Silent Legions: A Sandbox Horror RPG

F13 · December 13, 2014, 08:02:52 AM

I'm surprised to see there are no open threads for this kickstarter. How come? Why is everyone hiding their enthusiasm?

Necrozius · December 13, 2014, 08:52:43 AM

I backed this rather enthusiastically. The current draft* is quite excellent, a fresh take on a (frankly) tired subject that's already covered in dozens of other RPGs about the Mythos. As usual, the book is chock full of useful tables and tags to create your own cults, conspiracies, god-like alien races and Great Old Ones.

I recommend it as a supplement for just about ANY campaign that you're running that taps into the Mythos in any way.

* Well, DRAFT isn't quite accurate: Kevin Crawford uses Kickstarter very wisely: he's already DONE the writing. The Kickstarter funding is just to pay his artists and a few other minor benefits.

The Butcher · December 13, 2014, 09:28:51 AM

Kevin Crawford is one of the cleverest creators in the OSR. His idea of what should be inside a RPG book dovetails very nicely with my expectations.

I like Traveller too much to play SWN, but frankly, many of the tools insude the SWN toolbox, not to mention the supplement line, are perfectly useful for my Traveller games. Hell, the Proteus Sector blurb alone (on the KS page) makes me want to run it with MongTrav.

I'm an even bigger CoC fanboy who's resisted every not-CoC Lovecraftian effort out there. But I'm backing Silent Legions at the PDF level so I can mine it for CoC, like I've mined SWN for use with Traveller.

Mr. Kent · December 13, 2014, 10:00:51 AM

I backed this and greatly enjoy what I've read. I'm in a game testing it out over at Big Purple, but would seriously love to try a game out here. I think I'd need to ask for permission, but the game seems so fun. Scary fun.

I think I like the pantheon creation most--I like how it has quite expansive options but the eldritch beings you create do feel like unique new creations.

Korgul · December 13, 2014, 11:44:44 AM

I backed it and i love what I read so far, although I had just the time to skim it rapidly.

But after all I loved everything I read from SineNomine. Beside being probably the more useful books I ever brought to a gaming table (especially the random tables) there's something about the prose, the humor and the topics that remarkably matches my tastes, making them a pleasure to read.

Bren · December 13, 2014, 12:34:30 PM

Looks interesting.

For anyone who has looked at the beta, what are the most useful bits that could be easily taken and plugged into other games?

Specifically I am thinking for games of Call of Cthulhu and even more so for my Honor+Intrigue game (H+I is based on Barbarians of Lemuria).

In other words, what will I get that is worth a $10-20 value?

3rik · December 13, 2014, 01:47:33 PM

I backed this. It will be my very first OS(R) game ever - unless you count OpenQuest/Renaissance. I haven't checked out the beta, just waiting till the book is finished. If the system turns out to not be "my thing" I expect there's still enough in there to use with other games.

SineNomine · December 13, 2014, 02:52:23 PM

Quote from: Bren;804335Looks interesting.

For anyone who has looked at the beta, what are the most useful bits that could be easily taken and plugged into other games?

Specifically I am thinking for games of Call of Cthulhu and even more so for my Honor+Intrigue game (H+I is based on Barbarians of Lemuria).

In other words, what will I get that is worth a $10-20 value?

Really, I wrote the thing in my usual idiom- I put the system up front in the first few dozen pages, and then I wrote the rest on the assumption that a lot of my readers will want to use their own game with it, and I shouldn't put anything system-specific in that isn't strictly necessary. The following parts are all system-neutral or only very lightly stat-related:

Creation tools for pantheons, aliens, dreamlands-esque Kelipot, magic items, cults, dark grimoires, and black magic.
Adventure tags for determining what's interesting about a particular city or site.
Adventure templates for assembling an investigative-style adventure. You can build a "blank" template that then drops down on top of the adventure tags to quickly create an adventure out of any randomly-chosen location, or if you have a specific site in mind you can integrate it during creation.
Cult conflict rules similar to those in SWN for Factions.

