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Yes! I love this one. Bald’s Eye-salve. I think it’s just the tip of the iceburg. For example, most medical historians and physicians will tell you that washing your hands before surgery, sterilizing instruments etc. was invented in the 19th Century (and the inventors were ridiculed and ostracized before it caught on). This is true, but PRIOR to the 19th Century, they did know this. Galen, Avicenna and Hyporcrites all said to wash hands before and after touching any wound, to boil instruments, to clean wounds with distilled vinegar, to use gold, silver and brass instruments where possible, etc. This was ditched in the 18th and early 19th Century because it was believed to be superstition! (which in a way it was, because they didn’t know about germ theory obviously).
I have personally seen at least a dozen kreuterbücher, German ‘cabbage books’ which include plant and herb drawings and descriptions of their properties as well as how to make medicines and drugs from them (lots of moonshining but how to make tinctures etc.) which are sitting in archives and have never been translated or even transcribed yet.
Incidentally I have Bald’s Eye-salve in the Codex rules. It’s in Codex Superno! Also in the market-tables in players guide and a couple of the adventure books.
I agree with you fully on all of this. And I’m very interested in any ideas you have including in the realm of demonology. I quite liked your Rope Trick. We will probably do another Superno book at some point as it sold pretty well and there is still a ton of untapped material to draw from. As you are well aware!
As for the demonology again, yes I agree it’s not hard for them to find things online. And I don’t want to be too much of a prude about it. I’m trying to walk a bit of a fine line. As you say, I have great respect for ‘spiritual technology’ from all parts of the world. There is nothing wrong with learning about even the dark bits.
It’s like in genre films and novels. I like the scary ones. But sometimes in the pop culture, especially in my country, they emphasize the nasty parts in a way that feels out of context and gratuitous. I want to try to avoid that. But I’m sure you know what I mean.
This looks very interesting, and I hadn’t heard of it! I love the image they show there…
Yes I would be VERY interested in a French translation. And thank you for the correction. We are planning a big revision of Quick Start Rules to fix several minor things and improve the artwork etc. We could release a French translation as part of that. I will email you, delighted to do this. I’m actually half French myself 🙂
But I do admit that aside from the fact that I think that while medieval magic did include demonology, it also went in many other directions (and I believe the neither ‘good’ nor ‘bad’ was the most typical) … I also feel a certain responsibility not to drive young people toward demonology as you say. I want to be at least respectful of the gravity of some of this material and the traditions, because (maybe this makes me seem foolish to say it) I don’t think all of this is purely nonsense. It’s very hard to say precisely where the nonsense leaves off and some things we just don’t fully understand take over.
I’ve seen this in enough other areas of medieval technology and traditions that I wouldn’t assume that we always know better today.
First of all – I agree! You absolutely SHOULD use any magic you want to use in your campaign. You should use anything you like, that is the first rule of TTRPG to me.
Second, John Dee is certainly an interesting character (did you see the news about his Aztec mirror?) although also in some ways a tragic one. I would also say that Golden Dawn / OTO etc. have been very sloppy with his version of the tradition. I would also say that as interesting a figure as Dee is there are quite a few more interesting characters in Continental Europe during the same period, particularly in Italy.
If I was going to pick a single figure to center my portrayal of Renaissance Magic though it would probably Cornelius Agrippa, as well as various others around and linked to him directly or indirectly (including Dr. Faustus).
I don’t think I left a big hole where black magic or demonology would be, there are demons in the book and some pretty nasty black magic spells. I just included a lot of other things around it. All the ‘gray area’ magic which seemed to be so common – I find that pretty interesting. If anything, I believe the more ostensibly ‘benign’ traditions such as the Cunning Man / Cunning Woman phenomenon doesn’t get it’s due in most RPGs or genre fiction. I think the whole gray area, not quite purely good but not quite truly evil either, is a big part of the whole medieval mentality, if you catch my meaning.
Regarding what kind of books were available in medieval bookshelves and so on, I think there is ongoing study on that subject! I know that of the six anonymous 15th Century necromantic grimoires that have been discovered in Europe (that I’m aware of) in the last 50 years or so only two have been partially published and so far as I know none of them have been released in a full English translation. Apparently there is a Russian translation of the CLM 849 now (since 2019) but I don’t have the skill to read Russian sadly.
This book is about this exact subject. It seeks to determine what kind of grimoires were on people’s bookshelves (and in libraries) and if, and to what extent goetic magic was being taught at Charles University in Prague and Jagiellonian University in Krakow. It’s a very interesting exploration (and well worth a read IMO) but he doesn’t have a definitive answer to that question.
