[Sorcerer & Sword] building a setting with Inuma

[Philippe]

Hi,

it's my first post here so I guess I should say something about me. My username is my first name. I'm 37 and rpgs have always been my favorite hobby. I've always been a passive reader in this forum but I like what I found here (and the articles, too).So I want to try playing games like Sorcerer, HeroQuest or The Shadow of Yesterday. I own and read them all and I still have questions before I launch such a game with old friends (who, like me, played Fading Suns, Dark Earth or Earthdawn). Last thing : if my English seems awkward, sibylline, inaccurate, incorrect or simply sounds senseless, remember I'm French.

My first question now :   Is it a good idea to use Inuma from Clinton R. Nixon to build a setting for Sorcerer & Sword ? If yes, did someone give it a try ? If yes again, did it go well ?

Thanks,

Philippe.

[Paiku]

Hi Phillipe, welcome to the forum.

I hadn't heard of Inuma until reading your post.  I went and looked it up, it looks like an interesting RPG tool.  I don't see why you couldn't use it to build a setting for Sorcerer.  My only recommendation would be to do it as a group, to get the players engaged in the results.  Sorry I can't be more help than that!

Do let us know how it goes.  All the best,
-John

[Moreno R.]

Hi Philippe!

I waited a little to answer because I am not really familiar with Inuma and, even if I played Sorcerer and Sword, I can't call myself an expert on it  But until Ron come back and can give you a more precise answer, this is my take on this.

I wouldn't do it in my first S&S try.  You already are trying, for the first time, a game with some not apparent complexities that can trip you up, if you add mastering the use of Inuma to that, it's like trying to juggle with double the number of pins. Blindfolded.

Add to this that Sorcerer need a kind of GMing that is very strongly hand-on. There is nothing casual in what he do. From what I have read of Inuma, it's the opposite: no GM, shared narration. I don't think they mesh together very well.

Last, S&S advice is to AVOID creating a world. Create a village. Create a Inn in the middle of the road. Create a Hidden Temple. With nothing on the world map. Then, after that, for the next adventure, create the next village on the road.  The World building will be done adventure after adventure.  So even using Inuma to create a world before playing is the wrong kind of preparation for a game of S&S.

[Philippe]

Thanks John and Moreno for your answers.

What I said was too concise. I do not intend to completely play Inuma : I just want to fill the Blue Book.

I understood, but may be wrong, that Inuma's world building does not let you define or imagine a relatively big or exhaustive world. The choice is yours and you can always decide beforehand with your fellow players that your game will be Sword & Sorcery, sketchyand with a small but strong starting place and just big directions for the rest.

In any case, that's what I understood and it came to me as very handy to build a setting for Sorcerer & Sword.

But you may have reasons to think otherwise : just tell me please.

Best,

Philippe.