A game store in my area recently went out of buisness so I picked this up for 20 bucks.Settings really cool,character generation is deep,and the rules don't require a lot of tweaking to be playable.The only problem?ZERO support online.No community,no boards,just a site that hasn't updated in 2 years.I'm not complaining if the line failed(Though it shouldn't have with this level of quality)I'm just looking for others with experience to talk with or maybe start a yahoo group or something to trade ideas.IDK just looking for others I guess.

I loved the graphic novels... didn't know it was a RPG. Amazon reviews are all 5 star. (6)

Ah Dread Artesia, the only game my name is in the credits of ... okay just as one of the many hardcore fans Mark Smylie thanks for their support, but hey I'm still proud. :-)

I'm a massive fan of the comics and the game, though I'm ashamed to admit I've yet to actually play it. As I've said to Mark himself I'm just not sure I yet feel like I know enough about the intricate details of the world itself to run an rpg campaign round it.

I do have my ideas for a campaign; basically with the pcs being amongst Artesia's lieutenants whom she leaves in charge and defence of Daradja while she's away leading the war against the Thessid Golan Empire (iirc the details of these Highland captains -names etc- are referenced in one of annuals). The pcs would have to deal with internal fueding and dissension, plots and schemes, and external threats from the pirates and bandit armies of the north, and darker foes from Lost Uthed Mael.

The system is really good I think, but as I say I've to properly playtest it.

Atresia: Adventures in the southwest.

Artesia- I remember them Artesia comics; they had the title character getting into group sexzor orgies and stuff in between the fightings; pretty awesome, if you ask me ;)

As for the rpg, I think it's the same engine that Mouse Guard rpg uses, the Burning Wheel game system.

Ah Dread Artesia, the only game my name is in the credits of ... okay just as one of the many hardcore fans Mark Smylie thanks for their support, but hey I'm still proud. :-)

I'm a massive fan of the comics and the game, though I'm ashamed to admit I've yet to actually play it. As I've said to Mark himself I'm just not sure I yet feel like I know enough about the intricate details of the world itself to run an rpg campaign round it.

I do have my ideas for a campaign; basically with the pcs being amongst Artesia's lieutenants whom she leaves in charge and defence of Daradja while she's away leading the war against the Thessid Golan Empire (iirc the details of these Highland captains -names etc- are referenced in one of annuals). The pcs would have to deal with internal fueding and dissension, plots and schemes, and external threats from the pirates and bandit armies of the north, and darker foes from Lost Uthed Mael.

The system is really good I think, but as I say I've to properly playtest it.

we're doing a small story(maybe 4-6 sessions)over the summer while some of the players work at the Scout camp.I've gotten an idea for a longer full campaign but it's on hold until I finish the Scion campaign I'm running.

Artesia is really interesting and balanced. The system is based on the Fusion system, so if you look at games like Sengoku (awesome Samurai game) or Cyberpunk you might find some interesting system information. The only major difference is in the damage and experience points. For the story world, just read the comic. It's really great.

Oh and by the way, Mouse Guard is published by the same comic company, but uses a very different system. It uses the Burning Wheel.

I think if more people had bought the book a few years ago, maybe more product support would have come out, they certainly wanted to make more books. But at this point I'd be shocked to see another Artesia book.

Artesia is really interesting and balanced. The system is based on the Fusion system, so if you look at games like Sengoku (awesome Samurai game) or Cyberpunk you might find some interesting system information. The only major difference is in the damage and experience points. For the story world, just read the comic. It's really great.

Oh and by the way, Mouse Guard is published by the same comic company, but uses a very different system. It uses the Burning Wheel.

I think if more people had bought the book a few years ago, maybe more product support would have come out, they certainly wanted to make more books. But at this point I'd be shocked to see another Artesia book.

My bad then- guess I got tripped up by the similar "look" between the two. ;)

Love the comic series but never played the RPG. I'd love to try it but not sure I could get my gaming buddies to play it. Maybe if let them try out the comics first but then I'd have to find a copy of the RPG.Personally I wish he'd have gone OGL with it first , as it might've caught on then.

Interestingly enough, I *JUST* ran into the artist for this comic/rpg yesterday. I had just seen the book at the FLGS and I stopped in at the comic book store to pick up some stuff and I thought- hey! I've seen that art somewhere before!- and I got into a conversation with the guy. Really nice guy.

A game store in my area recently went out of buisness so I picked this up for 20 bucks.Settings really cool,character generation is deep,and the rules don't require a lot of tweaking to be playable.The only problem?ZERO support online.No community,no boards,just a site that hasn't updated in 2 years.I'm not complaining if the line failed(Though it shouldn't have with this level of quality)I'm just looking for others with experience to talk with or maybe start a yahoo group or something to trade ideas.IDK just looking for others I guess.

I love artesia, both comics and RPG.

I was part of the official Artesia:AKW forum community before it dies at the hands of hackers. While i think further developement of the Game is dead in the water for now, i would hate to see the community die entirely. So count me in.

I am actually starting to run it again next week.

I love artesia, both comics and RPG.

I was part of the official Artesia:AKW forum community before it dies at the hands of hackers. While i think further developement of the Game is dead in the water for now, i would hate to see the community die entirely. So count me in.

