Kickstarter for Karvosti - The Witch Hammer

Greetings, once again, from somewhere within the Tabletop Multiverse.

Today we're diving into the world of the Swedish tabletop RPG sensation known as Symbaroum. Or, more precisely, the campaign they currently have on Kickstarter, namely: Karvosti - The Witch Hammer. It is for the english translation of the adventure, which is already out in swedish.

It's been up for a few days, but still has 15 days to go on it's Kickstarter run. Not that it really needs it as it has already been funded several times over. Then again, that also shows how much people are looking forward to its release. I think it is also a general indicator of the popularity that Symbaroum in general has been enjoying ever since its launch - and with good reasons! It is a great game to play, and has garnered a lot of interest. As a result it has already been translated in a few languages.

Did you enjoy adventuring in the Chronicle of the Throne of Thorns campaign? "Karvosti - the Witch Hammer" is a freestanding sequel to that campaign, following the "Thistle Hold - Wrath of the Warden" which was the first. It is going to be 152 pages of adventure.

From the Kickstarter:

Karvosti – The Witch Hammer is the second episode in the Chronicle of the Throne of Thorns. The 152 page book is a freestanding sequel to Thistle Hold – Wrath of the Warden and will be followed by five other episodes.

It is through these campaign and adventure modules that we will keep building the world of Symbaroum; aside from an in-depth introduction to a specific region in Ambria, Davokar or beyond, each book will introduce new optional rules and features: abilities, (monstrous) traits, mystical powers and rituals, creatures, artifacts, elixirs and much more.

Looking at this second episode in particular, it focuses on the cliff of Karvosti – the age-old thingstead of the barbarian High Chieftain, located deep within the forest of Davokar. The module is divided into three sections…

The Kickstarter is doing really well. With 15 days to go they have, at the time of me writing this, 418 backers, and have so far amassed SEK 327,429 (SEK = swedish kronor). Their goal was SEK 50,000.

Take a look at it if you haven't already, and if you like it give it a pledge. It'll help them unlock more stretch goals for what I think will be another really good product from them.

And if you haven't checked out the Symbaroum game, you can do so here.

Until next time!

Kickstarter for Lex Occultum (formerly Götterdämmerung)

Greetings travellers, and welcome to another entry from somewhere in the Tabletop Multiverse!

This time I have turned my attention to a Kickstarter from Swedish tabletop game developer RiotMinds (link goes to the Swedish website). They are running a Kickstarter for their new game Lex Occultum, which as far as I have been able to find out is a new version of their old game Götterdämmerung.

The game has won the "Game of the Year" award in Sweden, and this Kickstarter aims to fund an english version of the game as well. So far, they have already beaten their goal, with 26 days to go, so hopefully they can get enough to reach some of the stretch goals. :)

As for the game itself, it takes place in the 18th century, and deals with the occult and supernatural. You get to fight against supernatural creatures with your flintlock and lantern. Originally this game was going to precede the company's other major game Trudvang Chronicles for an english translation and release, but the company swapped them around. Now however, they are getting around to Lex Occultum again, and it should be one to look forward to! :) It is a really good game game, full of flintlocks, mysteries, secret societies, occultism, magic, and much much more. All taking place in the 18th century, as I said. This is a dark game, with a dark atmosphere.

This is from the game's Kickstarter page:

"Europe, 18th century. The church is losing its grip on men struggling with old beliefs and dogmas. Alchemists, occultists and secret societies dig deep into old mysteries and ancient obscurities. Enlightenment is not only about breaking free from old institutions and structures, but also about discovering what has been hidden for hundreds of years, even millenniums. Illuminati, Freemasons, the old Templars and other secret societies hide in dark chambers plotting for a new world order, or to just uncover the dark arts and ancient wisdoms.

The nobles and aristocrats is a dying breed living in full decadence and excess while the common people suffer in poverty. This is the era of Enlightment, but also ignorance. Few know anything about the growing darkness; the vampires and offspring of the devil, and while conspiracies grow under the surface, kings and priests preach about submission and obedience. But who is to save men from the twilight of the gods, from falling into the darkness and be consumed by evil? Is it true that the apocalypse is soon to come?

LexOccultum takes place in a fictive historical 18th century, where the occult and supernatural is real but not yet in full bloom.

