Magic School Campaigns by System and Setting: Scarlet Heroes

Artwork by Eric Lofgren

Back in May 2013, Kevin Crawford of Sine Nomine Games published a series of free supplements for his Red Tide Campaign Setting known as Black Streams.  One of them, Solo Heroes, proved to be an incredibly popular pick.  It dealt with the mechanical aspects of how to run a game of one DM, one PC in a way which wouldn't break the game or result in one-sided battles.  More than that, the underlying math largely worked, and it was compatible with most existing B/X D&D and retroclone adventures.

One year and one Kickstarter later, Crawford expanded the concept into a full-fledged OSR game of its own, complete with its own setting, bestiary, DMing advice, and even rules for true "solo gaming" where you can play a Scarlet Heroes game with nobody but yourself.

Mechanical Considerations

Scarlet Heroes works very well for a magic school campaign, in that the character creation method is very forgiving for a player willing to go against type.  Unlike other retroclones, ability scores are generated using 4d6 drop the lowest, assign the results to scores of your choice.  Additionally, results where the highest score is below 16 allows the player to bump an ability of their choice to 16.

Race is separate from class, allowing for halfling mages, dwarven clerics, and the like.  Racial abilities are turned into "traits" which are a simplified pseudo-skill system which cover things like "acrobat, friend to secret society, vibrant health" meant to provide open-ended bonuses to rolls where they can be a factor.

What's more, a PC is not locked into their class, and can forestall gaining an additional level in their existing class upon leveling up in lieu of taking a level in a new one!  A 4th-level Magic-User may pick up a 1st level in Fighter to gain increased damage with weapons and hit points, or a Cleric may balance out levels with Magic-User to become adept in both arcane and divine spells.

Unorthodox Races: By seeking an alternate to the race-as-class system and boiling down racial features to pseudo-skill traits, Scarlet Heroes allows for the easy creation of new races and the implementation of existing ones.  Generally speaking, humans gain 3 trait points to spend as they wish, while non-humans gain 1 trait point to spend as they wish plus 1 trait point in a pre-determined skill reflecting the races' innate abilities.  Generally speaking the latter should be their most iconic feature and impossible for other races to take as a trait.

House Rule: Let's say we wanted to turn the Serpent Folk, a classic sword-and-sorcery staple, into a race.  As these ancient reptilians have a renowned ability to take the shape of humanoids, we'll give them 1 trait point in "Magical Visage," reflecting their keen ability to appear like a normal human and hide their true nature.  To balance this ability, we'll make any attempts to disguise themselves as a specific human require a skill check (which the 1 trait point applies as a bonus to).  Other than this, Serpent Folk gain 1 free trait point to spend as they wish.

Student Budget: Clerics are able to access potentially any class spell provided they are at a level capable of casting it, but Magic-Users aren't so lucky.  In order to add new spells to their spellbook, they must copy it from an existing spellbook or scroll or be taught by a teacher.  As even the cheapest method (scroll or spellbook-copying) takes 100 gp worth of ingredients per spell level, the GM for a Scarlet Heroes game should provide some means of spell access if they're going for a more Harry Potter vibe where the heroes aren't amassing great hoards of wealth while doing adventures at school.

House Rule: Beyond the spells a 1st-level Magic-User knows, every level gained in the class allows the PC to select two Magic-User spells of their choice to add into their spellbook, provided that they are at a level they are capable of casting.  Such knowledge represents the PC researching the accumulated lore they came across in their adventures.  As there are 50 Magic-User spells in Scarlet Heroes and this method allows them to gain 23 spells at most by 10th level, this is a reasonable value.

Naturally, Magic-User PCs are more than free to add spells they find as a result of scrolls and spellbooks borrowed/stolen, and favors gained from fellow sorcerers.

Arcane Lore: The creation of magic items and copying spells are expensive endeavors.  If sitting on literal piles of gold feels unseemly, the GM can substitute a portion of treasures in exchange for "Arcane Lore."  This may be in addition to or separate from the Student Budget houserule above.  Generally speaking, Arcane Lore is pseudo-treasure representing the scribbled writings of cultists, esoteric ingredients from unnatural beasts, mind-melded knowledge from otherworldly entities and the like which grant a spellcaster ability to create magic items and learn new spells.  They can range from research notes and insight-producing consumables, the latent power of a specific area (where the ambient energy is used by magical artisans while building/researching there), and strange ingredients.

Arcane Lore is treated as individual treasure values, but can only be "spent" for the purposes of creating magic items and the learning of new spells into one's spellbook, or trading in exchange for such material.  Here are some sample lists:

Random Value:

Arcane Lore	Value
Cheap	1d6 x 20 gp
Costly	1d10 x 50 gp
Precious	2d10 x 100 gp
Priceless	1d6 x 1,000 gp

Types of Arcane Lore:

