Tékumel as an example of a low TL world in detail, a Pocket Universe, or similar

[clementk]

“Captain…the stars! They’re gone - all of them!”

With the recent release of an excellent new Tekumel: Empire of the Petal Throne game by Guardians of Order (link) I'm finally able to present Tekumel to potential players in a playable form. It gets my highest recommendation for rpgs in general and also has good potential for Traveller folk. Do note Tekumel is not your typical Western-based fantasy/world and covers mature subjects. The preview pdf and the book are potentially NSFW.

For those who haven't heard of Tekumel (link) before it's a world in the far future that was pulled into a pocket universe 1000s of years ago. A game based on it, Empire of the Petal Throne, was released in the mid-1970's by TSR, but Tekumel has had a scattered publishing history since then until now. The current game is available both as a printed book and on watermarked pdf. There’s a 25 page preview file available (link) as well as a character sheet. The system is a six-stat 1d10 variant of Tri-Stat (“Hexstat”) that’s well done and a d20 version is in the works.

Since the world had a huge TL drop (down to late medieval or early Renaissance in general though without horses or gunpowder in use) with few metals when it was pulled (pushed, dragged, ?) into the pocket universe it is IMO a good study of the amount of creativity and depth that even a low TL world can have. As an example there are several working languages for the world created by its author now-retired Professor M.A.R. Barker (link). As there are some remnants of high technology it wouldn’t take much to make it into a world after the Long Night or tweak it even more and it would work for a world in the Wilds of TNE. One nice thing about this version is while magic of a sort (use of energy tapped from other planes) is present in “real” Tekumel it can be ignored in the game or turned into a religious form of psionics.

Also since it is in a pocket universe with very real “Gods” who tend to show up now and then it’d be perfect IMO for a Grandfather / Ancients game. The Lords of Stability and Chaos while being very real are very much of their own purpose in Tekumel and have more than one appearance and goal.

There is also the possibility of a misjump winding up in Tekumel’s pocket universe or a similar one perhaps tied to it or things from Tekumel winding up in YTU. Tekumel isn’t populated by humans only either, some very interesting aliens are also stranded them, some indifferent, some friends, others enemies, not to mention the native species. Finally before Tekumel was cut off in a pocket universe it was a resort planet in a science fiction setting. Lots of potential all around IMO.

La!

<as the ship fills with the smell of musty cinnamon and a faint chiming sound can be heard as if from a distance>

 

[clementk]

*bump*

Tekumel has revivification!

 

[Malenfant]

I can't decide if I'm interested in Tekumel or not...

I'm familiar with its history (frankly, from the sounds of it Traveller could do with a 'definitive' final version like this new edition of Tek), and I'm also familiar with the rather-similar-in-many-ways Skyrealms of Jorune RPG. Like Tekumel, Jorune is also set on a very alien world where the humans can't eat the native food without processing, that was colonised years ago and then fell from a technological height due to a disaster (in this case, a war with the native inhabitants after contact was lost with Earth), and it also has "magic" in it too. I guess it nicked a few ideas from Tekumel

.

While Jorune is a very interesting, non-standard world, it's very hard to get people to play it (even when it was in print) because of that. It required a LOT of player knowledge about the setting to get into, and I can't see how Tekumel would be different in that regard... and really, I can't justify spending that much on a setting just to read it.

 

[selunatic2397]

This sounds interesting...thanks for sharing it with us!

 

[clementk]

Originally posted by Malenfant:
I'm familiar with its history (frankly, from the sounds of it Traveller could do with a 'definitive' final version like this new edition of Tek), and I'm also familiar with the rather-similar-in-many-ways Skyrealms of Jorune RPG. Like Tekumel, Jorune is

I agree that Traveller could use a similar book. Traveller's OTU is offhand the only other setting aside from Glorantha with this much detail available. This new book however is very newbie friendly to get a game up and running while given enough detail for a rich playable game.

As for Jorune while I love the beautiful artwork and some of the setting I never got what I would do with it or even how to play it. Tekumel? Plenty of ideas. Tekumel is also older (timeline wise) though any period of Tekumel history can be played with some creativity.

