I'm a huge fan of Runequest 6, going so far as to say that nostalgia aside (Warhammer Fantasy 1st ed), it is my favourite published fantasy RPG of all time.
I've also been a big fan of The Arthurian Mythos since early childhood. So Mythic Britain (http://www.rpgnow.com/product/139443/Mythic-Britain) highly interests me.
However, its from a 3rd party and is being offered in pdf, 2 things which generally give me pause. So anyone picked this up? How is it? How does it compare to other Arthurian rpgs/supplements? What approach do they take to the mythos?
MB is as 1st party as it gets, so you can't use that against it.
And it is being offered in pdf because the books aren't printed yet, so you can't really use that argument either.
I don't have it yet as I'm exercising my willpower-skill to wait until I can order bulk and save on shipping, but Loz is a good writer. From where I'm sitting, MB seems like Pendragon and Warhammer had a feral child (don't ask me about the details of that unholy coupling, but that's my favourable impression), and set it loose on the English Isles of myth.
If someone is in actual possession of this and want to spill beans, please go ahead.
Quote from: baragei;807910MB is as 1st party as it gets, so you can't use that against it.
And it is being offered in pdf because the books aren't printed yet, so you can't really use that argument either.
Its not an argument, its simply why I havent rushed out to the store and grabbed a copy. I personally do not like having gamebooks in pdf and will only turn to it as a last resort (and then go print the file myself).
If its 1st party then I'm mistaken, but does seem to be from a different publisher.
We're not arguing.
On the subject of PDFs, I agree. They are not as good as books. Although I grew to
like them a lot more after getting a half-decent pad.
It's by Design Mechanism, written by Lawrence Whitaker, so the same company and one of the two authors of RQ6.
Moon Design Publications is the licensor of RuneQuest (used to be Issaries Inc., but Issaries Inc. is now just a licensing/brand management company, Moon Design is the Publishing Company).
So even though the RuneQuest name licensor changed from Issaries to Moon Design on the back cover, the author is the same guy, Loz on these boards and it's his and Pete's company, The Design Mechanism.
I got an e-mail saying the pre-order would be shipping soon.
Quote from: TristramEvans;807911Its not an argument, its simply why I havent rushed out to the store and grabbed a copy. I personally do not like having gamebooks in pdf and will only turn to it as a last resort (and then go print the file myself).
If its 1st party then I'm mistaken, but does seem to be from a different publisher.
It is absolutely first party if by that you mean the Design Mechanism, it's written by Lawrence Whitaker and published by TDM.
This is the hardcopy:
http://www.thedesignmechanism.com/products.php#!/Mythic-Britain/p/43756111/category=5186110
It's inspired by the Bernard Cornwell 'Warlord' series...but with 'real' magic - ie. uses the RQ6 magic systems - covers Christian, British, Saxon beliefs and magic. Has huge amount of background and character material. Grand Campaign of adventures takes up about 1/3 - this reads very well (I've not played it) and the adventures are not derivative of Cornwell. Runeslinger going through chargen here:
http://runeslinger.wordpress.com/2015/01/03/overview-mythic-britain-character-creation/
sample chapter:
http://www.thedesignmechanism.com/resources/Caves%20of%20the%20Circind.pdf
It's good stuff and not really Warhammer or Pendragon flavoured, more, erm, RuneQuest style.
I'm a player in a current Mythic Britain campaign (run by the author, Lawrence Whitaker), and can attest that it is excellent. The adventures do a superb job of immersing the player characters in the setting, and are quite challenging.
Quote from: Bilharzia;807919It's inspired by the Bernard Cornwell 'Warlord' series...but with 'real' magic - ie. uses the RQ6 magic systems - covers Christian, British, Saxon beliefs and magic.
Yeah, Cornwell's series captures the feel of the setting quite well, though there are some important differences, one of which you note (magic is 'real' in MB).
It's easy to import other elements from RQ6 as well, if you like. For instance, my own character is a Roman mystic (neo-Platonist cultist), and so was generated differently from the other characters, and uses the mysticism form of magic from the core rules.
