While reading through these, I also stumbled on the Sword & Sorcery Codex RPG, which uses the same rules, slightly modified, and is based on the Everwhen RPG, which is based on Barbarians of Lemuria. So between all of these games, I am pretty set.
The "first" edition of this game was originally designed to be a game of Lin Carter's "Thongor." The designer, Simon Washburn, even had the game up on his Geocities site and encouraged people to copy it and give it to others for free. This evolved to the "Legendary" Edition, which is still available, stripped of the Thongor references and heavily rewritten. The cover above is for the Mythic Edition.
The game is what I expected from a fantasy game of mighty barbarians, evil warlocks, sly thieves, and semi-naked women. Very much the stereotype of the Pulp Age of fantasy, I expected it to be. Except it plays it with an honesty and earnestness that I really want to play a big, dumb barbarian with mighty thews and a giant axe.
The game is full of sorts of great backgrounds that I could adapt it to any old-school fantasy game with no issues and run with it. I mean, honestly, look at the cover of the Legendary Edition. Barbarian standing in a pit surrounded by vaguely eldritch horrors as a tribal shaman gorilla prepares to sacrifice a slave girl. If you think the next scene is the girl's spilled blood and horrors unleashed over the land, then go play a horror game. If you think the next scene is that sword cleaving through the bodies of the horrors and the barbarian killing the shaman and saving the girl. Then this is the game you want. The Mythic Edition cover (above) is just as cool only this time the girl looks more capable. Get her out of those chains and she is going to make some wish they had kidnapped something safer, like a tiger.
The system I have to admit took me aback, in a good way.
I had been expecting another OGL-based or D&D-clone, but instead we get a very nice, very simple system. Character creation is all point-buy, and not dozens of points, but 4. The real joy here is being able to create a character in minutes and get going. I created several in one go.
The underlying mechanic is a simple 2d6+mods vs target number of 9. This makes it very, very similar to Unisystem and also to Spellcraft & Swordplay. I suppose that if you wanted a more flat game then you could use a d12. But d6s are great and they give us boons and flaws. Boons and Flaws are a neat mechanic. In either case you roll 3d6 instead of 2d6. If you have a boon, drop the lowest d6. If you have a flaw, drop the highest. Each character gets a boon or two boons and a flaw. As you advance you can add more.
There is plenty for everyone to do in combat since fighting styles can vary. I appreciate that the emphasis here is on everyone having a chance to be the hero. Sure, you might be a lowly thief or slave, but you still have something to contribute.
The careers are a nice touch and help give your character some background on what they were or did, or what they can do now. Frankly, I enjoy how it is all put together.
The art is good, not up to the level one expects from, say, Pathfinder, D&D, or Daggerhaert, but perfect for the tone and the feel of this game. And I liked it, so that is great for me.
The magic system is very open and reminds me a lot of magic from the time period. These are sorcerers who gained their power through evil pacts or forbidden knowledge. Or magicians who spent long years with musty tomes. Magic isn't blasty cantrips or wish spells.
Barbarians of Lemuria influenced the Everywhen RPG, which in turn influenced Sword & Sorcery Codex. The idea behind Sword & Sorcery Codex was to be able to play at the same table where someone was using a BoL book and another was using Everywhen, and still everyone speak the same language. And honestly I think they succeeded in that.
There is not a lot of difference between the two games. There are some character creation tweaks, and there are some different professions, most notably a witch. But by in large they are same rules wise. where Barbarians of Lemuria has their Lemuria setting, Sword & Sorcery Codex keeps it setting light even to the point of just using humans. This also works well. They do have plenty of optional rules and options like non-human characters and even firearms.
Both game have good monster lists and there are enough in one game and not the other that you are rewarded for buying both.
Sword & Sorcery Codex also has the advantage of having a good print-on-demand option.
The cover for this one is a little "modern." No scantily clad slave girl here. Our mightily thewed barbarian is joined by an equally mighty warrior woman.