I am actually starting to run it again next week.

Would it be too much pressure if we conducted an after-session review each week, critiqued your GMing skills on a ten-point scale and then published the detailed analyses on this forum?

Because that could be totally fun :-)

Sorry to commit threadomancy, but I was wondering whether anyone here has any information re Artesia the comic book, the game, and/or Mark Smylie himself?

I have just started GMing a new Artesia AitKW campaign and have been searching online for any news about upcoming comics (beyond Besieged #3), supplements for the game, or just what Mark is up to at the moment, but I am drawning a huge blank.

I used to have Mark's email, but I can't get an answer from Archaia Press, and the old email I used to reach him on is dead. I don't think Mark would just abandon his beloved project ... so I am concerned at what is causing the lack of new Artesia stuff. Does anyone know anything?

I'm waiting for the fourth Artesia book too.
I'd also love to see the volume regarding mass warfare (hinted at the end of the RPG book), but I'll settle for pretty much anything.

I'm waiting for the fourth Artesia book too.

I'd also love to see the volume regarding mass warfare (hinted at the end of the RPG book), but I'll settle for pretty much anything.

Yeah, that stuff will never be made.

About 3 years ago, I was running some games of Artesia, looking for more info on the setting without actually buying and reading all the graphic novels. The forums weren't much help and I was criticized as a splat-book craving fanboy for actually wanting to spend money on their product to get more information.

My recolelctions about the system are mixed. I really love their ritual magic system, but the mechanics for combat were horribly complicated. Each body part corresponds to a stat (12-15 stats if I recall correctly), and depending on how much damage was done to a body part, you would get a penalty to that stat, which meant doing a lot of math in the middle of combat. PLayed as written, mass combats would be impossible.

Good luck, bot don't hope for anything new to come out.

Ever.

My recolelctions about the system are mixed. I really love their ritual magic system, but the mechanics for combat were horribly complicated. Each body part corresponds to a stat (12-15 stats if I recall correctly), and depending on how much damage was done to a body part, you would get a penalty to that stat, which meant doing a lot of math in the middle of combat. PLayed as written, mass combats would be impossible.

It's been a while since I played the game, but from what I recall, only crits (grievous wounds) meant ability damage, and while each body part had a "reference" ability, the actual ability which suffered damage was determined both by the area hit and damage type (blunt, piercing, slashing) - and in some situations, random dice rolls, such as the head injury.

The result was a slow down during combat - not so bothersome as it sounds - and a small math: the scores dimished were the actual modifiers used, not the source from which modifiers are derived.

I found more bothersome reminding the players of the flavourful but annoying spiritual pollution factor and of some dynamic bindings (stress/penalties).

However the almost freeform system which allowed the players to combine and experiment with ability-gift-skill-specialization-binding-situational modifiers scores for the various checks and rolls was so fun and well executed that it was a joy to play with.
A sort of super-detailed DragonAGE like game.

Nebelwerfer41 wrote:

My recolelctions about the system are mixed. I really love their ritual magic system, but the mechanics for combat were horribly complicated. Each body part corresponds to a stat (12-15 stats if I recall correctly), and depending on how much damage was done to a body part, you would get a penalty to that stat, which meant doing a lot of math in the middle of combat. PLayed as written, mass combats would be impossible.

It's been a while since I played the game, but from what I recall, only crits (grievous wounds) meant ability damage, and while each body part had a "reference" ability, the actual ability which suffered damage was determined both by the area hit and damage type (blunt, piercing, slashing) - and in some situations, random dice rolls, such as the head injury.

Moreover, certain abilites from the rather large list (18 of them, blurring the distinction between ability and skill score, for d20 habitués) were not involved, mostly those that had no direct relation with physical efficiency.

The result was a slow down during combat - not so bothersome as it sounds - and a small math: the scores dimished were the actual modifiers used, not the source from which modifiers are derived.

I found more bothersome reminding the players of the flavourful but annoying spiritual pollution factor and of some dynamic bindings (stress/penalties).

However the almost freeform system which allowed the players to combine and experiment with ability-gift-skill-specialization-binding-situational modifiers scores for the various checks and rolls was so fun and well executed that it was a joy to play with.
A sort of super-detailed DragonAGE like game.

Pollution is one of the coolest things in the game, and is in practice fairly simple to deal with. Just make sure you take your time to perform a Cleansing ritual before getting your big mojo ritual magic on.

And bindings are awesome...Love has such cool effects. I'm in love with you, so I am less resistant to being manipulated and lied to by you!!! Ain't love grand!!!

Sorry to commit threadomancy, but I was wondering whether anyone here has any information re Artesia the comic book, the game, and/or Mark Smylie himself?

I have just started GMing a new Artesia AitKW campaign and have been searching online for any news about upcoming comics (beyond Besieged #3), supplements for the game, or just what Mark is up to at the moment, but I am drawning a huge blank.

I used to have Mark's email, but I can't get an answer from Archaia Press, and the old email I used to reach him on is dead. I don't think Mark would just abandon his beloved project ... so I am concerned at what is causing the lack of new Artesia stuff. Does anyone know anything?

Artesia is on its way back from the grave, or so mark says.

New Artesia website.(here)

Continuation of the comics.(on the way)

2nd edition play test.(on the way)