The first level of the Jakallan underworld has a huge maze almost exactly in the middle. Like 700 x 700 feet. And it's a true maze, one valid path, dead ends, etc.Originally Posted by The_Shadow
The first level of the Jakallan underworld has a huge maze almost exactly in the middle. Like 700 x 700 feet. And it's a true maze, one valid path, dead ends, etc.
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Formerly known as Old Geezer
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The rules can't cure stupid, and the rules can't cure asshole.
My guess would be the same.
Were there many "entrances" into it from above?
What was in the middle?
Was its purpose just to detain or to disguise access to other places?
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Um, no, actually. He did not license this product; TSR did, under the terms of their contract with the Professor. He had no recourse, under the terms of the contract, and it was one of the numerous reasons that he and the Blumes parted ways.
Whew! That's a relief! I do worry.
Yes, I think you have a perfectly workable method going, here. Yes, a lowly person would instinctively look for the majordomo or senior servant - even a low level clan-cousin or something of the high-status person.
If I may as a question - and I am not trying to 'flame' you or anything, why are you using the phrase not "authentic" for these kinds of 'game mechanics'? Based on my time with Phil, this is a perfectly 'authentic' way of dealing with this in a game setting. In my own games, I use a very similar mechanic, with the only difference being that I tend to use Phil's label of 'Circle' instead of level; viz: Phil to another player: "Chirine is a Tenth-Circle Military Priest; be nice to him, and he'll be nice to you."
It would be perfectly acceptable to do this, at least from seeing how Phil did it in his games.
(And, because I'm up early, waiting for my anniversary dinner to arrive - it's my 25th wedding anniversary today, and I have to go in to work, so I am a little cranky right now - this also assumes that one regards Prof. M. A. R. Barker as some sort of authority of expert on the world of Tekumel. I have been assured, in all seriousness, by some Big-Name Tekumel Fans, that he is not, and was Doing it Wrong.)
Yeah, there were about eight entrances into the first level area; they all came down from various surface locations all over Jakalla, and got you into some interesting stuff pretty quickly. Speaking as a GM, you have to be a little careful with them; they can dump the party right into a section that they want to go to, which makes for a shorter and less interesting adventure.
There is nothing really 'special' in the middle of the thing, as I recall; it acts as a 'buffer state' between the various Temple's portions of the level, and serves as the scene of quite a few encounters with the critters and people who are down there. Not to say it's not worth exploring; Phil stashed away some very neat little games of room in the the maze, so it's always worth looking around in there if you have the time.
So yes, it does detain and delay, as well as provide disguises to locations - I tell ya, there's nothing more disconcerting to suddenly pop out of a stock and standard corridor to find oneself and one's party smack dab in the main Hall of the Temple of Hry'y, with a mob of priests and guard looking at you...
Were you there the night Gary Rudolph got bored mapping the maze, and blew a straight-line hole through the walls with an Eye? It's still on my copy of the map...
Is there a way to post the picture of you holding the map at my Gary Con game here? It's on my blog, in the Gary Con posts, but I'm not Internet-literate to figure out how to do it...
As I told Gronan of Simmerya, effectively I'm trying to reconstruct the original game from "Postcards".If I may as a question - and I am not trying to 'flame' you or anything, why are you using the phrase not "authentic" for these kinds of 'game mechanics'? Based on my time with Phil, this is a perfectly 'authentic' way of dealing with this in a game setting. In my own games, I use a very similar mechanic, with the only difference being that I tend to use Phil's label of 'Circle' instead of level; viz: Phil to another player: "Chirine is a Tenth-Circle Military Priest; be nice to him, and he'll be nice to you."
It would be perfectly acceptable to do this, at least from seeing how Phil did it in his games.
When I run my fingerpainting version of EPT, I want to at least have as many broad strokes as possible within the lines of the original.
Having someone that played in the original and in a style that I expected for the setting, show me where those "lines" are, is very helpful.
I think someone that was in the original game as about as "authentic" as you can get for identifying what is "inside the lines".
Who knows, I may not be the only one that misses the simple pleasure of the old Sword & Planet stories.
Where things were black & white and Unknown!
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From reading the first 2 novels, later available information is not a perfect fit for how I envisioned the world based on just the EPT rule book.
I get concerned with trying add in "authentic" things learned later that were not in the original rules.
Trying to determine if I would be better off just sticking with the original and all of its warts.
Let others worry about the Perfect Tekumel.
Just swing my sword in the old fashion way.
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Last edited by Greentongue; 07-21-2015 at 07:35 PM.
Much like Pharonic Egypt and ancient Sumer, clothing on Tekumel tells you a LOT about somebody.
I don't care if you respect me, just buy my fucking book.
Formerly known as Old Geezer
I don't need an Ignore List, I need a Tongue My Pee Hole list.
The rules can't cure stupid, and the rules can't cure asshole.
You mean this one?
Currently playing: WEG Star Wars D6
My Blog: For Honor...and Intrigue
Gronan now owes me 7 beers and I owe him 1 beer.
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