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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2012 17:54:20 GMT -6
We are pleased to announce that Bedrock Games and RPGPundit have teamed up to work on an exciting new project: Arrows of Indra. RPGPundit is the author of Forward…to Adventure!, Forward... to Adventure! Gamemaster's Notebook!, and Gnome Murdered, as well as the upcoming Lords of Olympus. A notorious blogger ( Rpgpundit.xanga.com), Pundit is also the owner and administrator of theRPGsite ( www.therpgsite.com), one of the most popular general RPG forums on the internet. Now you can experience his latest project: an authentic yet accessible old school game set in a fantasy world inspired by the Epic Myths of India during the Age of Heroes. [INDENT]“Arrows of Indra is an RPG based on the original and most popular RPG; intended for old-school heroic fantasy adventure in a world that is exotic and at the same time highly recognizable. Inspired by the Mahabharata and other Indian legends, players may take on the roles of brave Kshatriya warriors, disciplined yogis, temple priests, assassins of the dark goddess, siddhis seeking the mysteries of the universe, monkey-men or half-demonic Rakshasa; and adventure in Naga-filled jungles, fight Asura demons, visit the ruins of ancient Rakshasa empires, seek out the shining treasures of the Patala Underworld, fight duels for money or honor in the Kalari Arenas, or get caught up in the political and military intrigues of the human Bharata Kingdoms. No anthropology, history, theology or linguistics degree required!”
—RPGPundit[/INDENT]Look for periodic updates and announcements as Arrows of Indra nears release. |
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Post by kesher on May 11, 2012 9:49:38 GMT -6
It's about freakin' time somebody plunged into the absolute gold mine of mythic India!
Count me in as an avid follower...
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Post by Finarvyn on May 11, 2012 12:22:26 GMT -6
I'm more into Western fantasy and mythology than I am Eastern, but it will be interesting to see what they come up with.
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Post by kesher on May 11, 2012 12:34:54 GMT -6
Check out this version of the Ramayana. It's a great entry-point into the utter awesomeness of Indian mythology, and the art's fantastic. It's got some good "who's who", too. I, for one, would think most people would find it easier to deal with India than, say, Tekumel...  |
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Post by stevemitchell on May 11, 2012 12:43:54 GMT -6
What, no vimanas?
And how much "based on" which version of "the original and most popular RPG"?
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Post by kesher on May 11, 2012 13:00:07 GMT -6
OOOooo, I imagine it'll have vimanas... As for the rest, I have no idea. |
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Post by stevemitchell on May 11, 2012 13:31:36 GMT -6
I'm hoping it will be closer to our kind of thing than 3E or 4E.
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Post by DungeonDevil on May 11, 2012 14:05:32 GMT -6
I would imagine the tumult of indignation coming from Indians/Hindus over the 'trivialisation' of their religion would dwarf the Satanic Panic and the sabre-rattling of the Religious Right of the early 1980s in the Midwest and Deep South. It would be best to let that subject-matter alone. Greco-Roman mythology, Norse mythology, or even Celtic mythology are no longer practiced and therefore would not net the vehemence that a living religion would, IMHO.
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Post by kesher on May 11, 2012 14:38:32 GMT -6
I would imagine the tumult of indignation coming from Indians/Hindus over the 'trivialisation' of their religion would dwarf the Satanic Panic and the sabre-rattling of the Religious Right of the early 1980s in the Midwest and Deep South. It would be best to let that subject-matter alone. Greco-Roman mythology, Norse mythology, or even Celtic mythology are no longer practiced and therefore would not net the vehemence that a living religion would, IMHO. I don't know that that's true, generally speaking. Mythology-as-common-story, told and retold in a multitude of ways, is a deep part of much Hindu culture, both in and outside of India. Now, if it were mocking Hindu religious practice or belief, that might be different, though again, in Hinduism as a whole, there's no such thing as orthodox belief, like there is in Christianity or Islam, frex. I guess I'm trying to say, in my experience, Hindus are rather unique in being able to view their gods mythically as well as religiously, even at the same time. Not that it would hurt to ask a few Hindus about it... |
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Post by coffee on May 13, 2012 3:55:35 GMT -6
I've seen at least one person on a forum (possibly this one; just can't remember) who would take issue with your assertion that Norse "mythology" was no longer practiced. In the mainstream, no, but there are always a few...
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Post by darkling on May 13, 2012 8:38:18 GMT -6
I think that this has great potential. While I doubt that the reservoir of western mythology will ever run dry, I do think that there is a tendency among game designers to overuse it.
