Cover art by Michael Herring
Just about all of us want to visit the world of our favorite comic book, movie, novel, video game, or TV character in person. That’s one reason why we have such a variety of RPGs today. Those of us long-familiar with RPGs can easily be persuaded to try out one based on our favorite game or movie or whatever. Star Wars RPG is an obvious example for me. It is also possible to get new players into the hobby, either as a publisher or a friend, by appealing to others’ interest in a given property. Many a post on the D20 Radio Star Wars subforums has begun, “This is my first time playing an RPG…” or “Some of my group have never done RPGs before…” There’s a couple book worlds that I would love to play in–and introduce my friends to. One of those is the Eleven Kingdoms of Katherine Kurtz’s Deryni novels.
The earliest volume of this high fantasy series was published in 1970 and I discovered it a decade later in my senior year of high school. Since then, there have been 16 novels (5 trilogies/story arcs and a standalone novel) plus 2 or 3 short story collections. Since then, it has remained right up there with Star Wars as one of my best-loved fictional universes. (Hard to credit that I’d love any non-SW setting that much?) The Eleven Kingdoms are very similar to real world medieval Western Europe (notably England, Wales, and Scotland) and Byzantium, except for the addition of magic, specifically the magically-talented Deryni race.
This is a brighter universe than Game of Thrones–although there are chapters and even novels that are almost as miserable, grim, and gory as 10 minutes of your average GoT episode. The roughly 200 years of fictional history covered by the books recounts the struggles of the Human Haldane kings of Gwynedd against their Deryni and Human enemies inside and outside their borders. The Haldanes are aided by their Deryni allies, even though for much of this history the Deryni are regarded as something between Irredeemable Sinners and Very Demons of Hell, by most Gwyneddan nobles, peasants, and Churchmen, partially due to a number of evil Deryni, living and legendary. These books are well-written and plotted, and have great characters, to go along with the rich world.
Another thing I appreciate, but which some people may not, is that the Deryni series is Christian fantasy, a genre that–done right, like these books–can be a lot more fun and less preachy than is assumed. I don’t think it is odd that a universe so close to our real European history would depict a powerful Christian Church of that era. And if you assume that all the professed Christians are the Good Guys and Gals and anyone who isn’t is a baddie, you are so. Very. Wrong. Yes all the major heroes are Christian, and some of them are priests and/or very devout laypeople. However, all the BBEGs also grew up in either the Eastern or Western branch of the Church and still at least pay it lip service–and it is the highest Archbishop in the land and his nastiest, toadiest crony who have my vote as Vilest Villains of the entire series. Hint: They have a lot in common with Melisandre. (There are a few minor Islamic or Hebrew characters and they are by and large, good folk.) I consider it a very even-handed depiction of my religion. So clearly, if this is going to be a good read–or campaign–for you, you need to be comfortable with this.
Okay, what system to use? I immediately thought of Fate, partly because it easily handles magic without a lot of mechanics and partly because I recalled reading years ago on the author’s website that there was a deal to publish a Deryni RPG using the FUDGE system, which Fate was developed from. I searched the internet a bit, and to my delight, discovered that the game was made and is still in print! <insert Snoopy happy dance here> It was published by Grey Ghost Press in 2005 and The Deryni Adventure Game is available there and on Amazon for US$39.99. Pleasantest surprise I have ever gotten doing research.
I won’t go into the mechanics here, but they are similar enough to today’s Fate and its variants that I don’t think it would difficult for Fate gamers to pick up. The book also has plenty of information on Katherine’s Kurtz’s world, enough that this rpg.net reviewer says that players who haven’t read the books will be able to play. This information covers not only the setting and a timeline but life in that historical time period for those who need or want it. I doubt the timeline will be up to date on Gweneddan history, because the latest trilogy, also the latest in chronology, was published 2008-2014, well after The Deryni Adventure Game, and I doubt Ms. Kurtz would have wanted so many spoilers, if she even had everything plotted out a decade beforehand.
Since I don’t have a copy of the book* currently, for actual reviews of the content and how it plays, I refer you to the above review–by someone who hasn’t read the novels–and this review on The Lady Gamer site–by a Deryni fan who also did some playtesting. (These reviews are where I got some of the information for this piece.)
Now if I can just find a few geeks who want to explore the Eleven Kingdoms with me! Hopefully one of them is someone with experience GMing FUDGE/Fate who likes that side of the screen better than I do. If that is you, please let me know.
*That will change by Christmas, as I am a completist when it comes to this beloved series.
Linda Whitson
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