Let’s recreate the myths
Thanks to the Stinger Press publishing house, the second edition of the role-playing game Agon has been released in Poland . Setting by John Harper and Sean Nittner takes us to the world of ancient Greek mythology. Returning from the war, our heroes lose their way home among islands full of mythical creatures, villains and dangerous enemies. The heroes will face the adventures that await in each of these lands, shaken by the conflicts and whims of the gods. Players will have to show boldness, courage, bravery, but also cunning to get out of numerous oppressions and write their own history on the pages of mythology. The ultimate goal of the game is to return the heroes and heroins to their homes, but they face a whole host of challenges that will either bring them fame or eternal disgrace.
A climate straight from Xena
The textbook itself is a fairly thin, but very nicely published booklet. It reflects the nature of the game itself, which is supposed to be simple and easy to learn even for beginners. Concise rules allow you to get to the right game very quickly, which is a huge plus for the authors. The graphic design is quite economical, but it fits perfectly into the atmosphere of Agon . After all, we deal with the subject of ancient Greece, and the illustrations bring to mind the works of ancient painters, which we can see on vases and amphoras that have survived to this day. The authors also provide their inspiration for creating the game, which they also recommend to empathize with the atmosphere of Agon . Among them we can find, for example, the epics of Homer, the series Xena: Warrior Princessor the Apotheon game . We are quickly presented with descriptions of individual islands that can be used in the adventures of heroes. Short, concise and to the point.
Fast-legged Achilles or Fearless Hektor?
I really liked the process of creating my own character. It does not resemble quite a long creation of a hero straight from other RPG systems – here we deal with lightning-fast action, taking about a quarter of an hour. Each hero must have his name, epithet and lineage. Thanks to this, the names of the characters sound as if they were taken straight out of the Illiad– for example, Swift-legged Philoctet, a descendant of Ares. The heroes then choose their domains to determine their effectiveness during trials as the game progresses. Additionally, they have God’s Mercy points, which help heroes to better cope with certain challenges. In order to complete the creation of your character, you should also describe its appearance and note down Ties. They differ depending on whether our hero is a mortal or a demigod. The lightning-fast process results in the creation of a ready-made hero or heroin, in which the character sheet has very few numbers but full of character!
Saviors or maybe doom?
Each of the islands encountered by heroes on their way is a separate adventure that may be part of a longer campaign. The heroes land on a new land, learn about the situation there (usually deplorable or very suspicious), and then solve the problems of local residents. If all goes well, of course. As in RPG games, everything can fall apart easily, and the heroes leave the island in even worse condition than they found it. The fortunes of characters and islanders often depend on Trials. They are resolved with dice and test a given domain of heroes (art and oration, blood and bravery, craftsmanship and mind or spirit and firmness). The result is always the success or failure of the heroes group. Then comes the narration of players who – by listing their heroes using nicknames – describe their actions and contribution to the event. The atmosphere straight from ancient stories is guaranteed! After the final battle that will determine the fate of a given island, it’s time for a further journey. This is the time to make offerings to the gods and replenish your inventory. The game leader also fills the fields on a special Star Map. Each of the deities of Olympus has a place on it. If the players manage to fill the constellation of one of them, the heroes can finally safely return home.
Feeling required to play well
Have I found any downside to Agon ? Unfortunately, the full commitment of all players is essential in this game. There are not many rules or intricate mechanics in this system, which adds to the emphasis on the quality of the narrative. If at least one player is not willing to describe their actions, the game will simply lose. I don’t mean the incredibly rich and flowery performances in every action of the character. A simple commitment to creating a story is enough, but for less experienced players it is sometimes difficult to achieve.
Islands should not be missing
As a fan of Greek mythology, I couldn’t have dreamed of a better RPG setting. A concise, simple textbook allows you to start your adventure as heroes traversing exotic lands full of monsters, gods, hostile armies and giants. The book has been enriched with examples of islands, each of which is a separate challenge for a group of our heroes. At the moment, Agon has probably become my favorite RPG system, and the sessions with my friends will not get bored for a long time. An add-on was also released to the game – Agon. Additional islandsAndrzej Stoj. The author provides players with eight more lands to explore, which gives our heroes a lot of adventures (it is also possible to create new ones on your own). Moreover, this expansion to the base game focuses more on the war that gave rise to the heroes’ journeys.
