Am I the only one who read Hero Wars and felt that, just beyond their perception that it was something great, but just could not pull it all together due to the way the rulebook is written/organised.

I think it could be the system for an epic fantasy game I want to run (but not Gloranthan).

Ian,

You are not alone. I, too, was (and still am) incredibly frustrated with the way the book is written. I would not understand it half so well as I do had I not been able to discuss it here.

It is a great system, especially for epic fantasy. Ask questions, slog through it, and hope that the second edition is better written.

Lon

I love the system, but you're right, the layout and presentation left me confused and in pain. I'm the same guy who figured out Rolemaster's resolution mechanic in 10 minutes(despite another bad layout), but Hero Wars took me over half an hour to find the various "parts" that described basic gameplay.

I really hope a revised edition comes out....It's hard to convince other people to play a game when reading the rules is like home decorating for Cthulu(hey, the geometry isn't right....)

Chris

A second editon is in the works. Check out their page for details.

Lon

Yeah it’s hard work…

After numerous reads it is sort of clicking into gear (strangely enough it helps that I have read Avalon Hill version as it, while totally different, had a similar way of specifying culture, job, magic as a way to define characters which then gave skills).

To be honest it does not help that I don’t want to run a game in Glorantha, as I’m not that big on established settings, especially ones that have such a big learning curve. I want to use it to run my own epic fantasy game – in order to give people a reference point I’ve been looking for a system that I can use to run a Mythic England (Robin of Sherwood style) campaign, but with the heroics of the Lord of the Rings movie (again as a reference point).

Hero Wars seems to be capable of this, and with a narrative bent. Now, what put me onto this is the Chapter that details the core of the system – the various contests and the use of AP. Then I slowly figured out characters creation, and then magic, which is very vague, which is what I want, but I also a bit nerve wracking as well.

In short I want to modify the creation process so I don’t have to have setting details integrated into the creation process. I also want the magic system to be less pervasive, as I want magic to be very rare, and then of the studious sorcerous variety (no religion involved).

As a result I was thinking of specifying traits somehow, may be let people choose so many (a variation on the list method). I was then going to use the Ars Magic Arts (or forms, can’t remember which) in place of Grimoires for magic – then a Sorcerer with with say Fire can have spells that manipulate or generate flame and so on.

Anyway, the thoughts so far.