Sword and Planet Question

[Sunwolfe]

Greetings All!

I'm on the up-slope in a Valley-of-Decision concerning whether or not to start a Planetary Romance game. I have yet to fully pull the trigger and commit, but if I do, it is going to be set in Barsoom with all the Burroughsness I can describe. To that end, I've got a few questions I'd like to direct at the community in hopes of getting some hints as to the best way to pursue such a project.

1. I'd really dig on hearing from any of you who presently or in the past have run planetary romance games. Are there any gems of advice you've mined that you think would help me along in running such a game and help in maintaining its particular flavor?

2. Until Jason is afforded a chance to finish his "Interplanetary--A Basic Roleplaying Sourcebook", I'm going to need to raid various publications and games for game-rendered reference materials (the profiles of the red and green martians in "Agents of the Crown" is a good example). Rather than tell you what I have, I'll just leave it open. What titles do/did you guys use and what are their resource strengths?

3. Finally, though I plan to stick fairly close to the BRP engine (simplified) and what resources it offers, what other mechanics can you suggest I might need.

Thanks in advance!

Edited July 21, 2015 by Sunwolfe
grammar

[Questbird]

Well it's not *quite* Barsoom, but I can heartily recommend Swords of Cydoria for some sword and planet swashbuckling feel. It has monsters, aeroships, blasters and swords. I have started a Cydorian campaign, though it is but a fledgling, so I can't exactly say how it will turn out. (It is visible at https://rebels-of-cydoria.obsidianportal.com). One decision I made for that campaign was to try a hitpointless combat system (detailed elsewhere on this forum). Swords of Cydoria recommended a 'total hit points' option but I prefer to try my hitpointless system for the same reason: to allow heroic blazing gunfights and swords to co-exist in the same battle. (Gunfights in BRP are mostly messy and very unheroic). The Runequest Firearms PDF could be useful too.

So far the Swords of Cydoria monograph has been sufficient, though I might use some material from the Chronicle of Future Earth. For Barsoom that might be handy for the sense of an ancient and senescent civilisation. However I can't think of anything particular in COFE that I'd use.

Edited July 21, 2015 by Questbird

[seneschal]

http://www.erblist.com

A Barsoom Glossary by David Bruce Bozarth -- No game stats but a good general resource

Warriors of Mars by "Doc" --A fan-made D&D supplement, 28 pages. Unfortunately, I can't remember where I got it from.

Under the Moons of Zoon by Luigi Castellani -- Can't get the rights to Burroughs?  Create your own (similar) setting.  Uses its own system, 75 pages.

http://artikid.altervista.org/files/Moons_zoon.pdf

 

 

[threedeesix]

Well, this has me pretty stoked. It's not BRP or even d100, but it is official and coming fairly soon. They plan on having an open playtest of which I'm chomping at the bit. Check it out.

http://www.modiphius.com/john-carter.html

Rod

[threedeesix]

Also...

http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Barsoom-Mars-Edgar-Burroughs/dp/B001RW6DW4/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437483581&sr=1-2&keywords=A+GUIDE+TO+BARSOOM

This is maybe my favorite Barsoom related book in existence, short of the novels themselves. It has information of every creature and plant ever mentioned, the monetary system, Barsoomian measurements, etc. It is without a doubt essential for putting together a Barsoom related RPG. Plus the price doesn't look too bad either.

Rod

[Ethereal]

If you are planning on doing a Barsoom adventure, I would recommend two contemporiaries of E.R.B. for source material.

Otis Adelbert Kline Novels: Maza of the Moon, Jan of the Jungle, Jan in India, Planet of Peril, The Prince of Peril, The Port of Peril, The Swordsmen of Mars and The Outlaws of Mars. There are short stories from him as well, most out of print.

Ray Cummings (real name: Raymond King Cummings): Tama of the Light Country and Tama, Princess of Mercury. (Many of the stories by Ray Cummings maybe found on Project Glutenberg. They are free. Project Glutenberg is for saving out of print books and the copyright is expired or donated free to Project Glutenberg.) https://www.gutenberg.org/

I would also recommend M.A.R. Barker's “Empire of the Petal Throne” Published in 1975 by TSR. It is a D100 game set in a fictional world that was at one time was considered the most complete. While out of print there have been several reprints done (not in D100 though) that make for a good setting or background. Swords and Glory(1983/4), Gardasiyal: Adventures in Tekumel (1994), Tekumel, Empire of the Petal Throne (2005) and Bethom: The Plane of Tekumel (2014).

