Showing posts with label Fantasy Fridays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fantasy Fridays. Show all posts

Friday, April 11, 2025

Fantasy Fridays: Tales of the Valiant

Tales of the Valiant
 A newer entry today and a potential good replacement for D&D 5e on your table. But is it just a new coat of paint on a familiar rule-set?

Tales of the Valiant

Tales of the Valiant began as the Black Flag system/project from Kobold Press, already a big name in 5e-compatible products. The genesis was, of course, the massive OGL fallout from January 2023. Kobold, among so many of us, saw a threat to our product lines and opted to "pull a Pathfinder" and release their own rules only this time under their own license. They can sell core rule books (which is always a good source of money) and still create their own supporting products (their bread and butter as it were) and have them support both game lines.  It is a good idea.

They have published the "common core" of three books:

The books are attractive and is well laid out. There is a lot great art. But the question is, do they provide me anything above and beyond D&D 5 (2014)? Well, all three books are 1,081 pages, so it is hard to dig through all of this to find specific differences. It looks like 5e and plays like 5e. I guess that is what is important, really. Now, the classes do have additions; each class features a subclass taken from the SRD and often an additional new one. There is the new Mechanist class, which is similar in concept to the Artificer class. So, for current 5e (again, 2014) players, there is something new. 

The truth is there are a lot of new things, but you need to dig for them. There is the "Beastkin" Lineage for example that looks like fun. As do the new "Sydereans" which combine Aasimar and Tieflings and "Small Folk" which combine halflings and gnomes. Ok, I am cool with that. Orcs and Kobolds (natch) are core lineages. I think every clone or RPG should have at least one unique core lineages. Yes, this book uses "lineage" and not race. I like this better. Heritages are how your character was raised. More or less. 

There does seem to be some more monsters, but the monster book is populated by "the Usual Suspects."

Again. It is hard to fault Kobold on this. These books have two purposes, and both require it to cleave close to 5e (2014). First it *is* a D&D 5e replacement. I have not tried, but you could in theory use this books with minor tweaks in a 5e game. I call this the Pathfinder solution. The other purpose is to provide Kobold (and third parties) a means to write "5e" compatible material but not require people use, or even buy, 5e core books from Wizards. I call this the OSRIC solution. 

I suspect the real value of these books and this game will come from future products. For example, the upcoming, just Kickstarted, Monster Vault 2, will be the true test of this system. Yes, they state outright this is for TotV and 5e, but I think this will be the case that makes or breaks this game. So far things are looking rather promising for Tales of the Valiant. 

Honestly, this book looks really good, and if I picked up the physical edition, I would be tempted to get the Core Three because of how good they all look together. But I don't play 5e all that much anymore.

Who Should Play This Game?

Honestly, this game will not replace 5e (2014) on anyone's table. It might supplement it, but it won't replace it. It could, however, replace 5.5e (2024).  My oldest and I have been talking about the various issues with 5.5, and he is sticking with 5.0 for now. But if you are one of those people who have felt especially burned by WotC's actions over the last 2.5 years, then maybe this is the game for you.

Johan Werper for Tales of the Valiant

I don't know. Something about this game makes me want to play a knight in shinning armor and perform actions of Epic Good. Not that I wouldn't play Larina in it, but the classes are not a perfect fit. The closest thing is not the Warlock, but rather the Leaf Druid. Now, the Chaos Sorcerer is interesting as well. Maybe I could try it for Sinéad.

I want to try out Johan, or at least some sort of version of him, because the Paladin in 5.5 seems so nerfed. I have been wanting to compare the various paladins just to see if this is true. 

This will be Johan VII, the son of Johan VI and Lana (my wife's character) for 5e. He has a twin sister, not uncommon for the Werpers. She will be a 5.5 character so I can compare properly. Their background is they were exposed to cosmic forces before birth, so they have something a little "extra."  In Johan VII this means his "Anointed" Heritage.