I admit I am a bit torn - I did not enjoy Mists of Avalon, never read the Warlord series, but I did enjoy Camelot, or at least the first two episodes, while Mark Anthony was there to play the villain. How does the world description section hold up?
Quote from: Rincewind1;808011I admit I am a bit torn - I did not enjoy Mists of Avalon, never read the Warlord series, but I did enjoy Camelot, or at least the first two episodes, while Mark Anthony was there to play the villain. How does the world description section hold up?
Mists of Avalon was an abomination.
QuoteHowever, its from a 3rd party and is being offered in pdf, 2 things which generally give me pause. So anyone picked this up? How is it? How does it compare to other Arthurian rpgs/supplements? What approach do they take to the mythos?
Not sure how you could assume it's a third party product when it appears as a Design Mechanism product on the RQ6 pages of RPGnow... :) Anyhow, as others have said, it's Official RQ6. As official as you can get. As the PDF, well, RPGnow is a PDF site, so that's hardly surprising, but you can order it as a print book (shipping this week) direct from us and you get the PDF for free.
I'll let others make the comparisons, but this isn't High Arthurian. This is in-the-dirt, Dark Ages Celts and Saxons, pagans and Christians, in a post Roman Britain. There are no knights and jousts; but plenty of grim battles, shield walls and violent clashes. Consider Pendragon as gleaming knights riding through the cherry blossom to the triumphal strains of Carmina Burana O Fortuna! Mythic Britain is bloody spearman crawling from the wreckage of a broken shield wall to the mournful strains of Clannad.
Myths draw directly from the Mabinogion and Irish sources and have almost nothing in common with Chretien de Troyes and the Vulgate Cycle. There's no Lancelot or Galahad; no Grail or Questing Beats. There is Merlin - at least 300 years old, and probably much older. There is Morgana. There is Gawain too, Lot's son exiled from his homeland for saving his sister. There are spirits of all kinds of power. Rivers are Goddesses - powerful ones - but there are Christian Saints too, and even scope for miracles.
QuoteI admit I am a bit torn - I did not enjoy Mists of Avalon, never read the Warlord series, but I did enjoy Camelot, or at least the first two episodes, while Mark Anthony was there to play the villain. How does the world description section hold up?
I haven't seen 'Camelot' so I have no idea how Mythic Britain compares to it. MB draws a lot on history, especially the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, Nennius, some Gildas and some Tacitus. Some of it is made-up; some of it extrapolated. It is extensive though - extensive enough to give you a very good idea of Britain in 495, the politics, the conflicts and the people. Arthur is a warlord, not a king; historically named figures such as Natanleod and Aelle are arguably better known than Arthur and just as powerful.
Hopefully this does a good job of selling Mythic Britain... or at least piquing interest.
Quote from: Loz;808049Not sure how you could assume it's a third party product when it appears as a Design Mechanism product on the RQ6 pages of RPGnow... :) Anyhow, as others have said, it's Official RQ6. As official as you can get. As the PDF, well, RPGnow is a PDF site, so that's hardly surprising, but you can order it as a print book (shipping this week) direct from us and you get the PDF for free.
I'll let others make the comparisons, but this isn't High Arthurian. This is in-the-dirt, Dark Ages Celts and Saxons, pagans and Christians, in a post Roman Britain. There are no knights and jousts; but plenty of grim battles, shield walls and violent clashes. Consider Pendragon as gleaming knights riding through the cherry blossom to the triumphal strains of Carmina Burana O Fortuna! Mythic Britain is bloody spearman crawling from the wreckage of a broken shield wall to the mournful strains of Clannad.
Myths draw directly from the Mabinogion and Irish sources and have almost nothing in common with Chretien de Troyes and the Vulgate Cycle. There's no Lancelot or Galahad; no Grail or Questing Beats. There is Merlin - at least 300 years old, and probably much older. There is Morgana. There is Gawain too, Lot's son exiled from his homeland for saving his sister. There are spirits of all kinds of power. Rivers are Goddesses - powerful ones - but there are Christian Saints too, and even scope for miracles.