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Post by James Maliszewski on May 13, 2012 9:10:18 GMT -6
No anthropology, history, theology or linguistics degree required!” Gee, I wonder this could be in reference too ... |
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Post by DungeonDevil on May 13, 2012 14:33:01 GMT -6
I've seen at least one person on a forum (possibly this one; just can't remember) who would take issue with your assertion that Norse "mythology" was no longer practiced. In the mainstream, no, but there are always a few... Getting back to the subject of the OP, it is best, when dealing with entertainment lit (as what RPGs arguably are), to avoid referencing RL religions altogether. EGG and TSR would have been much wiser to avoid having published DDG/LL, and frankly I have yet to encounter any gamers who regard it as a core reference in their campaigns. Why do we need stats of deities anyway?  |
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Post by kesher on May 14, 2012 7:38:37 GMT -6
I've seen at least one person on a forum (possibly this one; just can't remember) who would take issue with your assertion that Norse "mythology" was no longer practiced. In the mainstream, no, but there are always a few... Getting back to the subject of the OP, it is best, when dealing with entertainment lit (as what RPGs arguably are), to avoid referencing RL religions altogether. EGG and TSR would have been much wiser to avoid having published DDG/LL, and frankly I have yet to encounter any gamers who regard it as a core reference in their campaigns. Why do we need stats of deities anyway? I guess, imo, it all has to do with presentation. As a Jew, I was thrilled when the Ars Magica supplement featuring the Jews of Mythic Europe was released. Additionally, I love the Green Ronin product Testament, focused on gaming in the Biblical era, from before the Flood all the way up to the fall of the Second Temple. I mean, too bad it was 3e, but still... My point here being that both products approached the topic respectfully; I didn't feel like my religious beliefs were being trifled with. And, again, both of these products had input from people practicing the religion in question. I also point out, just 'cause if fascinates me, that India is also the home of the vast Amar Chitra Katha comic book series, pretty much covering every major story and deity in the Hindu pantheon (if you can use that word...) What I'd REALLY love to know, is if anyone in India has created a Mythic India RPG... Anyhow, far off topic. |
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Post by rpgpundit on May 15, 2012 19:47:41 GMT -6
OOOooo, I imagine it'll have vimanas... As for the rest, I have no idea. There's a clear historical progression in the world of Jagat (the setting of Arrows of Indra) as well as in indian myths themselves. In the earliest ages when the ancient gods roamed the earth regularly, there were Vimanas and other wondrous objects all over the place. By the time of the Avatara Shiva, some 6000 years before the setting's present, Vimanas were still extremely common. By the time of the Avatara Rama, some 3000 years before the present, Vimanas were more rare but it was still pretty common for the great heroes to have them. By the present time, Vimanas are rare artifacts. Only certain great or lucky heroes have one. Its pretty much the same with Celestial Weapons. Or putting it in outside-of-setting terms, the main setting of Arrows of Indra is based on the "epic India" described in the Mahabharata, which was the great heroic saga, and where there's still plenty of divine intervention and the like, but mainly its the mortal men who are the feature of the setting. In a way that's similar to the Iliad, or the Arthurian Legends, or the Romance of the Three Kingdoms; or for that matter, any number of D&D settings. By the way, I'm very glad to see that there's a lot of interest in this announcement, I hope everyone will be pleased with the game, and I'm glad its prompted me to engage in a long-overdue registration on these boards. RPGPundit |
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Post by rpgpundit on May 15, 2012 19:52:27 GMT -6
I'm hoping it will be closer to our kind of thing than 3E or 4E. It definitely, definitely will be. If I were to do a list of "inspirational game reading", I'd say it'd be the following: AD&D 1e B/E D&D Majestic Wilderlands LotFP ACKS EPT (though some of this as "cautionary reading" on how to avoid being too unapproachable) RPGPundit |
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Post by rpgpundit on May 15, 2012 19:56:42 GMT -6
I would imagine the tumult of indignation coming from Indians/Hindus over the 'trivialisation' of their religion would dwarf the Satanic Panic and the sabre-rattling of the Religious Right of the early 1980s in the Midwest and Deep South. It would be best to let that subject-matter alone. Greco-Roman mythology, Norse mythology, or even Celtic mythology are no longer practiced and therefore would not net the vehemence that a living religion would, IMHO. Well, Pagans generally seem to like D&D even though what it does with religion is both a travesty of either classical paganism or modern neo-paganism. I'll note that the game in NO way attempts to be a primer on either the traditional Vedic religion or modern Hinduism, it makes no claims of accuracy or authenticity in that regard and is meant for entertainment purposes only. If any Hindus do get outraged, I plan to let CNN and Fox News know about it; hopefully it'll cause an entire generation of Indian teenagers to play it in order to piss off their parents. RPGPundit |