This is a game about flintlock pistols, filthy grave diggers, lanterns, werewolves, wine and decadence, secret societies, conspiracies and mysteries too dangerous to uncover. It’s a game about explorers battling the raging seas, the truth about the Templars, holy bloodlines, a quiet war between men and beast. Discover the corrupt Paris, the smoke filled London, "gin craze" and alchemists search for the Philosopher's stone. Dig deep into the cabbala system and ancient mysteries of old Egypt."

 As I mentioned earlier there are 26 days to go on the Kickstarter. If what you've read above sounds interesting to you then you should definitely go check it out!

Until we meet again, somewhere on the long and winding paths of the Tabletop Multiverse.

Tabletop RPG Bookshelf - Mutant R.Y.M.D.

Greetings from the depths of the Tabletop Multiverse.

Having unpacked all of my old tabletop RPG books (the ones I still have left anyway) and put them on their shelves in the bookcase, I have been looking a little at a couple of them. This is probably the first time in 15-20 years that I actually sit down and take a look at them, so memories come back and there have been a few 'aha' moments reading through them as I recognise things.

One of the games I have been looking a bit at are Mutant R.Y.M.D (Mutant S.P.A.C.E.), which came out in 1992, published by Target Games. It was quickly 'replaced' by the first edition of Mutant Chronicles the following year. In a way it was a mixture of the Mutant games that had come before it - the Mutant games that recently has seen a new edition released in 'Mutant: Year Zero' from Swedish company Fria Ligan (Free League) - and Mutant Chronicles which has also recently seen a new edition released, this time by British company Modiphius Entertainment.

Mutant R.Y.M.D. has recognisable elements in it from Mutant Chronicles, which I think might be the version of the 'Mutant games' that most people are familiar with. Especially with the release of the 3rd edition by Modiphius Entertainment last year. You can find the same Megacorporations in there, even though they work slightly differently, and there is even the Dark Legion. Though it is not known here as the Dark Legion, but goes under the name "Ondskan" (the Evil) instead. Or rather the forces of "the Evil". The premise is similar though, with the forces of evil having been let loose on the solar system. The technology level in Mutant R.Y.M.D. is decidedly more advanced than in Mutant Chronicles however, with laser weapons, disruptor weapons, advanced cybernetics, spaceships, etc, being part of the arsenal and availiable to the players, as well as other technologies that weren't availiable anymore in the world of Mutant Chronicles.

The game uses a percentile system using d100. There are three "Classes" availiable - 'Normal Human', 'PSI-Mutant' & 'Mutant'. Each class has access to a number of Occupations, with Normal Human being the only one who has access to all of them. There is even the Doomtrooper occupation, again something some of you may be familiar with from Mutant Chronicles.

The game has a list of mutations you can pick, cybernetics, etc. The mutations come in two different forms: "Mental Mutations" & "Physical Mutations". There are also lists of mental and physical defects.

There was only one adventure ever created for Mutant R.Y.M.D. called "Operation Kirkwood", which came out in the same year as the main game did. It was the only module ever created for the game besides the core books which came in a box.

Having looked over it I feel like I want to try playing it again to see what it is like 'in action'. I hope I will get a chance to some day. In the meantime it will sit on its shelf in my new home and I'll take it out and look at it from time to time. :)

It would be nice if one of the Swedish gaming companies would pick up the IP and release a new version of it some day. *hint. HINT.* But honestly I'm not sure that will ever happen as the game was so quickly overshadowed by Mutant Chronicles arrival.

Anyway, that is it for this time. See you all some other time in the Tabletop Multiverse!

Review Time: Let's take a look at the Symbaroum tabletop RPG

Greetings fellow travellers on the twisting roads of the tabletop multiverse!

Today, I though I would give my thoughts on one of the latest tabletop RPGs to come out of Sweden. As a Swedish person myself, who grew up playing a lot of other Swedish tabletop games back in the day, it is good to see the resurgence that swedish tabletop RPG's have had in the last few years, and continue to have. Symbaroum is a product of Swedish company Järnringen. While Symbaroum isn't a new version of an old game, like a lot of the others are, it instead is a brand new game which has had some remarkable success since it came out. It quickly got an english translation and it has just kept on going since then.

