I just saw a review for this game and the review gushed, gushed and possibly overgushed to the point I was intrigued, but now suspicious. I understand Primeval Thule had a Kickstarter and they published 3 versions of the game (4e, 13th Age, Pathfinder).
http://www.sasquatchgamestudio.com/
Anyone play this?
Any thoughts?
There is a setting guide on Drive-Thru for 3$
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/129630/Primeval-Thule-Travelers-Guide (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/129630/Primeval-Thule-Travelers-Guide)
I believe Sixtystone Press is going to do a conversion to Call of Cthulhu 7E.
Okay, here's my take:
Primeval Thule illustrates one of the pitfalls of the Kickstarter trend of making various "versions" of your game as Kickstarter levels. So, we've got a Pathfinder, a 13th Age, and a D&D 4e version. But -- D&D 4e hasn't been supported in a long-ass time, and D&D 5e came out within a week or two of PT hitting the backers. The 13th Age version was widely criticized and will have to be partially redone, at least the rules-side of it. And the Pathfinder version, which is the best, still has some odd mistakes, like mention of "Warlocks," when there's no PF class for Warlocks. (You can basically do what I did, which is sub in "Witches," which is a class, every time you see "Warlocks," but I can see why it rankles.)
Meanwhile, I didn't go crazy on the Kickstarter because all I wanted was the PF version. I would have kicked in a lot more money if the backer levels had been things like more monster stats, or a big ass map, or whatever. So basically, we got three versions of the same setting, only one of which is really awesome, and one of which is out of date the moment it's birthed.
WITH THAT SAID -- Primeval Thule is an awesome fucking setting. It does for D20 Sword and Sorcery what Dark Sun did for 2e gonzo fantasy. They absolutely nail the feel of sword and sorcery in a d20 universe, and if that's what you're looking for, I highly suggest you buy it. I am in love with the whole thing, and the writing is top notch, and basically I have no regrets about kickstarting it, warts and all. It's really cool. Highly recommended. It's basically pre-Ice Age Greenland as a sword & sorcery setting, with an evil sentient glacier and Great Old Ones and creepy mages in old towers doing shit like drinking snake venom because they think it's going to make them a better wizard. It gets the feel down.
Thank you FVB!
As I'm most interested in the 13th Age version, I am concerned they didn't kickass on that version, which to me seems to be the easier one to get right.
BTW, are you associated with the Future Villains band? I saw them open for Steel Panther and they were amazingly good.
http://futurevillains.com/the-band/
I played in a session at Paizocon 2013 run by Rich Baker (Pathfinder) and it was a lot of fun.
It was much like it portrays itself to be - a sort of swords & sorcery in a Conan-style world with some Lovecraftian elements, but not dark, dark - more Conan than Lamentations of the Flame Princess. Elves are like Moorcock Melnibonéans.
If they end up doing a 5th Edition version with a print run, this is what I would choose as a campaign setting.
Quote from: Omega;786590There is a setting guide on Drive-Thru for 3$
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/129630/Primeval-Thule-Travelers-Guide (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/129630/Primeval-Thule-Travelers-Guide)
I got that via the KS. It gives you a system-less breakdown of the setting which you could use with the system of your choice. I skimmed it, and the setting seems decent.
Quote from: Omega;786590There is a setting guide on Drive-Thru for 3$
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/129630/Primeval-Thule-Travelers-Guide (http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/129630/Primeval-Thule-Travelers-Guide)
Bought it, $3 was too much. Looks like a good setting but that particular product is just an extended ad for the main product. Doesn't even include a map of the setting.
Both Crypts & Things and Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea basically do this sort of thing, only with rules.
The setting in C&T is fairly sketchy, but the one in AS&SH is relatively fleshed out and there are like 5-6 adventures for it (or will be).
Quote from: JeremyR;786732Both Crypts & Things and Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea basically do this sort of thing, only with rules.
The setting in C&T is fairly sketchy, but the one in AS&SH is relatively fleshed out and there are like 5-6 adventures for it (or will be).
I love AS&SH to bits. Setting and system both. It's second only to ACKS in my "best thing to come out of the OSR" list. I like better even than DCC.
Quote from: Lynn;786691If they end up doing a 5th Edition version with a print run, this is what I would choose as a campaign setting.
THIS! A print run must be coming soon.
I bought the Pathfinder version thinking it would be easy to convert.
Incredible and evocative art, secret societies and cults, and just reading it makes me want to run it. The preview version is well worth a few dollars and really covers quite a bit of material.
Quote from: The Butcher;786762I love AS&SH to bits. Setting and system both. It's second only to ACKS in my "best thing to come out of the OSR" list. I like better even than DCC.
Any particular reason why? I think the AS&SH setting is interesting, but (after skimming, not study or play) the system strikes me as terribly fiddly; I'm afraid I'm far too fond of ACKS / LL to spend time investigating it without some idea why I should.
Quote from: Naburimannu;787029Any particular reason why? I think the AS&SH setting is interesting, but (after skimming, not study or play) the system strikes me as terribly fiddly; I'm afraid I'm far too fond of ACKS / LL to spend time investigating it without some idea why I should.
I rank it more or less on par with AD&D 1e, so yeah, definitely fiddlier than B/X and its derivatives, but no biggie for me.
I love the humans-only character races. I'm OK with playing a "Norscan" in WFRP or a "Utgarde Barbarian" in Forgotten Realms, but writing down VIKING on your character sheer trumps all fantasy substitutes.
Crunch/system-wise, I love the character class lineup. I like how Berserker and Barbarian, Ranger and Scout, or Cleric and Priest are all separate classes, as are "specialist wizards" (Illusionist, Necromancer, Pyromancer). I like it that most common "multiclassing" options are covered by some class or other (not unlike 5e actually). I like how "specialist wizards" are their own classes.
I like how it evokes and riffs off of AD&D 1e and/or OD&D plus supplements into a game with its own aesthetics and mechanics (lots of d12-based resolution, who doesn't like d12s? That'd be like hating puppies ;)).
I like the above things so much I'd even run bog standard AD&D with it. I once posted that I'd gladly run 1e Forgotten Realms or Greyhawk with AS&SH and I stand by the idea.
Fluff/setting-wise I also love the bestiary because they have this amazing line-up of sword-and-sorcery antagonists and even managed to work Dwarves (as dero) and Orcs (as half-human, half-pig-demon hybrids) in there, plus assorted Cthulhu Mythos beasties along with Gygaxian demons and undead. I love the setting gazetteer because it's barbaric, decadent, gloomy and in-your-face fantastic. If REH, HPL and CAS ran a heavily houseruled OD&D or AD&D 1e it would probably look one hell of a lot like AS&SH.
AS&SH is, I don't know, Hawkwind to ACKS' Iron Maiden. I think ACKS is generally speaking a "better" game, but this is because I hold both RPGs and rock bands to entirely subjective standards.
Incidentally, the existence of AS&SH (and DCC, and Runequest), plus tons of great S&S material from the OSR, is why I'm not a customer for a S&S setting statted up for PF, 13A and 5e. I have my S&S based more than covered, kthxby.