1d12	Cheap	Costly	Precious	Priceless
1	Cultist’s Scribblings	Inquisitor’s Journal	Memory-storing Crystal	Dragon’s Knowledge
2	Witch’s Herbs	Elemental Salts	Earthshield Plates	Fey’s Dreams
3	Tarot Deck	Alchemist’s Lab Materials	Meteorite Metal	Unicorn Horn
4	Crushed Moonberries	Runic Stones	Sigil-embroidered Cloth	Spirit-Possessed Mask
5	Strand of Prayer Beads	Bardic-enchanted Writings	Magical Hieroglyphs	Quill of the First Library
6	Local Lord’s Library Resources	University Library Resources	Wizard’s Library Resources	First Era Library Resources
7	Curio Shop Trinkets	Augury Bones	Demonflesh-stitched Tome	Raw Souls
8	Weak Ley Line Location	Druidic Grove	Location with Spiritual Resonance	Geomantic Planar Crossroads
9	Household Shrine	Village Shrine	City Shrine	Holiest of Shrines
10	Gnomish Cookbook	Basilisk’s Eyes	Dragon’s Blood	Fur from the Wolf God
11	Bloodstone Crystals	Onyx Skull Gems	Leprechaun Gold	World Tree Flowers
12	Zombie gallbladder	Wight’s teeth	Bottled Nightshade Spirit	Lich’s phylactery

Sufficiently "rich" wizard PCs over time will pepper their lairs and laboratories with the flesh and bones of magical monsters, cauldrons brewing with liquid shadows, shelves lined with crystals mined from the deepest dungeon trenches, and a small library of tomes penned by archmages, legendary bards, and other folk touched by the otherworldly.  As magic doesn't abide by the laws of the mortal realm, you might allow the PC to spend the gp value of treasures for the creation of otherwise-unrelated magic items.  Perhaps the Basilisk's Eyes (normally used for petrification and stone-related rituals) and a set of Wight's Teeth can be used to make a Purifying Oil, as the inherent "curses" of such creatures' essences overwhelm any latent magical debilitations on an applied person or object.

Quest-giving NPCs might grant the heroic adventurer things like access to a legendary forge worth an arbitrary amount of gold pieces for crafting the perfect blade in lieu of raw gold.  Adding such treasures, even if they're cheap things like macabre preserved monster fetuses from a curio shop, can add a hint of eldritch wonder to one's campaign.

Magic Schools of the Isles

The Sunset Isles are home to many civilizations with their own local magic traditions.  Although the Magocracy of Tien Lung is home to the grandest (and most cruel and dangerous) arcane academies, they are by no means the only realm with wizarding schools and temple-shrines.

Altgrimmr: dwarven magic-users bear runic stones as their "spellbooks," the traditional means of storing magic in the old times.  Apparently the long-forgotten dwarven civilization of the old Isles was home to grand underground spires brimming with magical energy.  Although the Underking has yet to find a way to harness their true potential, such spires provide indispensable aid against the many underground horrors poised to invade their country.  The inevitable attraction of dwarven mages caused magic schools to sprout up around these spires, which the local communities welcome because few of their own can hope to control the spires' great magical energy.

Hohnberg Pact: a devoutly religious folk, the Makerites of Eirengard devote significant resources to the upkeep and maintenance of holy shrines, statues of saints, and other divine sites meant to honor their patron.  Even Magic-Users are expected to follow in the religious traditions, supplementing their spell invocation with holy incantations and ritual prayers.  Young men and women who show a gift for magical manifestation, be it arcane or divine, are often brought to live in theurgist chapter-houses.  Here they are raised by monks and scholars under strict moral guidance so that they use their powers for the betterment of society and the Maker's glory.  Naturally, differing religious sects have varying interpretations on the nature of arcane magic, and it's not uncommon for rival schools to develop resentment and open disputes over theological interpretations.

Magocracy of Tien Lung: In comparison to Xian, Tien Lung seems at first to be a freer society for mages to carry on their magical research and work without pesky laws and moral codes restricting them.  A Learned (the magic-users of the country) can do what they want to the common folk without much in the way of consequence, and the lore of the otherwise-forbidden Stitched Path is the most common form of sorcery at the Academy of Refulgant Wisdom.  However, this "might makes right" society causes Tien Lung's wizards to be ruthless and paranoid, and it's not uncommon for even academy students to resort to sabotage and murder to preserve their social standing and surpass their fellows.  The school's teachers often force students to pledge loyalty to them, and cloak-and-dagger espionage is often carried out by their apprentices against their rivals.  Studying to learn astrology under the Stargazer's class might preclude an apprentice from attending necromancy lessons if the two teachers despise one another.  Mages who end up multi-talented earn both great respect and even greater suspicion, as the theft of scrolls and spellbooks is almost certainly required to accomplish this feat.

Mandarinate of Xian: The remnants of the Ninefold Celestial Empire are a shadow of their former glory.  Once the province of the nobility, now old and established families cannot afford to be so picky when their heirs produce no magical talent.  The magic schools of the capital are full of heirs to old money as well as the sons and daughters of well-off "commoners" and non-Xian foreigners, whose donations are too generous to refuse or overlook on the manner of xenophobia and elitism.  There is significant wheeling and dealing by the political powers of cities to woo a promising student to work for the local government or the private mage of a noble family upon completion of their graduation.  It's not unknown for even the teachers and faculty to incorporate local errands and favors as part of an apprentice's "training."  The magic schools of Xian are some of the oldest and most well-respected, but the deep incorporation of their residents into the societal power structures affords little respite for mages who wish to remain non-political.

Drawing Inspiration for RPGs: the Byzantine Empire

Artistic rendition of Constantinople in Antiquity

A recent pet peeve of mine is that a lot of fantasy settings which focus on a recreation of medieval Europe tend to begin and end at the British Isles.  They ignore the myriad other cultures and lands beyond surface examinations and folkloric monsters to introduce as adversaries.  Fortunately there's been a gradual branching out to other lands, as can be seen in the popularity of Skyrim and the show Vikings on the History Channel in regards to Scandinavian cultures.  Even then, there's a lot of European regions which need some more love.  In this post, I'm going to tell you why the Byzantine Empire's an awesome place to draw inspiration from for D&D games.