 

I would like to recommend two magazines by Karawansaray Publishers. Ancient Warfare and Ancient History Magazine. There are Free articles on the website so you can get ideas for scenarios. They deal mostly with real history and subjects of similar nature. Or you can order the magazines for more articles.

 

There are some books on Drivthru.com on Mars that look pretty good but I don't own them and cannot say for sure. Might be worth a look though.

Mostly these (other than the magazines which are historical) are low magic/sorcery worlds, but then so was Barsoom.

 

 

Might look and see if you can find a copy of "Runequest with Tekumel Rules" by Sandy Peterson. Would be another good source.

[RosenMcStern]

I happen to know one guy who wrote the BGB (a random one...) and who is already involved with writing stuff for Modiphius - coincidentally, for a game that shares the same core system with John Carter. Maybe he will have something to do with this whole Barsoom thing.

[Ethereal]

http://www.erblist.com

A Barsoom Glossary by David Bruce Bozarth -- No game stats but a good general resource

Warriors of Mars by "Doc" --A fan-made D&D supplement, 28 pages. Unfortunately, I can't remember where I got it from.

Under the Moons of Zoon by Luigi Castellani -- Can't get the rights to Burroughs?  Create your own (similar) setting.  Uses its own system, 75 pages.

http://artikid.altervista.org/files/Moons_zoon.pdf

 

 

Tried the link for PDF and it would not work for me. Did see a copy of the cover on Lulu print edition for $13.99. Might Buy it later and do a review on it.

 

Edited July 22, 2015 by Ethereal
Lulu also has a copy of the PDF for free.

[cjbowser]

My current favorite Planetary Romance game is Warriors of the Red Planet by Al Krombach, illustrated by Thomas Denmark. It's an OSR game working from the OD&D ruleset. It's really impressive exactly how much flavor they packed into the 134 page book.

[Baron]

Sunwolfe, I've been dreaming of a BRP Burroughs conversion for years! I, too, tend to prefer rules on the more streamlined side. I don't know about losing hitpoints altogether, though! In any case, I'd appreciate hearing of your progress and perhaps seeing the fruits of your labor someday.

I've been running games set in Tekumel, the Empire of the Petal Throne, for over a year, but I ended up using 1st ed AD&D simply because it was faster for me to convert from EPT. I guess I don't really run it much like Sword and Planet, John Carter though. Mine is a bit dirtier and plagued with skullduggery and intrigue (on a petty, rather than elite, level). Not that it might not evolve, but I don't know how long it will be before I switch over to something else. So I don't have any experience getting that mood.

[Jason D]

I happen to know one guy who wrote the BGB (a random one...) and who is already involved with writing stuff for Modiphius - coincidentally, for a game that shares the same core system with John Carter. Maybe he will have something to do with this whole Barsoom thing.

I need to update it a bit, but here's the current copy of the Interplanetary bibliography: 

Bibliography

The following works were consulted prior to and during the development of Interplanetary, and are listed here for attribution. Players and gamemasters alike are encouraged to refer to these works for familiarity with the genre as well as enjoyment. Note that the editions listed are not always the first publications of these works and are simply the editions available to the author. Previous games and sourcebooks published by Chaosium Inc. were utilized substantially for source material and rules implementation.

Adams, John Joseph (editor). Under the Moons of Mars, Simon & Schuster, 2012.

Arnold, Edwin Lester Linden. Gulliver of Mars. The Nostalgia League, 2002. First published in 1905 as Lieut. Gulliver Jones: His Vacation, by Brown Laugham & Co., London.

Brackett, Leigh. Sea-Kings of Mars and Otherworldly Stories (Fantasy Masterworks #46). Gollancz, 2005. Contains twelve stories originally published 1942 through 1963.

