Codex Gerwhatia?

Troll Lord · Post by **Troll Lord** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 3:21 pm

Hey folks,

James M. Ward and I have been working a bit together over the Crusader and now Towers of Adventure. We've been batting around several projects between the two of us. Last week, after Mark ate my foot, I had an epiphany of sorts.

Long, long ago, I came up with a series of books we were going to do for d20 3.0. But for whatever reason they were set to the side and never came to fruition. These books involved pantheons and making them more adventure oriented and playable. The first, as you Troll Lord old timers might remember, was Codex Germania. Envisioned as short hardbacks these were to bring a host of information to the game table about each individual pantheon, Greek, Egyptian, Roman etc.

As Jim and I were batting ideas around I kept thinking to myself, who is this guy? What has he ever written? Then Mark ate my foot and as I failed to stand up I saw the light. Deities and Demigods.

Well I pitched the idea and he loved it. Right up his alley. I'm looking over the outline now. We first considered the idea of a perfect bound book but Jim mentioned a folio type might be better.

Well good evening!!!!

Steve
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Omote · Post by **Omote** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 3:48 pm

Well indeed I was excited about Codex Germania a few years ago. Sounded cool for a very Deutschland-style game I was considering running. Hmm, does that mean TLG's take on a Deities & Demin Gods book? Well neato.

As for Folio... you may want to take a look at this post. Might provide some insight about the folio debate... maybe.
http://www.freeyabb.com/trolllordgames/ ... llordgames

-O
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Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 3:52 pm

Definitely an easy sell to me, when I actually have the spare cash.
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Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:12 pm

Sold.
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dachda · Post by **dachda** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:18 pm

Sounds great to me. Start with the Norse-Germanic pantheons, please. Since I got screwed out of Lejendary Pantheons (no blame to the Trolls, of course) I still want something to match up somewhat with the tenoric pantheon in Yggsburgh.
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DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:18 pm

Depend son how its done, this is probably one of the few C&C items I would actually pass up.

Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:21 pm

I'd like to see both Norse and Celtic in there. Maybe Finnish the three seem to mesh well with each other.
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DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:25 pm

If it is just a god book, I'll pass. Neither interesting nor particularly pleasing. If it is semi-historical micro-settings, gods included (I'm thinking viking campaign sourcebook of 2nd Edition-like) I'd get it then.

Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:26 pm

Take a look at Green Ronins "Book of the Righteous", and then do up the pantheons in similar detail and I'll buy every book.
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dachda · Post by **dachda** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:28 pm

Treebore wrote:
Take a look at Green Ronins "Book of the Righteous", and then do up the pantheons in similar detail and I'll buy every book.

I'll second that.
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DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:28 pm

C&C is rules light. Just how much could they put into a book on pantheons. Get a mythology book and you are covered, and don't have to wait.

Dranoel · Post by **Dranoel** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:30 pm

It would be a solid product to the C&C line.

I would like the 1st Edition to contain the Melnibonean & Cthulhu mythology.

dachda · Post by **dachda** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:34 pm

Dranoel wrote:
It would be a solid product to the C&C line.

I would like the 1st Edition to contain the Melnibonean & Cthulhu mythology.

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Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:37 pm

DangerDwarf wrote:
C&C is rules light. Just how much could they put into a book on pantheons. Get a mythology book and you are covered, and don't have to wait.

Which Mythology book covers religious dates, practices, religious colors, doctrine, etc...?
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Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:40 pm

DangerDwarf wrote:
C&C is rules light. Just how much could they put into a book on pantheons. Get a mythology book and you are covered, and don't have to wait.

You do have a point. I do like your idea about micro settings though. Maybe if it included temple plans, rights, new cleric spells and using specific dieties it would be more useable?
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DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:41 pm

Treebore wrote:
Which Mythology book covers religious dates, practices, religious colors, doctrine, etc...?

Here's a whopping 584 pages worth.