I haven't seen 'Camelot' so I have no idea how Mythic Britain compares to it. MB draws a lot on history, especially the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, Nennius, some Gildas and some Tacitus. Some of it is made-up; some of it extrapolated. It is extensive though - extensive enough to give you a very good idea of Britain in 495, the politics, the conflicts and the people. Arthur is a warlord, not a king; historically named figures such as Natanleod and Aelle are arguably better known than Arthur and just as powerful.
Hopefully this does a good job of selling Mythic Britain... or at least piquing interest.
It's okay - I doubt I am the target group, since I prefer my British myths French ;). But I might check it out, since come to think about it, I do enjoy some Irish myths as well. Celtic cattle raids and Dirty Warriors Fighting Dirty Wars do sound up my alley.
By the way Loz, what's coming up in 2015 for the Design Mechanism and/or RQ?
Quote from: The_Shadow;808070By the way Loz, what's coming up in 2015 for the Design Mechanism and/or RQ?
The Taskan Empire (+ scenario)
RuneQuest: Classic Fantasy
Adventures in Glorantha
Luther Arkwright: Roleplaying Across the Parallels
Secrets of Blood Rock
Probably a couple of additional Mythic Britain scenarios.
Quote from: Loz;808049Not sure how you could assume it's a third party product when it appears as a Design Mechanism product on the RQ6 pages of RPGnow... :) Anyhow, as others have said, it's Official RQ6.
No, that was my bad. For some reason I was under the impression RQ6 was published by Mongoose. Turns out that was an earlier edition.
QuoteHopefully this does a good job of selling Mythic Britain... or at least piquing interest.
It does indeed, I'll probably be grabbing it next paycheque.
Of course, if it includes any stuff on Drustan/Tristan/Tristram and Yseult, that would be a dealclincher for me , for obvious reasons.
Quote from: Loz;808072Luther Arkwright: Roleplaying Across the Parallels
Oh my! THAT peaks my interest! I'm quite a fan of those comics. I'll start saving my pennies right now.
Quote from: TristramEvans;808073No, that was my bad. For some reason I was under the impression RQ6 was published by Mongoose. Turns out that was an earlier edition.
It does indeed, I'll probably be grabbing it next paycheque.
Of course, if it includes any stuff on Drustan/Tristan/Tristram and Yseult, that would be a dealclincher for me , for obvious reasons.
Deal clinched. It does.
Quote from: Rincewind1;808053Celtic cattle raids and Dirty Warriors Fighting Dirty Wars do sound up my alley.
Mythic Britain is the game for you, then. :) RQ6 can easily do King of Dragon Pass: The Tabletop RPG.
How much of the 360 pages is setting vs. adventures? Regardless, as soon as it comes out in print I am going to get this, as well.
Quote from: Patrick;808149How much of the 360 pages is setting vs. adventures? Regardless, as soon as it comes out in print I am going to get this, as well.
70% setting, 30% scenarios. And the boom is in our warehouse this week.
Quote from: Loz;80815070% setting, 30% scenarios. And the boom is in our warehouse this week.
Woot! Thank you!
I've seen the PDF and it is
amazing. But then I've wanted to run a Dark Ages scenario since MRQII came out. :)
Quote from: Loz;808072The Taskan Empire (+ scenario)
RuneQuest: Classic Fantasy
Adventures in Glorantha
Luther Arkwright: Roleplaying Across the Parallels
Is AiG going to focus on the Second, or the Third Age?
And I am oddly curious about Classic Fantasy.
Quote from: Loz;808072Secrets of Blood Rock
What's this?
Quote from: The Butcher;808168What's this?
It's another S&S mini-campaign set in The Realm, location of The Book of Quests mini-campaign.
Books of Quests is good, I'm converting it to Brythunia now for use in RuneQuest 6 Conan.
I am so sold.
I am so sold.
I'm reading this guy's book at the moment. The book and accompanying TV series are good background/inspiration
http://youtu.be/RLpgVEfy4mQ
Also bought Mythic Britain from Leisure Games. Well written and decent artwork. Good production (only found one typo so far!)
Tristam you might be interested in Runeslinger's second post about Mythic Briton
http://runeslinger.wordpress.com/2015/01/12/overview-mythic-britain-the-setting/
it goes into more of the setting.