[S&S] Setting: The Mythic Past, the Haunted Present

[Old_Scratch]

Responses in general

Thanks for the feedback folks. I'm going to mull over the advice on the blood frenzied honor duels, perhaps playtest a few fights and see what happens.

Mini-supplement?
As for a mini-supplement, its possible. I've been exploring the themes and the world in greater detail (my outline's at 22 pages so far!) and there's a lot here that can be explored. That's what you've seen here plus a bunch of random notes and themes and ideas, so I might be able to throw something together.

Reflections on some of the distinctiveness
This game has, I think, a few things that make for a unique Sorcerer experience, absent in a lot of sorcerer games that I've read about. First, the "demons" are human, so this gives the game a less alien wierd aspect - the demons are much more understandable and easily relatable (I realize Sorcerer's Soul covers this sort of thing in some detail).

The way the game is set up, the humanity of the former Shade is constantly being brought up, in stories, tales, and possiby in-game flashbacks.

So the game has a historical element - the playes and GM make up the histories of their shades and the world as they play.

The game has its present perspective: the relationship with a past entity, no clean breaks - grappling with the legacy of the past which simply won't let some people live their lives fully in the present - in this case history casts a grim shadow over the lives of the living.

And ultimately, the game is about the future as well. Not just: Will you live a life that allows you to be revered as a champion-god forever, tasting the joys of live over and over again (at the expense of the living)? But there's a reflexive element as well: in looking and interacting with the Shades, the characters get a chance to see what the future holds for the shadewalkers themselves. I think Shades might have their petty, pathetic aspects, craving things and acting childish and petulant, weeping over past ills and loves and rivalries. Consider Cainnelscaith, the Scourge of the Six Isles and Shade to the Iron Warrior, now Shade to Theobar Longsong. Despite Cainnelscaith's great powers and renown, he's a bit mad and resorts to child-like states, breaking down and wanting to suckle off the breasts of grown women as if he was a mere baby. Theobar Longsong might in fact, not be interested in becoming eternal if this is what it is going to be like... forever... and ever... and ever...

Some Open Questions
But I've got no perspective on this right now, so I'm hoping for some feedback...

1) Is this setting in danger of looking like a beer swilling Hell's Angels beard and leather game, or a viking helmet game? Or have I edged that possibility out?

2) Is female magic compelling enough? Would you want to play a female sorcerer over a male sorcerer in this game? Or is it lacking something? Should I just stick with the Valkyrie idea?

3) re: The Grinning Men - Is this a good idea or not, to describe some of the possible cultures to include in the game? Is it filler? Does it infringe upon player or GM creativity, or is it a useful guide? Primarily, I hope its used by GMs for ideas, the players should come up with their own culture groups on their own, but its also nice to have if you throw a game together real fast or someone has a block.

4) Can you give a Shade kickers? I mean, they have unfinished business... Can you give them a kicker or does that detract from the Sorcerer? If it does, can you give them something like "Unfinished Business" or something of the sort to explain their continued hold on the living world? Can you have shifting needs? Maybe every couple of adventures, the fickle shade sees something from one of its lives and it has a conceptual shift - this makes for a much more human and dynamic relationship with the Shades...

[DannyK]

Responses in general
1) Is this setting in danger of looking like a beer swilling Hell's Angels beard and leather game, or a viking helmet game? Or have I edged that possibility out?

2) Is female magic compelling enough? Would you want to play a female sorcerer over a male sorcerer in this game? Or is it lacking something? Should I just stick with the Valkyrie idea?

3) re: The Grinning Men - Is this a good idea or not, to describe some of the possible cultures to include in the game? Is it filler? Does it infringe upon player or GM creativity, or is it a useful guide? Primarily, I hope its used by GMs for ideas, the players should come up with their own culture groups on their own, but its also nice to have if you throw a game together real fast or someone has a block.

4) Can you give a Shade kickers? I mean, they have unfinished business... Can you give them a kicker or does that detract from the Sorcerer? If it does, can you give them something like "Unfinished Business" or something of the sort to explain their continued hold on the living world? Can you have shifting needs? Maybe every couple of adventures, the fickle shade sees something from one of its lives and it has a conceptual shift - this makes for a much more human and dynamic relationship with the Shades...

1) It has a definite Viking flavor, but that's not a bad thing.  Despite my joke earlier, it's good to be able to sum up the game idea in a brief sentence.  

2) I need to go back and re-read that section.  Honestly, I can't imagine playing one of those characters when I could play a treacherous warlord with ice in his beard.  

3) Good colorful setting material is always a good thing, in my opinion.  Sure, as GM I could do some research and brainstorming and come up with some workable cultures, but I'd rather have you do the work, and then build on it.  Also, every colorful culture you describe is another chance for would-be players to say "Damn!  I've got a killer character concept now!"  Most of what you've let spill so far sounds great, and usable both for players and for the GM.  I especially like the city of bells and the Grinning Men.  They have a definite R.E. Howard flavor.  

4) That's tricky.  Your question made me think of the work I do with Alzheimer's patients, actually.  A lot of them, when they're not too far gone, retain the passions of their youth... but they're not able to do much about them, and they lose touch with them easily.  A elderly veteran might get very upset about the Japanese, but once you distract him, he lapses into vagueness and apathy.  

If you imagine Shade-hood being anything like that, perhaps the Shades are faced with the unappealing choice between madness (pursuing their ancient hatreds and rivalries long past the point of irrelevance) and sinking into oblivion.