Let's start off by taking a look at the game itself.

So, what's the game like?

Symbaroum is a dark fantasy game set in a rather dark, grim, and deadly world. The world itself is well-defined as it takes place in and around the vast and mysterious Davokar forest. Symbaroum is the name of the region, or rather - as the book explains - it is the name of the civilization which dominated the region up to about 1000 years prior to when the game is set.

The Symbaroum core rulebook is broken down into three sections, or 'books': The World of Symbaroum, Player's Guide and Game Master's Guide. At the end of the book there is a 20-page adventure which can also be downloaded from the company Järnringen's website.

The first book is all about the fluff. Here you can find information about the world, the setting, and the history, etc of the region. It also takes a look at the various factions that exist in the world - for example the noble houses of Ambria, the settlers of the land, the barbarian clans, the church of Prios, Ordo Magica (a magical order), the elves of the Iron Pact, etc. It is also worth pointing out that the elves of the Iron Pact are not the friendly, exotic and pointy-eared humanoids that we are accustomed to from a lot of other fantasy games and worlds. These elves protect the deeper parts of Davokar against intrusion, and won't hesitate to kill intruders on sight. 

There is also Thistle Hold, the last bastion of civilization just before the edge of the forest. It is a well fortified town, and a center of activity, both opportunity and crime. It is not, however, the capital of Ambria, that honor goes to Yndaros instead. And there is a chapter describing it as well. Finally we have Karvosti, a plateau next to a lake on the western side of Davokar. It is the place where the barbarian folk hold their Thingstead twice a year

All in all, the first book does a really good job of setting the tone.

Book two deals with the rules, without the fluff. The system is an amalgam of crunchy, dice-based systems and more narrative storytelling based ones. It feels solid and is good for putting the characters in the spotlight. Each character belongs to one of three Archetypes, which are essentially generic classes. They are the Warrior, the Mystic and the Rogue. These in turn split into several occupations. For example, a Warrior can be a Berserker, a Captain, a Duelist, a Knight or a Sellsword.

There are eight Attributes in the game: Accurate, Cunning, Discreet, Persuasive, Quick, Resolute, Strong and Vigilant. You don't roll dice in character creation. Instead you can either divide 80 points between the eight Attributes, giving hem numbers ranging between 5 and 15, or you can use eight preset values, the sum-total of which add up to 80, and divide them between the Attributes as you see fit.

The system uses a d20 dice, and you roll either equal to or below your Attribute value to succeed. Also, it is the players who make ALL the rolls. The GM never rolls. Instead the GM is meant to focus on the storytelling. The game uses Abilities to personalize and differentiate the characters. The Abilities are ranked Novice, Adept and Master, signifying the level of power or skill the character has in each individual Ability. 

There are four races that players can choose between when making their characters. They are: Humans (diversified by the choice of Ambrian or Barbarian), Changelings (basically humans with elven characteristics), Ogres and Goblins. I like this as it helps describe the setting as well. There isn't the plethora of standard fantasy races (though some more might be introduced later), which helps describe the setting really well.

The last chapter of the second book deals with Combat and what a player is supposed to know rules-wise. One thing is that the world of Symbaroum is deadly, and so combat is also deadly. 

Book three is the Game Master's Guide, and as you would expect it contains information about rewards, advice, special rules and how to enforce them, etc. It also contains rules on Corruption (one of the basic premises of the game), the Shadow that each living being has and the changes that Corruption brings to it, etc. There is advice on how to build an adventure or a campaign set in the world of Symbaroum, as well as a beastiary.

Before I move on to the next part, I just want to mention the art. It is amazing, and really fits the mood they have been trying to go for in the game. It is dark, grim and mysterious and helps to set the tone as you read through the book. The art masterfully reflects the world they are depicting.

My thoughts

These days, there is a plethora of fantasy tabletop roleplaying games out there. Most of which draw inspiration from Tolkien and/or giants in the genre such as, for example, Dungeons & Dragons. Symbaroum however, feels fresh and different, with its dark fantasy setting. That might be part of the reason why it has done so incredibly well, not just in Sweden but internationally as well. 

