[srenken] To ditch or not to ditch? That is the question...

[Yaksha]

Hi all,

http://www.geocities.com/rubboferraro/srenken_b01.pdf

I wrote this little game a while ago now, then just dropped it and forgot about it. As it stands I don’t think it is anything great or a significant contribution to role playing games, but the theme has plagued me ever since.

I’ve always been intrigued by the characters and stories I mention there-in, and believe they don’t really exist currently in RPG’s (apart from Star Wars, which is Sci-Fi not Fantasy). Think of all the great stories throughout history that featured bands of elite characters that had ‘instant-on kewl powerz’ that made them ‘above’ the average person:

The Ksatriya/Brahman warriors in the Mahabharata and Ramayana
The tales of Fin Mac Cool and the Fein
The Wuxia films of China
The Jedi Knights of Star Wars
The Highlander films
etc...

I’m intrigued by the idea of these ‘Jedi’ (the concept most are familiar with) in a traditional fantasy setting. Dudes who are not restricted by archetypal classes but rather can do everything; cast spells, invoke mystic power, fight like great warriors, charm the pants off any fair maiden etc. And what makes them so unique is because everyone else in the world they inhabit are largely devoid of such power.

So, I’m thinking of reviving this old dog, with these ideas:

Flesh out the setting more. I mean really make a living breathing fantasy world and clarify more the position of the srenken within it. This setting would be more Eastern than Western, as medieval Europe and Tolkein-esque fantasy is more appropriate for a different subject, and the themes, conflicts and mythologies of medieval Persia, China, Japan, India, and Mongolia could be very interesting and more suited.

Ditch the dice system for another one. Don’t know what yet. Is it as simple as using a d20 variant, starting generic characters at 10th level, and have them choose whatever spells/feats/skills they want? (I probably won’t get much feedback on this here!)

So, basically we are looking at a complete system overhaul and a thoroughly developed setting.

My question is: Are you intrigued by such an idea (Jedi-like fantasy characters)? Do you see merit in pursuing a game like this? And, have you seen anything similar?

Cheers,
Lorenzo.

[dindenver]

Hi!
  I "feel" that the keys to these kinds of fantasy stories is, power vs. responsibility. Jedi have their code,  Wuxia has religious/philisophical limitation, even highlanders have laws they must obey. That is, I think, the key to their monumental powers. They have the ability to do almost anything, but they don't just do what they want because of the power of their convictions...
  I haven't read your rules yet, but I thought I would give you that food for thought, good luck man!

[Anders Larsen]

Hi Lorenzo, and welcome to The Forge

I have always liked settings where the characters start with great power and responsibility. So having Jedi-like people in a fantasy setting, seems like an interesting idea to me.

But the link does not seem to work, so I have not been able to read the rules.

 - Anders

[Yaksha]

Thanks for the replies,

Not sure why the link isn't working, try this:

http://www.geocities.com/rubboferraro

The link for srenken is at the bottom of the page. It's temporarily down at the moment from excess data transfer. You might like to try again later.

Cheers,
Lorenzo.

[Bryan Hansel]

Have you seen Paladin? Something you should check out: http://www.anvilwerks.com/?Paladin  It's released under a Creative Commons license so you can check it out on-line.

[Anders Larsen]

It really looks like a interesting game. But from what i can see there is no reward system, which seems a little strange.

 - Anders

[Yaksha]

Well there’s kinda an ad hoc reward system – the gradual bestowing of mystic power until one becomes a magician, but you’re right, there’s no definite method as to when and why it is rewarded – except for nearing death’s door.

There are no NCP's, no setting, no... I mean there's a lot missing. It's just a beta which I promptly ditched but something’s nagging me to revisit it - and turn it into something complete. There's something about the concept that's appealing.

Thanks for the Paladin link Bryan, just what I need to see, I'm checking it out now.

Cheers,
Lorenzo.

[Yaksha]

So, I’ve checked out Paladin, and while I can’t say I’ve grasped it in its entirety yet, it was nonetheless a thoroughly good exercise. Here’s what I learnt, and how it affects my game:

Inspiration. It’s just good to see others have a fascination with the same theme; inspiring and motivating.

Code. Oh crap! I really forgot to write about the important thing for a Paladin; the code of honour. Someone around here once said something to the effect of “It’s the things that are most obvious too you that you should not forget to make a point of in your game.” Yep, that happened to me, I’ve got tonnes of various lists of codes of honour in word docs.

Force. It was also good to see another thing Clinton highlighted and that I brushed over; the force and it’s dark side. It was always my intention to have a mechanism for mystic powers to corrupt the srenken and open up hankering for more ‘power’, make him break his oaths and turn into a Warlock. Now I see that the code (oaths) and the breaking of them by desire for power should really be hammered as the core.

Settingless. Clinton’s Paladin has suggested settings but none fleshed out. I think I personally may have been getting caught up in the setting which was obscuring my vision of the Srenken. Now I see that focusing on the characters (players) and what they do is first priority.

Aside from these points, I find parts of Paladin a little cryptic, and as my game is aimed at the 10+ age group I will take a more simple approach.

Thanks for the tips folks; I’m going back to the drawing board with a lot more focus. Even from your few simple posts, you have helped immensely:

Dave: "Power and responsibilty"
Bryan: "Have you seen Paladin?"
Anders: “Where’s the reward system?"

Cheers,
Lorenzo.