Barbarian Prince - Introduction and Rules

a Community-Driven RPG starting on March 1, 2019 by 9 AM EST

_{Image source}

"Evil events have overtaken the Northlands. You -- Cal Arath, Barbarian Prince -- are in hiding and the usurper who killed your father, the Old King, now sits on his throne. Now you must flee south and raise enough gold by adventuring to equip an army with which to regain your rightful heritage. The way will not be easy, for the men of the south are strange, and some are schooled in the black mysteries. The passes are guarded by monsters, it is said, and in the ruined cities lurk foul things never born of this earth. But you have your stubborn Northland will and your great sword -- and woe to anyone or anything which stands between you and your quest..." (Source: Dwarfstar Games Barbarian Prince website)

We will kick off the First Turn on March 1, 2019 by 9 AM EST.

What is Barbarian Prince?

Barbarian Prince is a solitaire game of heroic adventure in a forgotten age of barbarism and sorcery. No opponent is necessary as the Event Booklet takes players through a pre-programmed sequence of encounters which is different each time they play the game. For each event, the player, as the Barbarian Prince Cal Arath, must make the decisions which will make the quest successful -- or may cost them their life.

Barbarian Prince was a new concept in Adventure Gaming at the time it was released. No rules reading was required; the programmed event sequence let players begin play as soon as they opened the box!

Barbarian Prince shipped with a full-color 12" x 14" mapboard, a die, rules folder, Event Booklet, and summary sheet. Fans will remember the detailed cast metal figure of the Barbarian Prince, used to mark their position on the board.

Barbarian Prince was first published in 1981, and Reaper Miniatures holds the copyright. The solo game was Designed and Developed by Arnold Hendrick. Cover Painting was done by Frank Cirocco. Map, Rule Illustrations, and Graphics were done by Cynthia Sims Millan. Typography was done by Arnold Hendrick. Figure Design was done by Max Carr.

We will kick off the First Turn on March 1, 2019 by 9 AM EST.

How does a Community-Driven Roleplaying Game (RPG) work?

The idea to play Barbarian Prince with the Steemit Community is thanks to inspiration from 𝕆ℕ𝔼 𝕐𝔼𝔸ℝ ℝℙ𝔾 (@postplaygames), operated by @supermegaship. Each day for a year, @supermegaship guides players through a world rich with fantasy roleplaying imagery. He allows the players to determine what actions the hero takes next. And the outcomes can be quite excited! I recommend you check out 𝕆ℕ𝔼 𝕐𝔼𝔸ℝ ℝℙ𝔾 (@postplaygames) if you enjoy roleplaying in the slightest.

With regard to Barbarian Prince, the game was created to be run as a solitaire game. From the start, the player is asked to make life and death decisions on behalf of Cal Arath the Barbarian Prince! Rather than keep all the joy of playing this fine game to one person - this experiment in Community-Driven RPG gameplay seeks to let the community choose which hex to explore, which enemy to engage, which treasure to plunder, and which peoples to encounter.

During gameplay, all decisions will be made by the Steemit Community. Using the dPoll.xyz Service, the Game Master will post a poll. What happens next to Cal Arath the Barbarian Prince, is up to you, as a Community. While most dPolls last seven days, the results of these polls will be gathered within 24 hours of the Turn Summary being posted on Steemit.

If a dice roll is required, the Game Master will handle that action. Results will be reported in the Turn Summary along with any outcomes that impact the adventure. If the party encounters Combat, the Game Master will handle that action, and post the results as well. The goal of the game is to survive and reclaim the kingdom. Every step that does not require a Community Decision will be made with the goal of reclaiming the kingdom in mind.

When do we begin?

In order to give the Steemit Community time to discover and explore all that the game Barbarian Prince has to offer - this announcement post is simply a primer.

We will kick off the First Turn on March 1, 2019 by 9 AM EST.

PLEASE Resteem this Introduction post, and Invite Friends to play along. The more the merrier - everything Cal Arath does is determined by YOU, the Steemit Community!

Turns will continue once per day until the Kingdom is Reclaimed, time runs out to stop the Usurper, or Cal Arath is dead. Please, do not let it come to that!

The Traditional start of Barbarian Prince...

What follows is the first entry printed in the Barbarian Prince Rulebook. This is how a traditional playthrough would begin.

The nature of Community-Driven RPG mechanics prohibits us from posting the full and extensive rulebook here. Instead, as we reach a new rule together during gameplay, that rule will be introduced and experienced as a Community.

How to Play

Barbarian Prince is a realistic adventure game. You play the game in days. Each day starts with you selecting an action (r203), such as travelling to a new hex on the map. Depending on the action selected, you will be referred to a chart, where you roll one or two dice. The dice roll and chart may then indicate a special event section, which you then resolve.

After all events (if any) are resolved for your daily action, you must then eat your main (evening) meal, as described in the food rules (r215), and if in a town, castle, or temple hex, you must also purchase lodging (r217).

This ends the day, and you continue play with the start of the next day, where you select another action, etc. The game continues until either you are killed, or 70 days (10 weeks) elapse. If you haven't won after 70 days, the game is automatically lost!

Many events may lead to fighting, described in the combat rules (r220). You may also have additional characters (r201) join your "party." These additional characters are especially useful in fights, although some may have special knowledge or abilities useful in certain events. Magicians, wizards, witches, priests and monks are especially useful people to have in your party.

All events are self explanatory, and refer to the main rules section that describes how they are resolved. Once you've read the rules a couple of times you won't need to refer to them again unless you have a specific question. Remember, Barbarian Prince is a realistic game, so when in doubt about a situation, imagine yourself acting out the event in real life, and select the resolution that seems most realistic to you.

To start the game, go to event e001.

And that is how we will set forth on a journey into the world of the Barbarian Prince... We begin on March 1, 2019 by 9 AM EST.

What are other Players saying about Barbarian Prince?

"The amount of detail is amazing, the replay value impressive, the rules systems staggeringly smart." - Rick Swan in Wargamer Vol. 2, #19.

"Arnold's rules are so well written that one can begin play literally within two minutes of opening the box." - David J. Ritchie in Strategy & Tactics #88.

"This writer gives Barbarian Prince four gold stars." - Glenn Rahman (designer of Divine Right) in Dragon #54.

"Each time I play ... things are always different. What's more, I haven't won a game yet." - Matthew Costello in Gameplay #4.

"Twenty-three games at this bloody thing and I've only managed to win SIX!" - Bill Watkins in Nexus #1.

"In thirty odd attempts I have not met the victory conditions ... a colorful and absorbing game." - Bill Skirrow in White Dwarf #29.

"Barbarian Prince is not advertised as a super difficult game, but it is very difficult to win." - Arnold Hendrick in The Space Gamer #47.

Explore the Full Map to Plan Our Journey

_{Image source}

Support this Community-Driven RPG project with a quick Upvote ⏫ or Resteem 🔄 - Thanks! 👊

© 2019, A.E. Jackson. All rights reserved.

_{Image source}