Mythic Roleplaying System

Captain Napalm · Post by **Captain Napalm** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 9:32 pm

Have any of you tried this out or heard about it?

It's basically a system that helps you adlib adventures.

The theory is you can run an adventure with just a simple idea and theoretically without a DM.

Now I read through and the idea really does seem great to help DMs create adventures on the fly.

Anyone actually played using this? The main problem to me seems it is more suited to Rules Light RPGs (C&C! ) because you have to come up with stats for random NPCs and monsters on the fly. (But C&C seems to handle this well).

I might give this a try with my group and I'll let you know how it goes.

ssfsx17 · Post by **ssfsx17** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 9:49 pm

What separates that system from just making up stuff? I already roll up random NPCs and monsters on the fly anyways.

Captain Napalm · Post by **Captain Napalm** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 10:07 pm

Well basically you ask the system questions and then depending on how likely the DM (or the player/s) judges it to be you get a yes or no answer which the DM (or again player/s if playing without DM) must then use logic to fit into the adventure. It also throws things like random encounters and events at you.

So if you do just fine with "just making stuff up" you don't really need it, but since system can really surprise you it can get really interesting.

For example I tried it out Single Player (This system makes Single Play possible with any system) and all I had was the basic idea that my character was a Conanesque Barbarian heading deep into a jungle to find a fabled tower which supposedly hid great treasures. Then the system threw at me that my ship sunk and it's crew drowned. I was knocked out and washed ashore in a hidden cove. I explored for a while and when I rested I was visited by a ghost in my dreams who explained to me that he was a great wizard who had been murdered by his friend out of jealousy over a magic gem hidden within the black tower. He besseched me to kill the now evil wizard and so grant him eternal rest.

When I arrived at the tower thanks to the directions the ghost had given me, I saw that the evil wizard had amassed a mercenary army to guard the structure and protect him from any thieves. I tried to sneak past the guards into the tower but was noticed and had to fight my way in (Thankfully my character was quite heroic ).

The really great thing was that all I had really done was give the system my basic idea and it had given me all the other ones. The ghost especially completely surprised me.

You do have to use common sense and logic joining everything together and the system can potentially be abused. But if used properly you can show up completely unprepared as a DM and your players will never know. (Except you're rolling dice at a lot of their questions . )

And whenever the DM has a flash of inspiration he can just take over and ignore the system.

ssfsx17 · Post by **ssfsx17** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 10:30 pm

Wow, how much does the book cost?

Captain Napalm · Post by **Captain Napalm** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 10:57 pm

It's available at RPGnow for 7 bucks (or 9 including the extremely rules light game system).
http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php? ... 20798&it=1

I don't know if there's a print version.

serleran · Post by **serleran** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 2:10 am

Sounds like something I saw somewhere before... some netbook of plots and stories. Essentially just random charts based on d10000s

Captain Napalm · Post by **Captain Napalm** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 7:57 am

No this is a little different.

While it does contain some charts which throw random words at you at certain points, you have to use your gut feeling of working it into the storyline in a way that makes sense.

So it doesn't throw "A Ghost appears at you" at you, but rather something along the lines of "incorporeal guidance". And that can mean a lot of things depending on context or setting.

It encourages to use your best judgment and use the first idea that pops into your head. And if nothing seems to fit or nothing comes to mind? The "I dunno" rule!

But you'd really be surprised at what you can come up with when being put on the spot.

It really is a clever little system.

Emryys · Post by **Emryys** » Mon Sep 24, 2007 8:03 am

I have it and from what I've skimmed it looks very handy for assisting in off the cuff GMing as well as preparing adventure ideas...
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Captain Napalm · Post by **Captain Napalm** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 12:22 am

I just also bought the Mythic Variations, and I have to say I was a little disappointed by them on the first read through. The first few pages had some excellent tips on running Mythic in general and GM free games but the setting specific stuff seemed disappointing.

If anyone is interested in this product at all I would simply recommend the GM Emulator as the RPG system in the full bundle didn't really win me over but then again the full bundle is only 2 bucks more expensive.

TheGM · Post by **TheGM** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 1:31 am

Emryys wrote:
I have it and from what I've skimmed it looks very handy for assisting in off the cuff GMing as well as preparing adventure ideas...

Agreed. I picked it up because of this thread. I never have a problem "winging it", but am always open to new ideas.

Having glanced it over, I wasn't terribly impressed at first, but as I skimmed further in I got more intrigued. We'll see when I can read it through.

We don't do many RPG reviews on Wargames @ Nordalia, but I may put this one up there from a C&C perspective. If I do, I'll post back here.

Don.
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Captain Napalm · Post by **Captain Napalm** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 3:47 pm

TheGM wrote:
Having glanced it over, I wasn't terribly impressed at first, but as I skimmed further in I got more intrigued.

I felt the same way at first. It all looked so simple. But the secret lies in how the ideas all work together.

CharlieRock · Post by **CharlieRock** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 4:23 pm

Winging adventures? I got a lot of practice doing that with Palladium Games. M.D.C. will blow wide and deep holes through any rails you tried to use.
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Omote · Post by **Omote** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 5:56 pm

CharlieRock wrote:
Winging adventures? I got a lot of practice doing that with Palladium Games. M.D.C. will blow wide and deep holes through any rails you tried to use.

Hahaha! So true, so true. I often think of Palladium, and more specifically RIFTS, as the ultimate way to learn how to wing a game as a GM. Palladium's games are good for that. Good call.
......................................Omote

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CharlieRock · Post by **CharlieRock** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 6:16 pm

Omote wrote:
Hahaha! So true, so true. I often think of Palladium, and more specifically RIFTS, as the ultimate way to learn how to wing a game as a GM. Palladium's games are good for that. Good call.
......................................Omote

FPQ

TMNT&OS is still got my personal record for longest campaign w/o a level up. Started at fifth. Played after school for a few months. Ended ,still at fifth.

Not counting (obviously) games w/o level systems.
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Omote · Post by **Omote** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 6:39 pm

Yeah, sweet game too, despite what people think of the subject matter. Good to hear that there were a few of us around here playing some good ole' TMNT.
Palladium, a system where balance had to be issued on the spot by the GM, nearly in all situations. Gotta love it.

........................................Omote

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Buttmonkey · Post by **Buttmonkey** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 6:46 pm

Omote wrote:
Yeah, sweet game too, despite what people think of the subject matter. Good to hear that there were a few of us around here playing some good ole' TMNT.

I had a friend in high school who had TMNT (this would have been the late 80s). I remember rolling up a polar bear character that seemed waaay too strong for a starting character, but we kept checking the rules over and it looked like I rolled him up fair and square. I never ended up playing the character, though, because we thought it would unbalance the game.

CharlieRock · Post by **CharlieRock** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 7:22 pm

Unbalance? Just add bad guys on the polar bear's side of the map.
"Hey! All the robot ninjas are ganging up on me, guys."

Unbalanced was a weasel with that heightened metabolism trait. Sucker goes Ninj-A-Matic anytime combat broke out. Reminded me of that one cartoon weasel that spun around in a blur chewing on Foghorn Leghorn's leg.
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