Mythos is an epic Greek mythology setting for Savage Worlds published by
Mystical Throne Entertainment, who were kind enough to offer me the opportunity for an international interview with the setting's creator, Gilbert Gallo. While a full review of
Mythos is forthcoming, some clarification of new setting mechanics have been interpolated into the interview. The text of the interview has been edited for clarity and grammar.
Sean Bircher: How
would you like to introduce yourself to my readers?
Gilbert Gallo: I am
just a guy with a great passion for RPG games, a crush for Savage Worlds and
very fond of Mythology.
Sean Bircher: What
inspired you to create Mythos?
Gilbert Gallo: You
know, when I was in high school, I hated [mythology] at first but gradually
that hate turned into love when I started playing RPGs [because of the] Gods and
settings. So I began reading the
mythological texts with different eyes and in the end. .. Mythos was born.
Sean Bircher: Unlike
many games, there’s no list of recommended reading or inspirational films in Mythos.
Obviously, there are a lot of films and books – both classic and recent
– that draw on Greek mythology (both versions of Clash of the Titans, Jason
and the Argonauts, Robert Graves’ Greek
Myths, Mary Renault’s The King Must
Die) so there’s no shortage of inspiration.
Are there any you would particularly recommend? Are there any that particularly changed your
mind about mythology?
Gilbert Gallo: Well,
since Mythos is a game and it has a great epic feeling in it, the first
inspiration source would be 300 (both
the graphic novel and the movie). I have
read a lot of Robert Graves and I think it is a great source to understand the dynasty
wars occurring between the royal houses.
A central conceit of Mythos
is the Heavenly Contest -- a competition amongst the Olympian Gods to win the right to be Zeus' heir. Part of that competition is allowing their adherents to work increasingly powerful miracles as they rise in the ranks of the Gods' Mystery Cults. These Mystery Cults represent the only Arcane Background in the setting and -- while the number of powers they grant are limited -- they can grant abilities as literally earthshaking as causing earthquakes. In the core Mythos
book, only half of the Olympians are described as entering the Heavenly Contest and only that half has Mystery Cults.
Sean Bircher: Who is your favorite God?
Gilbert Gallo: I
think my soul experiences the eternal struggle between Apollo's unreachable
perfection and Dionysius' rebel charm. I
still cannot make my mind
Sean Bircher: My
blog is named "Wine and Savages" so I'm pretty obviously in the camp
of Dionysus. In the Savage Worlds
version of the Mythos core book, he
doesn't have a Mystery Cult. He had one
in real life, so why isn't Dionysus participating in the Heavenly Contest?
Gilbert Gallo: Well,
Gods’ behaviors are impervious to our feeble mortal minds. ;) Knowing his philosophy, he is probably waiting
for the right moment to strike, catching everyone else off guard. Mythos' setting future developments
could hold more than one surprise.
Sean Bircher: Glad
to hear it!
Vickey Beaver, one of the editors on the
translated
Mythos, wanted me to ask
how you felt about the translation itself.
Do you think it conveyed your game well?
Gilbert Gallo: Well,
the truth is that THIS Mythos is a
brand new game compared to the previous Italian version. Vickey helped a lot to
reach a flawless English and I definitely have to say that I could not hope for
a better translation. English is way Faster, more Furious and more Fun than
Italian. :D
Sean Bircher: The
original, Italian-language version of Mythos
was its own system, right? Were there
any notable challenges in translating the game to a new system?
Gilbert Gallo: Yes
it had its own system. But Lady Luck (or you can call it Fate) wanted it that
the original game system was very similar to SW so I had really little problem
in the adaptation.
Sean Bircher: Cool! Can I assume you run games of Mythos?
Gilbert Gallo: Of
course I do! But now I use only the SW version that is improved in many ways.
Sean Bircher: Interesting! What are your games like? What do you strive for in a Mythos campaign?
Gilbert Gallo: The
main features of my Mythos campaigns
are: “epic,” “intrigue” and “Gods.” “Epic”
because Heroes tend to be involved by Fate, by Gods or by personal interest in
great undertakings. “Intrigue” is always
present. Can Gods be trusted? Can your own brother be trusted or will he
back stab you for power? In the end, “Gods.”
They are always there, ready to help or hinder Heroes. And the stories get always more epic when Gods
are around.
