GURPS Banestorm: A Reading with T Bone

Other observations

I've heard some GURPS fans describe Yrth as a bland setting. I disagree; the best I'll allow is that while Yrth will support high fantasy, it may disappoint those looking for outrageous high fantasy. But the short fictional interludes that open each major section won't do much to dispel charges of blandness, either; while serviceable, they could use an injection of rampart-blasting magic, screaming Northmen hordes, or tentacled dungeon horrors. Just a little more pep, please. (Likewise, in the hallowed GURPS tradition, the artwork is all right but won't incite gaming fervor.)

While reading, I noticed no mention of relations among diverse human races, a depressingly contentious matter for real Earth people. Until a short discussion of the Intolerance disadvantage, that is, where the authors put forth the idea that had been forming in my mind: humanity's inane preoccupation with skin color and hair texture just may fly out the window when the new farmhand is a pointy-eared, magic-wielding non-human. Who's brought along his merchant friend, a hulking bipedal lizard. Yep, I think that'd knock some welcome perspective into humanity, and quick.

Modern authors often give us fantasy societies that are far more enlightened than our historical ones. I can't blame them: who wants to spend much time in a backward, hate-filled world, even if fictional? I think Banestorm finds a nice balance on the tricky points of race relations, gender equality, religious tolerance, and the like. Yrth overall is forward-thinking enough that it's fun to visit, but not so high-minded as to lose all "Dark Ages" flavor (and danger). Realistically, its enlightenment is unevenly distributed: yes, Yrth betters our world in allowing a medieval female Jewish peasant to become a knight, but it doesn't guarantee that she'll be welcomed everywhere.

We want more!

Other than Sahud, my only disappointments are really compliments in disguise: wishes for more of the good stuff. I can't fault the authors; they only had 240 pages to work with, and I'm sure they feel omissions at least as keenly as the readers.

Some things I'd like to see expanded if space had permitted:

Nonhuman personal names (p20) get a cursory once-over. Many, many more would be great!

There's tantalizing mention made of Chinese, German, African, and other enclaves of humanity, but any detail on these is left to the GM to fill in.

Related to that, it'd be nice to see Banestorm break a ubiquitous fantasy/sci-fi mold: that of rejoicing in humanity's wild breadth of cultures, backgrounds, and languages, while stuffing each non-human race into a single-culture, single-language vanilla mono-flavor. Other than offering the minimal Elvish diversity that itself has become a fantasy staple, Banestorm runs out of room for detailed non-human sub-cultures.

Some races get little space even for one culture. Take the Gnomes, one of the "Elder Folk": there's not enough description to really picture a Gnomish society or character. In terms of game role, what are Gnomes for? A few quick extras would help. For example, cultural expertise: we all know to look to the Elves for magic, and the Dwarves for fine metalwork. What are areas in which Gnome societies can shine? (I'd suggest masonry, pottery, carpentry, and agriculture, for starters. Not exciting specialties, to be sure, but important ones all the same.)

On the individual level, it'd be good to see the list of racial Quirks further filled out for Gnomes and other beings. (Each should have a full complement of Quirks; they are, after all, inhuman!)

Similarly, while there's plenty of big-picture information about religion (especially human faiths), there's not much detail at the operational level. In other words, we know (roughly) what an Elf believes, but what does he do, from his faith's big celebrations down to its little daily rituals? The question extends beyond religious doctrine itself: what are social practices, whether religious or secular, surrounding births, marriage, death, and other milestones, for various races and cultures? Festivals and remembrances? Superstitions and "folk" beliefs? (It's a medieval world; superstition should be rampant!)

Moving on to the land itself, Banestorm is light on key physical features smaller than nations or the hugest desert and forests. (Cities get some detail, though even rough city maps go missing.) I'd like to see more place-centered adventure seeds, laying out interesting canyons, waterfalls, mountain passes, and so on. More travel information – How hard is it to cross a certain mountain range? What's the travel time between major cities? – would be very useful too.

Finally, I'd have loved to see more pictures of Yrth's unique animals. Which brings me back to milking that milkfish. Clearly, you do the job with the creature on land, but do you have to roll a ton of 'fish onto its side or back? Or are a 'fish's dugs conveniently placed on its sides, letting it stay belly-down during the procedure? If neither of those, I'm thinking that 'fish farmers must be leading the critters up onto some sort of drydock milking station, letting them get underneath like a car mechanic. What's your guess?

I assume that the milk mystery, and all of the Banestorm omissions above, are things the authors would cheerfully have liked to address if only there had been room. As it is, the authors made great use of available space in covering the important stuff; there's plenty to opportunity for later expansions and supplements, as well as for GMs and fans, to fill in the little gaps.

Miscellaneous story ideas

A few story-related thoughts that hit me while reading:

Elf and Dwarf writings go back only a couple thousand years – not even as old as Earth human writings. Hmm, perhaps this is a clue that the races aren't as "elder" as they claim to be?

The Elder Folk seem to have ceded Yrth awfully easily – and quickly – once the humans arrived. Why? Was there more propelling man's rapid expansion than simple human aggressiveness? Maybe the Dark Elves surveyed the disastrous results of their spell, and concocted a hasty Plan B: secretly support and steer combative mankind into war against the Orcs – until the Orcs are gone and man is no longer needed...

As noted in the book, there are great stories to be told about the chaotic world following the first Banestorm. I wonder whether some newcomers simply refused to believe that they'd left Earth, no matter how odd the surroundings. It would have been easy to conclude that one had been swept away to an unknown land, and only needed to find the right land or sea route home. The early years' greatest sages and explorers may have been wanderers driven by the conviction that Rome or Gaul was just a couple mountain ranges away. And a millenium later, maybe a few oddballs still carry on their belief...

Yrth inspires a lot of ideas like those – it's a rich and complex place. Already I'm thinking of additions I'd like to make. Maybe gather up Banestorm's several Greek-flavored monsters and races, and plop them onto remote islands for Odyssey-inspired adventure. And I still want space for my looming Mongol threat, somewhere uncomfortably close to Megalos. Let's see, where can I stretch the map a bit to make room...

Sounds fun. But this time, I think I'll first try using Banestorm as it is, before going wild with the world-building!

Recommendation

I'd recommend Banestorm in a heartbeat to anyone looking for a flexible fantasy gameworld with deep roots in real human culture. Buy it and play it (or, as I did, shamelessly borrow from it)!

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the setting.

GURPS Banestorm (GURPS 4th Edition Roleplaying)