While Jorune is a very interesting, non-standard world, it's very hard to get people to play it (even when it was in print) because of that. It required a LOT of player knowledge about the setting to get into, and I can't see how Tekumel would be different in that regard... and really, I can't justify spending that much on a setting just to read it.

One difference is Jorune started as a game while Tekumel started as a setting. Things make internal sense and people don’t have to use the actual term, though if they want language or other detail it’s available. Jorune from what I remember of it got too hung up on renaming everything it could which made it very difficult just to learn how to play the system, let alone what to do with the game or understand the setting.

Also the new book is designed for differing styles of play and levels of magic and realism. Jorune suffers also IMO from lack of a published easily playable system. Tekumel had this problem as well (aside from the original game from the 70's) until now. FWIW the variant of the Tri-Stat system (link) used (1d10 “hexstat”) is crunchier in some areas than base tristat but not overly so, has many options, and there are other Tekumel variants online (Gurps, Runequest, homebrews, etc.). There's also the d20 version in the works.

I can sum up Tekumel this way:

A character often has the following goals:
Personal
Clan
Temple
Government

Usually all conflicting with each other. Much fodder from that.

On Tekumel:
There are few metals.
No gunpowder or horses in wide usage.
The temperature is hot.
The Gods are real but so is high technology.
Your clan is mother, your clan is father.

The rest is gravy and follows from there. As for the terms, most can be supplemented with a descriptive in English akin to epic poetry. “The book was written by a priest of Thumina, Lord of Wisdom.” Thumnia may not make any sense, but Lord (or God) of Wisdom does. “The Chlen, an alien triceratops non-native to Tekumel, is pulling the cart ahead of you. It trods along the road with six heavy legs, triple eyes straight ahead.” Again Chlen may mean nothing to the players at first but the description paints a good enough picture that the players don’t need to have known what a Chlen is.

The key IMO is to focus on the play and add details only when needed. Also one suggested campaign style is to make all the players the member of the same clan or temple and focus on clan intrigue at first. A good way to start small and build from there. Another option is the group as members of the same file in a Legion or members of the same temple.

Fortunately the new book is very good at all this, with ample digestible chunks presented in a logical manner throughout the book. The “Life in a [] Clan”, Legion, or Priesthood sections in particular are very helpful.

To sum up Tekumel (as a game) is to me very mythological and archetypal in many respects while being logical and gritty at the same time. With fun bits to boot. Oh and it’s a game where even a lowly clan woman or poor clan merchant has their place and can get in as much roleplay and influence as the rest. The Hollywood pitch is Incan Aztecs from Southern Asia living in a land of Byzantiums set in a far future pocket universe!

Note: I know that Mal has left these boards but believe a response both warranted and of use. This post focuses more on Tekumel as a game and setting in of itself, not as much a sourcebook for goodies useful in another game, such as Traveller. I'll get to that more in my next response.

[edit] slight edits, added the hollywood pitch, tri-stat link [/edit]

 

[clementk]

Well going over this thread and my Tekumel book I think I already covered the major points of using Tekumel for Traveller.

I would add though that the Swords & Glory volume 1 book (either in a small point size single volume or three volume edition) not only reads like an anthropological text it lays out a logical and mostly scientific description of a lower TL world. This is a old world with known history going back 1000s of years and it shows in the setting.

Even if you wind up not using Tekumel it and other Tekumel sources are good for ideas on what types of things you might want to include in detailing any world in YTU.

That and the aliens are very alien and well done.

Good stuff all around.

As a sidenote drivethrurpg.com recently added pdf files of the original Empire of the Petal Throne rules and the two maps from that set. Very good for 1975 including a mostly skill based version of OD&D. Please note which an interesting read from the dawn of roleplaying the version of Tekumel is watered down and D&Dified. Swords & Glory at times reads like corrections.

I hope this thread has been of interest and if nothing else some people have taken a look at the 25 page preview file. In my biased opinion it's well worth looking into.

<Casey departs on a palanquin carried by miniphants down the Sákbe road to Jakálla>