Since August of 2014 I've been running a game set in a fantasy counterpart Byzantine-style city, and the long-running game influenced me to do further research on the real thing.  What got my interest in the first place was  Parsantium: City at the Crossroads.  It is an excellent system-neutral setting sourcebook also based upon a fantasy counterpart Constantinople.  Don't let that Pathfinder logo fool you; over 90% of the contents can be used easily enough for other retro-clones and Editions.

This is not meant to be a guide on how to play D&D in the "real world Middle Ages."  Rather, it examines various interesting cultural and historical details of the Byzantine Empire, and how they can be transferred into a wholly original and fictional world.  For an example, think of how Al-Qadim drew inspiration from real-world Arabic culture and folktales to create a setting inspired by both.

Constantinople, the Crossroads of the World

The Mediterranean region has long served as a fertile basin for many world powers.  Greece, Egypt, Rome, the Islamic Caliphate, and the Ottomans among other civilizations touched its waters.  The city of Constantinople has been the capital of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires for its key strategic location between the trades routes between the Aegean and Black Sea.

Whereas Western Europe was devastated during the fall of the Roman Empire, in the east the infrastructure was maintained for centuries.  The Byzantines (and the rest of the world) still referred to themselves as the East Roman Empire, in part because they managed to not only survive but thrive for a thousand years until the Ottomans sacked the capital and absorbed its lands into their own empire.  The preservation of Greek and Latin tomes allowed the Byzantines to preserve knowledge which was lost in the rest of Europe, and being in close proximity to Africa and Asia meant that the populace had a wide exposure to many kinds of cultures and the trade goods they had.

Foreign travelers from the Dark Ages to the early Renaissance marveled at the beautiful architecture in Constantinople, such as the Hagia Sophia and the Valens Aqueduct (which remained in working order up until 1403).

Implementing this in a game: A Constantinople counterpart serves many purposes.  Its status as an international trading hub makes it known across many continents.  For this reason it provides an easy explanation for incorporating different fantasy counterpart cultures and PC concepts with minimal fuss.  In addition to the Greek-speaking native population, the Byzantines interacted with Armenian, Slavic, Germanic, Scandinavian and Turkish people at various points in history, so it was no stranger to foreigners from lands hundreds of miles away (even if they weren't always assimilated into the general population).

It can also provide a dual sense of grandness and history, while being the remnants of a fallen empire in your home setting.  The higher level of lore and technology while being surrounded by a less developed world reinforces this while at the same time allowing for a city of splendor in a more gritty "Dark Ages" game.

Viking Bodyguards

The old Roman Emperors had an elite cadre of troops known as the Praetorian Guard, and the Byzantines were no different.  Whereas the Praetorians had a nasty track record of killing their own Emperors for political favors, the Byzantines drew upon mercenaries from Germanic and Scandinavian tribes who overall were more dependable and loyal.  This was done for several reasons; one, such people were far enough removed from the Byzantine area of influence that they were least likely to harbor resentment against the government and had less incentive to care about local affairs.  Secondly, many northern European clans had cultural practices of loyalty oaths which extended service until one's death.  Thirdly, many of them had experience in warfare, so when necessary they could head armies in defense of imperial strategic holds.  Chroniclers wrote fearfully of how the Varangians, when deployed in times of greatest need, "were frightening both in appearance and in equipment, they attacked with reckless rage and neither cared about losing blood nor their wounds."  This might be a possible reference to the berserker fighting style practiced among some Scandinavian warriors.

On a related note, mercenaries formed a great part of the Empire's army.  As they were the wealthiest nation in Europe from the Dark Ages to much of the Middle Ages, they did not have to worry much about other nations bribing their soldiers to fight for the other side.

Implementing this in a game: The not-Byzantine Emperor is going to draw the cream of the crop to guard his side, so having foreign warriors is not going to be that strange except for highly xenophobic regimes.  It provides a good excuse for PCs hailing from distant lands, as current or former members of the Empire's martial wing.  A mercenary-focused military means that there's plenty of incentive for traveling adventurers to accept quests on behalf of the government.

The Bureau of Barbarians

The Byzantine's definition of barbarian was not limited to the designation of a technologically primitive warrior given to bouts of rage, although such folk would certainly fall under this label in their view.  It was a much more broad generalization regarding any foreign civilization.  The term barbarian was due to xenophobic Byzantines joking that the languages of outsiders sounded like nonsense "barbarbarbar" to their ears.  As an international trade hub often tasked with serving as a shield against Muslim conquests from reaching mainland Europe, the Byzantines could not afford to ignore events beyond their borders.

The Bureau of Barbarians was a government office which served many purposes: the interpretation and translation of foreign languages in written and spoken form; foreign spying and intelligence in European, northern African, and Middle Eastern nations; diplomatic envoys and organizing visits from foreign ambassadors; and the signing of treaties among other things.

The arranged ceremonies for foreign dignitaries spared no expense in elaborate rituals to show off the Empire's might and wealth, communicating that this was a great country and leaving lasting impressions on visitors.  The Bureau relied upon merchants, priests, and other folk who traveled often to serve as diplomats, in part due to the social and economic clout they wielded as well as their increased exposure and knowledge of foreign cultures.  Naturally, they sent back reports of all their findings to the government, which the Empire used to keep abreast of situations which might affect them.

