I always loved the idea behind Mazes & Minotaurs: a Classic mythology version of Dungeons & Dragons, given for free to the gaming community. It is brilliant, simply put.

M&M starts with an uchronic assumption: what if Gygax and Arneson decided to use Ancient Greek mythology as inspiration instead of fantasy literature to create Dungeons & Dragons? Now the world (of role playing) would be so different! Someone build an entire ruleset on this assumption that is fun to read (and to play, I guess) on something different to your “elf & dwarves stuck in a underground dungeon” usual campaign.

But M&M remains substantially a retro-clone of the OD&D/BX family, mildly modded. Another aspect which I am not fond of is the secondary world of Mythica as the main setting.

Last year I was working on a secondary world of mine, the region of Rhoenia, in my intention a clockpunk sword & sandals. Rhoenia is a sea basin like the Mediterranean, inhabited by the descendants of ancient people magically (?)transported there by “The Glare”. Maybe someday I’ll return there to complete the setting for a campaign using The Sword of Cepheus as planned.

But what about an RPG based on Greek Mythology, set in a “mythic version” of real ancient world and more agile than M&M?

Here in Italy it is quite usual if one goes to liceo (the oldest and respectable form of high school) to grown up absorbed in Greek and Latin literature. Personally, not only I attended liceo scientifico (scientific subjects oriented high school) but I somewhat grown up with Greek mythology since my mother brought me a book when a I was a kid. Then in middle school I studied Iliad and Odissey with all their connected lore. My literature teacher, seeing I was passionate about mythology, assigned me a Greek mythology anthology that summer. Long story short: I know Classical mythology quite a bit.

There are a few rulesets based on Classic Mythology, one is a short booklet called Mediterraneo, published in Italy over 20 years ago. But the theme is definitely not as common as one who grew with my cultural heritage would expect.

My idea is to hack Cairn to make a “Greek Mythology themed” RPG, like Runecairn made for Norse mythology.

I have a bunch of disorganized ideas and this blog is going to host my development diary. Stick around if you are interested!