Sword and sorcery Puns

Hi! My name is Howard Sherman and I'm an indie author getting ready to publish my first novel, heavily inspired by the Sword and Sorcery genre. It's basically Sword and Sorcery and Space, mixing elements of Conan, Star Wars, Riddick, Red Sonja and the others all together into a vast universe filled with futuristic technology, magic, swords, blasters, space ships and crazy alien monsters.

Right now, the general idea is to write the books as standalones but with references to other adventures that take place within the series, rather than going through a sequence, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. It would be sort of how Indiana Jones is its own, unique adventure, but you get callbacks to the other movies sometimes. Similar to how Robert E Howard wrote Conan stories that didn't link up perfectly.

I'm looking for people who are into this kind of thing to be beta-readers for me, take a look at my work before I put it out and give me their feedback/thoughts! I'm still working on a cover right now, which I am doing in the old pulp style, and working with an artist to somewhat emulate the Frank Frazetta style and I can't wait for it to be done so I can post it here!

If you are interested, please DM me here with an e-mail address, and I will send you a .doc that you can check out. Look forward to hearing from you all! Thanks!

Sword and Sorcery RPGs who does it best?

1. Overall ?
2. best mechanics?
3. most versatile?
4. best magic system?
5. easiest to learn?

When someone wants S&S books we get classic reconnections like Conan, Elric, Kane, etc. but what I am looking for is modern/recent Sword & Sorcery books.

These books are usually episodic, have low stakes (no saving the world), and heroes usually win with their intelligence or brute force instead of magical gift.

Source: https://youtu.be/xtwbkl8NxG0?t=19m22s

So is Dan Simmons just telling a good story, or is GRRM playing the long con?

I've been working on a setting for a while now, it's a mix of innastrad, symbaroum, ravenloft, beowulf, the wardstone chronicles, And some Germanic folk lore.

The setting takes place in an endless dark woods filled with monsters, people huddle defenseless in small cities to try to fend off monsters. Adventurers are those few with streangth enough to survive the woods, and even they are feared, as anything that comes out of the woods is.

Pretty classic dark fantasy and sword and sorcery fair. The problem I've had is I'm not sure how to convey a sense of the themes.

Any tips in game, in setting documents, or with rule changes to make the players get in the mood of a dark sword and sorcery setting? Anything you think a setting like that should have? Any tips for running a campaign in that genre?

Ps. One thing I'm trying to do is come up with some encounters, any ideas for good monsters to use? Also. Anything I should avoid with a setting like this?

I’m only a bit picky... ideally great world building that emerges with the characters.

I like the chosen hero archetype, or a zero to hero type plot too

My favorites in this sort of genre would be The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, and all of Trudi Canavan’s books set Kyralia (particularly The Magician’s Apprentice)

Also please no rape, at least not explicit

Edit: explicit scenes are fine, just not rapey shit

Building a dark fantasy sword and sorcery campaign. I'm working specifically on one heavily forested region. Main inspirations are: the witcher, greyhawk, conan, the last aprentice

I'm looking for iconic types of places I should put on the map, so far I got:

Totalitarian holy city with an inquisitor which bans magic.

Slowly falling apart city with a king being manipulated by an evil vizier

A couple of small villages scared out of outsiders, being attacked by monsters

A deep glen with a witch coven

Evil swamp.

A couple abounded castles over run by monsters

Any other places I should add?

Come check out Epic Fantasy Fanatics Swords of Spring Sale. 29 eBooks at 99c, plus a freebie. Some of these books have never been offered at that price before, and others are current and former SPFBO finalists and semifinalists.

If you're interested, also check out our Facebook Group's binGO (read 5-in-a-row) for a chance to win more eBooks, signed copies, and swag.

https://preview.redd.it/04cnkvdpdjj21.jpg?width=761&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9dc07ce75eb82d3f404bad95400a3a439275ce84

I don't want to save the kingdom/world/galaxy. I want to build complex character and just live in the world doing the shit that character would do. I don't need an looming apocalypse fucking with that story.

What would your character do if the Big Bad wasn't trying to wipe out all life on the planet?

I feel like no one I've gamed with in a loooong time wants to do anything other than epic high fantasy.

