The Forge Archives

Hello,

Well, it looks as if the third print supplement for Sorcerer will be a reality in the early part of 2003. The previous thread about this was Third print supplement - maybe, and the supplement's content is defined very much as I described in the first post in that thread. It'll be the first Sorcerer material that isn't released as PDF first.

The working title - and this is pretty damn close to set in stone - is "Sex and Sorcery."

The baseline, fundamental topic is actual-people emotional dynamics among the role-playing group, and how they relate to the in-game imaginative content of play (the "story").

A key concept is that Humanity may be defined in plural ways - focused on one thing (e.g. "Love") but with many different ways and means (often contradictory!) to rise and fall.

Gender interactions play a very strong role throughout, but they are emphatically not the whole of the topic. However, and this might scare some people, I have one chapter devoted to a kind of "female" story and another devoted to a kind of "male" story. Don't freak out on me yet. It's a much less 1:1 situation than it sounds, and I say so in the text.

One device used throughout is the "Testimonial," based on the answers to a little survey I've been spreading around lately. Suitably edited and anonymous, they'll provide a pretty strong dose of reality to some of my claims or suggestions.

Some of the topics from the Forge include the Lines/Veils discussions, the cross-gender play discussions, my "circles" diagram, and more.

Fun tidbits include really good martial arts rules, a breakdown of my Chapter 7 material in the main rules that I didn't dare include at the time (reeeally raw), an amazing section (if I say so myself) on sexual-reproductive sorcery, a full fantasy setting (insectoid-surreal Heavy Metal stuff, much more detailed than the settings in Sword), and yet more cool stuff on GMing (crosses, bobs, weaving, in addition to Bangs).

All questions are welcome! Except those regarding previews of the actual material.

Best,
Ron

I'm excited about the martial arts rules (well, everything else in the book too, actually), but how do they tie into sex/gender? The other two supplements' additional system/play considerations were tightly tied to their themes (if I'm recalling correctly).

Quote from: Ron EdwardsThe working title - and this is pretty damn close to set in stone - is "Sex and Sorcery."

Ah, another book to leave sitting out on the coffee table when the in-laws come over. I can put it by my printed out copy of Urge and Practical Thaumaturgy.

Hey,

It took a bit of finagling to fit the martial arts stuff in thematically, but I think I made it work.

One chapter, called "In Utero," is supposed to exemplify one type of "female" story/topic. It ends with some specialized rules for mating and sorcery, as they relate to the specific In Utero material. The chapter following that, "Paragon," is supposed to exemplify one type of "male" story-topic, and the example is a kind of Chinese/wuxia setting. So the martial arts rules at the end of the chapter correspond to the specific material in the Paragon story stuff, paralleling the similar structure of the In Utero chapter.

Best,
Ron

Other titles under consideration include: "Sex and the Single Sorcerer," "The Joy of Sorcery," and "Everything You Wanted To Know About Sorcery...But Were Afraid To Ask."

My favorites are "Everybody Summons" and "Changes: Your Guide To Your Body and Your Sorcery."

Ha! Jason thinks he's kidding.

In my notes are ...

"Sorcerer and the Single Girl"
"Sex and the Single Sorcerer"
"Our Sorcery, Ourselves"
"Sex, Sorcery, and You"

I was getting kind of giddy by then.

Best,
Ron

Well, while we're throwing titles around I personally REALLY liked the original working title, "Sorceress."  Simple and evocative.

Jesse

Quote from: Ron Edwards
"Our Sorcery, Ourselves"

Oh, Ron...Oh Ronny baby, you gotta. You just gotta! Best supplement title EVER.


Also, I too like the title "Sorceress" but am not sure it's the perfect fit for all you want to cover.

*makes scribbled note on want-list*

How about Sorcerers are from Mars, Demons are from Venus? :)

Fer

Hi folks,

So happens that I hate "my game title" threads. The current title is "Sex and Sorcery," hands down. "Sorceress," while eminently marketable, misrepresents the content in several ways, and all the others were parodies. So let's drop that topic, eh?

I'm interested in any responses from people who got a chance to play the In Utero scenario at GenCon. Thoughts? Comments? Impressions? A whole chapter is devoted to it in the supplement.

Best,
Ron

Hi Ron,

I didn't play the In Utero demo scenario, but I have a question.

QuoteHowever, and this might scare some people, I have one chapter devoted to a kind of "female" story and another devoted to a kind of "male" story.(snip)...an amazing section (if I say so myself) on sexual-reproductive sorcery...

Well, I can't help myself but think about Rosemary's baby (the female uncertainties and fear of pregnancy) and Eraserhead (the male fear of being a father/arrival of the baby). I definitely can see it as two great Sorcerer stories. Am I on the right tracks or am I dead wrong ?

Anyway, I'm waiting for the thing already.

Fabrice.

ps: do you plan to release the In Utero before the S&Sex or will it be included in the book ?

Ron, I see you've put "male" and "female" in quotes when referring to the In Utero and wuxia settings. I can see In Utero being naturally female-biased because pregnancy/fertility revolves around women. But are you assuming a biological basis for male-dominated wuxia? Or a cultural bias (i.e., in nearly all action/wuxia films the main characters are male)? Or something else? (you know, like culture/biology are intertwined sort of thing)

I know you've been forthright in the past (i.e., talking straight about the role of women in pulp fantasy, providing literary examples of pulp women heroes), so I'm real curious about how you present In Utero and wuxia.

Or do I have to wait for the book?

A little help for the ignorant:  What exactly is the wuxia style of movie?  Keep in mind in your description/examples that martial arts pictures very rarely cross my threshold, as it's usually Adelfa who thinks to stop off at the video store.  When I wanted to watch Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon I had to specifically request it, and go to the store to make sure that it came home with me.

Briefly Off-Topic: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a good example of wuxia. They are usually action films set in different times of China's history or based around Chinese myths. They are commonly characterized by high-flying heroes (a lot of wire action) and lots of martial arts/weapon styles. Good examples are Chinese Ghost Story, Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain, the Bride with White Hair and to an extent Big Trouble in Little China (the 3 storms, the big fight at the end).

You can find a lot of these films on Amazon.com, btw.

Now back to our topic...


[Edited to add link.]

Quote from: wyrdlyngThey are commonly characterized by high-flying heroes...

IIRC, Wuxia translates as "Flying People".

Mike