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PK · 03-31-2016, 04:09 PM

Brave Heaven and Hell
Then journey to the Far East
To slay the Titans
— Ye Olde Travel Agent

(Our apologies for this issue's delay, but apparently taking a momentary break from our newest series so that we could support our oldest one caused a rip in the gaming space-time continuum, and we've spent the last week running from irradiated, enchanted, mutant dragons. Lesson learned.)

Gamers are a lot like hackers; the moment we become comfortable with a system or genre, we just have to start tweaking and customizing it. Sometimes it's just a house rule, other times it's a total deconstruction of a genre. And since the dungeon crawl has been around longer than any other RPG genre, it's only fitting that it's been hacked (and slashed!) the most. So since it's been far too long since our last foray into this topic, let's delve into the matter again with Pyramid #3/89: Alternate Dungeons II.

This month, we tried something new in including three huge articles rather than several smaller ones. We've experimented with a "mini-supplement" or two before, but this is the first issue full of them. So we definitely want to know what you think -- whether you miss the variety of a sampler platter, or like the added detail and depth of the following full meals:

Is it possible to break half the assumptions involved in dungeon-crawl fantasy while still retaining the feel of the genre? Creator of GURPS Dungeon Fantasy Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch thinks so, and Havens and Hells is the proof. Imagine a world crafted by the Gods as part of a wager, where humanity just barely survives in Havens while the rest of the world is a monster-ridden Hell. Haven life is without crime, wealth, or pain -- except for the brave Collectors who must journey into Hell to obtain the resources needed for their Haven to thrive. Death just returns you to the Haven, naked, but your gear and part of your life-force now fuels the monsters of Hell. Can you find a way for humanity to finally prevail in this game of the Gods?
From its beginnings in GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 1: Adventurers, the GURPS Dungeon Fantasy series has painted the world in broad strokes: a pseudo-medieval kingdom (or collection of them) in the center, with barbarians from the "Frozen North" and martial artists (and later ninja) from the "Mysterious East." Now, taking a cue from old-school RPGs, Christopher Rice has opened up the possibility of true Eastern Adventures. Add some Asian flavor to your existing heroes or turn your fighters into samurai with a new lens. Adjust your nonhuman races or consider playing a hengeyokai shapeshifter or tengu sword-saint. And expand combat with new power-ups and gear options, including katanas that really can cut through an opposing parties' "tank"!
It's a tale as old as time: the plucky heroes climb to great heights, to face a giant in his own home. But the giants here work for a family of even-more-powerful titans, this home is built atop what's left of a dragon's horde, and there's more going on in The Titan's House than your delvers may be prepared for. In this month's Eidetic Memory, David Pulver takes you from the history of this mountain to its current outsize owners, with full stats for all of the threats the PCs may face -- and full details on the loot they can grab! From giant bees to family squabbles to secret rooms and power plays, there's enough here to keep a party busy for quite a while . . . assuming they can survive.
And there's no alternative to our usual features, including a Random Thought Table that posits a different deconstruction of delving, in which killing monsters is done as much to keep the secret as for loot, and a Short Bursts that lives up to the name with five fun and unique places to hold your autoduels.

—

Store Link: http://www.warehouse23.com/products/SJG37-2689
Preview PDF: http://www.warehouse23.com/media/SJG37-2689_preview.pdf

03-31-2016, 04:09 PM	#1
PK Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Dobbstown Sane Asylum	Pyramid #3/89: Alternate Dungeons II Brave Heaven and Hell Then journey to the Far East To slay the Titans — Ye Olde Travel Agent (Our apologies for this issue's delay, but apparently taking a momentary break from our newest series so that we could support our oldest one caused a rip in the gaming space-time continuum, and we've spent the last week running from irradiated, enchanted, mutant dragons. Lesson learned.) Gamers are a lot like hackers; the moment we become comfortable with a system or genre, we just have to start tweaking and customizing it. Sometimes it's just a house rule, other times it's a total deconstruction of a genre. And since the dungeon crawl has been around longer than any other RPG genre, it's only fitting that it's been hacked (and slashed!) the most. So since it's been far too long since our last foray into this topic, let's delve into the matter again with Pyramid #3/89: Alternate Dungeons II. This month, we tried something new in including three huge articles rather than several smaller ones. We've experimented with a "mini-supplement" or two before, but this is the first issue full of them. So we definitely want to know what you think -- whether you miss the variety of a sampler platter, or like the added detail and depth of the following full meals: Is it possible to break half the assumptions involved in dungeon-crawl fantasy while still retaining the feel of the genre? Creator of *GURPS Dungeon Fantasy* Sean "Dr. Kromm" Punch thinks so, and Havens and Hells is the proof. Imagine a world crafted by the Gods as part of a wager, where humanity just barely survives in Havens while the rest of the world is a monster-ridden Hell. Haven life is without crime, wealth, or pain -- except for the brave Collectors who must journey into Hell to obtain the resources needed for their Haven to thrive. Death just returns you to the Haven, naked, but your gear and part of your life-force now fuels the monsters of Hell. Can you find a way for humanity to finally prevail in this game of the Gods? From its beginnings in *GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 1: Adventurers, the GURPS Dungeon Fantasy* series has painted the world in broad strokes: a pseudo-medieval kingdom (or collection of them) in the center, with barbarians from the "Frozen North" and martial artists (and later ninja) from the "Mysterious East." Now, taking a cue from old-school RPGs, Christopher Rice has opened up the possibility of true Eastern Adventures. Add some Asian flavor to your existing heroes or turn your fighters into samurai with a new lens. Adjust your nonhuman races or consider playing a hengeyokai shapeshifter or tengu sword-saint. And expand combat with new power-ups and gear options, including katanas that really can cut through an opposing parties' "tank"! It's a tale as old as time: the plucky heroes climb to great heights, to face a giant in his own home. But the giants here work for a family of even-more-powerful titans, this home is built atop what's left of a dragon's horde, and there's more going on in The Titan's House than your delvers may be prepared for. In this month's Eidetic Memory, David Pulver takes you from the history of this mountain to its current outsize owners, with full stats for all of the threats the PCs may face -- and full details on the loot they can grab! From giant bees to family squabbles to secret rooms and power plays, there's enough here to keep a party busy for quite a while . . . assuming they can survive. And there's no alternative to our usual features, including a Random Thought Table that posits a different deconstruction of delving, in which killing monsters is done as much to keep the secret as for loot, and a Short Bursts that lives up to the name with five fun and unique places to hold your autoduels. — Store Link: http://www.warehouse23.com/products/SJG37-2689 Preview PDF: http://www.warehouse23.com/media/SJG37-2689_preview.pdf __________________ Reverend Pee Kitty of the Order Malkavian-Dobbsian (Twitter) (LJ) MyGURPS: My house rules and *GURPS* resources. #SJGamesLive: I answered questions about *GURPS After the End* and more! {Watch Video} - {Read Transcript} Last edited by PK; 04-02-2016 at 03:23 AM.