Roleplaying games from historical research
John Buchan was a Scottish novelist and poet who died in 1940. He was Governor-General of Canada for a while, which was no so odd as you’d imagine back in the days of Empire. This is Buchan attempting to be a 9th Century peasant. A grog or companion in Ars Magica could repeat this. ***…
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A brief episode this week, because I was busy writing the index of creatures with Might in the 5th edition. It’s useful for authors working under the Open License, but terrible copy for a podcast. In the Venetian book there’s always been a column sized gap at the end of the magical humans chapter. I…
Read MoreThis is a spreadsheet of the 614 creatures with Might that appeared in the supplements for Ars Magica 5th edition. I hope you find it useful.
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Richard Morse was one of the circle of people H.P. Lovecraft traded letters with. This was recoded by Ben Tucker. Thanks to him and his production team. I’m attracted to this because it has a certain Venetian feel, particularly because I’ve recently been writing about theriac, their plague medicine. *** The city lay stricken, in…
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The first book I wrote for Ars Magica was Sanctuary of Ice which was based heavily on Karl Felix Wolff’s The Pale Mountains. As a matter of personal joy, that book entered the public domain in 2024 and KirksVoice at Librivox recorded a small excerpt. Thanks to the reader and production team. *** To the…
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During layout of a book there are occasional bits where you need an extra page, or an extra column, to make things sit correctly. Here are the pieces that were added since the first draft went live. Vitrum flexile : The lost secret of unbreaking glass It is recorded that in the reign of Tiberius…
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Do you ever read a piece of media and say “I want to use that in a game, but don’t know how?” That was how I’ve felt about “The Riddle” by Walter de la Mare. I’ve used his material on this podcast before, but this eerie little story, written for small children, deliberately doesn’t tell…
Read MoreThis week an odd little familiar that turned up while I was looking at some Venetian material. I’ve been reading “Venice is a fish” and there’s a section in it which, to me, seems to be a perfect origin story for a. familiar Here’s the quote: “Apart from the inevitable mess left by man’s best…
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Our last episode of ballads from Goethe. Thanks again to the Librivox recorders. Shall we start with a potential candidate for cursed treasure? The King in ThuleA King there was in Thule,Kept troth unto the graveThe maid he loved so trulyA goblet to him gave.And ever set before himAt banquet was the cup And saddening…
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Games From Folktales 