Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Irving 05-02-07, 09:38 PM	Anyone remember the old green books from 2.0? I loved them madly. Love to try to model that again... Has anyone tried to model history with 3.5 yet? If not... how would you start in? To pick a baseline, let's run with Ellis Peter's Brother Cadfael series of books - well written, lots of action, mystery, intrigue, and more. Good adventure material in its own right, if approached correctly. Does "magic" have a place in a historical setting, considering that the people who lived in that era fully believed in its existence? Miracles do happen in Ellis Peter's books - subtle ones, but miracles. How bloody should combat be? Realistically enough that characters should be considered disposable, or just realistic enough to make it feel dangerous and bloody? (I lean to #2 - PCs should always have an element of invincibility, just like the hero of a good novel.) Thoughts?
Tbird 05-03-07, 08:09 PM	Yep, I know them, tho' I've only ever read through the Charlemagne one. I don't know the series of novels that you're referring to, but when it comes to the two specific questions you asked, I would say that they're largely a matter of style. I know that in at least the Charlemagne book they discussed the possibilities of magic and gave some guidelines, but I think it comes down to whether you want to simulate actual history or the stories surrounding them, like the romances of Charlemagne. As for combat, I'd probably want it to be a little riskier; less -cut- -stab- "oh my hit points finally hit zero and now I'm suddenly feeling the effects". But, like you said, the heroes can't be subject to the whims of the dice completely, after all, once they die there's no story.