Conversions/Houserules of EPT

[greentongue]

Do you think that doing a conversion of EPT so that a more modern rule system is used while maintaining the feel of the original is something worth doing? (Savage Worlds)

Is it complete waste of time, with just a few tweeks of the original rules being all that is needed to make it a viable option to todays players?

For example: just houserule a point buy character build system.
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[jdrakeh]

greentongue said:

Do you think that doing a conversion of EPT so that a more modern rule system is used while maintaining the feel of the original is something worth doing? (Savage Worlds)

You mean like the d20 or Tri-Stat versions of Tekumel? Obviously, if GoO was willing to pursue it, there must have been some kind of expected return in terms of fan love. This being the case, I say "Go for it!"

[Finarvyn]

Actually, I prefer the old-style rules to the newer Tri-Stat/dX rules system. The original EPT was so OD&D-like that you could focus on the adventure and not so much on learning rules. I remember a skill system and a variant magic system, but otherwise it was very much OD&D.

[greentongue]

I posted some basic stuff for playing a PbP "Classic" game.
home.earthlink.net/~djackson24/Delbert6c.htm

Includes the Adventurer Variant.
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[thorswulf]

In an early issue of The Dragon there is an article about an alternative beginning experience system for EPT. This establishes birth order, Father's Social class, and family position which affect what kind of starting skills, spells, and money a character starts with. I have considered using it to play a more "real" but high magic Tekumel for those who are familiar with tekumel and it's environs. It does tend to create very powerful characters with a few lucky die rolls, but this could represent well to do clans and the like.

[greentongue]

You happen to have more details on that?
Like which issue it was in?
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[greentongue]

Finally got a chance to add more to my Savage Tekumel Bestiary
home.earthlink.net/~djackson24/ST_beasts.htm
I welcome any comments or suggestions on it.
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[thorswulf]

Those supplemental, and unofficial rules were by G. Arthur Rahman in The Dragon Vol. III No. 12 in June, 1979. hope this helps

[Deleted]

greentongue said:

Finally got a chance to add more to my Savage Tekumel Bestiary
home.earthlink.net/~djackson24/ST_beasts.htm
I welcome any comments or suggestions on it.
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quite a nice job you have been doing on that savage tekumel site.. btw..

[greentongue]

thorswulf said:

Those supplemental, and unofficial rules were by G. Arthur Rahman in The Dragon Vol. III No. 12 in June, 1979. hope this helps

Now all I have to do is keep an eye out for it.
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[Finarvyn]

greentongue said:

Now all I have to do is keep an eye out for it.

Keep your eyes open. I'm sure it'll show up sometime soon.

[dwayanu]

I recently came across an old house rules document of mine. It's extant only in hard copy and five pages long, so I'll give just a gloss. The initial numbers are rules sections.

410 and 2000: added "Education" Basic Talent; added saving-throw modifiers based on ability scores; ruled that modifiers to hit also apply defensively, while those to damage apply as well to hit point dice

412-414: slight modifications to the tables

417: revision of Basic Talent increases (i.e., can choose one, and must roll over current score to get +1d10)

420: Education determines Original Skill slots on a revised table (example: 96-100 gets no I, 3 each of II and III); revised skill list

420.1: introduces skill levels, used with table in sec. 434

421: gives chance for skill improvement by level, clarifies gaining new skills via in-game training

430: Ability scores determine starting skills for priests, MUs. Warrior can pick any one from the list, repeated picks giving up to +3 to hit; Knife-fighter and some skill prerequisites added.

500: Substitution of spell of lower Group allowed, spells can be learned in play as if skills of equivalent Group.

630: MUs follow same XP progression as other classes. Nonhumans with 2-3 HD add 1-2 to level for XP required.

710: Roll one Hit Die per level (plus nonhuman bonus), +1 pip/die for Warrior, -1 for MU. Add "damage" modifier per Basic Talents. All PCs get maximum HP at first level, and any character always at least one point per die.

720: Nonhuman characters use Table I. "13-up" column not used, "10-12" becoming "10-up" for Warriors; Priests = 1-4/5-8/9-12/13+; MUs = 1-5/6-10/11-15/16+; +1 or +2 for 2-3 HD nonhumans; miss on "natural" 1, hit on 20 on the die.

721: brings in rule concerning magic and metal from S&G (so MU's dagger of chlen rather than steel); penalties for use of prohibited arms

722: range divided into thirds; +0/-1/-2

724: rulings regarding combat round sequence

730: Only warriors or monsters get bonus damage dice.

900: Comeliness determines starting money.

910 and other sections: a "heads up" that S&G wages and prices may come into play, and clan connections may be more important than cash

920: a rationale regarding greater encumbrance of chlen-hide items in EPT than in later sources; notes on bronze and wrought iron; +1 to saves vs. spells if wearing metal armor

1010: warrior availability revised in keeping with professional-skill revision

1011: revised salaries

no section headings: rules for learning skills and spells; notes on skills; note that martial artists similar to D&D Monk may appear as special operatives of Thumis, Ksarul, Omnipotent Azure Legion; nonhuman PCs for experienced players, and rare; reference to Erick-Noel Bouchard's rules for nonhumans

[alvahardison]

the posting above has merit. games should not need more than D100, D10, and D20. in otherwords 3 dice. i converted the underworld encounter tables to D10 for use in a hybrid S&G system.

[casey777]

Like the Savage Worlds adaptation a good fit. Now that I have Heroquest (from the Thanksgiving freebie of the Hero's Book) that also looks promising, in a different way. There is a good GURPS 3e conversion but nothing so far for 4e that I'm aware of.

T:EPT has some faults but it's a very nice single book game and fixes the problems I had had with BESM 2e nicely. Combat is deadly, spells have flair, and the monsters are nasty. A good introduction to the setting. Best supplemented with EPT and/or the Tekumel Sourcebook for more flavor.

Look in the files section of the main Tekumel Yahoo Group. There's a houseruled version of EPT that folds in material from what looks like Gardásiyal: Deeds of Glory, since IIRC it only covers higher level clans in detail. Still it's free and a good start.