Burroughs, Edgar Rice. Men of Mars. Science Fiction Book Club, 2006. Contains the novels A Fighting Man of Mars, Swords of Mars, and Synthetic Men of Mars. Originally published in 1931, 1936, and 1940, respectively.

Burroughs, Edgar Rice. The Moon Maid. Includes ‘The Moon Maid’, ‘The Moon Men’, and ‘The Red Hawk’. A.C. McLurg, 1926.

Burroughs, Edgar Rice. Pirates of Venus, Lost on Venus, Carson of Venus, Escape on Venus, and The Wizard of Venus. Ace Books, 1979. Originally published in 1934, 1935, 1939, 1946, and 1970, respectively.

Burroughs, Edgar Rice. Return to Mars, Science Fiction Book Club, 2004. Contains the novels Thuvia, Maid of Mars; The Chessmen of Mars; and The Master Mind of Mars, originally published in 1920, 1922, and 1928 respectively.

Burroughs, Edgar Rice. Tales of Mars. Science Fiction Book Club, 2007. Contains the novels Llana of Gathol and John Carter of Mars (originally published as John Carter and the Giant of Mars in 1940, and Skeleton Men of Jupiter in 1942).

Burroughs, Edgar Rice. Under the Moons of Mars. Bison Books and University of Nebraska Press, 2003. Introduction by James Hogan. Contains the novels A Princess of Mars, The Gods of Mars, and The Warlord of Mars, originally published in 1912, 1914, and 1918 respectively.

Castellani, Luigi. Under the Moons of Zoon: A Sword & Planet Role-Playing Game, 2007.

Chabon, Michael. ‘The Martian Agent, A Planetary Romance’. Published in McSweeney’s Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Stories, edited by Michael Chabon. Vintage Books, 2003.

Chodak, Yurek; Ehara, Tadashi; Henderson, Harry; et al. A Sourcebook For the 1920’s. Chaosium Inc., 1981.

Conran, Kerry (director). Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Paramount Pictures, 2004.

Crowe, John H. III. The Weapons Compendium. Pagan Publishing, 1993.

The Diagram Group. Weapons: An International Encyclopedia from 5000 B.C. to 2000 A.D. St. Martin’s Press, 1980.

Ellis, Warren; Cassaday, John (artist); et al. ‘The Gun Club’, Planetary #18. Wildstorm Comics, 2004.

Herber, Keith et al. The 1920s Investigator’s Companion: A Core Game Book for Players. Chaosium, Inc., 2007 (electronic edition).

Hodges, Mike (director). Flash Gordon. Universal Pictures, 1980.

Holst, Gustav (compposer). The Planets, Op. 32. A seven-movement operatic suite consisting of; Mars, the Bringer of War; Venus, the Bringer of Peace; Mercury, the Winged Messenger; Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity; Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age;  Uranus, the Magician; and Neptune, the Mystic. Composed 1914-1916. Though a nontraditional entry in a bibliography, this soundtrack was essential listening during the writing of this sourcebook. It is period- and genre-appropriate, and serves excellently as background music for any Interplanetary session.

Howard, Robert E. Almuric. Berkeley Medallion Books, 1977. Begun in 1936, finished posthumously by Otis Adelbert Kline in 1964.

Kahn, Sherman; Hewitt, John; Kraft, Rudy; Krank, Charlie; Petersen, Sandy; Willis, Lynn. Ringworld. Chaosium Inc., 1984.

Kline, Otis Adelbert. The Swordsman of Mars. Ace Books, 1960. Originally published in 1933.

Leiber, Fritz. ‘John Carter: Sword of Theosophy’. Reprinted in The Spell of Conan. Ace Books, 1980.

Lewis, C.S. ‘The Dark Tower’. Published in The Dark Tower and Other Stories, Harvest/HBJ Books, 1977.

Lewis, C.S. Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength. Quality Paperback Book Club, 1977. Originally published in 1938, 1943, and 1945, respectively.

Lindsay, David. A Voyage to Arcturus. Citadel Press, 1985. Originally published in 1920.

Lizard; Skarka, Gareth-Michael; Sturrock, Ian. Mars: A Roleplaying Game of Planetary Romance, Adamant Publishing, 2006. Also the adventure “Slavers of Mars” for Mars, 2007, by Walt Ciechanowski.