For these reasons it's believed that the Bureau of Barbarians was the earliest known example of a governmental intelligence service.

Implementing this in a game: Aside from being an awesome name, it makes perfect sense for an empire's foreign intelligence service to serve as a multi-purpose storehouse of outside customs.  Bureau agents can be anywhere, serving in a variety of capacities: they're merchant clans who buy dwarf-forged weapons to sell in human lands, the office-workers who sell deeds of land to foreign PCs in imperial country, and the assassin who steals the Green Blade of the Mistwood elves to plant on the body of Argrax the orcish warlord.

Greek Fire and alchemical warfare

One of the Byzantine Empire's greatest-kept secrets was the recipe behind the substance known as Greek Fire.  Believed by modern chemists to be a kind of petroleum, it was responsible for key naval victories for its ability to burn on top of water.  Byzantine naval craft would use pressurized nozzles to spray the liquid onto enemy troops and ships, and made a distinct impression on invading Crusader and Arab armies.  Even when enemy forces managed to capture these primitive flamethrowers, they were unable to reverse-engineer the substance and produce it themselves.

Implementing this in a game: Apart from its similarities to alchemist's fire, this provides for a great background for alchemist characters.  In a world full of magical materials and monsters whose corpses can be harvested, the alchemists of a Byzantine counterpart culture might produce a host of other marvels beyond primitive napalm.  Fire-proof remorhaz hides tanned into leather armor, cockatrice glands which act as a petrifying agent, and displacer beast hearts distilled into potions which allow the wearer's form to fluctuate are but a few possibilities.

The Emperor must be a physical paragon

In spite of several noble families holding power, the Emperor's authority was near-absolute.  Considered by many to be the closest to God, the head of the Empire was a representation of heavenly authority itself.  A peculiar tradition arose out of this: an Emperor who became crippled or mutilated was weak and imperfect, no longer a proper reflection of greatness.  In spite of the vast powers they wielded, rivals and enemy factions within the government made a habit of cutting off the body parts of Emperors as a way of removing them from power.  This was also performed on the sons of Emperors who fell out of favor or seen as a weak link, forever barring them from the highest station in the land.

Implementing this in a game: In spite of its illusions of order and absolute authority, the courts of fantasy counterpart Byzantium are a chaotic affair where outright violence and maiming is just as deadly as the tools of gossip and rhetoric.  With access to magical rituals and artifacts, it might be trivial for the Emperor to stand head and shoulders above the throngs of subsistence farmers dotting the countryside, and he or she may also have levels in cleric if royalty is divinely ordained.

For adventure potential, a noble and just former Emperor, crippled and disgraced, may petition the PCs to find a legendary artifact of healing and renewal.  He must become his former self if he is to take back the throne; otherwise the new Emperor responsible for the coup will plunge the realm into an age of darkness!

Byzantine Cuisine

Byzantine history saw a merging of Greek and Roman dishes with the importing of foreign trade items, resulting in a delicious mishmash of European and Middle Eastern flavors.  Open-air restaurants in Constantinople known as tavernas sold meals and street food to middle and lower class citizens, while the dining halls of the nobility were full of spices, fruits, and sweetmeats.  Byzantine omelets and salads were renown, while garum (fish sauce) and olive oil were popular choices of condiments among upper and lower social classes. 

Implementing this in a game: "What do they eat?" is a very popular question in fictional world-building, and a great way of adding layers of immersion in one's fantasy games.  Feel free to draw upon modern Mediterranean meals as well.  Merchants and laborers in a hurry might buy shish kebabs to eat on the go, while Turkish-style coffee houses provide a common social gathering spot.  Flatbreads might be used to dip into sauces, and even a meager farming family might have flavorful salads for dinner!

Special Thanks

Raineh Daze and Syrasi, for answering all my questions about the Byzantine Empire and helping in the world-building process of my Arcana High campaign.

Richard Green, for writing Parsantium and kickstarting my interest in a fantasy counterpart Constantinople.

Ask Historians,  for being a fun and high-quality subreddit.

Wikipedia, for being my go-to source for brief overviews of Byzantine culture and the many dishes of Greek and Turkish cuisine!

Fantasy Counterpart Cultures in D&D: Mythic Greece

Acropolis of Athens by Leo von Klenze

Note: I am neither an historian nor an anthropologist.  My understanding of ancient Greece does not approach the scholarly level; this post is instead brainstorming what a D&D setting emulating this culture and era would be like.

A few weeks ago on the Wednesday livechat on Tenkar's Tavern, I broached the subject of deriving inspiration from eras and settings aside from the standard pseudo-Medieval Tolkienish mode.  I figured that the cultures and myths of ancient Greece had great potential, in no small part due to the presence of several iconic monsters as well as the emphasis on exploration, divine meddling, and the exploits of legendary heroes.  The tales of Jason and the Golden Fleece are not unlike a party of adventurers embarking on a quest to find a unique treasure.  Odysseus' journey back home is full of strange lands teeming with dangerous hazards and monsters standing between him and his beloved family back in Ithaca.

The following ideas and suggestions below are designed as a springboard of ideas for gamers seeking to make a fantasy counterpart ancient Greece in their original setting rather than "ancient Greece, but with dragons and magic-users."  This of how Al-Qadim is a fantastic setting counterpart of ancient Arabia, or how Spears of the Dawn is an original setting borrowing elements from various medieval African nations.