Johan Werper
Johan Werper VII
Human (Anointed) Paladin (Devotion) 3rd level

Strength: +2
Dexterity: +1
Constitution: -1
Intelligence: +0
Wisdom: +2 (saves +4)
Charisma: +3 (saves +5)

Proficiency Bonus: +2
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30ft

AC: 17 (chain mail and shield)

Weapons
Longsword +4 1d8/1d10 (versatile)
Crossbow, Hand +2 1d6 30/120 

Passive Insight: 14
Passive Investigation: 12
Passive Perception: 12

Skills
History, Insight, Relgion

Proficiencies, Languages, & Talents
Advantage on Death Saves, Thaumaturgy Cantrip
Languages: Common, Elven, Draconic, Giant
Navigator's Tools
Talent: Combat Conditioning +2 to hp each level
All armor and shields, simple and martial weapons

Class Features & Traits
Divine Sense
Lay on Hands
Divine Smite
Martial Action - Guard
Spellcasting (Divine)
Sacred Weapon
Sanctifying Light

Spells
Cantrips: Thaumaturgy
First Level: Bless, Cure Wounds, Sanctuary

I like this version. 

Given his family history, his twin sister would be named Celeste or Celine. She will be stated up with D&D 5.5 as a Celestial Warlock, or whatever the warlock is called in that. 

The Player's Book includes Greek, Egyptian, and Norse gods as examples. I am half tempted to continue using my "Black Forest" mythos, maybe making them avatars of Jäger and Jägerin. They would not be real avatars, but that is how they would be perceived. 

I like this idea since my wife based her character Lana on Lagertha from Vikings. It also explains why Johan VII can also speak Giant. 

Johan VII and Johan VI character sheets

Johan VII character sheet

He compares well to his dad. So that is cool, with enough differences to feel like a new character.

I think I am going to need a bigger binder for Johan.

Friday, April 4, 2025

Fantasy Fridays: Fantasy Wargaming

Fantasy Wargaming
 Returning to this series, I aimed to explore games that would provide insight into how Satan, demons, and the devil were perceived in the Middle Ages. Here is the first of those. 

Fantasy Wargaming

Edited by Bruce Galloway (1981, 1982). 220 pages.

Every gamer of a certain age has owned this game at least once, and some of us have owned it multiple times. It claims to be "The Highest Level of All." I am surprised that the cover, with the summoned devil about ready to grab that old wizard, didn't hamper sales. 

I have seen a few different versions of this book. A letter-sized hardcover, a digest-sized book, and I swear a softcover version. It was a regular feature of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Club, and I suspect that is how it got into so many hands. 

The book is quite lengthy and contains numerous historical details. No shock. It was written by a bunch of gamers from Cambridge University and edited into a (allegedly) comprehensive whole. I would describe the book as having more than one voice to be honest. There are parts that want to be an RPG or at least a coverage of RPGs (Wargames in the parlance of the book) and another voice that seems to disdain them. More on that. 

The book is certainly more of an artifact of the 1970s rather than the 1980s. And 1970s College Elite at that. It is a book and style I typically subscribe to the "Second Generation" of gamers. These are the guys, typically college age, who picked up RPGs while on college campuses. They were not the First Generation (Gary and the folks around him), but they had similar backgrounds. For the record, I see myself more of the Third Generation, or Gen 2.5. I was in middle school and learned from people who had learned from the Second Generation. 

There is a lot to unpack here. Not just in terms of the game itself but the history of the game.  I would not be able to provide a thorough review of it for this particular post.  I am not even sure I want to try.  For starters, there is a notable disdain for RPGs in this book, particularly for D&D.  I would call it a Fantasy Heartbreaker, but it never lets you get close enough to it to break your heart.  Don't get me wrong; there is a lot here. Some of it is even good. I normally (or plan to, anyway) conclude these posts in this series with a recommendation on whether the game is a good fantasy game and whether it would be a suitable substitute for D&D at your table. The answer to both is very much a no. 

So why go through the exercise of it?

There are some tidbits here that I like.  While most modern players would balk at some of the ideas here- hell, some of it raised an eyebrow or two in the 1980s- there is a certain in situ charm about it. As described Fantasy Wargaming is 11th Century role-playing as viewed through the eyes of people in the 11th Century (and filtered through Cambridge students of the 20th Century). 

In particular, there are comprehensive lists of fantasy arms and armor, often surpassing what you find in most games. The glossary on arms and armor (starting on p. 54) is rather great. 

Weapons of War

But for me, the best parts come from the sections on star/birth sign, social class, magic and monsters. 

Star/Birth Sign

I am NOT a proponent of Astrology. But, I do see how/why it is important to Medieval characters and to witches in particular. This game provides some background and makes mechanical changes to the characters.