Sean Bircher: The
emphasis on intrigue clarifies some points for me. Some of the Mystery Cults -- Algos, Erebus,
and Hecate -- are a little out of sync with what I would consider the
assumptions of a Bronze Age Greek campaign because they give powers over
poisoning, controlling shadows, and summoning ghosts. How do you see those integrating into a
campaign?
(And by the way, naming 300
as one of your influences makes more sense of the emphasis on intrigue as
well.)
Gilbert Gallo: Mythos
is not an 'ordinary' Bronze Age. The Heavenly Contest broke out and the Gods
are ready to do anything to achieve victory. That's why Heroes have access to
powers that the literature doesn't take into account. But this only makes
everything more epic. And that's
Mythos's main goal: to provide an epic gaming experience.
Sean Bircher: That
makes sense. The Heavenly Contest is
really the fulcrum upon which the entire setting pivots.
Gilbert Gallo: Let's
say that Mythos is even more epic than The
Iliad.
Sean Bircher: LOL
Gilbert Gallo: The
role of Fate and the extreme powers heroes wield and hindrances they suffer are
made to provide an extremely epic experience.
Sean Bircher: Before
I forget (again), I'm sure
Mystical
Throne Entertainment would like it if we actually mentioned them in the
interview.
How did you come to partner
up on the Savage Worlds release of
Mythos?
Gilbert Gallo: That's
a nice story! I was looking for a good publisher for my SW adventures, so I
sent an e-mail with a pirate adventure inspired by the
Monkey Island series directly to Shane Hensley.
He actually liked it very much and suggested I
contact a superb publishing house who would surely help me out with my author's
career:
Mystical Throne Entertainment.
That's how it all started.
The adventure was published in
Savage Insider Premium issue #4
and then I asked Aaron, the chief Editor, "You know, I have a whole
setting waiting to be published.
It's
really Epic!"
The guys at
MTE helped me a lot adapting my
original concept to SW.
After a lot of
discussions, ideas and improvements, the first epic setting for SW was finally
born!
Sean Bircher: Cool!
Gilbert Gallo: Life
has always a big surprise hidden somewhere for you, you only need to look for
it.
Sean Bircher: And
here I am writing stuff for my blog like an idiot. :D
Gilbert Gallo: Why “idiot?”
I think Wine and Savages rocks!
Sean Bircher: Thanks. I try my best. Speaking about how epic Mythos is, what is the most epic thing that has happened in your Mythos games?
Gilbert Gallo: Well,
I always like to say that "the most epic thing is yet to come", since
I have the great opportunity to play with incredible players who strive to get
the best out of every session. Nevertheless,
here's the most epic scene that’s happened so far:
One of the PCs died in battle and could not fulfill his destiny
-- returning home with a sword that would allow his little son to become king one
day. So, all the other PCs put all their
issues away and turned Hellas upside down until they managed somehow to reach
Hades' domain to ask the Lord of the Dead to bring back to life their comrade. Hades stated that he would let the PC go only
if his comrades would pay his "time debt" with their own lifespan. They accepted, so they aged in the dead PC's
stead until he finally reached his house and entrusted his heirloom sword to
his son.
Now, the PC could have escaped, could have fled away and
live some years more, but he went back to
Taenarum and bade his loyal
comrades farewell for one last time.
That's
how this PC fulfilled his epic destiny, with his comrades' help.
Some players actually cried when the PC bade
them farewell for the last time.
In Mythos
, Bennies aren't simply Bennies; they're Fate Points. Earning them requires propitiating the Gods while using them catches the attentions of the Fates. One mechanic that plays off of this is Doomchaining; when a character uses a Fate Point, NPCs affected by that usage may become cast into archetypal roles (enemy, friend, lover, mentor, etc.). When a Hero acts in accordance with that role around the NPC, she receives a mechanical bonus; when she acts against it, she receives a penalty.
Sean Bircher: Very
cool. Destiny is very important in
Mythos and one of the ways that work is the Doomchaining mechanic. Does Doomchaining come into use a lot in your
games?
Gilbert Gallo: Of
course, it's the players' decision. If
they abuse Fate Points to bind Destiny to their will, Fate binds them with
heavier, invisible chains. The more
Heroes use Edges and Powers to overcome difficulties, the more Fate binds them
to people, to places and, above all, to everyone's expectations. As always,
great powers mean great responsibilities.
Being a Hero is not an easy task, but in Hellas everyone prefers to live
"as a lion" for only one day than living "as a sheep" for a
thousand years.
