#cadfael

Ex-warrior monk Cadfael solves murders by being an expert herbalist and is surrounded by other monks with personal agendas and emotional hang-ups. Bonus hot Sheriff sidekick.

Here's Cadfael, seen here disarming a soldier with his bare hands.

They pointed out that a lot of the skills and core assumptions of EUREKA are thoroughly grounded in the 20th century. It's assumed that the characters have access to motor vehicles, libraries (and/or the early internet), and firearms; changing the relevant skills would be such a pain that you'd be better off using a different engine of theirs. Or, you know, just playing something else.

Today, I was looking for solo TTRPGs during the Itch sale, and I stumbled upon this:

It's a game that is specifically designed to be a Cadfael/Name of the Rose monastery mystery game, with a focus on rumours and the very very thin line between "the works of God" and "baseless superstition". You're monks whose job is to determine whether something is an Actual Genuine Miracle or a hoax, and you wind up solving your share of murders, thefts, and other mortal sins along the way.

I... debated... whether to tag the EUREKA devs in this, because Rosewood Abbey looks like a game they would not like. (Among other things, I know they're not fans of the PBTA engine). But I decided to, because it proves a point they really like to make:

If you want to play a particular TTRPG, but the story you want to tell would require hacking the engine, the odds are good that you should not tell that story in that game. There is probably someone who has made a different game that is much more suited for the story you want to tell, and you should probably use that game, instead of trying to make an engine (cough 5e cough) do things it's not intended to do. You, your players, and the dev teams making these games will all be happier for it.

Anyway, seriously, go check out EUREKA- it's got the best mystery-solving mechanics in the TTRPG scene and the devs are incredibly thoughtful and clever. Just, you know, set your game in 1965 rather than 1165.

MY BOY

MY BOY

THIRD ROUND: 4th Tilt

Hugh Beringar, Cadfael (1994-1998) VS. Gu Tingye, The Story of Minglan (2018)

Propaganda

Hugh Beringar, Cadfael (1994-1998) Portrayed by: Sean Pertwee Defeated Opponents: - Prince John [Claude Rains], The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) - Father Beocca [Ian Hart], The Last Kingdom (2015-2022) - Sandor “The Hound” Clegane [Rory McCann], Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

“The One True Hugh! He deserves much support. I love Sean Pertwee's portrayal of the saturnine, intelligent Hugh, and the way he captures the character's warmth and humor and the frequency with which he is just Done. Also those cheekbones could cut glass, good LORD.”

Gu Tingye, The Story of Minglan (2018) Portrayed by: Feng Shaofeng Defeated Opponents: - Gündoğdu Bey [Kaan Taşaner], Resurrection: Ertuğrul {Diriliş: Ertuğrul} (2014-2019) - Sir Henry “Hotspur” Percy [Joe Armstrong], The Hollow Crown (2012-2016) - Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe [Anthony Andrews], Ivanhoe (1982)

“Clever, kind, and loyal. Smart-ass of THE CENTURY. He puts up with no shit, plays a mean game of polo, kicks ass in war, and loves his wife only *slightly* less than he loves his children. He is sharp and sassy and sexy as hell--like a kind of Chinese James Spader. Hot Husband with a double capital "H".

Additional Propaganda Under the Cut