For the Letterboxd season challenge I got to watch a Swords and Socery movie this week. However, I'm really not that into this genre of knights and middle ages, and Game of Thrones season 8 reminded of how much mediocrity in this genre can pain me. I can't take the easy way out and watch Lord of the Rings, cause I have already seen them (and the Hobbit too, and no desire to rewatch those). So which movie is good or fun enough it can surpass my dislike for the genre?

This is the list that the challenge provided:
https://letterboxd.com/drymonema/list/a-comprehensive-sword-sorcery-list/
but if you can think of a movie that isn't on here that's cool too.

When I was a kid, our library got a small terminal with gopher access. Intrigued, I played around with it until I stumbled upon Fierymud. My world was forever changed. I became that one kid who went to the library every day, had amazing typing skills, and was forever in love with MUDs.

And, happily, over 30 years later, Fiery is still around. I've played it on and off over the years, but have really jumped back in recently. We don't have the numbers we used to have, but it's still the game I remember.

I've become the new lead coder for the mud and have worked to add some modern features. If you use mudlet to connect, you should get my (new and in the works) custom UI that shows vitals of all your characters. (You can control up multiple characters at a time.) I'm also actively working to improve it and the mud in general.

So, that being said, I'd be honored if you came a checked it out. If you see any issues, let me know. It's a fun game and we still get great people. (The MUD community in general is pretty great. :) Thanks!

https://www.fierymud.org/

telnet://fierymud.org:4000

There are 9700 rooms in 125 zones online.

So I’m putting together a pull list and have been rusty on keeping up with new and noteworthy titles. But, I’m excited to get back in to collecting. So here’s some of my favorite past titles:

• Saga
• Seven to Eternity
• Rat Queens
• Dark Ark
• God Complex
• Ragman
• Headlopper
• Brittania
• Wyches

Then I just started grabbing:

• The Last God
• Die
• Eternal Awakening
• Dark Ark sequel

So I love anything with magic and monsters. I also love androids and neon. So I’m wondering if there’s any titles out or coming out I should have on my radar.

I do love some classics though, as I’ve really wanted to grab all the Absolute Carnage stuff, the symbiotes being a favorite of mine growing up. But I’ll wait for a trade as I have trouble when it’s a multi cross title event like that. I also liked what I saw with the new dark celestials thing happening in Marvel. I’ve never been a huge DC guy, although the Last God has my attention after one issue.

Anything you all recommend?

Hello :) Just got into worldbuilding for fun. Not really a writer, but have always loved cool fantasy worlds, so I've been jotting down. I tend to start with "rule of cool" first and then look for rational reasons for them. More times in not so they feel like you could set them in our own reality in a "believable" non-fantastical way. Which brings me to my query.

I love swords. They are badass, fun to watch, think about, you get to carry them around on your hip.... sometimes you get to stand with your hand prompt on the hilt.... Blades and axes and other old-school-cool weapons are a close follower.

Obviously, with the advent of modern weaponry they aren't really the go-to weapons of choice (in our world, or a secondary world that is quite similar to ours). Cops sport sidearms that are not usually maces. So, how would you justify them still being in common place even as things like guns and the like become "more efficient?" (They don't have to exist instead of firearms, just co-exist).

I was thinking something along the lines of, maybe they are better for some common obstacles. Like guns are good for killing humans but bullets bounds off of beasts, you have to get a blade underneath vulnerable parts in their scale.... I dunno, something like that.

What do you think?

Heres the link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xEr7ugSWO1I93Fqsw27fK-msAdhalmzl/view?usp=sharing

After running a lot of Delta Green, I fell in love with Chaosiums Basic-Roleplaying system, so I wanted to apply a few of it's ideas into a fantasy game! I was also inspired by the design of the Black Hack in regards to brevity and formatting. It's a roll under d20 system with no dice modifiers, that is low power, leveless, and classless. Spell casting is difficult and dangerous, but powerful.

It's currently a work in progress, so I still have some stuff to add. Especially on the GM's side of the screen. But I would love to get some feedback!

Edit: Formating

I'm experimenting on the beta currently and I have a sword and a catalyst equipped.