He does however note for example that while the first three volumes of the Picatrix show up in many library catalogues in the 15th Century, the fourth volume is somewhat rarer (perhaps kept in a back room). And this is in the far more tolerant medieval period, compared to the later times when such things could get you burned. Overall though I think the jury is still out on this question. I would love to learn more.
I have Klassen’s 2015 book though I don’t have his more recent book on Elizabethan magic, as well as several works by Richard Kieckhefer, Francis Yates, and most of the main primary sources, including Agrippa, Picatrix, Book of Honorius etc..
I agree there is not such a huge difference between 15th and 16th Century magic but I think there is certainly a change by the time you get to the 17th and 18th Centuries. Wouldn’t you agree? 16th Century is a time of transition and there are many threads of esoteric philosophy woven through it. You have the mnemonic traditions of Raymond Lull being revived by Bruno, and attempt to consolidate alchemy, medicine and image magic by Paracelsus, various traditions of christian kaballah such as pursued by people like Ficino and so many of the neo-Platonists, and the gradually the rise of the Ars Notoria which would become so prevalent in later periods.
I am not really an expert on this subject, I have learned a little through the fencing manuals and reading about their context for years, and I kind of took a crash course on it all when I was writing Superno. But I get the impression there is still a lot to learn particularly from the medieval traditions (which I would say continue for a while into the 16th Century).
Superno was an attempt to show the width and breadth of the phenomenon of magic in the medieval period. I believe I did include a fairly reasonable sampling (plus some made up stuff for the amusement of the gamers). My critique of the 17th-18th Century and later traditions which focus so much on the Ars Goetia is not necessarily that it’s so naughty, as that it less interesting to me from a gaming perspective (or say, genre fiction). You certainly have some pretty chilling rituals in the CLM 849 and the Rawlings Necromantic Manuscript and several of the spells within do explicitly invoke demonic spirits, but they are complex and interesting rituals to me. It’s not purely about just summoning the right demon, abjuring them and then asking for favors.
That said, I think there is room to do a few more books in the Superno tradition, maybe one day I’ll dive into that direction, or maybe a bit more in the middle eastern direction. Did you ever see our little joke about the dreaded Jinn AL Barquan?
Nice little Twitter Blog on this subject
Mind-blowing. I just learned that Samurai, Conquistadors, Ottomans, and Aztecs fought one another. pic.twitter.com/A78yuoI4tb
— Varangian Chronicler (@Varangian_Tagma) December 30, 2021
I can tell you are well read on the subject. So take this with grain of salt, just my $.02.
Re: demonology, yes I agree it was certainly around, but the 15th Century and earlier manuals deal with quite a range of entities and forces, some don’t deal with spirits at all, just natural forces. Some deal with Classical deities or spirits. Most of the rest focused on Celestial spirits including both angels and somewhat unaligned ones, the Deccans and so forth. In a particularly interesting passage on one of the spells in the CLM 849 mentions how to address certain intermediate spirits specifically. My point is that the focus on some of those spells in the earlier manual are on the elaborate ritual, some focus on demons or devils, others on faerie or angels or these other in between spirits.
The later grimoires, 17th 18thC, seem to focus much more on the Goetic spirits almost exclusively. Some of the later practitioners seem to have thought of them as stand-ins or archetypes representing various forces, some of them took them more literally. But as I’m sure you know, the later books give you the diagram, the names to use and maybe a prayer, and a list of purported abilities of the spirit in question, and sometimes the rest (i.e. what you can actually get them to do, in detail) is left to the imagination.
To me the Goetic manuals are both a little less scary and a little more transgressive than some of the earlier books. As in, the 13th-15thC ones make the spirits sound much scarier (even the angels are apparently dangerous), but take more pains not to cross certain lines (or anyway, they don’t blatantly get into the highly transgressive potentials as much). If it’s ‘fan fiction’ some of these are very well done and do give you a bit of a chill. Anyway I thought these earlier manuals, particularly the 15thC ones had RPG written all over them, I wish I could get hold of some more translations of them. There is an English and a Dutch one in the pipeline so to speak but I don’t know the people working them so no way to know when they will be released.
That’s very interesting. I am from and live in New Orleans in Louisiana where there are still people who practice Voodoo and other similar practices. There is a range from tourist version /completely fake to half serious to deadly serious people. Far more of the former than the latter.
Most practitioners don’t realize that some of what they are into is from the Old World so to speak, like the Gris Gris contains diagrams from the Picatrix.
