| First
and foremost, roleplaying as about having fun. That's what
we have aimed for in the new RPG. The system is "rules
lite," skill based, facilitates any style of play or
feature focus-from hack & slash to storytelling-covering
and open to any and all in between. A story one new Lejend
Master related to us about his first game session speaks well
for how the system works. He was using the Lejendary Road
adventure module, a series of events that takes the players
from mundane persons to LA game Avatars through the course
of the scenarios presented in the work. One of the group was
adamant. He would not participate, for only D&D was of
interest. However, he monitored the session, "just to
see how badly it went." In short order the hold-out was
roleplaying a kobold Avatar, because he decided he was bored
just watching, might have a little fun being disruptive. About
an hour later the kobold was the "life of the party,"
hitting on giantesses, testing system, LM, and fellows. To
make a long story short, at the conclusion of the session
this fellow allowed that perhaps the LEJENDARY ADVENTURE game
was okay for a change of pace. Quite so!
Of course we hope to make it the main RPG
played by a group. Being rules-lite, it is easy for the LM
to manage. Players have an easy time creating their Avatars
from only three main stats, equipping them, understanding
the mechanics, so they can get on with the game. The wide
variety of non-human Avatar choices-13 total-none of which
are quite like those in any other FRPG make selection of such
a character interesting and fresh. Rules lawyers are distraught
as there so little ground for them to argue from that they
are virtually lost. There are just enough rules in the work
to empower the Lejend Master, enable the players to know how
things work, but none for encumbering play or complicating
it. Generally, when a roll is needed, d% covers it.
The Abilities are broad, as mentioned already. Each is rated
by a percentile score. A human Avatar has five Abilities,
Alfar (non-human) one six or in one case seven. It is not
merely skill-based, but skills are bundled to make them broad
and checks against them less frequently required. When necessary,
one LA game "Ability" likely serves where most other
systems would require several skills, and dice rolls too.
Again the player has a choice in regards to how skills are
selected. If an archetype sort of character is desired, the
player chooses an Order, an Elementalist for example, thus
having initial Abilities decreed, nit selected. The player
may choose to have only the first required Ability for an
Order, or all, however. Flexibility! For complete freedom,
the player can opt to create an Unordered Avatar and choose
whatever Abilities seem best.
The adventure is the thing, and with the
LA game system it takes only a little time to create an Avatar
and get to the play part of things. To facilitate all styles
of play, the reward system used gives "Merits" for
use of Abilities and for participation in the adventure. Killing
and accumulation of wealth are not primary measures of advancement.
For example, fighting and defeating some creature will likely
earn only a few Ability Specific Merits, say in Weapons
other Abilities used in the process. Meantime, an hour of
good play earns the Avatar 100 General Merits that can be
applies to Ability increase, the learning of a new Ability,
or even addition to base stats-the Avatar's Base Ratings of
Health, Precision, and Speed. Assuming a campaign that focuses
mainly on roleplay, Abilities such as Arcana, Learning, Evaluation,
Pretense, Scrutiny, and Urbane will used. On the other hand,
is combat is the order of the day, Abilities such as Archery,
Chivalry, Physique, Savagery, Tricks Unarmed Combat, and Weapons
are paramount. All in between those are covered by Abilities.
Any sort of Avatar, any sort of play focus, is not merely
accommodated but enabled by the LA game system. and
From your being here you undoubtedly know
that the core of the system is covered in three books-Lejendary
Rules for All Players, Lejend Master's Lore, and Beasts of
Lejend. Sourcebooks written but not yet in print include the
LEJENDARY EARTH TM World Setting, Lejendary Pantheons, and
two world settings, the Key of Sand and Maledicted Plateau.
More such world area sourcebooks are in process of creation
now. In addition to a sturdy LM screen, there are now several
adventure modules available, more waiting to be released,
and still many others being created. In all there are about
a score of products ready for printing and release over the
next couple of years, with design work ongoing to keep new
material coming. Support extends beyond that.
In the spring of this year, 2001, Hekaforge
Productions will launch a monthly magazine, LEJENDS. Its initial
size will be 36 pages of a full 8.5 by 11-inch proportions
with little white space. Content is game-intensive, full of
new material for the LA game system, but includes regular
columns and features covering fantasy in general and game
play. I know this because I've contributed sufficient material
to fill about eight issues. Far from being the only writer,
though, LEJENDS Magazine actively seeks "outside"
material, and even at this early date many articles have been
submitted and approved for publication.
Add to this the new line of fantasy adventure
novels set on the LEJENDARY EARTH world, and it is clear that
the game is supported to the hilt, and it is here to stay.
The initial book in the new line of novels is The Eye of Glory,
a fast-paced and very exciting Swords & Sorcery yarn that
has a lot more than action in its pages. The author, Martin
Dougherty, manages to slip in character development and some
surprising turns of events. The novel is available from Amazon
and Barnes & Noble and other online book sellers. More
like it will follow.
Beyond all that, we plan to broaden the
base of the LA game system. It was designed to accommodate
genres other that fantasy, so late this year or early next,
Hekaforge will be releasing several core rules books and a
sourcebook-adventure for the LEJENDARY ASTEROGUES TM Fantastical
Science RPG. This genre is a sort of steam-punk meets super
science in an age that's a mix of the 18th century and Victorian
Era…with the super-science added! Following that genre
expansion, we will bring out and support others-science fiction,
weird science, and alternate "Wild West" are being
worked on, and we are interested in adding horror and other
genres too later on. It is important to note that something
like 90% of the core rules system translates, or will do so,
exactly to each new genre. To add new vistas to the campaign
neither Lejend Master nor players will have to worry about
learning new rules, a few at best. Also, there are provisions
for playing Avatars from the Fantasy genre game in the Fantastical
Science one, and this provision will be extended to other
genres as they are added.
Having read this far, you are likely feeling
put upon. Well, that's what you get when the dedicated and
much enthused creator of a new RPG system is asked to write
an introductory piece for the new LA game portion here on
the DRAGONSFOOT website:) Hoping that you enjoy the material
here, and wishing you all the best in whatever you do,
Gary Gygax
Lake Geneva, WI
June 2001 |
