Ngangmuru,

The d20 project still lives.
Though frozen in the cold north of Yan Kor (Canada) for awhile, the prototype book in this project should be out sometime this summer. This will be availoable free to all playtesters and signatories of the non disclosure contract as well as a few interested parties.

regards,
Bill Hartley

Here is a sample from the introduction,

[H2] How is Tékumel d20 different from other d20 Role-Playing Games?

Many other d20 Role-Playing games attempt to ‘balance’ the types of encounters and individuals met and interacted with during role play. Tekumel has always been known as more of a ‘film genre’ setting where each and every encounter may be anything from the mundane to the disastrous. Imagine yourself in a modern city for instance. No ‘referee’ or rules exist to protect you against your own folly. If you choose to run across streets in traffic, walk at midnight in rough neighbourhoods and frequent dark alleys, you will encounter things that aren’t very ‘balanced’ at all.

Tekumel is the same. There are parts of cities where children play in the streets happily and safely, and there are places you simply know you should not go unless you have a pretty decent plan of action. Tekumel role-playing encourages mature thinking gamers rather than the ‘hack and slash’ and ‘complain to the ref if it didn’t work’ kind of gamer. Just like real life, players of Tekumel actually set up plans and prepare very carefully for their next episode. You remember that spike and rope that the basic role-play systems all seem to sell? There’s a reason for them, in fact many reasons, and as a Tekumel gamer you will learn them as well as invent a few more.

Fungus that walks up to you spitting spores to grow almost instantly in your lungs, things that have laser like devices designed to kill instantly, small snakes to curl up in your sleeping bag. This and more, oh yes, much more, await the unwary adventurer in the underworlds and wilds of Tekumel. The cities on the other hand may seem totally civilized and urbane until you realize how many other people out there are out to gain an advantage over any innocent traveller. No, my friend, be sure that you are of high clan, remember that in our lives we may work in mundane jobs, but in the world of Tekumel take a break and get some help from your advisors, your clan brothers and your wealth. Few peasants survive the wilds of the world and most are smart enough not to leave home.

I'm glad to know the project isn't dead. It seemed moribund for a while. Is there some reason why you haven't posted this to the unmoderated Tekumel email list? It has a much larger community of Tekumel fans than this forum does.
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/tekumel/

Well Tom, probably cause i'm not a member... funny that, thought I was.
Tried to log on again, says nope, so here I am.

Anyway, if you'd be so kind as to direct people here, or let them know I'm aliiiive.... Ian Sturrock has the final draft now and we'll be publishing a prototype [hopefully free for the testers] in the summer.

Bill

Who does one become a playtester, if that's still an option.

Mark

Hi Bill
Is this playtest still open? I was one of the playtersters for the GOO version and also run a D&D3.5 game with some friends. I would dearly love to convert them over to Tekumel and this would be the best vehicle.
David.

I have a short question regarding this project which isn't abou tthe rules. The questonb is; how much setting information will this book contain? Will it be only rules or also have parts telling about the various parts of Tékumel culture, society, nature, geography, human races and non-human races?

If it does contain all the manner of different setting information will it be strictly focused on information about Tsolánu or will it have information on other parts of Tékumel as well?

Manuscript will hopefully be updated this August. There will be some surprises from Professor Barker in the final version.

Playtesters please contact me
Bill

Hi all,
Well its October and the version of the d20 Tekumel rules are out for some more testing. This time we're considering both Pathfinder and the BESM d20 as possible rulesets for either a conversion chart from our 3.5 Tekumel rules, or perhaps a full conversion.

In this case we're not sending the full set of rules to playtesters, just the areas that need cleaning up. In most cases the Gladiators, etc need some balance testing, and though the EPT spells are in finished form, please use the regular spell list for now. Perhaps the parties you run can be Tekumel players in Rome, Mexico, or one of the other venues that Professor Barker has used over the years. [Hint... there may be such an adventure in the finished book]

My email is still the same as the one used here. Contact me for info.

Bill

Hm some of you can't see the email. wjhartle@ucalgary.ca

In the present rule plans I have set up as 'Empire of the Petal Throne d20 second edition' [The first edition was d&d created by Professor Barker and Gary Gygax] we're not just putting out rules.

The first ed. had some setting, though it omitted the clans till later. Here we'll expand on who the Tlakotani clan really are, some of the perks that they get and other planar things. In addition I'm hoping for adventures of the 'medium' to 'advanced' level as I continue to work with Professor Barker on content.

cheers
Bill

Pathfinder, couple other systems[BESM for one]. At least we'll create some tables for conversion. As it turns out the system is almost 'pre pathfinder' already.
I guess that Ian was thinking of solving problems much as the pathfinder guys were. At the same time we've made it truly Tekumel.
Still working on getting out a copy in January. It may be a limited issue for testers with a set for the online community to begin. [publish on demand sort of thing]
thanks for interest,
Sincerely
Bill

Sounds great - thanks for the quick reply

_________________
We must not remind them that giants walk the earth.

I've set some goals for the manuscript. Victor Raymond and the others at the project are checking for compatability. In addition at least one edit will be required and I'm rewriting some of the world input... the Tlakotani Clan is high on my list at the moment.
I guess it depends when we can get the job done among our other careers, though as I retire in June I'll be on it full time.
Contents should be as follows
- intro, some new things
- character building and meshing with the d20 system [3.5 or Pathfinder, maybe both]
- spells... currently on the net in 3.5 form thanks to Chris Clark
- character classes for nonhumans...
- examplesz of clan workings... Tlakotani secrets...
- a short adventure [I'm pushing for at least description of the 'epic' level that the Professor has hinted at... most likely an introductory adventure]
- new magic and tech devices