I have a HEMA buddy in Portugal, up north in Lisbon. He’s also a fan of some of my Codex writing though he’s only read one of the history books. I’m not sure if he plays RPGs but I know he does war games. We have talked about doing another history book about the early Portuguese adventures in the Pacific Rim in the early 16th Century. That would be a big project though.
Very interesting. I love that nuance on the spell where you can trap people in a cell as they pass through a door, that’s quite chilling! Very evocative. The summoning of demons to do various specific tasks is very characteristic of 17th Century magic ala Lemegeton etc. as I’m sure you know.
The spells in Superno are more based on certain of the 15th Century and earlier grimoires, in fact some of them are actually direct (though modified) copies of a few such spells, which typically involve complex rituals the first time but can be used with less elaborate setup subsequently (though not necessarily at will). There is of course a heavy emphasis on talismans and charms, which probably peaked in the 16th Century I guess but certainly goes back to antiquity.
I wanted to use the (to me) rather engaging elements of the earlier anonymous / clandestine type grimoires, some of which are just now being translated and published for the first time, rather than the better known to the esoteric tradition in the 17th-19th Centuries. I didn’t focus too much on the Goetic demon summoning partly because the earlier manuals focused a bit less on it, and partly because I don’t want to encourage or contribute to young people plunging into that kind of thing.
Not against studying it but as you know there is a long tradition of the abuse and misuse of these traditions, frauds and charlatans and scam artists, and overall a fairly dark ethical atmosphere to it all. It can be approached in a much more nuanced way but I feel that ‘path’ has a lot of pitfalls, so to speak.
There is also something almost Vancian in the mnemonic traditions of Lull, Bruno etc. which is close enough for comfort, so I felt I could rationalize not departing too far. I like to let the people who buy my books keep a lot of different options so they can use them in different ways. If you want to stick to something more like traditional DnD, you can, if you prefer to go more realistic or go off in one of the many directions available in traditional mythology you can do that too.
I’d like to do a series of these books focusing on traditions from specific regions. Are you from Spain? I ran into a lot of fascinating esoteric material and mythology from Cantabria in particular, but the Iberian peninsula is very rich in such traditions all over.
“Ill made knight” ? Can you tell me more about that?
Andrzej Sapkowsky, the guy who write the Witcher, has written a series of historical novels set in Silesia, about the Hussite rebellion, (plus a lot of other supernatural stuff) which I liked so far, I think only one of them is translated into English so that’s the only one I read so far.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hussite_Trilogy
I liked The Drawing of the Dark by Tim Powers. It also focuses on some supernatural stuff but it has Achille Marozzo in it at one point and I think he gets the HRE vibe pretty well.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Drawing_of_the_Dark
There is a series by this lady Dorothy Dunnet which is pretty good, set in Flanders but they make it up into the Baltic at one point.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House_of_Niccol%C3%B2
There is a rather obscure, old series of short stories, now in the public domain, by a Canadian guy named Robert Barr. I loved these and thought they really captured the ‘feel of the HRE with robber knights etc.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14469447-the-strong-arm
Finally, there is a mysterious book of what you might call “off color” fairy tales, called “Waggish Tales of the Czechs”. It was written anonymously back in the 30s and nobody knows who wrote it. The stories are very similar to medieval Maeren and claim to originate in the bedroom of the famous Lady Barbara of Cilli, as she and her handmaidens passed the time one stormy night.
They are funny and do have an edge. So depends on your taste, but I thought they captured that medieval mindset (the tawdrier parts) very well. Some people might find them offensive though so fair warning.
https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/title/waggish-tales-czechs/
Those are a few off the top of my head anyway
Achilles A 12/16/21
I got about halfway through the first page of chapter 1 when I blurted out, “Damn, this is going to be a fun game.”
In the Codex Core Rule book, you’ll find a dynamic game system that prioritizes strategy without sacrificing speed or pacing. Not an easy feat to accomplish, but they did it. Within the book you’ll find a system for armed and even unarmed combat. There is a large number of rules to this game, but you will find these rules easy to understand, remember, and intuitive. That’s why the Codex system can center on strategy without ending up bloated or slow. Your strategic options are numerous but easy to understand and fast to execute.
Codex focuses on armed combat and historical martial arts. This game offers a few options any GM should take seriously. First, it’s very modular. This system can be effectively adapted and combined with another TTRPG. This would be particularly useful for a low magic setting, but not, by any means, restricted to that type of game. Any homebrewer that enjoys tinkering with game mechanics should pick up this book.
If you have been playing the same TTRPG for a while and want to try something new, the Codex Core Rulebook is worth a read. A series of modules and adventures can also be purchased with this book. Codex isn’t just a alternative combat system. It’s a total game system that can, as an option, be adapted and assimilated by other game systems. Still, it’s totally playable independently.
