Scalydemon wrote:

An add on thought on the broader topic of magic systems.

For me, the ideal magic system is one more akin to Stormbringer and Hawkmoon (Chaosium) as opposed to D&D based Vancian - especially when playing a sword & sorcery type game.

I'll once more plug Akratic Wizardry and its variant magic rules: they work really well with AS&SH, and are similar to Stormbringer's feel. 

I've started Midnight Sun, and my paperback copy of Night Winds is now superfluous (though it does sport a superior Frazetta cover).

famouswolf wrote:

I am just now working up my ASSH game and I am seriously thinking of just replacing the casting system with the old Bard Atlantean trilogy system. I can still use spells from ASSH, I get detailed summoning rules and heirarchies of demons, devils, spirits, and elementals and what they can do for a summoner (and the cost), and basic rules for potions and magic items and how to create them. It has a very Clark Ashton Smith feel. You cast one plus INT modifiers spells per day, and hold all known spells in memory. Your mage gets to cast one extra spell per day per level, of any spell level he knows...the limit is by level...every level he can cast one level higher, so that by sixth level any spell known of any level could be cast, and he could cast a base six spells. Spells can also be cast from grimoires and scrolls at no cost to the 'cast per day' total.
The problem with this, I'm not at all sure some of the classes in ASSH would work (Paladin, Ranger in particular).
But I think it would capture the 'feel' of Hyperborea very well.

I've had the same thought, but think the rules are different: casters in the Arcanum match AS&SH for what level they must be to cast a given spell (see p.69 of the Arcanum), and they can cast 2 spells/day +1 spell per level of ability (no Int bonus; see p.68).

Since I use the AS&SH rules in an Atlantean setting the fit would be natural.

I too would love to have a hardback version: while I appreciate the spiral-bound ability to lay flat, I find myself gingerly turning the pages lest I crimp one.

In no particular order:

1) Basically AD&D but with a S&S vibe: no demihumans, goofy art, etc.
2) Jeff's writing, as someone mentioned above. It displays an understanding of the manifold tittering lubricities of humanity that every discerning scribe has...
3) The art: fantastic complement to Jeff's writing.
4) The setting. I'm using my own setting, but draw heavily from Hyperborea: I may have my players stumble through a gate to get to Hyperborea some day...

Chainsaw wrote:

I think it's tough to find that balance of familiarity, speed/efficiency and variance/depth. Plus, on the one hand, you (the referee) may like that risk of spellcasting danger and unpredictability (it's like the books!), while you (the player) may not want the class's basic feature turned into a crapshoot (it's not necessarily that much fun!). This is why I lean toward a basic feature plus a supplemental player's option system for chance of "more" at a price.

Very true: I've been on both sides, and as long as the NPC sorcerers are similarly at risk I'm fine. Nothing like Theleb K'aarna blowing himself up on a fumble.

I know you said you'e avoiding it, but I'll point Akratic Wizardry out again: the comments to the blog post have a neat variant to explain why dark sorceries are so tempting.

Odysseus wrote:

finarvyn wrote:

I like your contribution too, Odysseus, but only in the "good old days" of my gaming life. Back in high school we thoughts wenches were awesome, but now that I play a more family-oriented G-rated game (with wife and kids) the focus seems to have drifted away from wenches. Go figure.

I know, mine too even though I'm not especially family oriented. It's just that S&S really doesn't shy away from such things compared to tolkien-ish fantasy. 
Having a kid now and looking forward playing with him, I'd be really glad if you could give me some nice G-rated S&S references. At the moment, I can't imagine anything that would be PG-13 because of the booze, violence, flirting, horrors and, overall, the nihilistic setting.
 

I started my son (8) and two friends' daughters (10 & 11) in my AS&SH game set in Atlantis, and it's possible to do S&S with kids: I've carefully selected creatures to be obviously inimical (beast men, serpent men, undead) and just kept the PG-13 stuff out. When it's just the dads then sleeping with fishfolk while under the charm of Dagon might have happened. 

Chainsaw wrote:

Interesting system, Yora. Thanks for posting.

I am somewhat partial to a Vancian system, myself, though I am tempted to create an optional supplemental system for casters to juice up a spell or cast more spells when they've been depleted - at a price. This power-for-a-price dynamic, always tempting casters into rolling the dice with their health and lives, is the dark bargain aspect of sorcery aspect I would like to enable. Might be just a table of ill effects of varying severity and permanence resulting from a failed a save (i.e., save vs X at -Y for spell effect Z), might be something more. Maybe the failed save effect is confined to the caster, maybe not. Hard to say, as I am still formulating the concept. I'd like to keep it fairly simple though, maybe a table or two or three. Nothing too elaborate.

Also, I'm sure something like this is out there, but I'd rather do it myself. More fun for me.

Well, at the risk of ruining your fun there's Akratic Wizardry, some of which I've adapted for my AS&SH in Atlantis game.
 

Aaronhd wrote:

I am now runing a Pathfinder game at that same game store (Citidel Games in Groton Ct).
Aaron Davis

Wow, that's a blast from the past! Is Pat Flory still the owner there? As a teen I used to hitch rides on his chartered buses to Origins.

Jeff

Count me among those who'd rather have it separate from the mag, too.