With Christmas delaying cohesive gatherings for the ongoing Call of Cthulhu campaign, there has never been a better time to give kudos to an rpg system which emerged from Simon Washbourne in 2008 - 'Barbarians of Lemuria.
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| The original 2008 free edition, which had lovely little art pieces from old comics etc |
With inspiration taken from the books of Lin Carter (and Howard, Burroughs) in his Thongor series in the lost continent of Lemuria, it is a uniquely simple and devilishly cohesive system, which has been turned to sword and planet sagas, Musketeer epics, post-apocalypse stories and more. it delivers a streamlined yet deeply flavorful experience. Its greatness lies in a combination of elegant mechanics, creative freedom, and strong thematic cohesion.
The core mechanic uses 2d6 + attribute + career vs target number (usually 9), making resolution, which works well, and things are fast and deadly.
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| Then it got a proper dodgy cover in a nice 80s style |
Instead of traditional skills, Barbarians of Lemuria uses Careers - professional backgrounds like Barbarian, Thief, Slave, Sorcerer, or Sailor. Players assign points to four careers, which define what their character is capable of.
This system encourages versatile, archetypal heroes with rich backstories. A character might be a Mercenary (2), Soldier (1), and Scholar (1), suggesting a warrior who later gained knowledge after being Captain of the Citadel guard. Very sword & sorcery.
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| Then a French cover - the game remains very popular in French transations |
The magic system is freeform (i.e. you make sh1t up) and atmospheric, divided into three magnitudes:
First magnitude: feats a skilled human could achieve with 'stuff' (e.g., scaling a cliff magically).
Second magnitude: powerful effects like mind control or transformation.
Third magnitude: world-shaking spells like raising volcanoes or summoning storms.
Spells require specific, often dramatic (and thereby by the book) components (e.g., sacrificing a maiden, chanting in a forgotten tongue), giving the GM control and making magic feel rare and really dangerous. Similar systems exist for divine favor and alchemy, adding depth without complexity.
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| The Mythic Edition |
Hero Points are central to the game’s cinematic feel. They allow players to:
Reroll dice
Cheat death
Turn successes into mighty or legendary ones
Influence the narrative (with GM approval)
This mechanic empowers players to shape the story, reinforcing the larger-than-life tone. Points refresh between adventures, encouraging bold, heroic choices
Characters begin as competent heroes, not weak novices. Advancement is narrative: players earn experience by telling stories of their character’s exploits between adventures - drinking, gambling, seducing, or fighting. This keeps the game’s tone light and adventurous. Perfect!
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| The revised Mythic edition, with extra adventures translated from French fan scenarios |
There are various editions and spinoffs, including the Mythic Edition and the Everywhen system, A great little game, and no crunchy rules crap!
