Mythic Russia: a game of high adventure in Old Russia
Mythic Russia will use a modified form of the HeroQuestTM game system to allow epic play in the lands and myths of Old Russia. It
will, however, be a completely self-contained book: you will not need to own a
copy of HeroQuest to play.
What’s HeroQuest?
Put very briefly,
it’s a roleplaying system designed by Robin Laws – already an industry
legend for such games as Feng Shui and Dying Earth – for play in
Greg Stafford’s fantasy world of Glorantha.
It is a tremendously
flexible and scaleable system, which emphasises player participation and
cinematic adventure. All contests are handled using the same basic mechanics,
whether a sword-fight, the climb up a slippery cliff or an academic debate,
meaning that non-combat challenges can have the same drama as a fight to the
death. A character is defined by abilities, which are created by the player
rather than picked from some list, and can include anything from skills and
powers to personality traits, relationships and physical characteristics. These
can be used in their own right or to augment other abilities, depending on the
situation. Thus, a hero could use his Keen Wits to resolve a puzzle or
else, along with his Greedy, to augment his Bargain when haggling
at the market. Indeed, if he is trying to buy a present for her, he can also use
his Loves his Wife relationship to boost his abilities. In this way,
characters become rounded personalities, and who they are, in what they believe
and who is important to them is just as important as what they know. For more
details, and samples, see www.HeroQuest-rpg.com
How will Mythic Russia build on the core game engine?
Mythic Russiawill
be completely compatible with HeroQuest: if you want to take elements
from the game and setting to use in Glorantha, you can, and likewise it will be
no problem for players and narrators used to playing HeroQuest to pick up
Mythic Russia.
That
said, the world of
Mythic Russiais
not Glorantha, and the game will reflect the particularities of this setting. In
some cases, there will be elements which, while using the same game engine, are
presented in a very different way. For example, while there are shamans who
summon the spirits, those who still worship the old gods, and the spreading
faith of Christianity,
Mythic Russiadoes
not use the several separate magic systems to be found in HeroQuest.
Instead, all are based upon a single, common magic approach, although with
details on how their powers are used and acquired giving different magical
cultures their own distinctive feel.
In
other cases, a distinctive feel will be ensured by tweaking the details, even
while the rules remain the same. For example, a hero of the Rus’ is a
passionate man or women, driven by larger-than-life loves and devotions,
enmities and commitments. Thus, an even greater use will be made of the game
engine’s excellent and innovative treatment of relationships and personality
traits as abilities, with several masteries being by no means unusual. Of
course, this also risks upsetting the balance of the game, and so this will be
presented alongside notes for the narrator to ensure that, for example, Vasilsa
the Driven cannot simply use his Desperate Never to Fail to augment
himself in every challenge, or that if he does try to abuse it, the narrator can
turn it into a weakness.
Then there will also
be optional rules which add to the core game engine, generally to reflect the
needs of the setting. For example, trade is important to the Rus’ and
especially the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Novgorod, one of the core
cultures of
Mythic Russia. To this end,
additional rules for gaining and using wealth will be provided, over and above
the abstract guidelines in the HeroQuest book, for players and narrators
who want to engage in commercial (or piratical!) activity.
How can I Learn More?
Over time, samples and further information will be posted on this site -
subscribe to the free Mythic Russia news
service for regular updates.
In the mean time,
using the buttons along the side of this page will take you to further information
on the kind of heroes you might play, how magic will be handled in Mythic
Russia, and the otherworlds beyond the mundane realms of humanity.
The HeroQuestTM game engine is owned by and licensed from Issaries, Inc.
and HeroQuest is a registered trademark of Issaries, Inc.
All content throughout this site relating
to the Mythic Russia game and setting is
copyright © Mark Galeotti 2004.