One of the unique features of the Codex Core Rulebook is its focus on historical European martial arts. The book uses authentic illustrations from historical combat manuscripts. These illustrations offer the reader insight into the Codex world. You have a sense of realism with this combat system, and when combined with the illustrations of real combat techniques as well as the strategic nature of the rules, you get an elevated sense of immersion. Just reading the rules gives you a sense of what it would have been like to live and fight in medieval Europe.
Another element the writers of Codex ingeniously employed in their system, dice focused gameplay. As opposed to modifier focused gameplay. You build your character with different features that can be chosen as you level up. However, instead of simply adding a modifier to your character’s stats, you get more dice or can use your dice more strategically. I believe this is a trend that the TTRPG industry is headed towards, and Codex is there now. Rolling dice is fun, it’s suspenseful, it’s why we play tabletop games. Just like any other RPG, you build your character, but you don’t lose the excitement that comes along with the element of chance.
Codex blends strategy, immersion, and excitement in a new approach. It can be adapted into a campaign you’re in the middle of or a system that you love but needs some freshening up, but it also manages to stand alone as an independent and fully functional game. Any GM can find something worthwhile in the Codex Core Rulebook. This is easily one of the best gaming systems I’ve read this year.
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]
Sean D 12/03/21
This book is my favorite RPG supplement for any subsystem. It fixes every issue I’ve had with other combat systems, and every original concept is a winner.
We all have our preferences as to what gets abstracted and what gets simulated, but these rules are right in-line with what I want in combat: Armor as damage reduction, individual defensive values for weapons, un-nerfing of shields, combat experience contributing to your AC, and more. The addition of the “onset” range to combat is brilliant (AFAIK, this is a Martialis Codex original idea), as is its implementation. Giving each weapon separate bonuses for onset range and melee range fixes one of my biggest gripes about traditional RPG combat. I’ve always found it unacceptable that a guy with a dagger can face off against a guy with a long sword, and the dagger-weilder’s chance to get in for a strike against his opponent would be no different than if his opppnent was also weilding just a dagger. The rules for grapple-range combat are also of the “that’s how it should be done” quality.
My only criticism is that the rules could be clearer at times. I’ve had to compare the same rule on different pages once or twice to get exactly what the rule is. But (one of?) the author has been helpful in clarifying, and I wouldn’t let that hold you back from buying this book.
Iason-Eleftherios T. 10/19/21
TLDR: Best realistic combat rules to be used with their source game or easily convertable to d20 game systems.
Codex Martialis offers a unique way for running combat. As a professional historian dealing with martial culture and armaments I found the rules the best around in reflecting dangerous and complex actions that have consequences for the actor and their target. As an RPG GM I fell helmet over sabatons for this system because even though it looks complex it is straightforward, easy to learn and teach, and above all it provides a framework for turning combat into a narrative of its own. The book can be used with its mother game (Integrum) or easily adapted to d20 systems with micro-adjastments. I have used it now for a few months to spice up a DnD 5e campaign for a few months and players love the depth added to melee combat that has gone away from actions to simply hit and has turned into a series of calculated maneuvers that nearly always results in memorable combat narratives. The main axes of the book is the use of a dice pool over actions, that dictate the type of maneuvers and their effectiveness as chosen by the players. The second identifying feature is the ‘Feats’ designed for the system that allow melee characters to feel trully expert in perfmorming some actions and facilitate more complicated maneuvers. Finally, the weapons segment is amazing in diversifying how some of these objects were used rather than treating them as reskins. There is genuine thought behind why certain weapons fit the build of characters and how they can be used tactically. Optional rules for injuries are included and in my opinion they are a great working framework for use in most d20 rpgs that want some realism but do not want to reach the other end of unrealistic over-the-top gritty-gruesomeness that is often prevalent is some systems.
Interesting Jose, it sounds like C&S2 gives you a lot more options in combat without forcing a lot of extra complexity or slowing the action down. To be honest it’s very similar to the philosophy of Codex, we also try to save the extra die rolls for special circumstances. And the inclusion of active defense and spending more or less resources on an attack are all similar.
There are so many RPG systems out there it’s hard to keep track of them all but I’m a little surprised I hadn’t heard of Chivalry and Sorcery before. Always more to learn…
I see that it’s been around almost as long as DnD
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chivalry_%26_Sorcery
From the wiki it kind of reminds me of Harn, though perhaps with less focus on the actual world. Is Lion and Dragon a bit more focused on the world-building part?
