Dear potential players:
Thank you for your interest in the game. Please note that "Journey to Olympus" uses the Mazes and Minotaurs RPG system. Fortunately, the rules for this are available for
free online. I am using the
revised 1987 rule system that you can find at this link:
http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/revised.html
These rules are required for character creation and for play. They are also your reference for inventory, magic and combat.
For your benefit:
Creating a Character
Creating a player-character for Mazes & Minotaurs follows a very simple seven-step process:
Step 1: Select the character’s class.
Step 2: Roll the six basic attributes.
Step 3: Determine name, gender and age.
Step 4: Determine combat scores.
Step 5: Determine other scores.
Step 6: Determine wealth and equipment.
Step 7: Flesh out the character.
Step 1: Class Selection
In M&M, each player-character belongs to a class. A character’s class may reflect his occupation, vocation or social background. These rules describe twelve classes, divided into three broad categories:
Warriors
Amazons, proud and undaunted female warriors
Barbarians, savage warriors from the wild lands
Centaurs, reckless and boisterous men-horses
Nobles, lords and champions of the civilized nations
Spearmen, elite soldiers and brave defenders
Magicians
Elementalists, masters of air, earth, fire or water
Lyrists, divinely inspired poets and musicians
Nymphs, alluring female spirits of Nature
Priests, servants and messengers of the Gods
Sorcerers, masters of illusion and mind magic
Specialists
Hunters, expert trackers and marksmen
Thieves, masters of stealth and subterfuge
A character’s degree of accomplishment in his class is reflected by his level. All player-characters start at level 1 and will gain new levels during the course of the game, up to level 6.
Additional Classes
Above are the
base classes as set out in the Mazes and Minotaurs Rule Book. However, there are quite a number of the supplements to the game found at the M&M website for additional character classes. As of 2019-2020, I am opening up
almost all of those classes as being available to play for new players:
These are:
1.
Archers (Warrior Class) "Archers are elite, military-trained bowmen"
- description found at
http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/RMM4.pdf, page 5.
2.
Cavalrymen (Warrior Class) "A proud Cavalryman and his equally proud battle horse"
- description found at
http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/RMM4.pdf, page 5.
3.
Beastmasters (Magician Class) "magicians who hold mysterious power over the animal kingdom."
- description found at
http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/RMM4.pdf, p.22
4.
Shapeshifter (Magician Class) "Shapeshifters are humans blessed with the innate magical ability to transform their body into a variety of forms, including animal ones."
- description found at
http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/RMM4.pdf, p.24
5.
Sacred Healer (Magician Class) "Sacred Healers are the priestly servants of
Asclepius, the god of medicine."
- description found at
http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/MISCELL.pdf, p.2
6.
Archaeologist (Specialist Class) "Armed with only their wits, intellect and resourcefulness (not to mention a healthy dose of luck), these seekers of lost knowledge explore ancient ruins, mysterious islands and other perilous locales in search of forgotten lore (rather than glory or wealth) – be it in the form of trinkets, texts or treasure (which includes, of course, mythic items).
- description found at
http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/MQ11.pdf, p.29
7.
Assassin (Specialist Class) "Assassins are professional killers skilled in stealth, infiltration and poisoning. Most of them hire their services as freelancers, but some of them are in the (secret) service of a king or powerful organization, such as a secret cult or a politically influential guild."
- description found at
http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/MQ12.pdf, p.33
8.
Mariner (Specialist Class) "Mariners are the best seamen of Mythika. Most of them are members of the Brotherhood of Mariners, a loose organization that tries to enforce the “Code of the Sea”"
- description found at
http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/TRITONS.pdf, p.6
9.
Pankratiast (Warrior Class) "The Pankratiast is an athlete, the undisputed master
of pugilism and wrestling. Punches, kicks, grapples, chokes and takedowns form his arsenal, one he requires no weapons to employ."
- description found at
http://mazesandminotaurs.free.fr/MISCELL.pdf, p.4
Step 2: Basic Attributes
A M&M character’s physical and mental capabilities are represented by six attributes:
MIGHT (physical strength)
SKILL (adroitness and martial training)
WITS (alertness and cleverness)
LUCK (good fortune and divine favor)
WILL (resolve and self-discipline)
GRACE (charm and appeal)
Roll 2D6+6 six times and distribute the six scores between your character’s attributes.
In M&M, all player-characters are assumed to be above-average individuals, favored by fortune and fate. For this reason,
if the sum of the six scores is less than 75 or if they do not include at least two scores of 13+, simply discard the six scores and roll a new set of attributes; if needed, repeat this procedure until the dice give you a total of 75 points or more with at least two scores over 12.
Once you have generated the six attribute scores, you may lower one of them by 1 or 2 points to increase another score by the same amount. This may only be done once and may not take the increased attribute score over 18.
The two highest scores must always be allotted to the two primary attributes of the character’s class (see Table 1A page 5).
