When creating an RPG game set in a classic
swords-and-sorcery style of world, there’s a distinct problem that arises –
that of originality.
On the one hand, I want to be as original as possible when it
comes to creating characters, monsters, worlds, and adventures for the game. I would love to just let my imagination go wild
and create the weirdest stuff ever conceived without powerful hallucinogens. The other side of the issue is one of
familiarity; players need a certain amount of commonly known characters and
themes to be able to quickly feel at home with the world. If the world I create is too unusual, too
bizarre, then players will take much longer to adapt to the settings and
concepts of the world. I would be
risking alienating people who really just want to see a wizard throw a fireball
at a goblin. Unusual and unique is great
from an artistic point of view, but at the same time I want players to feel
like they know the world and how it works without a lot of unnecessary
exposition and hand-holding.
Ultimately, I’ll be trying for a mixture of the two; a
selection of the normal and the trans-mundane.
I have a strong desire to put unique and unusual characters into the
game, and do not want to limit myself to just the normal fantasy tropes. Yet I do understand that those tropes go a long
way to making a swords-and-sorcery RPG popular and likeable. Clichés are important.
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