Mytherian Heroic Adventures

Not too long ago, I was asked in an e-mail request for information about Mytherian Heroic Adventures, a 1-6 player RPG that had appeared on Lulu.com but, apparently, nowhere else! After using some wicked Google-fu to track down Erik Goodwyn, one of the creators of the three volumes that currently make up the Mytherian game world, I was able to solicit from him some very promising information about the intriguing solo opportunities presented by the Mytherian gaming experience.

From Erik:

Mytherian is, as stated, highly playable for any number of players from 1-6. We have playtested it solo quite often, and it works out well. The main difference between Mytherian and other systems is the completely playable Adventure Builder system that does not require a Game master (it is playable with a Game master as well, if you choose this option). We call this the "standard" game. The whole Standard Game system is therefore essentially a solo game, then, with multiple players simply joining in like a "co-op" game. Thus the whole system is designed with 1-6 players going on an adventure, suiting up from the city, journeying through the wilderness, exploring the dungeon and (hopefully) defeating the enemies and returning home with a large treasure haul. The game has mechanisms to ensure game balance, depending on the number and level of the heroes playing, though solo gaming is certainly a challenge because you have no backup if you get pounded--at which point fleeing usually becomes a tempting option. That said, solo adventuring is possible and downright fun, since it pits a lone hero against an entire fortress of enemies searching the tunnels to find him. Successfully winning one of these brings great glory and treasure. Just try to avoid getting killed, captured, or sold into slavery.

Naturally, a single player can also opt to control several heroes if you don't want to send a lone hero on a quest by him/herself. Either way is possible and highly enjoyable. Included in the game is also optional rules for playing with what is known as a "Diabolist", which introduces competitive play to the game as well, since the Diabolist controls the enemies and tries to kill the heroes. In this style of play, the Diabolist gets victory points that he can add to his own heroes at the end of the game to reward him for pummeling the heroes into paladin-burgers.

The game setting is very detailed since I have been working on it for around 20 years, adding quite a bit of historical flavor and coloring. There are options to play heroes based on Vikings, Persian assassins, Saracen nobles, Pirates, Rangers, Templars, Druids, Hermit Wizards, Celts, Samurai, Ghost Knights and plenty of others, all swept up in a continent-spanning all-out war known as the Seventh Bloodring Crusade. Amid this war-torn land, the heroes strike out across the realms in search of dungeons, castles, and fortresses teeming with enemies to strike the heart of the stronghold and defeat their foes, claiming the treasure by heroes right.

We have had many hours of fun playing Mytherian and hope you enjoy it as well; and if there comes to be a demand for it, there are many, many expansions that we have planned for it. New dungeon settings, classes, adventures, etc., will be added in the future.

Thanks, Erik, for all of the info! We hope to hear more about the Mytherian experience as more adventurers discover it!