Genuine Polytheism

Ancient Grece by raging-akujiki of deviantart

In traditional D&D, there are multiple gods and goddesses with dominion over various aspects of reality.  Most people are free to worship multiple deities, but clerics are generally restricted to the worship of one whether in terms of general setting expectations or grounded in the game mechanics.  There's also the fact that clerics had to closely match their deity's moral ideology in order to gain spells from them.  In this sense, most D&D clerics are monolatrists, who recognize the existence of multiple deities but only choose to worship one.

In a fantasy counterpart Greek game, clerics, druids, and religious folk in general would make prayers and sacrifices to deities based upon the circumstances of the time.  A cleric invoking a healing spell might be calling upon the god of healing and mercy, while the province of battle-spells such as spiritual weapon or shield of faith might fall under the war god's dominion.  In Labyrinth Lord and most OSR games, clerics are unrestricted magic-wise with the exception of spells opposing their alignment, while in Pathfinder one's patron deity determines your domains and code of conduct.

For Pathfinder, there are several alternatives for a genuinely polytheist cleric.  The 3.0 sourcebook Deities & Demigods allowed someone to worship the pantheon as a whole, picking two domains of their choice.  The Midgard Campaign Setting allowed clerics to cycle through deities of their pantheon on a 2-week basis, switching out codes of conducts and domains for the particular god or goddess they were closest to at the time.  For OSR games, it might be a good thematic choice for clerics to be able to use edged weapons (the blunt-only restriction comes from a Christian prohibition on priests from shedding blood).

The gods and goddesses of a fantasy counterpart Greek game will be largely amoral beings; they are fallible like mortals and prone to vice.  Like the Judgment of Paris, a notable or influential mortal who helps or favors one deity over another might invoke the latter's petty wrath.  Worshipers and divine spellcasters might recognize that their deities might be cruel at times, but they are responsible for the maintenance of reality and can be merciful and generous to those who are loyal.  For this reason, it might be best to separate deities from the alignment system and allow virtuous and vile folk alike to receive their aid (and their wrath).

An important thing to consider is that unless you want a "rage against the heavens" game, you should downplay some of the more evil and wicked aspects of deities ancient Greek deities.  Not just to discourage PCs from seeking their aid, but to also avoid the GM coming off as a bully with nigh-invincible NPCs who will punish you irregardless or making them irredeemable to the point that the players don't want to play in the setting.  In Greek mythology, Zeus was a serial rapist and Aphrodite made a mortal woman's life hell for simply being born the most beautiful woman in the land (a circumstance of birth no fault of her own).  With the exception of deities you wish to be blatantly antagonistic and evil, it might be best to have gods to mostly visit their wrath on more legitimate targets, such as mortals who openly curse their names, those who try to misuse their divine gifts, and those who steal from sacred sites and temples.

Another way to grant one's setting a more authentic vibe is the introduction of Mystery Cults.  For those not satisfied with the dominant  culture's pantheon, there are secret societies who only revealed their true beliefs and rites to a select few initiates.  They may be dedicated to the worship of wicked and foul beings who promise power and privilege in the afterlife in exchange for inflicting misery on others; they might practice beliefs considered heretical by the orthodox temples, or members of a persecuted faith, social class, or culture who wish to find liberation or continue their teachings in secret; or they might be a front for secret bacchanal gatherings of excess and behavior frowned upon by polite society.

The City-State

Ancient Greek Polis by Tripio of deviantart

Even though people may belong to a greater region with a shared language and culture, ancient Greece saw the rise of the polis, or city-state, as the dominant political power.  There were about a hundred poleis (plural form of polis) and more or less self-governing for much of their history.  Due to the nation's mountainous terrain, there was not as much physical contact between the city-states.  This resulted in the formation of unique variations on dialects and cultural identities.  Additionally, certain deities were strongly associated with particular city-states, most notably Athens and Athena.

In a fantasy counterpart Greek setting, the nation as it exists might be understood more as a sense of a shared cultural identity of one people holding the same popular religion and language, but little in the way of an official body of government.  People are more likely to identify primarily with the polis or region they were brought up in, and territorial expansions by neighbors would be fought back as fiercely as if it was an invading army from a foreign culture.

Using the advantages of themed cities and the impossibilities of a fantasy world, making each polis unique can really add to the sense of setting flair and why the realm is far from unified.  One polis might be a militaristic fortress where every citizen is trained in the use of weapons; another might have installed the radical concept of democracy after the overthrow of a corrupt autocracy; another might be dominated by a non-human culture such as centaurs or merfolk; and another might be a hidden city, protected by a conclave of illusionists working together to generate the image of ruined streets and titanic beasts to ward off invaders and explorers!

Travel between poleis would be difficult, in no small part due to the many mountainous valleys and island chains.  While small villages and folk living outside the great cities definitely exist, the seat of government would most undoubtedly exist within the confines of urban centers.

High and Low Magic

The Goddess Hecate by azurylipfe of deviantart

Unlike in medieval Europe, magic and religion were not regarded as entirely separate things.  Hecate was the patron goddess of magic, and myths were replete with sorceresses such as Circe and magical items such as a bag holding the four winds inside its skin.  The ancient Greeks regarded magic as a means and end to power, and its practice tended to be a more private affair in comparison to the divine rituals and sacrifices meant to give the gods their due.

