Mythic Babylon released

NeilNjae

Mythic Babylon, by @Apocryphal , has just been released. I'm sure Chris can tell us more about it!

Apocryphal

Yes, it's by @Apocryphal AND by @dr_mitch - an at long last released today.

It's a 'Mythic' setting centred around the old city of Babylon at the time of Hammurabi (most famous for his code of laws). The default start year is the end of 1765 BC and Mesopotamia is in turmoil as the Elamites have invaded the neighbouring kingdom of Eshnunna, and Hammurabi forms a shaky coalition with 3 other kings to try and oust them. 'Mythic' means we have a historical backdrop (carefully researched and detailed) against which we assume that all the beliefs of the Babylonians at the time were true - so there are also monsters and spells, omens, and so on.

Despite being 'historical', Paul and I both felt that it reads rather like a 'sickle-sword-and-sandals' setting.

In Mythic Babylon you can play an opiomancer who works behind the scenes with his exorcist and temple guardian pals to foil the efforts of an ecstatic 'shock-head' prophet to guide their kingdom to ruin. To do so requires that you outsmart third-gender temple guardians made from the clay found under a god's fingernail so you can defeat your enemies and hear the lamentations of their lamentation priests, then, to save your dying friend, you avoid the giant sea snake with mouths on its belly as you travel across the Lower Sea to paradise in search of the plant of life, only suffer an attack of bad news demons, then go to the Temple of Sin where the great king's daughter is high priestess in order to borrow a self-propelled god-boat, only to be told by the fish-headed sages from the time of creation that a monstrous lion-bird stole the world's libido, and that only a human newly sprouted from the sacred soil of the Navel of Heaven and Earth can defeat it?

So if either that, or 'historical Babylon' sounds intriguing, then by all means check it out. It's got all the Old Babylonian history you need, cultural information, an extensive gazeteer of cities, huge chapter of creatures, lots of campaign ideas and GM advice, multiple magic systems with unusual spells, a 'personal purity' mechanic, and a huge table that will allow you to generate thousands of authentic Akkadian, Amorite, or Sumerian theophoric names.

https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/mythic-babylon-now-available-for-mythras.882888/

WildCard

Very cool! I don’t imagine the creators would like to run a virtual one shot with their friends and frenemies at TTRPBC?

NeilNjae

@WildCard said:
Very cool! I don’t imagine the creators would like to run a virtual one shot with their friends and frenemies at TTRPBC?

That would be fun! No pressure, though...

Apocryphal

@dr_mitch has a ready-made scenario he would run which I've never played in, and being a better GM (I expect) he'd be the best candidate for this. Plus he has a handy set-up for online gaming already :-)
A TTRPBCon would be a fun little thing, I think.

It's early days yet (too early for anyone to have actually read the whole book, I think), but initial reviews are very positive. And one is from the author Babylon On Which Fame and Jubilation Are Bestowed - another gold standard in Babylonian gaming.

https://shukamupress.com/2021/06/19/recommendation-mythic-babylon/

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product_reviews_info.php?&reviews_id=601228&products_id=355333

RichardAbbott

@WildCard said:
Very cool! I don’t imagine the creators would like to run a virtual one shot with their friends and frenemies at TTRPBC?

I'd be up for that, time and all permitting