Social Class

Scattered throughout the book, it also informs and affects everything.

Magic

Likewise, scattered everywhere, there is some really great stuff here that I could mine for ideas. How much of it is practical at the game table? That I don't know. But it is fun to read. It has a mana system, which is always attractive but also always cumbersome. 

Here is what the book says on the subject of Wise Women (p. 28):

Cunning Man/ Wise Woman. By far the most common user of magic in either the Dark or Middle Ages. The Cunning Man or Wise Woman is a solitary, rural magician, usually situated permanently in a single village or area. He/ she is part of the community, and usually accepted until something unfortunate and inexplicable happens which can be fastened upon him/ her. The Mage specializes in appropriate kinds of spell: the curing of people and domestic animals, the bringing of disease and death as retribution, and certain kinds of detection (especially thief, lost things, etc.). He/she uses immediately available materials for enchantment, and the basic incantatory preparations for spells. Mainly "White" magic.

And Witches (p 28):

Witch. Member of a Devil-worshipping coven, in which magical skills are taught both by other members and by demons themselves. Witchcraft is an eclectic, powerful type of magic, drawing on as many traditions as the varied membership of the covens allows. The Witch is most effective in magic involving people, and compulsion-Curing, Disease and Death, and Absolute Command being the greatest specialities. Witches may be found in the highest and lowest walks of society, in court, city and countryside alike. Other Mages may join covens and become Witches., without losing their own spell specializations. The Witch is almost always a secretive figure. his/ her magical skills either being hidden or practiced in solitude. The Witch is automatically damned, and all his/her magic Black.

I'll have to see where my Larina falls.

Monsters

There are many great ones here, mostly from Medieval Bestiaries. Some who have never made it to the pages of a Monster Manual. This includes the names of some demons and angels. 

I think one of the reasons I keep coming back to this book is not the game value or even the editorial comments but rather for the depth of some of the information. 

The reviews for Fantasy Wargaming were never great, some even going as far as calling it "the worst RPG ever made" which is a little harsh in my mind. It is not good, but it is not the worst. A proposed sequel to cover the classic and ancient world never happened and Bruce Galloway himself passed in 1984. In fact of the five main authors, only one is still with us. 

Larina Nichols for Fantasy Wargaming

I can't not do a witch for this. That's crazy talk.

The game does cover witches and witchcraft:

Few questions in anthropology have raised as much controversy as the nature of witchcraft. There are three quite separate views of the witch-the peasant magician, the pagan, and the devil worshipper. Fantasy Wargaming accepts all three as valid. Witches clearly exercised magic. and not just Supernatural powers by appeal Equally, the theory of a surviving pre-Christian Celtic fertility cult bas some force. Some ritual elements, notably the sacred dance and orgy, appear at the very beginning of the period, before diabolism bad really taken root. There are echoes of Bacchic revels, and of Diana's Wild Hunt.
Some medieval witches strenuously asserted their worship of a "different" god. Yet equally, the evidence for devil worship among medieval covens is overwhelming. (FW p. 24)

Yeah, I can work with that. The game is set roughly in the 1000s AD. Yeah, I can do that as well. I would lean in on the Larina living in Wales concept I have. Her mother is Welsh, her father a minor Saxon nobleman.

Witches, or Wise Women, in this game, get special treatment. In general, women characters have it rough in Fantasy Wargaming to reflect the 11th Century times the game is set. Wise Women and Witches though can break out of this bleakness just a little. 

Larina might appear to be a Wise Woman, but she is a Witch. Of course, this means a pact with the Devil. I'll have to see how character creation works out. Though the section on religion mentions that there are some still holdover of Anglo-Saxons that follow the old Norse Gods. Could Larina be worshipping a version of Freya? I can make that work. MAYBE she worships some version of Helga or Mutter Natur from my Black Forest Mythos. Likely some Faery (p. 36) magic mixed in. Larina is very much a witch from the Margaret Murray mold. She likely pulls in a lot of different ideas. Of course to the authorities she is nothing more than a debased Satanist.

For this, I will refer to David Trimboli's breakdown of character creation. 