In a fantasy counterpart Greek game, magic would be viewed as an amoral force (neither good nor evil), a way of finding out the secrets of the world to gain power over reality and make the forces of nature do one's bidding.  Some common magic items might include curse tablets, written inscriptions and condemnations asking the gods to do harm to one's enemies.  Amulets are created, bought, and sold to guard against such curses as well as the evil eye; as a result, they are one of the most widespread forms of magic items.  The material and otherworldly forces are connected, and spells require rites and formula to perform much like material components.  Magic which is considered exalted or closer to the gods is known as theurgy (high magic); practitioners of this art look down on those who use magic in a short-sighted, fraudulent and/or superstitious way (goetic, or low magic).

Game-wise, the difference between high and low magic is not in the classes themselves but rather the kind of spells cast.  Harmful and illusion-based magic would be regarded as 'low magic,' while divination would be seen as 'high magic' regardless of whether it comes from a cleric or magic-user.  Illusionists and magic-users might alternately be pious (recognizing the power deities grant to reality) and irreligious (only caring about their granted powers for personal ends).

Mythological Races

Half-Medusa Warrior by Brian Brinlee

Although dwarves, elves, and halflings are a classic D&D staple, there exists iconic Greek monsters with humanoid features such as the centaur, cyclops, gorgon, harpy, minotaur, and satyr.  Although several of them traditionally existed as creatures hostile to humanity or possess features unbalanced for gameplay purposes, the original dwarves and elves also had super-powerful abilities and were distrustful of mortals as well.  It can be a fun touch to not only have societies and tribes of mythological humanoids for the party to meet during their adventures, but to play as them too!  As detailed below under "Shameless Plugs," there's quite a bit of existing material for monster PCs of Pathfinder and OSR retroclones out there already.  But for this part, we can focus on how said creatures would fit into a fantasy counterpart Greek game.

Centaurs are forest-dwelling hedonists who are also strong warriors.  Their relationship with humanity would be mixed; on the one hand, they scoff at the clustered city-states of lifeless stone and human culture's emphasis on moderation (an important virtue in ancient Greek society).  On the other hand, they appreciate the fine wine, bronze and iron weapons, and other valuable materials said humans can give them in trade.  Centaur settlements would be mobile, going from forest grove to valley in semi-nomadic patterns when one place runs low on resources.

Cyclopes are a primordial race of island-dwelling giants with strong ties to the god of the sea.  They are incredibly skilled artisans and the greatest among their numbers once forged thunderbolts for the sky god to use as weapons.  Cyclopes are staunch defenders of their islands from foreign ships, and as such are regarded as violent, savage brutes by humans and other seafaring races.  Some tribes live deep underground, helping direct lava flows to help the god of the forge build impressive cities which result in volcanic eruptions above-ground.

Dryads, Faun, Nymphs, and Satyrs are benevolent nature spirits tied to a specific piece of land.  Many humans and mortals worship them as deities, and while far below the power level of the pantheon, they are capable as a group of granting good fortune and divine spells to their worshipers.  They often possess forms similar to humans, but with noticeable plant or animal features.  They might be either helpful or hostile to mortal travelers depending on how they treat the surrounding environment.

Gorgons are transformed initiates belonging to serpent cults.  They possess great powers, able to use their legendary gaze to turn their enemies to stone or grant supernatural insight to their allies.  Depending on the polis and the deities favored there, gorgons might either be feared yet revered religious figures responsible for leading rituals and festivals, or hated monsters believed to make pacts with forbidden powers.

Harpies are winged folk, most of them women, who are born as the result of a pregnant mother eating food grown in a witch's garden.  Although they tend to not have their own culture as a result of this, harpies' aerial talents allow them many opportunities to find others of their kind and move to more tolerant locales.  They flock to poleis which are centers of art and learning, for harpies have an uncanny gift for singing, persuasion, and theater.  Finally, they're highly sought-after as explorers and messengers, for the sea and mountainous terrain serves as minor impediments to those born with wings.

Minotaurs are believed to originate from what is now the labyrinthine ruins of an island-city. Very tall and possessed of a pair of bull-like horns, many wealthy families seek them as mercenaries and soldiers, an occupation the minotaurs are all too happy to accept.  They are also very cunning in skirmish warfare and possess an innate sense of direction, make it nearly impossible for them to get lost in terrain already traversed. Minotaur settlements tend to be virtual mazes with few if any landmarks, making it impractical to assault or occupy by foreign enemies.

Inspirational Material/Shameless Plugs

For Pathfinder and Labyrinth Lord (OSR) games, I wrote up products for versions of monsters playable from level 1, including centaurs, dryads, giants, harpies, and medusa.  In regards to other products, Barrel Rider Games has a few monster classes for Labyrinth Lord such as the Minotaur.  For Pathfinder, Rite Publishing has a Level 1-20 monster class for the same kind of monster.  Purple Duck Games' Legendary Races series includes a cyclops, harpy, and medusa.

Edit: My blog post got picked up by OSR Today (thanks for the mention, McCartan!), who recommended some more material for these kinds of games:

Many years ago, TSR released HR6: Age of Heroes Campaign Sourcebook [AL] for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition. There have been other published products that handled the setting, including Mythic Greece: The Age of Heroes [AL], which was published for Rolemaster Classic [AL] and Fantasy Hero [AL] many years ago. Although these books are old, they contain a lot of great information for those interested in running a campaign set in this particular setting. Of course, there’s also Mazes & Minotaurs, which is a complete game created around the setting which can be used for play as well.