The other scores may be distributed as the player wishes between the character’s other attributes. Each attribute score gives a modifier (‘mod’), which will be used for various calculations (see Table 1B).
Step 3: Name, Gender and Age
The character’s name is chosen by the player – try to find a name that sounds Greek or Mediterranean. A character‘s gender is usually the same as the player’s but exceptions are possible. Some classes also have specific gender restrictions. A character’s starting age is normally rolled on 2D6+15 for Warriors or Specialists and on 2D6+20 for Magicians, except for Nymphs who are ageless.
Step 4: Combat Scores
The combat abilities of a character are reflected by several important scores, all of which are derived from his attributes, as detailed below.
A character’s
Melee modifier is applied to all his attack rolls in hand-to-hand combat. It is equal to the sum of the character’s Might modifier (physical strength), Skill modifier (weapon training) and Luck modifier (battle fortune). A character’s
Missile mod is applied to all his attack rolls in missile combat. It is equal to the sum of the character’s Skill modifier (accuracy), Wits modifier (alertness) and Luck modifier (lucky shot).
A character’s
Initiative score reflects his ability to strike first in combat. This score is equal to 10, plus the character’s Skill modifier (combat training) and Wits modifier (alertness).
A character’s
Defense Class reflects how hard he is to hit in combat. A character’s basic Defense Class is equal to 12 plus his Luck modifier. A character’s EDC (Effective Defense Class) is equal to his basic Defense Class plus 2 for each piece of protective equipment: breastplate, helmet, shield.
A character’s
Hits Total represents the amount of injury he can take before being killed. It is equal to his Basic Hits (12 for warriors, 10 for specialists and 8 for magicians), modified by his Might mod.
Step 5: Other Scores
Saving Rolls
A character has four saving rolls which may come into play in various adventuring situations. Each saving roll score is equal to the sum of three attribute modifiers (which always include the Luck modifier, as a direct reflection of the character’s good fortune and divine favor).
Athletic Prowess rolls are used when characters attempt actions like climbing, swimming etc. A character’s Athletic Prowess modifier is equal to the sum of his Might modifier (muscles and fitness), Skill modifier (adroitness) and Luck modifier.
Danger Evasion rolls are used to avoid perils and react quickly to unexpected situations. A character’s Danger Evasion modifier is equal to the sum of his Wits modifier (alertness), Skill modifier (reflexes and precision) and Luck modifier.
Mystic Fortitude rolls are used to resist the effects of hostile magic and other supernatural powers. A character’s Mystic Fortitude modifier is equal to the sum of his Will modifier (strength of mind and spirit), Wits modifier (presence of mind) and Luck modifier.
Physical Vigor rolls are used to resist the effects of poison, illness, pain, fatigue and other hardships. A character’s Physical Vigor modifier is equal to the sum of his Might modifier (strength and stamina), Will modifier (willpower) and Luck modifier.
Athletic Prowess = Might mod + Skill mod + Luck mod Danger Evasion = Wits mod + Skill mod + Luck mod Mystic Fortitude = Will mod + Wits mod + Luck mod Physical Vigor = Might mod + Will mod + Luck mod
Personal Charisma
All characters have a Personal Charisma modifier, which reflects their presence, personal aura and natural leadership qualities. A character’s Personal Charisma is equal to the sum of his Will modifier (strength of personality), Grace modifier (natural charm) and Luck modifier. A character’s Personal Charisma will affect other people’s reactions when they first meet him as well as his ability to attract and command henchmen and other followers.
Special Talents
Specialists have a special score which reflects their mastery in their specialty: Hunting for Hunters and Thievery for Thieves.
In both cases, this score is equal to the sum of the character’s mods from his two primary attributes.
A Hunter’s Hunting score is equal to the sum of his Skill and Wits modifiers.
A Thief’s Thievery score is equal to the sum of his Wits and Luck modifiers.
Thus, a first-level Thief with a Wits of 16 (+2) and a Luck of 13 (+1) will have a Thievery score of +3.
Magical Abilities
All magicians also have three additional scores which reflect their magical abilities: Mystic Strength, Power points and a special talent score which varies according to their class.
Step 6: Wealth and Equipment
Each character starts the game with the equipment listed in the description of his class (as well as basic items such as clothes, sandals etc).
Characters also receive a certain amount of money expressed in silver pieces (SP). The silver piece (sp) is the basic currency unit in the world of Mazes & Minotaurs but other types of coins exist:
1 gold coin (gc) = 100 silver pieces (sp) 1 silver piece (sp) = 100 copper pieces (cp)
This starting wealth can be saved for later or spent on extra equipment: see the Standard Price List. See also the rules on Encumbrance later in this chapter for more details about the weight and bulk of weapons, armor and other items.
Step 7: Fleshing Out
M&M characters should be more than a collection of statistics and a list of equipment.
Before play begins, players may choose to add various details to the description of their characters, such as his physical appearance and demeanor, his most notable psychological traits, family matters, personal history and other background elements.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:43, Mon 28 Sept 2020.