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Post by rpgpundit on May 15, 2012 20:00:07 GMT -6
I would imagine the tumult of indignation coming from Indians/Hindus over the 'trivialisation' of their religion would dwarf the Satanic Panic and the sabre-rattling of the Religious Right of the early 1980s in the Midwest and Deep South. It would be best to let that subject-matter alone. Greco-Roman mythology, Norse mythology, or even Celtic mythology are no longer practiced and therefore would not net the vehemence that a living religion would, IMHO. I don't know that that's true, generally speaking. Mythology-as-common-story, told and retold in a multitude of ways, is a deep part of much Hindu culture, both in and outside of India. Now, if it were mocking Hindu religious practice or belief, that might be different, though again, in Hinduism as a whole, there's no such thing as orthodox belief, like there is in Christianity or Islam, frex. I guess I'm trying to say, in my experience, Hindus are rather unique in being able to view their gods mythically as well as religiously, even at the same time. Not that it would hurt to ask a few Hindus about it... I've heard that the guy writing the game is a religious historian fairly fluent in Sanskrit who's at least a little bit of an expert on the Bhagavad Gita. Though again, not that this will in any way be a religious or scholarly work. Its main goal is to be an enjoyable and playable game with an interesting setting; where elements of culture, history or myth coincide with that, they'll be used. Where they don't, they'll be changed or ignored. RPGPundit |
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Post by rpgpundit on May 15, 2012 20:05:36 GMT -6
I've seen at least one person on a forum (possibly this one; just can't remember) who would take issue with your assertion that Norse "mythology" was no longer practiced. In the mainstream, no, but there are always a few... Getting back to the subject of the OP, it is best, when dealing with entertainment lit (as what RPGs arguably are), to avoid referencing RL religions altogether. EGG and TSR would have been much wiser to avoid having published DDG/LL, and frankly I have yet to encounter any gamers who regard it as a core reference in their campaigns. Why do we need stats of deities anyway? Deities won't have any stats in Arrows of Indra; but aside from that I have to say I respectfully disagree with your statement. There is a richness in historical mythology that is very difficult to reproduce from scratch in a way that will be as powerful or significant. Its the sort of thing that makes for good and identifiable game settings. And I think that even people who've never read a single Indian myth (which you certainly won't have to do to play the game) will still be able to quickly connect to the mythos of the setting, because these same stories end up being paralleled in many ways in the west; the Vedic deities are in many ways the prototypes for the European pantheons (Zeus owes a lot to Indra, for example) and even the heroic myths will feel very recognizable to western readers. RPGPundit |
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Post by stevemitchell on May 15, 2012 21:07:33 GMT -6
Good posts, Mr. Pundit; thanks for the additional information.
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Post by kesher on May 16, 2012 8:28:31 GMT -6
Thanks, rpgp! I was hoping you'd stop by and disambiguate! Even awesomer. I'm an amateur comparative religionist, who has a complicated relationship with Sanskrit, and has read an abridged version of the Mahabarata and several versions of the Gita. In other words, I'm really excited about this game! |
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Post by robertsconley on May 17, 2012 6:38:07 GMT -6
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Post by kesher on May 17, 2012 7:49:19 GMT -6
Okay, well, I'm liking this even more!
Great maps as always, Rob, and thanks for sharing them!
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Post by danbuter on May 17, 2012 18:15:40 GMT -6
I have that, and read it about a year ago. It is pretty good, though I'm quite sure it just shows the very main points of the story. |
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Post by kesher on May 21, 2012 8:39:23 GMT -6
I have that, and read it about a year ago. It is pretty good, though I'm quite sure it just shows the very main points of the story. Oh, no doubt about that! IMO, however, it really captures the spirit, plus my eight year-old loves it... |
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Post by kesher on Mar 12, 2013 11:54:42 GMT -6
This game has finally been released! I just bought the pdf, and it looks awesome. I'm pretty sure I'll buy the print version too, when it's released in a few weeks. The character sheet is particularly inspired... Arrows of Indra |
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