Magic School Campaigns by System & Setting: Spears of the Dawn

Official Artwork by Luigi Castellani

In the venerable Three Lands, there are two kinds of magic.  The first kind is that of natural miracles, invoked by bardic loremasters known as griots and called upon by the spiritualist rites of the marabout.  There are many kinds of spirits, each controlling various aspects of reality, who can be petitioned by mortals to enact tasks on their behalf.  The art of the griot calls upon the existing social norms and customs of their culture, which are not empty rituals in this campaign setting.

The second kind of magic is known as ashe, having nothing to do with the gods, spirits, or society.  It is essential and fundamental to the make-up of the material world; ashe grants wetness to water, cunning to the wise, and heat to the fires among other things.  Those who can manipulate ashe are known as ngangas, a rare talent one can only attain through circumstances of birth rather than training and study.  Even though they're scorned in most lands, an untrained wielder of ashe can accidentally curse his or her fellow villagers, making it a necessity in most lands for local witches to train the sorcerer. This way, they can bestow their magic only on those in need of its protection and afflict the village's enemies with their powers.

The verdant southern nation of Lokossa treats the art of ashe differently; here the mages are the nobles, and claim that their powers are physical evidence of their right to rule.  In fact, the bloody rites of the Sorcerer-King and the ruling families are often all that prevents the monstrous Night Men from swarming the nation's cities and beyond.  Even commoner witches, griots, and marabout are not exempt from this, with the former being adopted into a family of high birth and the latter two inducted into one of many noble priestly societies

The Academy of Dankyira

In the village of Dankyira, a marvelous school of the same name stands.  For unknown reasons the people of this rather small village have a gift for producing folk talented in sorcery, enough that the royal Asona family could not continue the traditional master-apprentice role anymore.  To incorporate as many budding sorcerers as they can, Kusi Asona of the Red Blade traveled through the Five Kingdoms.  He bargained with the charms salesmen in the bustling marketplaces of Sokone, poured through the archives of the old imperial colleges of Nyala, listened at the feet of the olabuns of the Meru nomads, and even ventured into the dangerous Black Lands to the east.

Even for an esteemed nganga of noble ancestry, the mysteries of ashe and the ways and traditions of foreign sorcerers were too much for one soul to know, so he wrote down the most pertinent bits of lore and persuaded, charmed, and bargained with fellow mages to come to Lokossa with him.  In a mere five years the old abandoned shrine of Dankyira at the village's edge grew into a formidable center of learning.  Unbeknownst to all but Kusi and a trusted few, the shrine actually sits upon the ruins of an Eternal tombhouse, its hieroglyphs containing the blasphemous whispering of forbidden magic.  Sometimes an unknowing apprentice would feel the call below the earth, and venture into dark corners best left forgotten.

The academy's former inhabitants are far from the only dangers.  Enemies and rivals of the Asona family worry at the increased number of sorcerers (both nganga and marabout) being trained and inducted in Dankyira; the fact that a few such apprentices are from foreign lands only fuels rumors about the family hiring outside mercenaries for territorial expansions.  They petition the Ahonsu, the Sorcerer-King, to do something about this seeming threat.  For now Lokossa's ruler tolerates the Academy as it brings many ample bodies to the war lines holding back the Night Men.  And that's not counting the cliquish conflicts between Dankyira's students who are noble-born, those who were once commoners, and those completely foreign to Lokossa's lands.

Although Dankyira's academy focuses primarily on knowledge of magic, the Asona hierarchs are not above using the apprentices for their own ends.  As part of a 'course' to demonstrate their supernatural aptitude, a teacher might send off a few pupils to take care of a distant village's zombie problem to gain favors and 'gifts' from the chieftain.  Or they might be sent out into the bush to a rumored spot of great power so that they can harvest the arcane energies dwelling there.  Those who do well enough on tests might be summoned on an annual visit to the capital of Kaeati, where the masked faces of the Ahonsu's court silently watch and judge the "exemplary village mages" and the Asona family by extension.

Mechanical Considerations

Unlike many other retro-clones, three of the four classes in Spears of the Dawn possess spellcasting capability, even if many of the griot's songs are more the manifestation of worldly knowledge and skill than outright magic.  Only the Warrior class is the outlier, which actually can represent thieves and any adventurer who relies upon their own wits and skill instead of external magics.  Without a Warrior, the party will not have the physical staying power or diverse skill-set possessed by the class (Athletics, Stealth, and Tactics are class skills only for the Warrior).  However, certain choices and builds can make up for this.  The War sphere of the marabout can grant access to some good offensive magic when in the thick of combat; the Passion sphere can also make for a good party face if nobody's playing a griot.  All three of the classes have the Scholar skill, while the griot's "remembering" songs can reveal important lore about the world.  Certain PC origins can bolster non-class skills, and when taken in conjunction with the "any one skill" bonus skill for each class can help save some skill points down the line.

It's also inevitable that nganga PCs will share learned spells with each other, making them otherwise more versatile and thus powerful than in other kinds of campaigns.  This should not be discouraged, primarily due to the long learning time (one week per spell level), and for the difficulties inherent in gaining enough favor and trust to learn higher arts from the teachers.

Even though they are teachers, the seniors at Dankyira Academy are still first and foremost interested in making sure that their pupils will not turn against them in the future, and many favors, chores, ethics and loyalty tests, and giving of occult connections (fingernails clipping, lock of hair, etc) are required before the teaching of a new spell can begin.  PC students with a knack for getting into mischief or disagreeing with a teacher too much might find their progress halted, or sent on a dangerous quest in the hopes of them not coming back.  On the other hand, Dankyira does its best to foster a sense of belonging in the students who act admirably, granting them food and shelter at the least and participation in local ceremonies and holidays.  This works particularly well on foreign ngangas, who would otherwise be pushed to the outlying of society, visited rarely except for when the community needs their powers to lift a curse or lift a sickness.