The publisher of S&SC, Garnett Elliott, is the same as Everwhen. They have a lot of adventures compatible with both and, by extension, BoL.
German and Spanish Versions
I was bummed that the Mythic Edition was gone from DriveThru, but pleased to see the German and Spanish editions.
The German edition cover seems closer to D&D, but it is still great and has some fantastic interior art. This is also the cover of the new Mythic Edition. When I saw the art, I was hoping to see a new piece of my ex-girlfriend Methyn Sarr, but not this time. Though the magician art is really cool.
The Spanish edition is the same as the Mythic edition, I am happy to say. Save for, of course, it is in Spanish. The cover is nearly identical, but has more of an old pulpy paperback. The interior art of the Spanish edition is the same as the English language Mythic edition.
It is cool to have Methyn Sarr, die Hexenkönigin and la Reina Bruja.
Larina Nix for Barbarians of Lemuria and Sword & Sorcery Codex
These are solid fantasy games and nearly any concept will work in them. But not all. I don't think my "righteous knight in shining armor," Johan, will do well here, nor will my "not at all righteous, but also not really evil" goblin, Nik-Nak, work here either. No. These games demand a witch.
The stats between the two are very similar and yes you can play a character from one using the rules of the other with no issues.
Attributes
Strength 0
Agility 1
Mind 5
Appeal 4
Combat Abilities
Initiative 2
Melee 0
Ranged 1
Defense 1
Careers
Magician 5
Alchemist 2
Scribe 1
Temptress 1
Advance 2
Arcane 17
Hero 4
Lifeblood 12
Fate 0
Boons
Artistic, Attractive, Beast Friend, Excellent Library, Hard to Kill, Magic of the Sorcerer Kings
Flaws
City Dweller, Distinctive Appearance, Lustful, Missing an Eye, Obsession (Magic)
Weapons
Dagger d6
Staff of the Archwitch d6
Armor
Leather Armor d6-3
Attributes
Strength 0
Agility 1
Mind 5
Appeal 4
Combat Abilities
Initiative 1
Melee 0
Ranged 1
Defense 1
Careers
Witch 6
Scholar 2
Temptress 1
Advance 0
Arcane 16/17
Hero 4
Lifeblood 10
Fate 0
Boons
Attractive, Familiar, Magical Affinity: Autumnal (p. 114), Second Sight
Flaws
Amorous, Haunted, Infamous, Witchmark
Weapons
Dagger d6
Staff d6
Armor
Leather Armor d6-3
In Barbarians of Lemuria, she is a Magician with some levels in Alchemist and Scribe. In Sword & Sorcery Codex, she is a proper witch. Witches in S&SC have some alchemist abilities, so no need to double up there since they don't stack. In both cases, she has a level of Temptress. It is a Pulp Sword & Sorcery world, and have you ever seen a chaste witch in those?
S&SC has fewer Boons/Flaws than BoL, but in a real game, I'd combine both lists. I also had her take more Boons and Flaws in BoL to reflect her growing levels.
I am happy with her stats in both cases, but a perfect one would be a blend of the two.
Who Should Play These Games?
With all these varieties and editions of this system out there there is a flavor for every taste. That is, of course, as long as your main meal idea is Pulp Fantasy of the type written about by the likes of Lin Carter, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Robert E. Howard. These are not the races of the world on a fellowship to stop a great evil. These games are action-packed tales at the dawn of time, where one day you are an adventurer warrior, or thief, or pirate, and the next day you are king, and the next day you are back to being a warrior or something else.
These games are all great fun. The grittiness might not appeal to some of Fantasy RPG's newest fans, but who is to say?
Personally, I enjoy these games and would play them more. But I am also happy taking ideas from these games to use elsewhere too. These games cover a lot of the same ground as Hyperborea, so if you like one you will like the other as well.
The system is fast and intuitive, allowing you to learn and get up to speed quickly.
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