Sean Bircher: I can
definitely see how that would influence the mood of the game. This is kind of off-topic, but since the
blog's name is "Wine and Savages," what would you suggest drinking
while playing Mythos?
Gilbert Gallo: Well, wine of course! There's nothing more
appropriate to set the right mood. It's used in libations and in sacrifices, as
well for orgies and parties.
My
favorites are Italian wines.
I would
recommend
Negroamaro and
Montepulciano.
And of course, for players devoted to
Dionysus who drink (and offer!) wine during gameplay, lots of Bennies should be
awarded!
Sean Bircher: We're
actually finding that Mediterranean grape varieties grow really well here in
Texas.
We have some good
Montepulciano and
Nero d'Avola wines!
Gilbert Gallo: Nero
d'Avola's great too! It comes from Sicily, where Hephaestus's secret forge lies
hidden under mount Aetna. ;)
Sean Bircher: I
need to get a campaign organized. I'm
sure all the players will wind up buying me off with booze.
Gilbert Gallo:
It's great being the Game Master!
Gilbert Gallo: Of
course. Soundtracks are a great asset for Mythos'
campaigns. I would recommend 300's OST , Alexander's OST, Troy's
OST, Gregorian Hymns, and one of my favorites is “Liberi Fatali,” from Final
Fantasy VIII OST (Nobuo Uematsu).
Sean Bircher: I completely
agree about 300 and Troy.
I actually ran a house-rule Savage Worlds Greek mythology campaign a few
months back before Mythos came out. My
favorite soundtrack to use was the 2010 Clash
of the Titans by Ramin Djawadi (he also does the music for Game of Thrones). The Spartacus
TV series soundtracks are also great.
Gilbert Gallo: Yes,
Spartacus definitely rocks! I am not
a great TV-series fan, but for Spartacus
I've made an exception.
Mythos
player characters may be standard Savage Worlds humans or instead powerful demigods. While demigods get bonuses like beginning in their God's favor and starting with an Attribute at a base d10, they also suffer the wrath of their Gods' rival and more easily invoke Doomchaining.
Sean Bircher: Do
most of your players prefer playing humans or demigods?
Gilbert Gallo: Well,
seasoned players tend to prefer humans. That
way, they can avoid a heavy divine presence and focus on their goals. It's a
more difficult path, but seasoned players tend to find this more rewarding.
Novice players go for the demigods. They are easier to play, more powerful, and
extremely enjoyable. The problem is,
they are more watched by their divine parents and they have "less
freedom" than humans. They use lots
of Fate Points, attracting more enemies and complications, so they usually
never rest. Demigods are REALLY Fast,
Furious and Fun, so I recommend them for a first glance of Mythos' features.
If you wish to play a more intriguing, treacherous and
politically involved game, then humans are the best choice.
Sean Bircher: Demigods
certainly are bigger than life. I can
see that leading to much more of an action-adventure game. Come to think of it, when you compare the
lives of Hercules and Theseus, one of them definitely had more adventures and
the other had more intrigue. You've
captured the milieu very well.
Gilbert Gallo: Thank
you Sean. Greek Mythology is really a never-ending source of inspiration.
Sean Bircher: Are
there any immediate plans for supplements to the Mythos core book?
Gilbert Gallo: Well,
I should discuss them with Aaron first, but my idea is to provide sourcebooks
that describe more deeply Hellas's areas, non-Hellenic cultures, different royal
houses and, perhaps, new Gods that join the Heavenly Contest and more Mystery
Cults.
Sean Bircher: I look forward to Mystery Cults for Dionysus
and Hermes.
Gilbert Gallo: Nice
choice. What would you like to find in those Cults? We could also put up a poll.
Sean Bircher: Hermes
is often associated with Hermetic Magic, so I would expect one of his cults to
venerate him as the God of magicians.
Both Hermes and Dionysus are credited as the father of Pan, so I would
expect one or the other of them to have a cult about wildness and fear
(probably Dionysus). And Dionysus is
credited with both the ability to change his own shape and those of others into
beasts, so I would expect some kind of animal control or shapeshifting cult
from him. In my own campaign, the
daughter of Dionysus had the ability to command vines and tree limbs to ensnare
her enemies.
Gilbert Gallo: Nice
ideas!
Sean Bircher: Thanks!
Gilbert Gallo: Let's
see what the Gods will decide for Mythos's destiny.
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