Here's my idea in a nutshell...

A fantasy role-playing game set in a fictional land based loosely on mythic Greece.  The tone is light-hearted and adventurous, with an emphasis on humor.  The game mechanics are simple – intended for fast and cinematic action.  The PCs portray heroes of mythic proportions, often falling prey to the grander plots of scheming gods.

What do you think?  And, what sort of variety could there be amongst PC "types" ?  It might get boring if everyone just played a Hercules/Jason clone.

So, er, Hercules: Legendary Journeys / Xena: Warrior Princess style?

I'd buy that. I presume everyone will play the strapping heroes, not the sexy(er) sidekicks?

oreso wrote:
So, er, Hercules: Legendary Journeys / Xena: Warrior Princess style?

I'd buy that. I presume everyone will play the strapping heroes, not the sexy(er) sidekicks?

The two mentioned TV shows have about as much to do with Ancient Greece as Conan the Barbarian. Just rename Conan to Hercules, and there you go. In order to create an RPG actually set in Ancient Greece, one would need to read about the mythology and the the society (what the TV show creators obviously didn't do) - and this should be done even if you only want to recreate the atmosphere. What needs to be understood is that Greeks didn't see their gods as uncomprehendible greater beings; their gods were right here, on Earth, they sat on top a very specific mountain, they used to walk among the mortals, they didn't at all all-knowing and omnipotent, they could be argued with, they made foolish mistakes, and let us not forget - almost everyone at the time could trace their ancestry back to at least one of them.
What I mean is that even if the Pantheon is changed, it is this atmosphere that should be taken into account.
Otherwise - it could be very nice, yes.

As for PC types - well, just take the Argo and you have a big bunch of characters to begin with; you can just take all of their special abilities and create a big pool to select from (with a certain limitation, of course). Other than that, it could be interesting that for a player creation, one would choose which god exists in his ancestry, and it would define their abilities, or their choice of abilities.

ODDin wrote:
The two mentioned TV shows have about as much to do with Ancient Greece as Conan the Barbarian. Just rename Conan to Hercules, and there you go. In order to create an RPG actually set in Ancient Greece, one would need to read about the mythology and the the society (what the TV show creators obviously didn't do) - and this should be done even if you only want to recreate the atmosphere. What needs to be understood is that Greeks didn't see their gods as uncomprehendible greater beings; their gods were right here, on Earth, they sat on top a very specific mountain, they used to walk among the mortals, they didn't at all all-knowing and omnipotent, they could be argued with, they made foolish mistakes, and let us not forget - almost everyone at the time could trace their ancestry back to at least one of them.
What I mean is that even if the Pantheon is changed, it is this atmosphere that should be taken into account.
Otherwise - it could be very nice, yes.

Philbo wrote:
What do you think?  And, what sort of variety could there be amongst PC "types" ?  It might get boring if everyone just played a Hercules/Jason clone.

Philbo wrote:
What sort of variety could there be amongst PC "types" ?  It might get boring if everyone just played a Hercules/Jason clone.

I've been reading a comic book called Epicurus the Sage, by William Messner-Loebs and Sam Keith. There's no ultra-violence, but you might want to check it out to see something else that lightheartedly plays with Greek history and mythology.

Consider forcing (or just encouraging) players in this game to play pre-existing mythological characters, philosophers, or other well-known ancient Greeks. What's the point in avoiding a proper name that's in the public domain? If a character wants to be an Achilles clone, there's no harm in just letting him be Achilles.

oreso wrote:
Thats exactly how its done in the shows. The Gods were reoccuring villains/allies that the protagonists dealt with. They were very comprehensible.

Salu,

Okay, so I've been rolling this idea around in my head.  I really like the suggestion that someone made about the PCs being descendants of a divine bloodline, like Heracles.  Depending on which god they chose, they would have different options for powers and such.  Sort of a mythic Greece super-powers game, if you will.

But there are a few areas that are still fuzzy to me.

