well, first off, I'd recommend scouring the Forge library. That place rocks. Some of my personal faves are Children of Fire (http://www.mimgames.com/cof) and Memento-Mori Theatricks (http://www.memento-mori.com/main).

Welcome to the indie world.



_________________
Jason L Blair
Editor-in-Chief
Key 20 Publishing
http://www.key20.com">www.key20.com

[ This Message was edited by: Key20Jason on 2001-08-24 16:44 ]

[joshua neff]

I bought Hero Wars because of Ron's enthusiastic review as well (that & his enthusiastic posts about his group's game). (Side note: it was John Wick's enthusiastic writings about 7th Sea & Orkworld that led me to buy those, as well. There's something to be said for enthusiasm.) I really like the system.

Out of curiosity: what kind of narrative would you run? I don't think I'll run the game anytime soon, but my main idea is a narrative set in a small Lunar city on the border of the empire. Lots of intrigue, Borgesian mystery, & duels (both social & martial), heavily influenced by Babylon 5 (frontier outpost with lots of intrigue, with a dark history).

[Blake Hutchins]

Jeez, sign me up, Joshua. That's pretty much exactly the kind of Hero Wars game I would run.

Best,

Blake

[Ron Edwards]

Hey,

I agree. My own game started in the hinterlands of Heortland (which is hard-core Orlanthi culture), but it swiftly moved into Dragon Pass. One whole section dealt with a city nominally under Heortling rule, but had been culturally heavily Lunarized ... the upcoming one deals with a city nominally under Lunar rule, but hardly culture-altered at all from its native Heortling roots.

Dragon Pass is a good setting because the Lunars are actually not "the evil empire," or are at least so diverse that it's hard to call them that; and because the Heortlings are cool/Celtic/tribal, but frankly pretty hidebound and provincial too. It's the classic "empire marches to the sea, but barbarians with notions of freedom are in the way" situation. And the game writeup is all about heroism arising out of the conflict and local synthesis of the conflicting ideals, rather than just picking a side.

However, since Dragon Pass is SO rich in background material, I suggest Talastar, which is a fine example of Lunar and Heortling cultures working together and pretending not to. It's detailed mainly in the Avalon Hill sourcebook for Dorastor, the neighboring Chaos-pit Bad Place. "Detail" isn't the best word; the maps and so on are very detailed but the actual societal relationships and personalities are left to the GM's interpretation.

Best,
Ron

[Jeffrey Straszheim]

On 2001-08-27 11:31, Ron Edwards wrote:

However, since Dragon Pass is SO rich in background
material . . .

I found my own solution to gaming in Dragon Pass; namely,
to "own" Glorantha.  I read what material on the setting
I own, and am interested in.  Liberally choose among the
history and background the parts that I like.  Look over
the map and start playing.

From there I make up all sorts of stuff that works for me.
Let the players do the same, and to hell with worrying about
what is "official" or "Greg approved".

To try to fit your game to the official material, which is
ever changing and in and out of print (not to mention
expensive), is too stifling on spontaneity.

[Ron Edwards]

Hey,

This may be presumptuous of me, but as I understand it,

* to hell with worrying about what is "official" or "Greg approved". *

is actually the Issaries preference anyway. If that was different in the past, then it's past. The Issaries people have been very clear with me about how my Glorantha game is OUR hero-tale (meaning the game group), with the material raising questions for us but not answering them. They do not seem to be committed to or even interested in micro-managing others' play or use of Gloranthan material.

Best,
Ron

[Coleslaw]

Thanks for the response, Jason.  I'll check those sites out.

Joshua:
In answer to your question, I have not thought too much about what kind of narrative I would run.  Unfortunately, like you, I will probably not get to run the game anytime soon.  So sad. :sad:  Anyways, I would most likely wait to see what kind of characters the players wanted to run and then base the campaign/story around their background.  Although, I really like your suggestion for a starting place.  I also like and had the idea of a band of Heortling warriors that have decided to partake in guerilla tactics against the Lunar empire (Ie. burn and raid outposts, intercept supply carvans, etc).  Altough this type of story could end quite quickly if players are too bold/foolish it still would be fun.  Since the Heortlings are "determined to be free" this kind of story would fit right in.

Phillip

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Phillip,

The freedom-fighter concept is a fine way to run the game, especially because there's a Hero Band in the Narrator's Book that provides a good example.

It's also fun to imagine their consternation as they find that Lunar rule may tap into existing hierarchy and clan structure. "Sure, he's a Lunar, but he's also my cousin who helped us fight those broo last fall." The usual thing, in which "they" are really bad except when you know them. "Damn those Lunars, 'course except for Old Nygard there, he's all right."

The Lunars are successful colonizers because - when they're not being stupid, like in Heortland - they work toward the colony society's strengths. You worship the Lightbringers? Cool, the Seven Mothers are practically the same, see?

Or, their other trick is to solve local problems. "Look, these broos have attacked you every damn Darkness Season - here, let us go talk to them and work it out." The Ibex Moon hero cult is a good bunch to use for this, as they are just plain nice guys, and attacking them is hard to imagine as anything but stone-cold mean.

Anyway, I'm getting all rambly, and I'm not trying to run anyone else's game for them. I just like the way that the setting raises all the right questions for running "terrorist or freedom fighter?" scenarios.

Best,
Ron