My initial goal was to use magic for long range, then dash in and use melee abilities to finish off other things and to spend rage.

I'm having a tough time finding abilities to spend rage, though I did just grab Bleeding Edge from the vendor. Is this build idea not viable in Wolcen or does it just need more abilities/the right combination of abilities to work?

Specifically interested in the higher refresh rate difference, controllers and their tracking.

Kickstarter link if you're interested in S&S: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ares-games/sword-and-sorcery-epic-fantasy-co-op-board-and-min

Haves:

Timestamps: https://imgur.com/a/SBaVLzJ

Sword and Sorcery Kickstarter edition

Vastaryous' Lair NEW IN BOX (shrink still attached)

Onamor Hero pack

Samyria Hero pack

Volkor Hero pack

I'm 1 hero short of the $170 pledge

This includes essentially EVERYTHING available for sword and sorcery right now except that one hero, it includes the core game, Arcane portal expansion, Darkness falls expansion, and Vastaryous' lair expansion. Additional heroes, and most of the expansions are unplayed with cards still unopened. Only the core game cards have really been touched and most things are pristine save the box (rip pictured).

Why am I trying to sell / trade this? I'm running out of board game space and tired of using under my bed as storage. This gets the least play, it's first to go.

Ebay sold listings show this thing selling from anywhere for $100 without the extra add ons all the way up to $300 with just a few extra things I'm missing (the one hero plus metal coins etc). The two most recent sales are 240 after shipping and almost 300 total. Since they have more stuff, I'm asking $170 plus split shipping with whole shipping costs if you're overseas. *note on Ebay, pay attention to just immortal souls sales vs Kickstarter Edition sales, the kickstarter edition has the additional expansions / goodies

Wants

Looking to flesh out my stormcast, specifically looking for:

Knight Azyros,

Knight Venator (potentially multiple, this and Azyros are higher priority),

Vanguard-Raptors (aetherwings optional)

Vanguard-Hunters (just 5-10 for now)

Ballistas

Maybe soul wars related stuff beyond the ballista

Can provide cash / misc 40k stuff for the stormcast, also interested in Terrain

Will also sell S&S instead of trading if there's interest.

I'm a huge fan of Sword and Sorcery movies (and TV shows). Unfortunately, there's not a lot of supply out there, but I still need my craving for feudal style combat and monsters satiated. Can anyone recommend something that might hit the spot?

Here are the ones I've already seen and liked:

The Best

• Lord of the Rings
• Chronicles of Narnia
• Willow
• Conan the Barbarian/Destroyer (1980s)
• Game of Thrones

Not the best, but still love

• Red Sonja
• Conan the Barbarian (TV)
• Merlin (TV)
• Harmonquest (web series)

Looking to build a playlist of what will probably be mostly metal and progressive/psychedelic rock.

Things like Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Night Angel Trilogy. Those contain all my favorite books, and I'm looking for more series I can pick up and hopefully enjoy. I haven't read all of the Forgotten Realms or Dragonlance books since there's so many, but I've gone through all the ones I have.

I’ve loved sword and sorcery my whole life, starting with Tamora Pierce when I was 10/11 years old. Read almost all of the “lower-fantasy” dragonlance books. And I LOVED all of Ursula Le Guin (arguably somewhat sci-fi) and I really loved The Left Hand of Darkness, which played with the concept of gender and attraction and was set in a feudal world.

I’ve also always been super into mythology, love fantasy/mythology series. In the last few years, I have been reading a lot of urban fantasy, and especially love non-European mythology (Native American mythology in Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs for example) or shape-shifting characters.

But pretty much every book I pick up with a romance subplot is hetero and it’s making me sad.

I’ve also been trying to read more books by female authors after I realized I went a whole year reading zero female-written fantasy/sci-fi.

So I’d really love some Recs for:

1. Sword & sorcery or urban fantasy
2. Female badass main character
3. Lesbian/non-hetero subplot
4. Preference for non-European mythology or cultures portrayed
5. Preference for female author

Thanks so much!!

Edit: Thanks everyone for the wonderful response! I’m going to be pretty busy for the next few months now...