Larina as a teen
Larina, Daughter of Lars
Female Welsh Witch

Star Sign: Scorpio ♏︎

Ability Scores (adjusted for Star Sign)
Physique: 9
Agility: 12
Endurance: 10

Intelligence: 18
Faith: 15

Charisma: 16 14 (Scorpio)
Greed: 12 10 (Female -2)
Selfishness: 13 11 (Female -3, Scorpio +1)
Lust: 15 12 (Female -3)
Bravery: 12 10 (Female)

Social Class: 10 7 (Female -3)

Height: 5'3"  Weight: 110lbs
Current Agility: 12

Literate: Yes
Speaks: Welsh, Anglo-English, German (Low)
Chance to Speak Language: 60%

Leadership: 9

Mana: 5

Birthrank: Firstborn Daughter
Father's Social Position: Land Reeve (13)

Misc. Traits/Bogeys: 3 Heretic, Bisexual, Gift of Tongues. 

Spells

Flight: Mana 3 (Controlling: ♓︎/♐︎ Diminishing: ♍︎/♑︎)
Night Vision: Mana 2 (Controlling: ♋︎/♌︎ Diminishing: ♓︎/♒︎ )
Evil Eye: Mana 2 (Controlling: ♏︎/♋︎ Diminishing: ♐︎/♌︎)

Yeah it sucks to be a woman in the 11th Century in this game. No wonder she looks to witchcraft. But that is the type of character I would play. Load up the disadvantages! I'll still prevail. I am not going to get all bent out of shape about this. Those are the rules in the game, and since I am exploring the game, so be it. Plus, the raison d'être of this character will be to fight against the power of the Church, the Patriarchy, and well... I guess most of Europe at this point. 

I also rolled for traits/bogeys for her. She is a heretic, bisexual, and has the gift of tongues. I think that means she must be some sort of Satanic witch for sure. Also, given that she is very intelligent, has the gift of languages, and is bi, I am going to avoid calling her a Cunning Linguist. Damn. I did it anyway.

Characters start out at 16 here. Damn, I half tempted to lift this whole character and make her part of Moria's background instead! Personally, I'd rather start her at 19, have her living on her own and do that whole "mysterious witch of the woods" concept. 

Maybe in my "grand cosmology" this represents Larina as a Satanic witch. Sounds like something an edgy 16-year-old would do. "Mom! It's not a phase! I am dedicated to my Dark Lord Lucifer!" "That's nice, sweetie. Make sure you clean your room and finish your homework." "Ugh. Mom, you don't understand!"

She is a Scorpio. I wanted to keep that. But Scorpio, according to the rules, is the worst for a magic-using class. Well. I never bought into astrology anyway, so that is fine with me.

I like this character, but to be honest, there isn't a lot I can, or will, do with her. Nor can I recommend the game save as an interesting curiosity. Though I DO highly recommend Mike Monaco's "The Highest Level of All." It is a book dedicated to Fantasy Wargaming and does a better job than I ever will. 

So she has had a ton of disadvantages thrown at her from the word go. She is super bright, can read, knows languages, and is a bit lusty. No wonder she is going to rebel. I love her already.

Links


Fantasy Wargaming


Friday, March 14, 2025

Fantasy Fridays: Hyperborea 3rd Edition

 Welcome to my first proper Fantasy Fridays. For this first one I want to feature one of my favorite fantasy RPGs. It is Jeffrey Talanian's Hyperborea RPG, now in its 3rd Edition.

I keep coming back to this game time and time again for good reason, it is just a fantastic game.

Hyperborea Player's ManualHyperborea Referee's Manual

This game has the feel of first Edition AD&D in a "Dying Earth" style setting. It is part Jack Vance's Dying Earth, but a greater part of Clark Ashton Smith's "Zothique." The world is old, cold, and dying.

The first edition was a boxed set of three books, and the second edition was a single massive tome. The third edition is now two separate books.

I have all three and have reviewed them all.  I'll throw some links below to the reviews and other characters, here is the the latest, the third edition, which sits nicely on my shelves with my AD&D books.

HYPERBOREA Player's Manual
HYPERBOREA Player's Manual

PDF and Hardcover. 324 pages. Color cover, black & white art with full color art pages.

For my review, I am going to be considering the hardcover from the Kickstarter and the PDFs from DriveThruRPG.

The book starts with the credits, acknowledgments, and dedication to John Eric Holmes, the author/editor of the "Holmes" Basic edition. 

