Mission: Myth was created to allow gamers to escape the maze of rules and focus on playing the game, without spending money.
Vision: Myth has a very simple set of core rules to allow for fast character creation and easy content creation. There are no classes. Instead, players develop their characters organically and in real time, as they play. This shifts the focus of the game from killing things to other elements of the game such as plot and exploration. Myth is free and always will be.
FAQ
Q: What is Myth?
A: It's a tabletop role playing game, played with pen, paper and dice, and of course, your imagination.
Q: Doesn't the blog have setting content too?
A: Yes. In addition to providing a full system, I'm also providing a world to play it in.
Q: Why should I play Myth?
A: For newbies, the answer is literally simplicity itself. It's easy to create new characters, so you can focus on the important parts: their story and their personality. Combat is simple enough that an encounter with two kobolds won't last an hour (*cough4coughEcough*), yet robust enough that you'll still enjoy the epic battle with the red dragon. For DMs, it means that running the game is really easy, so you can focus on the little details that make it fun. Creating monsters and even entire settings is easier than with any other system. It's also totally free, so it doesn't require an investment. Especially recently, Wizards has been completely interested in making money, so you get little bits of actual content hidden in many, many, expensive publications.
For veterans, the answer is that Myth is designed with the player's interests at heart. Not. Money. You all remember 3.5, and chances are you still play it. Because when 4 was released, let's face it: it was crap. Encounters took AGES, characters took hours to make, and there was a sea of endless crunching in sight for any DM making new content. So yeah, 3.5 was pretty good, and it was made even better when Paizo decided to polish it up a bit. I'm not denying that. I am saying that if your interests lie in telling a story rather than grinding and crunching, try Myth.
Q: What if our group's playing style is a weekly dungeon crawl?
A: I recommend Pathfinder. However, if you have played Myth and like the system other than the 'start-from-scratch' aspect, use archetypes (see below).
Q: Why aren't there classes in Myth?
A: Two reasons. Firstly, classes in most systems place limitations on what you can and cannot do (what type of weapon you can use, for example, or whether you can perform magic). One of the goals in making Myth was to leave those types of options wide open for everyone. Secondly, classes are not just about rules. They're also about roleplaying. Mages are bookworms. Barbarians are dumb. Paladins are judgmental. These stereotypes are often unavoidable, as parts of the classes actually dictate how you act. Myth seeks to buck this archetypal method of constructing a character, in favor of a more open-ended, build-as-you-go process which is more conducive to storytelling.
However, I understand the benefits of classes. Generally, they make it so your character is more awesome at the very beginning of a campaign. Furthermore, roleplaying is not everyone's forté, so it often helps to have an archetype like "bookworm" to base your character on. For these reasons, I've created an optional class-like system called exactly what it is: Archetypes. Each archetype is a character package which includes weapon and armor proficiency, abilities, and a healthy serving of flavor text. I would recommend using archetypes if:
-Your campaign values combat over storytelling
-Your campaign is short
-Your players are new to roleplaying or just don't care about it
Bennett Purdy would like to thank:
Gary Gygax
Dave Arneson
Rich Burlew
Jason Bulmahn
Everyone who illustrated 4E & Pathfinder books
Rich Burlew
Liam Tilling
Rich Burlew
For inspiration and...
Kory Ellis
Mike Moscato
Jon Stephenson
Chris Ellis (Outsiders are better now)
Michael Petkov
Riley Maasen
Brendan Byrnes
For playtesting!
