Yes. Because it was built on an AD&D chassis, which was really close to the BX game(we used supplements from both systems all the time), you could EASILY run it with The Undercity or Mad Monks of Kwantoom(both by Kabuki Kaiser). Otherwise, using a good emulator, you could do a hexcrawl or run some of the amazing North Wind modules. Lots of good solo options!
There is a lot to like there… solid proven system (improved on the original), great art, good organization, excellent world and stories. Also a great guy that runs the show.
@@ravenshadowz2343 Sounds about right. Most of us that are fond of Hyperborea got our start in some form of AD&D (myself inclduded) and/or just really love the setting (myself also included). It really takes all of the good parts of AD&D and smooths the edges while adding a lot of goodies to use.
I like this setting a lot and I do own the pdf's for the players and master manuals... however I am very tempted to just run it in Swords and Wizardry, because its an easier system for me to run and I generally like it. Also the adventures list compatibility with that system. How off do you think the power levels might be between Hyperborea Adventures and the S&WCR characters? (assuming human only)
Good question! I think it is very comparable to running Basic or BX characters through an AD&D module. Mostly the same, but characters tend to have about 1 hp less per level on average. Also, some of the Hyperborea creatures are a bit nastier, and the Hyperborea characters have a few nifty abilities to offset that. I’d suggest going into it looking at doing a 1:1 straight play, then adjust numbers of appearing and Hit Dice a little at a time if necessary. It will be a tough adventure, but if you like S&W, no reason it can’t be your way to play Hyperborea.
Hi. Great video, learned a lot. I’m a newbie to TTRPGs, having just made the switch from videogames. I’ve started DMing and although I’m having a lot of fun with D&D 5e (the only game/system I’ve been exposed to thus far), I find the super high fantasy setting a bit too generic. A melting pot of everything which tries to appeal to everyone but ends up not appealing to me at least. In contrast, Hyperborea’s S&S setting feels unique and intriguing to me. My question is, how steep is the learning curve for this system? Do people enjoy it mostly due to nostalgic reasons or is it really fun at the table? Would you still play it if you stripped away the amazing world/lore? Thanks!
I think you will likely find it a little harder to pick up than 5e. This is mainly because it is less “universal” in its mechanics and modifiers. You will have different resolution dice for thief skills than an attack roll for example (d12 love in Hyperborea thief skills). If you don’t mind a little more crunchiness it offers a distinct feel to different actions when you do have different resolution mechanics. I really like the system. I bought the game FOR the system, knowing almost nothing about the setting. I now love the setting too, but the system is what brought me to the dance!
I think this is the best OSR game produced but my one complaint with the books is the very poor Table of Contents. An almost nonexistent Table of Contents.
I can’t disagree on Hyperborea being an amazing OSR game. To tell you the truth, I don’t think I actually ever looked at the TOC. I had the second edition and the layout was similar so, I was pretty comfortable flipping. What I would have done to have such an option when I was running 2e in the 90’s though! Jeff really showed his appreciation for AD&D in the resulting product.
@@booksbricksandboards783 Thank you for your review. One change I would have made was to change the game from a base gold piece to a base silver piece game similar to Rolemaster. As I got older, I began to realize just ubiquitous gold was in D&D. Gold should be extremely rare and a great find but in D&D it is as common as water.
@@HornetVF103 That is very fair statement. I guess I have always thought of the gold coins as being not pure and very low quality gold. That said, it is very unevenly handled across fantasy RPG's generally. Like in B/X for the henchman, 5 gp a MONTH will get you a fully armed and trained soldier? Seems pretty low pay as compared to the cost of some of the very equipment that soldier is carrying :)
@@booksbricksandboards783 A Roman soldier was paid about 300 Denarii per year for service to the Empire. Denarii was silver. Once again the pricing in Rolemaster is much more historically accurate.
I just received copies of Hyperborea 3 this week. Good to hear your take on this classic new game product. The volumes are beautiful books and the atlas details an amazing world! I have played ASSH using both of the previous editions and have consistently enjoyed the world and the game mechanics - which blend together very well to deliver a tone and feel for swords and sorcery (it's implied in the title!). This is a classic, old school friendly game that I think borrows something essential from AD&D 2nd. The result is a game feels comfortable to this old gamer set in a very rich, unique and detailed setting. :) Cheers!