• Where does MY game fall in the timeline of mythic Greece?  I'm not suggesting chronological accuracy in a historical sense -- I just would prefer not to have the PCs trouncing about while Hercules is out doing his labors, or any of the other legends are stealing the spotlight.  My setting will be an inaccurate blend of eras.  Athens will be majestic, as though it were at its peak, the Lycurgan reforms will have been adopted in Sparta, etc.  But, it will be before the first Persian invasion and the Peloponnesian Wars.  Basically, I want it set in a fictional time after the exploits of the famous heroes, but before the real world came crashing in.  Does that make sense?
Mythological accuracy -- I'm going to use a very simplified version of Greek mythology.  For example, there won't be one (or three) cyclops, but a species of them.  There won't be one minotaur, but a culture of them, etc.  I won't be delving deeply into the family tree of the gods, just a broadstroke description of their past.  Though it will be recognizably Greek, I plan on taking poetic license, as many films/series/books have done in the past.  Any thoughts?
PC Motivation -- What will be the motivating factor for the PCs?  I'm advocating that they're required to play heroic figures.  But I mean, how are the descendants of gods treated by the public?  Are they on a mission from their patron gods?  What are the motives of the gods?  How common are these godly descendants?  Do they serve a purpose?  These are important questions.  Who's got some ideas?

•

I'll be brainstorming some more after work.  In the meantime, let me know what you think.  Oh, and I'm calling the game "Children of Olympus".  Whattya' think?
-phil

Giving the player characters static, reliable powers and bonuses based on the god they revere seems very un-Greek. A big part of Greek mythology is that gods are fickle and have very human foibles. A character who gets power from a god could have to deal with him or her as an NPC, and every favor called on would come at the risk of displeasing the god and being turned into something icky or otherwise toyed with.

On the other hand, I really like the idea of player characters receiving benefits based on their ancestors. Having different bloodlines available would allow for PC diversity. A descendant of Hercules would be very different from a descendant of Odysseus. Players could even choose gods for ancestors, as this happens all the time in Greek myths. Also, since PCs can be related, players don't have to fight over parts to play.

billvolk wrote:
Giving the player characters static, reliable powers and bonuses based on the god they revere seems very un-Greek. A big part of Greek mythology is that gods are fickle and have very human foibles. A character who gets power from a god could have to deal with him or her as an NPC, and every favor called on would come at the risk of displeasing the god and being turned into something icky or otherwise toyed with.

billvolk wrote:
On the other hand, I really like the idea of player characters receiving benefits based on their ancestors. Having different bloodlines available would allow for PC diversity. A descendant of Hercules would be very different from a descendant of Odysseus. Players could even choose gods for ancestors, as this happens all the time in Greek myths. Also, since PCs can be related, players don't have to fight over parts to play.

Would you take it from a Historical view of the ancient Greeks or would you take it from ancient Greek literature?

A historical point of view would base things solidly in their philosophy and architecture (that which as survived) and people's belief in the gods. From a literature point of view, the gods play a very big part in day-to-day life, always interfering and sometimes walking in the land of men.

Philbo wrote:
I mean, if the gods are just self-serving then the PCs don't have much motivation to use their gifts for good.  So, for game purposes, I might have to create a dichotomy(sp?) of good and evil within the pantheon of 12.  Any arguments?

Philbo wrote:
What about PC motivation?  The gods don't seem to serve a particular good or bad purpose, traditionally, just selfish.  But, how do I motivate the PCs towards heroism if they're serving the gods (directly or indirectly) ?  I could alter the Greek gods of this version to simply have a different agenda, like the TV series.  Paint Zeus as a good guy, Hera as bad, etc, etc.  What are your thoughts?  I mean, if the gods are just self-serving then the PCs don't have much motivation to use their gifts for good.  So, for game purposes, I

So, as indirect discendants of an immortal's bloodline, the PCs will possess certain "gifts" -- but this won't automatically make them servitors of a particular god.  Eventually, however, the gods will take notice and begin trying to utilize these heroes for their own purposes.  This clarifies things immensely.  So, the PC's loyalty may lie first with his polis, but he will deal with the gods on a regular basis in the course of his adventures.  They will not necessarily be a PC's "boss", but still major influences and plot-hooks.  Powerful figures that the PCs will have to "deal with" if not immediately appease.

Furthermore, the PC does not directly draw his power from the gods -- it is simply something that courses through his veins, as a descendant.  So, he is able to perform his "feats" regardless of the favor he holds with said god.  Though, he may be rewarded with boons/artifacts/etc. by satisfying the whims of the immortals.

How does this sound?

-Philbo