Chapter 1: Introduction this covers what this game is and what RPGs in general are. This is important and worth a read since it sets the stage for what sort of sub-genre this game covers, "swords, sorcery, and weird science-fantasy."  The classics of Swords and Sorcery are covered here briefly and how they add to the feeling of this game. This is pure Howard, Lovecraft, and Smith.

Chapter 2: Character Generation covers character creation. This chapter is brief covering of what you can do with the five chapters.  This also has a listing of the common "facts" known to every character. There is a section on leveling up. 

Chapter 3: Statistics or the "rolling up characters" chapter. The six recognizable methods are presented here. The most common of course is Method III; roll 4d6 drop the lowest.  We also have the same six attributes we have always had.

Each class has a "Fighting Ability" (FA) and a "Casting Ability" (CA) which relates to attacks. So yes, even magicians can get a little better in combat as they go up in level.  It's a great little shorthand and works great.  So a 4th level Fighter has a fighting ability of 4. A 4th level magician still only has a fighting ability of 1 and a cleric 3 and thief 3.  Subclasses can and do vary.

AC is descending (like old school games), BUT with the Fighting Ability stat it could be converted to an ascending AC easily.

Chapter 4: Classes We still have our Basic Four; Fighter, Magician, Cleric, and Thief.  Each also gets a number of subclasses.  Fighters get Barbarian, Berserker, Cataphract, Huntsman, Paladin, Ranger, and Warlock.  The Magician has Cryomancer, Illusionist, Necromancer, Pyromancer, and Witch. The Cleric has the Druid, Monk, Priest, Runegraver, and Shaman.  Finally, the Thief has the Assassin, Bard, Legerdemainist, Purloiner, and Scout.  

Each subclass is very much like its parent classes with some changes.  The classes look pretty well balanced.


HYPERBOREA Witch

Chapter 5: Background This covers all the things about the character that "happened" before they were characters.

Races are dealt with first. They include Amazons, Atlanteans, Esquimaux, Hyperboreans, Ixians, Kelts, Kimmerians, Lemurians, Picts, and Vikings along with the catch-all "Common" race of man.  No elves or dwarves here. Physique is also covered. 

Alignment is a simpler affair of Lawful Good, Lawful Evil, Chaotic Good, Chaotic Evil, and Neutral.

Along with race, there are various languages the characters can learn/know.  There are also gods here, an interesting mix of Greek, Lovecraftian, Norse, and Smith gods. 

There are background skills and weapon skills. Though I misread "charcoaler" as "chocolatier," and now I want a character with this background. 

Chapter 6: Equipment Or the "let's go shopping" chapter.  If you missed the "to hit modifiers vs. armor types/AC" in AD&D then I have a treat for you. Weapons here are more detailed than they were in previous editions of HYPERBOREA; or at least more detailed than my memory of the older editions.  Just checked, this one is much more detailed. 

Chapter 7: Sorcery This is our spell chapter but it also covers alchemy. Spells are split up by character class. Spells are limit to 6th level since classes are all limited to 12 levels. Spell descriptions are all alphabetical. This covers about 75 pages.  

Chapter 8: Adventure. This chapter improves over the previous editions. It covers all sorts of adventure topics like hirelings and henchmen, climbing, doors, nonstandard actions, time and movement.

Chapter 9: Combat. All sorts of combat topics are covered. Critical hits, unarmed combat, mounted combat and more. Damage and madness are also covered. The madness section is small and not really designed to mimic the real world. 

Appendix A: Name Generator. Pretty useful, really, to get the right feel of the game. Afterall "Bob the Barbarian" isn't going to cut it here. 

Appendix B: Lordship and Strongholds. What each class and subclass gains as a Lord or Lady of their chosen strongholds.  There is a great section on creating strongholds as well.

Appendix C: Cooperative Gaming. This covers how well to play in a group.

Appendix D: OGL Statement. This is our OGL statement.

These appendices (with the exception of D) are all new. 

There is also a great index.

So I will admit I was unsure about backing the 3rd Edition of HYPERBOREA.  I have the 1st and 2nd Editions and they have served me well over the last few years.  This edition brings enough new material to the table that it really is the definitive version of the game. 

The leatherette covers are really nice and I am happy I waited for it. Since the Player's and Ref's books are now separate, I could, if I wanted, pick up another Player's book.

