What would you add to EPT?

[Achán hiNidráne]

I realize that it might be considered heresy deserving of taking the "high ride," but what would you tweak or add to EPT?

[greentongue]

I would add primers.
A Day in the Life of a Child, Growing Up in a Different World.
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[harami2000]

Aug 26, 2010 18:08:02 GMT -6 greentongue said:

I would add primers.
A Day in the Life of a Child, Growing Up in a Different World.
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Good call and sadly an opportunity missed twice over; either written in descriptive or travelogue form, or embedded within a more interactive character creation format as in the hamstrung Gardásiyal RPG.

Phil had appropriate material written to cover that "gap" way back: even the "initial package" (in 1950) contained an historical overview, world geography, travelogue primer, script, language and language primers - all of which were worked into the EPT text except the primer material which was ditched. It's possible that this was, in part, because Phil himself was revealing the world to his players and there was thus less of a "need" to provide such material in print, as opposed to the requirements of another GM attempting to run the game without that inherent knowledge. I can also see why TSR might not have encouraged inclusion of such "primer" material on the initial release both because of the extreme novelty of selling a setting above-and-beyond what's required to contextualise the game mechanics and/or that that could be released "at a later date" either as a useful sales hook through their 'zines (as was done) or as an additional product (which wasn't).

Yes, EPT was a huge leap forward in terms of providing a setting alongside a RPG but it could easily have gone even further right from the start.

[greentongue]

... and taking it a step further.
Adventures as a Teenager in Tekumel
(Either "Choose your own path" or modules with pregenerated charaters.)
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[Achán hiNidráne]

Great ideas. However, I was thinking more along the lines of rules.

[greentongue]

Aug 27, 2010 8:52:28 GMT -6 Achán hiNidráne said:

Great ideas. However, I was thinking more along the lines of rules.

Ok... you lost me there.
I've Never noticed a need for More Rules, different ones maybe but certainly not More. I mean, from what I understand the Professor rolls a D6 and goes with it. If he can do that ...
However, I have Often noticed a need to ease people into the setting.

Not just the new more detailed release but also the original rough hewn one. More supplements that assume little exposure to The Way Things Are but are still fun for players to get started with.
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[thorswulf]

Keeping with the spirit of first generation rpgs, I would have had an alternate start for characters who were citizens of Tsolyanu ala some of the early Metamorphosis Alpha articles in the Dragon. A basic adventure would have been nice also..... But a reprinting of "Tsolyani Names Without Tears" from the Strategic Review SHOULD have been included to help people with naming characters! One thing that has always stood out in my mind is that Barker didn't apologize for the adult content of his work. Rather he expected people to be mature enough to accept that other cultures have different mores and motivaions. A bit high brow for some perhaps, but it is nice to be thought of as mature at 16 when I first played EPT.

[Achán hiNidráne]

Aug 27, 2010 16:26:14 GMT -6 thorswulf said:

Keeping with the spirit of first generation rpgs, I would have had an alternate start for characters who were citizens of Tsolyanu...

That would be #1 on my list. Playing a immigrant from the Southern Continent get's a little old after a while.

Another idea on my list would be to try to sync up the spell list with the various Temples and expanding the list to cover spells that Barker came up with in later editions.

Aug 27, 2010 16:26:14 GMT -6 thorswulf said:

One thing that has always stood out in my mind is that Barker didn't apologize for the adult content of his work.

Personally, I don't think he should have to. It's not his fault that some people are puritanical control freaks regarding sexuality and nudity.

[thorswulf]

I'll second the temple/spell thing. Barker's artwork was one thing that left a lasting impression on me. Very alien, but classic Sword and Sorcery iconagraphy.