Due to Spears of the Dawn being a sandbox game, it's understandable that a location-centric school campaign under strict tutors might be initially hard to accept adjustment-wise.  Instead of treating the school like a prison and forcing them to stay, give the PCs incentives to stay.  It is a pre-eminent center of learning the Three Lands, and they can gradually build a network of sympathetic allies among the teachers and student body who will mostly treat them well if they don't act like jerks.  Additionally, allow the PCs the opportunity to perform adventures beyond the village and academy like in the aforementioned 'tests' listed above.

Instead of adhering to a main plotline or quest, write up a few sidequest ideas to toss as adventure hooks to the PCs and let them handle the tasks in any order they wish, picking and choosing what interests them.  Be sure to play upon their existing interests and relationships to spur their motivation, and if all else fails you can always have a good old-fashioned dungeon crawl in the Eternal catacombs beneath the school!

And should the PCs wish to end their time at the Academy and head off into the wider world in search of adventure and more arcane power, let them!  The Asona family might not be very happy, and might send agents to 'encourage' them to return, but that can be a great adventure seed in an of itself.  At this point the campaign becomes more like a typical Spears of the Dawn game, but instead of belonging to an order of folk heroes and undead-slayers they're a party of fresh-faced yet formidable mages traveling the land.

Fantasy Novel Review: Throne of the Crescent Moon

Jacket art by Jason Chan

These past two months I decided to get back into fantasy novels.  For the better part of 2014 my engagement in the genre was mostly limited to role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, Fire Emblem, and various television shows and comics such as Fullmetal Alchemist.  But after hearing the hype surrounding Game of Thrones and realizing that I have yet to read 

frequently-mentioned classics such as A Wizard of Earthsea, I delved back into the traditional literary world in search of gripping plots and ideas both classic and new.

Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed was one such story I found, and I could hardly put it down once I started reading.  The characters, the world, and the action scenes are very well-done and rarely fell flat.  It is a sword and sorcery novel drawing inspiration from Arabian themes and folklore, a noticeable choice which stands out amid the fantasy counterpart Western Europes dotting the shelves.

The novel centers around the good Doctor Adoulla Makhslood, an elderly veteran of a prestigious order of ghul hunters who are now few and far between in the Crescent Moon Kingdoms.  In spite of his desire to retire from his duties and live out the rest of his life in peace, the ever-present danger of vicious monsters and wicked sorcerers plaguing innocent folk draws him back into the fold time and time again.  What starts out as a simple mission of tracking down the undead responsible for a family's murder grows into a larger plot of forgotten magic and impending civil war which threatens to plunge the great city of Dhamsawaat into chaos.

Ahmed's world-building is organic, adding over time with revealed information instead of having entire histories and events dumped on the reader in one go.  For example, when Adoulla comes back to his home in the impoverished Scholar's Quarter, we get a glimpse into the woes of Dhamsawaat's poor.  This later plays into the emerging popularity of the upstart Falcon Prince, first revealed to us when the legendary rebel saves a child-thief from an executioner's axe.  There are many forms of magic and supernatural creatures in the Crescent Moon Kingdoms, and while there is a bit of detail on the various kinds of disciplines and traditions, the "magic system" as it is is not codified to the point where all mystery is lost.

Aiding Adoulla in his quest is his steadfast companion Raseed bas Raseed, a devoutly religious warrior whose martial prowess is exceeded by his honor to God, and Zamia Badawi, the last member of a nomadic tribe whose people were massacred by the ghuls of the same sorcerer Adoulla is hunting.  All three characters have personality and play off of each other well, and amidst the adventure and mystery there are side plots which show that they're all people with lives outside of their duties.

Adoulla still has feelings for Miri, a brothel madame and information broker who he last met with on bad terms.  Raseed sees the world in straightforward black and white and believes in the rightness of  law and order, which brings him to internal conflict when those in authority stand between him and doing the right thing.  Zamia was blessed with the rare power of the Lion Shape, which led to the other tribes shunning her people for assuming a traditionally-masculine title.  Amidst her quest for revenge are the lingering thoughts of being the last of her Badawi and her mutual feelings for Raseed.

Personally I felt that Zamia was the least-developed, in that her desire for vengeance and being the last of her tribe kind of limits her story potential.  Adoulla and Raseed, in comparison, have more variety in how their motivations interact with the surrounding plot.  My other major criticism of the book is that it ends with several unresolved ties, although that should hopefully be cured in short order once the sequel comes out.

The book's pace is good, and when it does slow down it doesn't take long to switch to another scene or character's point of view.  The overall shortness of the novel (my version has 274 pages) means that it can be completed relatively quickly via a casual reading.  While it is in no comparison to some of the door-stopper novels in the fantasy genre, precious little of it is artificial padding making it money well spent in my view.

Final Verdict: 4 out of 5 Stars.  Throne of the Crescent Moon has fun characters, an engaging plot, and strikes the right balance between too much detail and not enough when it comes to 

world-building.  I look forward to reading more about the Crescent Moon Kingdoms and the people which inhabit them.

Throne of the Crescent Moon can be bought on Amazon as a physical copy

Or an Ebook.

Saladin Ahmed's website.