The art is great. There are some reused pieces and still plenty of new ones. It uses the art well and helps set the tone of the game.

Leatherette covers

HYPERBOREA Referee's Manual

HYPERBOREA Referee's Manual

PDF and Hardcover. 308 pages. Color cover, black & white art with full-color art pages.

Chapter 10: Introduction Again, this is our introduction this time for the Game Master or Referee's point of view. What the Referee does for the game and more. 

Chapter 11: Refereeing This get's into the Game Mastering process in detail. This covers grant experience for the characters and setting up the campaign. 

Chapter 12: Bestiary Our monster section and truthfully one of my favorites. The expected ones are here, but there are also plenty of new ones.  This covers roughly 130 pages.  There are interesting new takes on some classic "D&D" monsters, plus many new ones like a bunch of new "lesser" and "sublunary" demons. The format is most similar to Basic or Labyrinth Lord, and it is full of the usual suspects with some Lovecraftian Horrors, and even remnants of alien and bygone ages. "Demons" are here, but no devils. 

Dæmons

Chapter 13: Treasure Covers treasure types and magical treasure. Among the magic items are things like Radium Pistols and other sc-fi artifacts. Very pulpy. It also includes some rules on scribing spell and protection scrolls. There is even a small section on Alchemy in Hyperborea. Very useful to have really.

Chapter 14: Gazetteer.  The lands are a pastiche of Howard, Vance, Lovecraft, and Smith.  If these names mean anything to you, then you know or have an idea, of what you are going to get here.  This section has been greatly expanded from the previous editions. Included here are the gods again and a little more on religion.  Basically, you get the idea that gods are either something you swear by (or to) or get sacrificed to by crazy cultists.  So yeah, you know I am a fan.

Appendix A: Weather in Hyperborea. Likely more important here than, say, other game worlds. Weather in Hyperborea is dangerous. 

Appendix B: Hazards of Hyperborea. There are horrible things waiting for you in Hyperborea and they are not all monsters or the weather. 

Appendix C: Waterborne Expeditions. Covers waterborne adventures and combat. 

Appendix D: Warfare and Siege. Your characters have built their strongholds. Now someone wants to know it down.  Here are the rules.

Appendix E: OGL Statement. The OGL statement for this book.

Since the 2nd edition, nearly every aspect of this game has been expanded, some sections more than others, but it is a great upgrade.

The art throughout is very evocative of the setting. Mighty thewed barbarians, shining knights, elderly and eldritch wizards. 

Larina Nix for Hyperborea 3rd Edition

A dedicated witch class? Yes please! That means I want to try out Larina here. Now I have tried other witch characters with the Hyperborea rules, but to build my iconic witch is something of a full test for me and a game. 

Larina at the End of Time

Larina Nix

Female Kelt Witch 12th level

Alignment: Neutral (Lawful)

ST 9 [+0 +0 2:6 4%]
DX 12 [+0 +0 3:6 4%]
CN 12 [+0 +0 75% 2:6 4%]
IN 18 [+3 95%, Bonus Spells 1, 2, 3, 4]
WS 18 [+2]
CH 18 [+3 12 +1]

Age: 30s
AC: 1 (Cloak of Darkness, Bracers of Defense)
HD: d4
hp: 27
FA: 5
CA: 12
#Attacks: 1/1
Damage: 1d4+3 (dagger+3), 1d6 (staff)
SV: 11 (+2 Transformation, +2 Sorcery)
ML: 12

Abilities
Alchemy, Brew Decoction, Familiar, Read Magic, Scroll Use, Scroll Writing, Sorcery, Dance of Beguilement, Effigy, Henchmen, Broom Enchantment, Ladyship, Witch's Apprentice

Spells
First level (5+1): Charm Person, Detect Magic, Mending, Shocking Grasp, Sleep, Write Spell (Charm Person in ring)
Second level (5+1): Bless, Extrasensory Perception, Hold Person, Identity, Ray of Enfeeblement, Shatter, (Ungovernable Hideous Laughter in ring)
Third level (4+1): Dispel Magic, Phantasm, Tongues, Witch Fire, Wind Wall, (Starlight in ring)
Fourth level (4+1): Gylph of Warding, Moonlight, Mirror Mirror, Sorcerer Eye, (Transfer Wounds in ring)
Fifth level (3): Anti-magic Shell, Control Winds, Shadow Conjuration
Sixth level (2): Control Weather, See