Hi! I'm new to the Sword and Sorcery genre and I'm hoping to find a list of authors in the specific genre to read (any and as many as possible). Any recommendations?

Hello fellow adventurers, Since the first S&S novel i fell in love with this epic almost forgotten genre, and the main reason i enjoy it so much are of course the main characters, pillars of amazing adventures and battles. These heroes are each more complex than the other and not just mere warriors, kings or barbarians ready to slaughter. The more i'm trying to pick my favourite one the more my choice would be between these four wonderful characters: Kull of Atlantis; Conan the cimmerian; Gath of Baal; Elric of Melnibone

Many advised me to read the Kane's saga from Karl Edward Wagner because he is so badass that he could possibly be the best from the lot.

Who's your favourite one and why? What's in his stories that you love so much compared to the others?

By This Post, I Rule

Looking to trade the games below for any on my want list. If theres a gap in value i'd be more than willing to combine games and add money on top of that. Thanks for looking!

[Have]

. Islebound [4]

. Islebound: Metropolis Expansion [4]

. Pendragon: The Fall of Roman Britain [4]

. Pericles: The Peloponnesian Wars [4]

. Star Wars: Imperial Assault [4]

. Sword and Sorcery (Box is in rough shape, bought it brand new with a rough box, but fits together perfectly and all the components are in perfect shape as I had just unpacked them and punched them)

. 13 Days: The Cuban Missile Crisis [4]

. Betrayal at House on the Hill

[Want]

. 18OE: Railways of the Orient Express

. 1860: Railways on the Isle of Wight

. 1889: History of Shikoku Railways

. 1849: The Game of Sicilian Railways

. Russian Railroads

. Antiquity

. Arkwright

. Batman: Gotham City Chronicles

. Bios: Megafauna (Second Edition)

. Caverna

. Churchill

. Comancheria: The Rise and Fall of the Comanche Empire

. Escape Plan

. Leaving Earth

. Lisboa

. Merlin Expansions

• Far Away & Never by Ramsey Campbell
• The Necromancer Chronicles series by Amanda Downum
• Griots: A Sword and Soul Anthology edited by Milton J. Davis and Charles R. Saunders
• The Night Land by William Hope Hodgeson
• Nameless Cults: The Cthulhu Mythos Fiction by Robert E. Howard, as well as plenty of individual stories, such as “The Slithering Shadow” and “The People of the Black Coast”
• The Heretic Land by Tim Lebbon
• Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series by Fritz Leiber
• “Masquerade of a Dead Sword” by Thomas Ligotti
• The Dream Cycle of H. P. Lovecraft
• The House of Cthulhu by Brian Lumley
• The Throne of Bones by Brian McNaughton
• The Elric Saga by Michael Moorcock
• Jirel of Joiry by C. L. Moore
• Sword and Mythos edited by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Paula Stiles
• A Land Fit for Heroes series by Richard K. Morgan
• Imaro by Charles R. Saunders
• In Yana, The Touch of Undying, and the Nift the Lean books by Michael Shea
• The Collected Fantasies 1-5 by Clark Ashton Smith
• Darkness Weaves, Bloodstone, and Dark Crusade by Karl Edward Wagner
• Tales of the Dying Earth by Jack Vance
• The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe

I am familiar and read most of the works listed and it includes my favorite book.

I'm going to check our the two authors I'm unfamiliar with - Amanda Downum and Richard K. Morgan because they are in fantastic company.

Thanks to Molly Tanzer and Jesse Bullington for making the list and editing a very good anthology. Also thanks to the redditor who pushed me over the hump into buying Swords V. Cthulhu. You were right. I wish I could find the post to acknowledge you.

So I have access to several systems that all kind of bill themselves as sword and sorcery. I'm wondering what the pros and cons of the systems are. I don't expect anybody to know the ins and outs of every single one, but if you could give me an idea on the ones you are familiar with that would be great. I have-

Astonishing Swordsmen and sorcerers of Hyperborea

Tales from the fallen empire

Low fantasy gaming

Sharp swords and sinister spells

Barbarians of Lemuria

Crypts and things

Mazes and Minotaurs

Other than the obvious Conan and Red Sonja, what are the best Sword and Sorcery books, comings, shows, movies?