I started in Basic and Expert, but was gifted some 1E books as a kid (including the OA book), but most of my time as a player was spent in 2E. That really made me feel at home with the ASSH game. I used to have the 2E hardback which sadly I sold, but it is just as well because the new division of the ref and player manuals was great. I think that the biggest difference in AD&D and AD&D 2E was organization (at least positive difference), and ASSH definitely has gone three steps above there. I do think when it comes to rules changes, ASSH reminds me much more of an evolved version of AD&D (1E) by the way it handles crunch and matrices, it doesn’t bother itself with an overlay when it can have a separate entry (as in the sub-class variety over the kit focus). I prefer this 1E approach. I also really enjoy Talanian’s “voice” in his writing. He really does evoke a lot of the Gygax feel. Sounds like we both love this game! Now if I can just find a group that will play it(looking at running some solo Undercity with it soon). Once I get my leatherette copies I will be doing a RU-vid short to share the side by side with the original. Thanks for the watch and for the comment Fred!
I started with 1e and spent most of my time in ad&d 2e in the 80s to early 90s. All the classic stuff, realms, DL, Dark Sun, Spelljammer, and others. After a many decades hiatus I came back to 5e. There some things I liked. But man oh man I missed AD&D. I liked the mechanics better, the many optionals, the danger, showing up to the table with back up characters, because you knew you were going to lose a character! I also grew up on Conan novels from the 70s and 80s. 😢Robert E Howard’s original works, Savage Sword of Conan, Fritz Leiber, HP Lovecraft and others. Awesome 80s movies like Conan, BeastMaster, Krull, Dragonslayer, etc. 5e just isn’t scratching my itch! Hyperborea seems like a dream come true! I can’t wait to get my hands on this stuff! The more I hear the more I like!
You will not be disappointed. The modules are very well written too, and many are directly inspired by the works of Howard, Smith or Lovecraft. It’s a great system with a great setting to boot!
Biggest changes were the phases of combat (simplified in the new edition) and the monk class (given a bit of a rework, including upping their attacks). Otherwise the player’s manual had some small adjustments to spells and class features, but few and far between. The referee manual is a bit tougher to say because I don’t have the 2E version (it was included in the full book which I used to own but do not now). That said, I did have the 2E rules (with referee section) and feel like there may have been some additions to the monsters but I could be wrong. I know that they removed Swampgate and the starting adventure from the 2E book which is a shame.
Oh, I forgot to mention they added an index to both the Player’s and Referee Manuals which is significantly helpful due to the size of the books. Also having a separate referee manual, rather than one 670 page book, is a nice difference as well.
@@briansmaller7443 I agree it was pretty dense at first. I think if I got my head wrapped around 2e phases it would work well, but trying to teach it to new players was for the birds.
AS&SH is a great game. It’s very evocative of the works of Smith and Lovecraft, and is a wonderful setting. The published adventures are extraordinary, I can’t recommend them enough. My only complaint is that it is quite tied to the setting and would require work to use as a more generic fantasy replacement for D&D.
I have heard that complaint before and I guess I don’t see the reasoning from my perspective. I would love to hear your reason for feeling that it would require more work to use in a different fantasy setting? Is it related to the lack of Tolkien races, or how the classes have a distinctly sword and sorcery flavor to them generally? I would run it with the setting, but only because I really like what he did with it, but if I wanted to do any AD&D world, I think I would still use Hyperborea. Always interested to hear the thoughts of other gamers on these issues!
Absolutely! If you are familiar with the changes from AD&D to 2nd edition AD&D, the changes to 3E Hyperborea from 2nd were smaller than that, and mostly player facing. So the modules are good to go!
I don’t think so if you look at the market and what you get. At least as high quality construction as WoTC, great art and an amazing world and system. For $100 you get the Player’s Manual, the Referee Manual and the Atlas. The Referee Manual effectively has the equivalent of a monster Manual and a DMG inside of it. These are some chunky beautiful books. $100 for a complete game and setting seems reasonable.
