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Kromm · 12-15-2011, 05:20 PM

In the Before Times
When the whole world was a dream
The story begins
— Some hack

No, it isn't just hearsay: e23 released Pyramid #3/38: The Power of Myth on the same day as GURPS Low-Tech: Instant Armor. This legendary issue brings much to marvel at . . .

What separates myth from fact? Fact is objective, but there are as many versions of myth as there are storytellers. The Golden Geniza of Ezkali, an adventure for GURPS Dungeon Fantasy or any classic fantasy game, explores this idea. A story well-known to the heroes provides the solutions to traps and puzzles . . . unfortunately, each of them heard the tale a little differently as a kid.
If the Age of Myth gave us anything, it's heaps of artifacts. Objects like the Aegis and Kali's necklace of skulls are iconic representations of power beyond mortal capacity. Seven Mythical Artifacts takes the best of these items and presents them in the format established in GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 6: 40 Artifacts. But make no mistake – these wonders are suitable for any game in which the gods' possessions sometimes find their way into the world.
How do we know that David Pulver is a mad genius? Because he didn't just add Baba Yaga to his games – he made her into an exiled extraterrestrial who experiments on children to measure psychic energy, and it makes sense. Yes, you read that right! Baba Yaga not only includes stats for the witch and some of her gear, but also a full GURPS Spaceships write-up of her extradimensional flying hut.
Is death really the end? Not in myth, so why stop the game just because some (or all!) of the characters happened to kick the bucket? The Journey of the Dead offers all the details you need to travel into the underworld, whether you're doing so as a fresh spirit or because you hope to rescue a friend from the Land of the Dead.
Some of the greatest deities of mythology have prosaic roots. The Bear Myth looks at one of man's earliest gods, first explaining why a "mere" bear was considered worthy of sincere worship, and then showing how to use this in your games. With plenty of adventure seeds and thematic advice, this is sure to bring any GM's creative mind out of hibernation.
As if there weren't enough mundane consequences to the Iraq War, Babylon Rising considers the esoteric impact. Think about it: Mesopotamia is at war, and Babylonian artifacts are being destroyed left and right. Did you really think that Marduk and his pantheon wouldn't notice? Now the old gods are back in this brilliant campaign setting that dovetails nicely with (though doesn't require) The New Kingdom from Pyramid #3/7: Urban Fantasy.
Cryptic prophecies are integral to myth. In fact, the connection is such a common trope that it can be hard to deliver yet another glimpse of the future to the PCs without things getting stale. Art of Prophecy gives the GM a vision of how it can be done. It explore a wealth of classic prophet archetypes, and advises the GM on delivery and follow-through. Think of it as Soothsaying 101.
And you get the standard features that everyone loves, including a Random Thought Table that looks at how "obvious" myths can be extrapolated to unexpected results; an Odds and Ends that offers simple ways to look beyond the focal elements of a myth; and a Murphy's Rules that may explain why there's so much violence in today's society.

— Rev. Pee Kitty & Kromm

12-15-2011, 05:20 PM	#1
Kromm *GURPS* Line Editor Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Montréal, Québec	Pyramid #3/38: The Power of Myth In the Before Times When the whole world was a dream The story begins — Some hack No, it isn't just hearsay: e23 released Pyramid #3/38: The Power of Myth on the same day as *GURPS Low-Tech: Instant Armor. This legendary issue brings much to marvel at . . . What separates myth from fact? Fact is objective, but there are as many versions of myth as there are storytellers. The Golden Geniza of Ezkali, an adventure for GURPS Dungeon Fantasy* or any classic fantasy game, explores this idea. A story well-known to the heroes provides the solutions to traps and puzzles . . . unfortunately, each of them heard the tale a little differently as a kid. If the Age of Myth gave us anything, it's heaps of artifacts. Objects like the Aegis and Kali's necklace of skulls are iconic representations of power beyond mortal capacity. Seven Mythical Artifacts takes the best of these items and presents them in the format established in *GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 6: 40 Artifacts. But make no mistake – these wonders are suitable for any* game in which the gods' possessions sometimes find their way into the world. How do we know that David Pulver is a mad genius? Because he didn't just add Baba Yaga to his games – he made her into an exiled extraterrestrial who experiments on children to measure psychic energy, and it makes sense. Yes, you read that right! Baba Yaga not only includes stats for the witch and some of her gear, but also a full *GURPS Spaceships* write-up of her extradimensional flying hut. Is death really the end? Not in myth, so why stop the game just because some (or all!) of the characters happened to kick the bucket? The Journey of the Dead offers all the details you need to travel into the underworld, whether you're doing so as a fresh spirit or because you hope to rescue a friend from the Land of the Dead. Some of the greatest deities of mythology have prosaic roots. The Bear Myth looks at one of man's earliest gods, first explaining why a "mere" bear was considered worthy of sincere worship, and then showing how to use this in your games. With plenty of adventure seeds and thematic advice, this is sure to bring any GM's creative mind out of hibernation. As if there weren't enough mundane consequences to the Iraq War, Babylon Rising considers the esoteric impact. Think about it: Mesopotamia is at war, and Babylonian artifacts are being destroyed left and right. Did you really think that Marduk and his pantheon wouldn't notice? Now the old gods are back in this brilliant campaign setting that dovetails nicely with (though doesn't require) The New Kingdom from Pyramid #3/7: Urban Fantasy. Cryptic prophecies are integral to myth. In fact, the connection is such a common trope that it can be hard to deliver yet another glimpse of the future to the PCs without things getting stale. Art of Prophecy gives the GM a vision of how it can be done. It explore a wealth of classic prophet archetypes, and advises the GM on delivery and follow-through. Think of it as Soothsaying 101. And you get the standard features that everyone loves, including a Random Thought Table that looks at how "obvious" myths can be extrapolated to unexpected results; an Odds and Ends that offers simple ways to look beyond the focal elements of a myth; and a Murphy's Rules that may explain why there's so much violence in today's society. — Rev. Pee Kitty & Kromm __________________ Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch <kromm@sjgames.com> *GURPS* Line Editor, Steve Jackson Games My DreamWidth [Just *GURPS* News]