The bestiary's monster creation rules are more closely aligned to OSR rules, but even there you can find some stuff to plunder. If people want to back just long enough to read over the book, I'm perfectly fine with them dropping the pledge later if they decide it's not really their cup of tea.

Vonn · December 13, 2014, 05:16:58 PM

Backed it and loving it! It's chock-full of good stuff. I really like the tables to quickly create interesting adventure angles on the fly.

Bren · December 13, 2014, 05:28:43 PM

Quote from: SineNomine;804353Really, I wrote the thing in my usual idiom- I put the system up front in the first few dozen pages, and then I wrote the rest on the assumption that a lot of my readers will want to use their own game with it, and I shouldn't put anything system-specific in that isn't strictly necessary. The following parts are all system-neutral or only very lightly stat-related:

Thanks for responding. I'm totally ignorant of Star Without Numbers. I read this which is something I'd find useful:

QuoteCult rules that adapt the popular Faction system from Stars Without Number for the dark machinations and secret feuding of the malevolent cults you create. Keep your world in a steady downward spiral whether or not the PCs are there!

How comprehensible and useable is the Faction information in the game without SWN?

QuoteIf people want to back just long enough to read over the book, I'm perfectly fine with them dropping the pledge later if they decide it's not really their cup of tea.

That's gracious of you.

Bren · December 13, 2014, 05:32:14 PM

Quote from: SineNomine;804353Really, I wrote the thing in my usual idiom- I put the system up front in the first few dozen pages, and then I wrote the rest on the assumption that a lot of my readers will want to use their own game with it, and I shouldn't put anything system-specific in that isn't strictly necessary. The following parts are all system-neutral or only very lightly stat-related:

Thanks for responding. I thought you did a very good job of explaining your model for Kickstarters and why that works.

I'm totally ignorant of Star Without Numbers. I read this which is something I'd find useful:

QuoteCult rules that adapt the popular Faction system from Stars Without Number for the dark machinations and secret feuding of the malevolent cults you create. Keep your world in a steady downward spiral whether or not the PCs are there!

How comprehensible and useable is the Faction information in the game without SWN?

QuoteIf people want to back just long enough to read over the book, I'm perfectly fine with them dropping the pledge later if they decide it's not really their cup of tea.

That's a gracious and reasonable attitude.

urbwar · December 13, 2014, 05:57:05 PM

I had been eagerly anticipating this one, and backed it as soon as I saw it was live. I had backed Spears of the Dawn in pdf before, and felt that was one of the best KS I ever pledged on. After printing up all the charts from Silent Legions and playing around with them, I decided to buy Spears in print, along with Stars Without Number (I totally forgot about Scarlet Heroes, but will likely be getting that as well).

Even if you don't run the game itself, the material in the book is pretty useful for other games. I'm actually looking forward to when this is finished, and getting my print copy!

SineNomine · December 13, 2014, 06:25:15 PM

Quote from: Bren;804387Thanks for responding. I thought you did a very good job of explaining your model for Kickstarters and why that works.

I'm totally ignorant of Star Without Numbers. I read this which is something I'd find useful:

How comprehensible and useable is the Faction information in the game without SWN?

Another thing about my games- while some of them are intentionally fully-compatible (SWN, Other Dust, Spears of the Dawn, Silent Legions) and some are OSR-style compatible (Scarlet Heroes), I always make all of them stand-alone. You should be able to use the SL cult system without referencing SWN at all.

Bren · December 13, 2014, 11:58:07 PM

Quote from: SineNomine;804403Another thing about my games- while some of them are intentionally fully-compatible (SWN, Other Dust, Spears of the Dawn, Silent Legions) and some are OSR-style compatible (Scarlet Heroes), I always make all of them stand-alone. You should be able to use the SL cult system without referencing SWN at all.

Thanks again for responding.

I remember your previews of Spears of Dawn from my days on RPGnet. That looked cool but didn't fit anything I needed at the time. I think this might. I will be backing shortly.

Spinachcat · December 16, 2014, 03:47:54 AM

SineNomine's stuff is awesome resources for any RPG. I've gotten more use out of my SWN stuff for non-SWN games. It's a fine system, but the resource goodies are A+ quality and so easy to port over to whatever.