As for playing the game, it is a very good and solid game to play, and I have had a lot of fun with it. If you want to play a dark fantasy game, where your character can actually die, but which also rewards you with a well-designed system where the players roll ALL the dice, and which also has good storytelling aspects to it, then Symbaroum might be right up your alley. The rules are fairly easy to get the hang of, and combined with the atmosphere of the setting, it is something different and something I think a lot of you people out there will enjoy if you give it a try.

So, where can I find Symbaroum if I want to give it a try?

You can find information about it on Järnringen's website. 

If you want to buy it, you can find it on Järnringen's online store or over at drivethrurpg.com.

Why play tabletop roleplaying games?

Greetings!

Now, I know that tabletop roleplaying has had a major upswing in popularity recently, and I think that is great! Especially for one such as myself who remember playing tabletop RPGs 'back in the day' (read: mainly 90's). As a Swede it is also good seeing some of the old Swedish games coming back with new editions, such as 'Kult: Divinity lost' (Helmgast), 'Mutant Chronicles' (currently published by UK-based Modiphius), Eon (Helmgast), Mutant Year Zero (Fria Ligan / Free League Publishing), etc.

Now, I figured I would take this opportunity to discuss a bit about WHY I think everyone should play tabletop roleplaying games, or at least try it out. Some people might say "well, if I want to play an RPG I can just play it on my computer, X-Box or Playstation.", which I suppose is true. Believe me, I enjoy playing video- and computer games as well, but there is still something special about playing tabletop RPGs because it allows you to tap into your own creativity in a way that a videogame doesn't.

Let me explain: When you are playing a video game or a computer game, you see the world on the screen before you, you mash a few buttons and the monster is dead, you select one of a few options for conversation, etc, etc.

When you are playing a tabletop RPG, you are part of the story. You decide what your character says in a conversation. You decide on your character's personality and manners, and sometimes the backstory you write for your character can help influence parts of the world as well, depending on the DM (Dungeon Master) or GM (Game Master) - the person running the game session that the players' characters are in. You get to use your own creativity to paint a picture in your mind of what the world around your character looks like.
And if you are the GM / DM / whatever-it-is-called-in-your-prefered-gamesystem (I'll just stick to GM from now on in this post, for simplicity's sake), you get to use your creativity to create the world, and to describe it to your players as you guide them on their adventures.

I should probably point out that if you as a GM is willing to do it, allowing your players to take part in creating the world they are in, through their characters' backstories for example, can be really rewarding, both for you and your players. Though for first-time players it might be easier if the GM creates the world him- or herself.

Playing tabletop RPGs are a fun way to do something creative together with your friends, or even your kids. It doesn't have to be about slaying demons or dragons. There are plenty of roleplaying games out there that are aimed at kids - for example: "The Princess Kingdom", "No Thank You, Evil!" or the swedish RPG "Tassar & Morrhår" - and even if you don't use one of those, you as the GM decide what happens in the world, and can homebrew the rules of whichever system you want to use to fit younger players. Never feel tied down by a specific setting or system. Instead I would encourage you to adapt the world you create to the players you have availiable and what kind of game you all like to play together.

Remember, playing a tabletop RPG should be a fun experience that you share with your friends or family members. All ages can join in, and enjoy it. :) It is a fun, social experience which, at least in my experience, can serve up dramatic moments, tense moments, and laughter, all in one game session.

Playing tabletop roleplaying games helps you train your creative thinking, thinking on your feet, imagination, problem solving, storytelling ability, team-play, improvisational skills, and many other skills. It can even help people combat their shyness. They get go play a character, which effectively acts as a mask, which allows them to feel less vulnerable when they face various social situations in the game. They are also surrounded by friends and/or family around the same table, so they also have that comfort while they play and deal with the social situations in-game.

I am not saying there is anything wrong with being shy. I have been shy on occasion as well. But tabletop roleplaying can offer some help if you want to try and get a bit less shy in social situations.

If no one in the group has played a game before, discuss what kind of game you would all like to play for your first try, and then do some research into what games exist in that genre. It does help, of course, if at least one member of the group is a bit more experienced - preferably taking on the role of the GM. But if not, then keep it simple for the first attempt. Just make a short, simple adventure for the players to go on, and then build from there.

I might return to this subject at some point in a later post, but for now I think this will do.