Theres a 2nd volume if ya need more.

voynich · Post by **voynich** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:44 pm

let me walk down memory lane, a bit, unless i am mistaken.

originally, this was to be a fused work of brothers chenault and rob kuntz.

later, it was to be the work of chenaults, alone.

later still, mike stewart (also known as sieg.)

and after the seeming dropping of the gygaxian fantasy series, one might think the ex-serleran would contribute something, since work had seemingly begun on lejendary pantheons (perhaps it is not all lost?)

but now, it has shifted to jim ward. or, so it seems.

interesting. i would like to hear more about this project. are all the movements of authors due to shifting work so the castle keeper's guide may see the end of a tunnel?
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Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:50 pm

DangerDwarf wrote:
Here's a whopping 584 pages worth.

Theres a 2nd volume if ya need more.

Well, that does look to be a comprehensive description of Nordic faiths. Is there a book that will cover each of the religions this series will cover?
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gideon_thorne · Post by **gideon_thorne** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:58 pm

DangerDwarf wrote:
Here's a whopping 584 pages worth.

Theres a 2nd volume if ya need more.

Hmm... *adds to wishlist*. Just the kind of stuff I dig to read.
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DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:58 pm

While I dunno what religions the serie splans to span I can mose assuredly say yep, there's allready a book about it currently in print and likely more exhaustive than a RPG supplement would be.
Celtic?
Greek
Egyptian

You name it, you can find a good book on it.

DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:59 pm

gideon_thorne wrote:
Hmm... *adds to wishlist*. Just the kind of stuff I dig to read.

I own both volumes. EXCELLENT reading.

Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 11:08 pm

Maybe, I have the one on Ancient Greece. A great cure for insomnia.
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K2h2m3 · Post by **K2h2m3** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 11:47 pm

Are you kidding me? A book on deities done with Jim Ward is pretty much an automatic buy from me.

Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 11:52 pm

The problem is deities have been done to death and usually with the same format: Stats (Unneeded), small blurb on faith, not much else.

Now one that lays out temples, holy days, how specific clerics work in the faith ( And rules for such), the laity Pantheon and deity specific spells as well as game info (not stats) would be a fresh new take on it. Also remember the book only has to be accurate for the game, not history.
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K2h2m3 · Post by **K2h2m3** » Tue Oct 07, 2008 11:57 pm

Well hey you're preaching to the wrong guy on the fantasy vs. reality specs. The 1e AD&D Deities & Demigods has some of the info you ask for in the back. I also agree deities do not need stats but avatars might.

DangerDwarf · Post by **DangerDwarf** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 12:06 am

I'd rather see that creativity put to work detailing the Aihrdian pantheon or the gods of the Haunted Highlands.

There's already an abundance of information to be found on real world divinities.

Dranoel · Post by **Dranoel** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 12:08 am

K2h2m3 wrote:
Well hey you're preaching to the wrong guy on the fantasy vs. reality specs. The 1e AD&D Deities & Demigods has some of the info you ask for in the back. I also agree deities do not need stats but avatars might.

I disagree sir- stats are very important to me.

How else can I have my 1st level Cleric travel to Asgard to kick Loki's ass? Someone has to put a beat down on that mortal god.

//How strange is it that all Norse gods are mortal?

Julian Grimm · Post by **Julian Grimm** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 12:10 am

In all my games fights with gods ended the same, the PC dies...slowly. And is then sent to the lowest lair of the hells or the abyss.
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Tadhg · Post by **Tadhg** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 12:22 am

Honestly, I have very little interest in this book. Deities, pantheons & mythologies have been done and maybe over done.

I've got Deities & DemiGods, Legends & Lore, The Codex of Erde, East Mark Gaz and load of Greek and Norse mythology books. And there's the internet with pretty much every pantheon or mythology of all the nations and societies that ever lived.

Heh, I even remember chatting with Gary about Lithuanian (my wife) mythology!!
So . . .

What I would really love to see from Mr. Jim Ward (an excellent fellow by the way - in spite of what Tom Wham says about him . . ) would be ~
Science Fiction Adventure!!!

Yep, Metamorphosis Alpha meets StarSIEGE.

And a sci-fi adventure from Jim could easily be used with Gamma World, Mutant Future, Traveller and maybe even WHFRP!!!

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Rigon · Post by **Rigon** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 12:35 am

I think I just wet myself.

R-
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