Mythos: The Contest!
Mystical Throne Entertainment is teaming up with Wine and Savages to give away PDF copies of Gilbert Gallo’s gonzo, epic Greek mythology Savage Worlds setting Mythos! Just leave a comment about how Greek mythology has (or hasn’t) shaped your own gaming experiences and I will randomly draw names on October 18th, 2013. THERE WILL BE ONE WINNER FOR EVERY TEN COMMENTS!
One of the ironies I found most amusing about my interview with Mythos author Gilbert Gallo was that he – an Italian, a resident of the home of sword-and-sandal movies – stated he first got to know Greek mythology through classes in high school, whereas I – an American, born in Kansas and a Texan for the last thirty years – was deeply steeped in Greek mythology from grade school.
I’m pretty sure my first exposure to Greek mythology was with the tenth volume of Disney’s Wonderful World of Knowledge -- an illustrated encyclopedia series that began publishing a couple of years before I was born – though it easily could have been the 1977 re-release of Fantasia instead. I know I must have also seen the cheap-ass animated series The Mighty Hercules in decade-old reruns during that time too, since I got the references to it on MST3K. I know I was familiar with Perseus well before the original Clash of the Titans premiered – and I distinctly remember buying my Pegasus figure at a collectibles shop that also sold Dungeons & Dragons -- but I also know I didn’t get my copy of D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths until a couple of years later.
My introduction to RPGs came through my love of mythology when my mother bought me a copy of the original Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual. Even though I’ve been gaming for decades, it’s only been in the last few years that I’ve actually done any Greco-Roman gaming. Dionysus has become my go-to Jesus substitute in alternate history settings and Robin and I ran our own demigod campaign using a house-ruled hand-waving of the Savage Worlds Super Powers Companion several months before Mythos was published.
Leave your story of how Greek mythology has influenced your view of fantasy or affected your gaming (or even how it hasn’t) and you’ll be entered in the random drawing (or perhaps die roll) to win a copy of Mythos!
I haven't had the fortunate opportunity to experience any Greek folklore gaming but I have always enjoyed and loved the tales. I think my first exposure was during middle school, while i was waiting to go to school I would watch Rocky and Bullwinkle and loved the fractured fairy tales and Peabody's improbable history. I think Mr. Peabody was my gateway.
ReplyDeleteMy second degree was in Classics, so I've always been intrigued about placing a fantasy game in antiquity.
ReplyDeleteThe time is now! I've begun work on a Greek Myth inspired megadungeon.
The Maze and the Minotaur, wow how many times I delve in to it with players to emerge either victorious or dead at the hands of the Minotaur. Greek mythology is everywhere in my fantasy games, a Spartan like tribe, Greek Gods Pantheon! Greek Mythology is very enthralling. So lets go hunt down the Hydra!
ReplyDeleteI've always been interested in Ancient Greek/Roman Mythology and literature. I took 4 years of Latin in highschool and focused on Greek Literature and Mythology in competitions. I'd say the epics (Homer/Virgil) have heavily influenced how I run games.
ReplyDeleteI've always loved Greek Mythology, and have loved the movie treatments (or mistreatments, as it were) of these stories. Jason & the Argonauts is one of my favorites! Haven't ever used Greek Mythology in a game, though.
ReplyDeleteI played a game where Fate was a NPC, pulling the strings of all the PCs lives. It was so awesome! The GM did a really good job of weaving everything together.
ReplyDeleteGreek Mythology has been a love of mine ever since I first watched movies like Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans as a kid. The movies opened the door to checking out everything our tiny school library had on the subject over and over. It's this love of mythology that lead me directly into roleplaying games.
ReplyDeleteGreek Mythology was never a huge influence on me. I grew up near historical Roman sites so I got my inspiration from the nation that copied and assimilated greek culture and mystery. Of course we all have a shared memory of greek mythology like Atlantis, the Minotaurus, Troy and Atlantis. That makes is immedietly relatable as we all know a bit and much of our current culture and politics can be traced back to them. I have never played and RPG in ancient greece yet, maybe this will be my first ;-)
ReplyDeleteI once ran a game where the PCs in the waking world were Werewolves (via WW: the Apocalypse), but in their dreams, they traveled to Olympus and lived as Greek demigods in the remnants of the mythology.
ReplyDeleteI found a copy of D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths in my school library when I was in 3rd grade. Then in 4th grade a friend introduced me to the red box basic D&D set. Shortly after that I picked up Deities and Demigods and all the rest of my games through high school had a Greek pantheon even thought they were solidly fantasy medieval settings.
ReplyDeleteAncient Greek culture has had a major influence shaping a great deal of my characters and settings across a multitude of games. I've had full pantheons based on the various titans and gods, influencing the world of the PCs quite directly, and a more nuanced influence, where the gods and prophecies are the hallucinations of oracle priestesses manipulated by their caretakers.
ReplyDeleteHeck, I've played religious zealots who've died for their faith in the aforementioned pantheon! Yay!
I remember D'Aulaire's book as my first intro to mythology in general, which I ended up studying a bunch in college.
ReplyDeleteThe Greek pantheon set the mold for my expectations of fantasy gods: powerful but fallible, meddling, and always their own game in which mortals are merely pawns.
The sword and sandal movies were my first exposure to fantasy. Much of the original (and I do mean original) monster manual were Greek mythology critters. My first gaming universe had the Greek pantheon as its foundation. So overall I would say its the foundation of my fantasy gaming even today.
ReplyDeleteIt also affect my writing in that genre. The mechanisations of the gods plays a huge role in all my fantasy stories even when the gods themselves don't appear.
I guess the attraction is an ordered or structured pantheon vs. the locational gods of other cultures, such as Assyrian or Asian. Each deity had their portfolio and stuck to it. That makes it easier an easier foundation from which to build a universe.
Among my earlieat influences as an artist was an old edition of the Larrouse Encyclopedia of Mythology, full of images of Greco-Roman sculptures of characters from Greek mythology. Those had a profound effect on my interests as an artist.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite class in high school was mythology. Our teacher had recorded all of the PBS specials on Greek and Roman mythology. We had many great discussions about the various gods and how they relate across both mythologies.
ReplyDeleteIn my gaming experience, there has always been an expectation that the various deities act similarly to Greek gods. My most recent DM did a great job of incorporating godly interference in the campaign. Sometimes good and sometimes bad, but always exciting!
My favorite class in high school was mythology. Our teacher had recorded all of the PBS specials on Greek and Roman mythology. We had many great discussions about the various gods and how they relate across both mythologies.
ReplyDeleteIn my gaming experience, there has always been an expectation that the various deities act similarly to Greek gods. My most recent DM did a great job of incorporating godly interference in the campaign. Sometimes good and sometimes bad, but always exciting!
I once ran a game of Call of Cthuhlu where the players were members of the Chrous for Antigone. They became suspicious that the play was one big ceremony designed to summon one of the gods.
ReplyDeleteHilarity ensued. And I learned how fun it is to experiment with one-shots.
I haven't had a game that is influenced by greek mythology, but the history is so rich I can certainly imagine one. there is enough info for a GM to create and a character to know the world. The Greek gods are well described in Homer's stories as well as the heroes. You could likely reenact a mass battle like those in the Trojan war and then break out into a focused adventure mission.
ReplyDelete