Hi all,

i just found this forum and i like it. It is kind of different from others i already know such as Dragonsfoot etc..

Anyway, i wanted to ask you if you know about this seemingly forgotten old fantasy module,

INFO

apparently someone is doing a sort of cover to cover here

SWORD PATH GLORY

thanks

I think it isn't a module but a complete game.

That said, IMO it's strictly for collectors. I once owned what I believe was a pared-down version called Rhand: Morningstar Missions, and it was just a detailed combat system with hyper-detailed wound effects. And then some basic chargen and skills stuff tacked on. Realistic? Possibly, although detail and realism don't necessarily go hand-in-hand. More important it just struck me as being so cumbersome that you really couldn't use the combat rules and have time for anything else.

Still, I'd be interested in hearing accounts of actually playing Rhand or SP:G.

I have Book 1 of Sword Path Glory - though I've never played it. Its intended as an add-on to an FRPG to make combat more detailed..perhaps for a D&D type game since it makes references to level ("skill level") in places, though it strikes me as being more compatible to something like Harnmaster or Runequest.
 
A good chunk of the book is comprised of weapon damage tables: instead of rolling damage, you roll impact and then use that on a table for each hit location to determine your flesh depth penetrated; this gives you a shock value (i.e. % to pass out), damage points, and whether any bones are broken etc. (based on a sort of diagram below that table that reads e.g.
XXXXXRibXXXXXStomachXXXXSpine ...
 
It also has a round-less initiative system sort of like runequest strike ranks, except that you keep track of weapon, shield (if not fully ready, your parry % is reduced) and movement times separately. It also has a movement system where you get a "base acceleration increment" and accelerate slowly up to full speed, instead of having a fixed movement rate.
 
The inside cover says there is a Book 2, Book 3 and Book 4 but I've never seen those. The last page has an advert for the advanced rules ("Are You Ready To Take The Next Step?"), which left me both terrified and amused at the same time.

Quote from: Bloody Stupid Johnson;488299The inside cover says there is a Book 2, Book 3 and Book 4 but I've never seen those. The last page has an advert for the advanced rules ("Are You Ready To Take The Next Step?"), which left me both terrified and amused at the same time.

I have Book 1 and 2, as far as I know Book 3 and 4 were never published. I have a soft spot in my heart for games with damage charts, like the ones that were fashionable in the eighties (realistic!!!), games like Rolemaster, Hârnmaster, Timelords, The Riddle of Steel, etc, but Sword's Path: Glory is too much for me, I haven't been able to make heads or tails of this game.

And yes, that advert also terrified me.

Thanks for your answers guys! they were very useful to me.

Claudius and B.S. Johnson, please can you make a snapshot of that advertisement?
or a scan, just of that page...i'm tremendously curious to see that terrifying ad!
i'd be really grateful

thanks in advance

NP. Well the ad isn't illustrated or anything - so I can probably type it out without too much hassle. It does lose some impact if you haven't actually had your brain melted by reading the first book, but see below.
 
 
ARE YOU READY?
To take the next step? The basic rules for Sword's Path - Glory were designed to optimize speed of play while maintaining realistic combat, but there is much more ahead!
 
In the advanced rules, the ultimate in realism was the goal and few concessions were made. The result of years of play, Advanced Book 1 is for those who refuse to compromise in their gaming. It contains over 300 pages of material including:
*194 pages of Damage Tables
*19 Armor Classes
*30 Armor Locations with rules for mixed or layered armour and heavy plate
*Shield Damage and Penetration
*Knockdown and Balance Rules
*Terrain, Visibility and Position corrections
*Hit Locations for attack from the front, rear, left or right
*Target Size adjustments to damage
*Expanded Parry Rules

thanks a lot!!

Same guys that did Living Steel and Phoenix Command, yes?
I was crazy about that stuff for a short while in the Wayback... subscribed to their newsletter, bought everything I could find... including the Morningstar Missions box... but never did see SPG... or that one with the big map of Rhand.

Quote from: Bloody Stupid Johnson;488387In the advanced rules, the ultimate in realism was the goal and few concessions were made.

The sentence is black is truly terrifying.

QuoteIt does lose some impact if you haven't actually had your brain melted by reading the first book,

Indeed. And you can bet the second book is written in the same style.

Rolemaster and Hârnmaster, compared to Sword's Path Glory, are like Risus or something. :jaw-dropping: :banghead:

Quote from: Simlasa;488454Same guys that did Living Steel and Phoenix Command, yes?
I was crazy about that stuff for a short while in the Wayback... subscribed to their newsletter, bought everything I could find... including the Morningstar Missions box... but never did see SPG... or that one with the big map of Rhand.

Yep that's them. The writer, Barry Nagazono, is a propulsion engineer with NASA.  
 

Quote from: Claudius;488457The sentence is black is truly terrifying.
 
 
Indeed. And you can bet the second book is written in the same style.
 
Rolemaster and Hârnmaster, compared to Sword's Path Glory, are like Risus or something. :jaw-dropping: :banghead:

Pretty much So what horrors are contained in your Book 2? That's the "Roleplaying" book in the series?

Quote from: Bloody Stupid Johnson;488461Pretty much So what horrors are contained in your Book 2? That's the "Roleplaying" book in the series?

According to the back cover, it has an alignment system (similar to the one in Elric), characteristics, skills, rules for training, healing, fatigue, etc. It looks like it makes sense, but I assure you it's written in the same crazy moon language as Book 1.

Its not written in moon language, just by engineers.  There are two book ones, the original red cover and a slightly simplified white cover.  Book 2 covers skills, and learning.  Rhand Morningstar Missions is a more simplified version and contains rules for combat, skills & magic plus a world to play in.  They also did a small arms combat system called Spectrum, and a later version called Phoenix Command.  They have a futuristic game called Living Steel.

J.J.

Quote from: jjwolf120115;579070Its not written in moon language, just by engineers.  There are two book ones, the original red cover and a slightly simplified white cover.  Book 2 covers skills, and learning.  Rhand Morningstar Missions is a more simplified version and contains rules for combat, skills & magic plus a world to play in.  They also did a small arms combat system called Spectrum, and a later version called Phoenix Command.  They have a futuristic game called Living Steel.

J.J.

Threadcromancy!

Also, welcome to therpgsite!

I liked Living Steel a lot, and I'm working on something merging the LS and d20 systems that I'm planning on using to run the Apocalypse scenario for my players back home.  Did you play with PCCS or LS much?

Welcome to theRPGsite!

RPGPundit

I play tested Living Steel among other Leading Edge Games.  

J.J.