Languages: Common, Keltic (Goidelic), Hellenic (Greek), Old Norse, Speak with the Dead, Speak with Nature Spirits
Size: M (Height: 5'4", 125 lbs)
Move: 40
Saving Throw Modifiers: Transformation +2, Sorcery +2
Secondary Skill: Scribe
God: Lunaqqua

Flying Cat ("Cotton Ball"): AL N; SZ S; MV 10 (Fly 80); DX 15; AC 7; HD 1/4 (hp 5); #AT 3/1 (claw, claw, bite); D 1/1/1; SV 17; ML 5; XP 11

Normal Gear
Clothing, daggers (2), backpack, woolen blanket, chalk, ink and quill, polished steel mirror, incendiary oil, parchment (4), soft leather pouch (2), small sack (2), tinderbox, torches (2), wineskin (wine), writing stick, iron rations (one week), spellbook (contains all prepared spells), 5 gp, 15 sp, gems (100gp)

Magic Items
Bracers of Defense, Ring of Spell Storing (4 spells), Ring of Telekinesis (100 lbs), Wand of Magic Missiles, Wand of Lightning Bolts, Bonded Broom, Cloak of Shadows, Gem of Brightness, Horn of Blasting (Thor), Copper Skull Necklace 

I like this version. So who is this Larina? This is Larina at the End of Time. She has all the memories of her past lives and often gets lost in them. Not really remembering who, or when, she is. She lives alone in her witch's cottage with her, yet unnamed apprentice. This is not the Witch-Queen Larina, this is something lesser and far older.

She would make for a great NPC for the next time I run this game.

Larina sheets for Hyperborea

Who Should Play This Game?

Anyone that enjoyed First Edition AD&D but liked the level limits of B/X D&D. Humans abound here, so if you like playing anything other than a human, you might not have as much fun. Also, the world is bleak and dying. This is not a time of heroes to make for a better day; better days are past. This is a time to survive against brutal odds and in the face of an uncaring universe. 

Also, play this if you loved the works of Jack Vance, H.P. Lovecraft, and especially Clark Ashton Smith. 

There is also a pretty good online community for this game, so support and advice are often a click or two away.

This is one of the games that I play the least but want to play the most. I love everything about it. It combines so many of my favorite things in one game that I am hard pressed to think of something I would have done differently.  Well...maybe go to level 14 so I could map it onto my Basic-era games plans a bit better.  

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Friday, February 28, 2025

Fantasy Fridays and Other Features

 I made a few new choices about some of the features here on Ye Ole' Other Side blog today. Well...I have been planning these for a bit, but this morning over what has appeared to be one too many cups of coffee the ideas finally jelled.

some of the games I will cover

I have been calling 2025 The Year of Fantasy RPGs, and this is going to continue. One of the ideas I had for this year was to do the April A to Z of Fantasy RPGs. I have a bunch ready to go, but only three written. To provide a full and proper review for a post like what I want takes a lot of reading and about a week's worth of writing here and there. So, it's not really something I want to cram into a month for 26 different games.

My goal was also to find games people could play that could, in a sense, replace D&D on their tables for a bit. Like I have said, I love D&D, and I likely always will, but there are a lot of games out there that are equally deserving of our attention. I can't do that in the way I want by only focusing on a bunch of games for a month.

Also, I have, for a while now, been pretty sour on the idea of supporting others' Kickstarters with my "Kickstart Your Weekend" feature. I mean honestly to be rather blunt about it. I spent a lot of time letting people know about Kickstarters, only to watch the ones I was part of creating not hit the levels I wanted. Selfish? Maybe. Pissy? Certainly. But I have to support the home team more. Yeah, I am still reviewing other people's games, but that feels different to me. 

All these combined have led me to my new feature, Fantasy Fridays. Each Friday over the rest of this year I will try to cover a Fantasy RPG in detail. I love reading these and making new characters so this could be a lot of fun. I would allow myself a little more flexibility regarding "fantasy" too. In June, I like to talk about Sci-Fi games, so this would be perfect for a Sci-Fi Fantasy game. I have a few others that are not 100% pure fantasy, but still would work fine.

I am still trying to clean up and publish all these works in progress I have collected over the years, so that will also continue (new one on Monday!).