Lizard; Skarka, Gareth-Michael; Ciechanowski, Walt; et al. Mars: A Savage Setting of Planetary Romance, Adamant Publishing, 2009.

Lupoff, Richard A. Master of Adventure: The Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs. University of Nebraska Press, 2005.

McMullan, Michael. Space and Steel. Lulu, 2006.

Moorcock, Michael. City of the Beast, Lord of the Spiders, and Masters of the Pit. Daw Books, 1979. Previously published as Warriors of Mars, Blades of Mars, and Barbarians of Mars in 1965 under the pseudonym Edward P. Bradbury.

Moore, Alan; O’Neill, Kevin (artist); Oakley, William (colorist); The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume II. Wildstorm Comics, 2002-2003.

Perrin, Steve; Pini, Wendy and Richard; et al. Elfquest, the Official Roleplaying Game, 2nd edition. Chaosium, Inc., 1989. Many psychic powers in this sourcebook are adapted directly from those in Elfquest.

Perrin, Steve; Petersen, Sandy; Krank, Charlie. “Aerial Combat” and “Technology” from The Shattered Isle. Chaosium Inc., 1987.

Petersen, Sandy; Willis, Lynn; et al. Call of Cthulhu (6th edition). Chaosium Inc., 2005.

Roberson, Chris. Paragea: A Planetary Romance. Prometheus Books, 2006.

Roy, John Flint. A Guide to Barsoom. Ballantine Books, 1976.

Stanton, Andrew (director). John Carter. Disney, 2012.

Stirling, S.M. The Sky People. Tor, 2006.

Verne, Jules. From the Earth to the Moon, 1865, and its sequel Around the Moon, 1870.

Ward, James M.; Chambers, Jamie; Connors, William W. Sundered Reaches. Fast Forward Entertainment, 2003.

Watson, Professor Fred (chief consultant). All of Astronomy. Millennium House, 2010.

Wells, H. G. ‘The Crystal Egg’. 1897.

Wells, H. G. The First Men in the Moon. 1901.

Wells, H. G. The War of the Worlds. 1898.

Wollheim, Donald A. (editor), Swordsmen in the Sky. Ace Books, 1964. Contains stories by Poul Anderson, Leigh Brackett, Edward Hamilton, Otis Adelbert Kline, and Andre Norton.

 

 

 

 

 

[Mankcam]

What a great list for inspiration - Jason you really need to get Interplanetary in print one day for BRP (or any system in the BRP family of games)

Bonus points if you manage to convince Sam Jones to pose for an illustration on the cover heh heh

No, seriously, this could be an excellent line for BRP

 

Edited July 25, 2015 by Mankcam

[Baron]

Interplanetary would be my Barsoom game. Maybe the manuscript could become the BRP-version of this new authorized Barsoom rpg. Save me the trouble...

[Sunwolfe]

Just wanted to thank all you who chimed in and offered advice or resources...some of you were hiding your light under a bushel and I found more of your stuff tucked away in hidden corners of the forum :-).

I'm presently working my way through the John Carter series again, taking notes and paying particular attention to descriptions of Barsoomian people, places and things. Like most of our fan stuff, translating it all into MW/BRP speak is a labor of love and slow going, but as I get somethings organized I'll post 'em for your perusal, comment and constructive criticisms.

The campaign plan at present is for players to assume roles as red-martians from one of the lesser city-states (John Carter will be present on Barsoom but the characters will only have heard the unbelievable tales told of him from merchants, etc. who have visited Helium--none of the player characters will be from earth). They will have been brought together by the son of an influential Jed who has had a family heirloom stolen from him--a set of radium pistols--but needs their loss...and recovery...kept on the down-low. To complicate matters there may be a team of panthan sell-swords who have somehow gotten wind of the loss and are endeavoring to recover the weapons themselves...but not for the prince...

Cheers, mates!

[threedeesix]

I had a BRP write-up of John Carter in the Downloads section but it seems to be gone. I'm pretty sure I still have it here on an external drive and I'll try to get it back up this weekend. I did it during the playtest of BRP and think it came out pretty good. Maybe it will be of some use.

Rod