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Old 12-16-2011, 06:21 PM   #11
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Default Re: Pyramid #3/38: The Power of Myth

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Originally Posted by Langy View Post
Thanks for posting about that - it's one of the cooler-sounding articles. If I ever get around to running a DF campaign, I'll certainly pick up this issue; that article's the tipping point for me.
You are welcome. Maybe you already are aware of this, but just in case, let me tell to you that the article "The Journey of the Dead" isn't focused in Dungeon Fantasy (of course, you can bend its contents for suiting it).
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Old 12-16-2011, 08:45 PM   #12
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Default Re: Pyramid #3/38: The Power of Myth

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I use "myth" primary to mean "Cosmic level tales told in an epic style" rather then "untruth".
I agree with myth not being synonymous with untruth, despite the pejorative, contemporary aception of the term. One of the original meanings of myth was related to (cognizable) mysteries, in the sense and context of the so-called "mystery cults" (and the innermost core of some religions, too). I'm saying this because the main goal of myth -but not the only one- isn't to be just "a fantasy of power" per se, but a bridge to attain transcendent knowledge: greek gnosis, hindu jnana, islamic Al Maarifa, hebrew wisdom . . .

In this sense, I liked to see that the adventure "The Golden Geniza of Ezkali" included in this Pyramid issue features
Spoiler:  
That is in line with "mythic patterns" and at the same time, why not, fits well with Dungeon Fantasy.

On the other hand, since there are many ancient cosmogonic myths portraying the immense power of divine entities, it's not difficult to understand how someone can think about them as "Cosmic level tales told in an epic style", albeit that won't be applicable to all of them.

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Originally Posted by jason taylor View Post
Anyone who has the talent can rewrite the latest theory of physics that way and then it would be a "myth" even if it is true. Often a "myth" will have some figurative truth in it.
BTW, reading this mention of myth in relation to contemporary physics, made me to remember a related google+ entry, Science and Myth: "One forgets that science too has its mythology, and that the so-called truths at issue are also in a way mythical."
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Last edited by demonsbane; 12-16-2011 at 10:07 PM. Reason: typo
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Old 12-17-2011, 01:20 PM   #13
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Default Re: Pyramid #3/38: The Power of Myth

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You are welcome. Maybe you already are aware of this, but just in case, let me tell to you that the article "The Journey of the Dead" isn't focused in Dungeon Fantasy (of course, you can bend its contents for suiting it).
Oh, I assumed that. It just sounds like the kind of thing that'd fit the DF campaign setting I've had banging around in my head for the past few months very well - basically, a cross between various real-life myths (definitely including Greek, Nordic, Celtic, and Aztec - different mythologies belonging to different nations) and a standard D&D-style world, with wizards, etc. I'm still iffy on whether to include standard D&D-style races like elves and dwarves, though - probably depends upon the group I eventually game it out with. I also don't think I'd want to use the standard magic system - switch it out for Divine Favor for clerical magic and a modified RPM from Monster Hunters for 'arcane' magic.

Anyways, I figure a look at descending into the underworld to raise someone from the dead is a hell of a lot cooler than just casting a 'raise dead' spell, though it might only be used for special kinds of death.
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Old 12-17-2011, 01:43 PM   #14
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Default Re: Pyramid #3/38: The Power of Myth

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Originally Posted by Langy View Post
Oh, I assumed that. It just sounds like the kind of thing that'd fit the DF campaign setting I've had banging around in my head for the past few months very well - basically, a cross between various real-life myths (definitely including Greek, Nordic, Celtic, and Aztec - different mythologies belonging to different nations) and a standard D&D-style world, with wizards, etc. I'm still iffy on whether to include standard D&D-style races like elves and dwarves, though - probably depends upon the group I eventually game it out with. I also don't think I'd want to use the standard magic system - switch it out for Divine Favor for clerical magic and a modified RPM from Monster Hunters for 'arcane' magic
You might then find the Artifacts article useful, as it includesAegis (Greek)
  • Coir Cethar Chuin (Celtic)
  • Golden Fleece (Greek)
  • Helm of Hades (Greek) (with variations to make it into the Tarnhelm)
  • Kali's Necklace of Skulls (Indian)
  • Nothung, Siegfried's/Sigurd's sword (Germanic/Nordic)
  • Tezcatlipoca's Smoking Mirror (Aztec)
As you see, I tried to get items from diverse cultures to include them in the article.
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Old 12-17-2011, 01:54 PM   #15
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Default Re: Pyramid #3/38: The Power of Myth

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Anyways, I figure a look at descending into the underworld to raise someone from the dead is a hell of a lot cooler than just casting a 'raise dead' spell, though it might only be used for special kinds of death.
I agree very much.
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Old 12-17-2011, 02:41 PM   #16
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Default Re: Pyramid #3/38: The Power of Myth

I read The Journey of the Dead last night and I liked it alot but I feel it would have been more useful if there were more ways to handle omens from a gaming perspective. Most of this could just be fluff and added creepiness though, maybe in an area near a boss monster there could be crows waiting for the delvers to be slain so that they could sate their hunger. I think it could unnerve some players if there are crows waiting around but not attacking as they might think that the crows were spies for the boss monster.

I think the part where the players delve into the lands of the dead could be a lot of fun. Imagine, a player that worships a god from the Olympic pantheon and he is slain in a dungeon. His fellow delvers would have to go into Hsades to try to retrieve his soul in order to ressurect him. Other players could worship other gods and if they are slain then their fellows must retrieve their souls from the lands of the dead as well. Celtic, Egyptian, Babylonian, and other lands of the dead might have to be explored should other delvers worship gods from different pantheons. It would also make it useful for players to choose a god or pantheon so that in case the player dies there will be somewhere for their soul to go. Also, it would provide more fun than just taking the dead body to the temple near the dungeon and then pay for a ressurection.

Anyway, this article was a lot of fun to read and provided me with a lot of ideas.
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Old 12-17-2011, 03:39 PM   #17
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Default Re: Pyramid #3/38: The Power of Myth

Okay, reproduction question.

Pages nine, ten, eleven and twelve are the map pages. What percent do they need to be blown up to in order for each map to be 1 inch= 1 hex?
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Old 12-17-2011, 09:26 PM   #18
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Default Re: Pyramid #3/38: The Power of Myth

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Oh, I assumed that. It just sounds like the kind of thing that'd fit the DF campaign setting I've had banging around in my head for the past few months (. . .)

I figure a look at descending into the underworld to raise someone from the dead is a hell of a lot cooler than just casting a 'raise dead' spell, though it might only be used for special kinds of death.
. . . I forgot to add that descending into the underworld in many cases is akin to the theme of the descent to hell, which is an excellent archetype for dungeons! (*)

(*) GURPS Dungeon Fantasy 2: Dungeons, p.16: Archetypes. Also, GURPS Fantasy, p.174: Into the Labyrinth.
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Old 08-09-2017, 09:44 AM   #19
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Default Re: Pyramid #3/38: The Power of Myth

Want to see the kind of things adventurers will deal with if the recover the golden geniza? And want to help with real research on the real geniza which inspired it? There's a project crowd sourcing basic sorting and identification of document fragments from the Cairo geniza. Check it out to get a feel for what your delvers are doing when they make that Research roll.
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