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Episode 10, “Practical Advice”
Welcome to The Hall of Blue Illumination, a podcast dedicated to M.A.R. Barker’s world of Tékumel. In this episode, our hosts discuss straightforward ways to begin running a campaign in Tékumel. We end with commentary on the Five Hlimékluyal (Cohorts) of the Gods of Stability.
Show Notes:
[00:00:55] As Scott stated in Episode 7, Tékumel’s setting preceded Empire of the Petal Throne the game, unlike Dungeons & Dragons, where the game came first, and its setting was created and applied later.
[00:01:44] The breadth of Tékumel is daunting, and often people are afraid of “getting it wrong.”
[00:02:16] First piece of advice, make Tékumel your own. Don’t be afraid to diverge from published history or setting information, or make it up as you go along.
[00:02:51] When beginning a game set on Tékumel, an important first step is to decide where you want to start your game. It doesn’t have to be in Jakálla.
[00:03:24] One reason James chose to set a campaign in Sokátis is that it’s similarly situated to Jakálla. Both are on the edges of the empire, and thus conveniently placed for “fresh off the boat” campaigns. Khirgár or Thri’íl are good for this too.
[00:04:17] Each city has a flavor to it. Let the aspects of Tékumel on which you want your campaigns to focus guide your location choices.
[00:04:45] While it’s traditional to set your campaign in or around a city, you don’t have to. Take, for instance, a campaign set in Jánnu or Kilalámmu. These places are very different from Tsolyáni cities.
[00:06:00] Your players could also be part of an exploratory expedition.
[00:06:30] On a ship, players might encounter lost Engsvanyáli colonies, or echoes of the Wars of the Latter Times.
[00:07:01] Once you’ve chosen a place, next ask yourself, “Who’s there?” Even where the official material is silent, nonplayer characters are easy to devise.
[00:08:30] In his games, James attempts to give every nonplayer character a name, because this gives weight to the encounter. A one-off nonplayer character can be later fleshed out and set up in a subsequent encounter to give the players a bit of depth.
[00:11:00]
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Welcome to The Hall of Blue Illumination, a podcast dedicated to M.A.R. Barker’s world of Tékumel. In this episode, our hosts discuss straightforward ways to begin running a campaign in Tékumel. We end with commentary on the Five Hlimékluyal (Cohorts) of the Gods of Stability.
Show Notes:
[00:00:55] As Scott stated in Episode 7, Tékumel’s setting preceded Empire of the Petal Throne the game, unlike Dungeons & Dragons, where the game came first, and its setting was created and applied later.
[00:01:44] The breadth of Tékumel is daunting, and often people are afraid of “getting it wrong.”
[00:02:16] First piece of advice, make Tékumel your own. Don’t be afraid to diverge from published history or setting information, or make it up as you go along.
[00:02:51] When beginning a game set on Tékumel, an important first step is to decide where you want to start your game. It doesn’t have to be in Jakálla.
[00:03:24] One reason James chose to set a campaign in Sokátis is that it’s similarly situated to Jakálla. Both are on the edges of the empire, and thus conveniently placed for “fresh off the boat” campaigns. Khirgár or Thri’íl are good for this too.
[00:04:17] Each city has a flavor to it. Let the aspects of Tékumel on which you want your campaigns to focus guide your location choices.
[00:04:45] While it’s traditional to set your campaign in or around a city, you don’t have to. Take, for instance, a campaign set in Jánnu or Kilalámmu. These places are very different from Tsolyáni cities.
[00:06:00] Your players could also be part of an exploratory expedition.
[00:06:30] On a ship, players might encounter lost Engsvanyáli colonies, or echoes of the Wars of the Latter Times.
[00:07:01] Once you’ve chosen a place, next ask yourself, “Who’s there?” Even where the official material is silent, nonplayer characters are easy to devise.
[00:08:30] In his games, James attempts to give every nonplayer character a name, because this gives weight to the encounter. A one-off nonplayer character can be later fleshed out and set up in a subsequent encounter to give the players a bit of depth.
[00:11:00]