Mythic RPG Reviews II Lords_of

Lords of Olympus, a diceless RPG by the RPGPundit, allows players to assume the role of powerful demigods with divine abilities. They are able to travel to diverse mythic realms, strange new worlds and even other dimensions. The playing field is mind-bogglingly vast and the adventure possibilities almost endless. The Olympians are third-generation powers who emerged from Khaos, preceded by the Titans and Primordials. And what we call Greek Mythology is our distorted remembrance of their presence and deeds on our world.

After a comprehensive overview, three chapters are devoted to constructing characters, learning the basics of play, and defining game terms. Numerous examples are provided, as well as many game enhancing elaborations. You progress through Mortal, Hero and Olympian stages then ascend to a superior level which culminates in First Class. The rules, which are an enhanced clone of the original diceless system developed by Erick Wujcik in the 1980s, are fairly straightforward and refreshingly different from what I'm used to. I'm looking forward to trying them out in a home game with my family in the very near future.

The chapter on Game Mastering is helpful and covers many contingencies, including handling the death of an immortal character and what to do if a player reaches First Class. The role of Fate and Magical Artefacts are introduced, and then... the Multiverse itself! There are enough realms inspired by Greek Mythology in this book to keep you busy for a very long time, plus you can add any game you've ever played, or plan on playing, in any genre you can imagine to the list. Then there is a brief catalogue (with descriptions) of mythic creatures and monsters, plus some really good tips on keeping your campaign truly Olympian in feel and flavor.

My favorite chapter is titled 'The Divine Family', which is remarkably thorough, impressively researched, and very well thought out. The family dynamics and culture of the Olympians is explained, and details for numerous members from each generation of the pantheon are provided. Included are their name, titles and epithets, description, history, abilities and powers, personality, location, closest relations and allies, plus notes on having them as a parent. You may not agree with some of the categorizations (such as classing Eris as a Primordial or Aphrodite as a Titan), but such details are easily adjusted. Most also come with Ability Classes and some with information on their children, minions or attendant beings, The chapter (and the book) concludes with Tips on Using the Gods, Deity Locations and Symbols, Beyond First Class Abilities, a Deity Index, Character Sheet and an ad for other cool games by Precis Intermedia.

I have run countless adventures in Mythic Greece since the dawn of the hobby in the mid-1970s. Each of the systems I experimented with contributed a new perspective or approach to our ongoing Mythic Adventure and parts of them still survive in the tone of our game or in the fabric of our ever-evolving house rules. Since 2005 Mythic Adventure has been unfolding in various classrooms and cultural institutions in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. We started with the Voyage of the Argo and are now adventuring in the time of Hercules' final Labor.

Lords of Olympus is a superior gaming product and I am looking forward to experimenting with it. For those who are happy with their rule-set and reluctant to stray, this is an unparalleled reference work for anyone wishing to introduce Greek Mythology to their campaign. I have the Black & White Edition, which is a beautiful 234 page oversized paperback. The colorful cover and internal art by Scott Hashbarger are evocative of the multidimensional (but still very Greco-Roman) setting and help maintain the mythic mood throughout the book. The editing and graphic design by Brett M. Bernstein further add to the artistry of Lords of Olympus.

Thanks again RPGPundit! I enjoyed Lords of Olympus so much that I'm contemplating sending my Olympians on a side-trip to India just to experience your Arrows of Indra game. And I'll be busy exploring the Precis Intermedia catalogue for (at least) the next hour or so.

Onwards!

Review by Hercules Invictus