An OGL Ancients Novice

[Lucius]

Hail!

I'm usually a lurking on the Conan boards, but recently stumbled across this OGL Ancients game. I've read a few reviews, and it looks my cup of tea, so to speak. I've a few questions before running off to order, though.

1. Are the rules much more complex than the standard D20? I find them rather clunky at times, and having read that combat is now done in three, rather than one roll, I'm a little apprehensive. The last thing I want is to shelf the game simply because I'm intimidated with the amount of rules to remember.

2. Are there any supplements to OGL Ancients either on the shelves or in the works? I've looked around and can't find a thing, which is somewhat surprising, really. No sign of this OGL Rome sourcebook I've heard you guys talk about? Or what about a Viking supplement. Admittedly, there are a few thousand years apart, but the emphasis on mythology and epic heroes is surely the same.

3. Any other points I need to know about?

Thanks in Advance for any help or advice offered!

 

[Lucius]

This part of the board is fairly dead...huh?

 

[Talwar01]

Steampowerpublishing did a Gates of Troy supplement, with OGL stats. It's very good, and you should be able to pick it up through RPGNow or DriveThru. There's a preview of their second supplement, which never got completed.

I wrote a scenario which was in one of the older (printed) S&P called 'Greeks bearing Gifts'.

Personally, I loved the combat, but with a few minor tweeks. Problem was that it was slower, and non-combat pcs may have got a bit bored sitting out chunks of the session.

Green Ronin have done a couple of straight conversions, and Sword and Sorcery did a Olympus supplement.

 

[The King]

Hail!

I'm usually a lurking on the Conan boards, but recently stumbled across this OGL Ancients game. I've read a few reviews, and it looks my cup of tea, so to speak. I've a few questions before running off to order, though.

1. Are the rules much more complex than the standard D20? I find them rather clunky at times, and having read that combat is now done in three, rather than one roll, I'm a little apprehensive. The last thing I want is to shelf the game simply because I'm intimidated with the amount of rules to remember.

2. Are there any supplements to OGL Ancients either on the shelves or in the works? I've looked around and can't find a thing, which is somewhat surprising, really. No sign of this OGL Rome sourcebook I've heard you guys talk about? Or what about a Viking supplement. Admittedly, there are a few thousand years apart, but the emphasis on mythology and epic heroes is surely the same.

3. Any other points I need to know about?

Thanks in Advance for any help or advice offered!

Hi Lucius,

I can answer some of your questions.

1. OGL Ancient is much like Conan and has the advantage that you don't need any D20 core book. The magic system is different and the combat system includes a new feature: armor coverage. At that time armor did usually only covered the chest and thighs. Therefore there is a system which gives bonus to the defense according to the armor.
Another thing: armors gives different bonus if you're defending against piercing or slashing weapons.

2. This is a stand-alone product but if you're running more mythical than historical, you can merge it with D20 Slaine.

3. As was already told in one post, Green Ronin did a good job with its Troy sourcebook (but it's D20 material) and another entitled Testament (cevoering the period and geography of the bible, e.g. Jews, Egyptians, Cannan, Babylon and Mesopotamia). If you use these sourcebooks though you'll have to make some arrangements with the magic system between OGL Ancient and usual D20 but this shouldn't be too overwhelming.

 

[Ltlconf]

Hello Folks,

Likely a little late but Green Ronin has also a "Rome" sourcebook. It came across as pretty complete and decently well thought out.

As for OGL Ancients my only quibbles were two: not enough on the cultures of Egypt and Greece. Sadly old 2nd Ed TSR put out better info (yeah, that IS sad). Secondly the weapons and armor, as is usual in RPGs (Even the usually excellent SJG GURPS screws this up), is either too heavy or is way behind in current research. Example? The linen cuirass it turns out actually was a form of bronze "coat of plates" and not just layered cloth. It was as light as a bronze cuirass and yet far more comfortable (cuirasses weighed in under 30ibs). It IS however the best overall general product out there but I would invest in GURPS "Greece" and "Egypt" immediately and later purchase "Testament" and "Troy" to flesh out the setting with color from outside Greece and Egypt.

Or just homebrew your own setting. I did this using the various mini-series made over the last years ("The Odyssy," "Helen of Troy" and "Jason and the Argonauts"), modern movies such as "Clash of the Titans" and "Troy," and the Golden Age Hollywood movies such as "Helen Of Troy" and Jason and the Argonauts" as inspiration. For Egypt I used "The Egyptians" and "Cleopatra" and admittedly one other film who's name escapes me at the moment. I have learned from hard experience that few under thirty are hard readers and prefer visual reference. Besides, by making movie night also character creation night I get a chance to really get the players thinking in the mood, concentrating on making characters three dimensional and educating them on ancient mores. Such as why Odysseus felt it nescessary to kill the Suiters. Good conversation that one!