Has anyone actually played Jorune?

[Newtus]

...and if so how does it play?

Is it grim and gritty? Or is a game of investigation and intellegent choices?

I've just got a copy of 2nd ed, and I am hopefully just about to pick up 3rd ed, so I am interested in how the original rules play rather than any of the conversions.

[Vagabond]

The system is a little hard to get at first. Isho
and Color rules especially (specifically when
building characters).

It can be both grim'n'gritty (avoid combat if
possible, the system is very gritty - wounds
have a real effect on actions) and a game of
investigation and intelligent choices. It is
not designed to be hack'n'slash or dungeon
crawling. It is more geared towards exploration
and intrique - and the goal of attaining Drenn
status.

Check out the Jorune Yahoo group. A lot of
good stuff comes out of it, and one of the
guys responsible for 3rd edition is a regular -
and his own website http://www.jorune.org
is a good place to go to as well.

-V

I didn't like the system provided with Jorune. Second edition worked in a kind of more realistic D&D variant fashion. Third edition was a mess. Either stick with second or go download any of the numerous Jorune conversions from jorune.org.

When I played Jorune last, the world lent itself to an optomistic exploratory style sort of akin to Johnny Quest. Other styles of play are easily possible but the tone is a bit too lighthearted to easily move to a very dark and gritty campaign. Tekumel is very similar but has the gloomy unpleasant world aspect sewn up.

[Leif]

Ran it a couple of times, converted to GURPS. Those were two pretty different games; one time it was "bunch of starry-eyed youngsters solve mystery and capture bad guys", the other was more of a burlesque swashbuckling thing, both worked very well.

Maybe I'll dig it out again one of these years.