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Agon
Agon - roleplaying game - greek mythology - heroes
118 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2006
6 people are currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
John Harper
143 books19 followersLibrarian Note:
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There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
This profile may contain books from multiple authors of this name.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 5, 2021
Agon is a gorgeous presentation of a high concept wrapped over mechanics that are decidedly average. You're a crew of heroes in weird mythic Greece (think Xena: Warrior Princess) on a journey to islands each troubled by strife. You'll interpret the signs of the gods and engage in challenges and battles to save the people of the island.
Players roll dice including their Name, Epithet if it applies, one of four Domains (Arts & Oration, Blood & Valor, Craft & Reason, Resolve & Spirit) as well as divine favor, bonds, and other bonus dice. Keep the two highest dice, plus divine favor d4s. The GM rolls for strife, taking the highest dice from his pool + a static number. If you succeed, you get glory, a big XP track, and if you fail you take Pathos and the GM narrates the outcome against you.
The system is serviceable, a simple dice pool is hard to break, but I also feel like it doesn't do much to guide the fiction in appropriately mythic dimensions. And while there are plenty of cool islands to adventure on at the end of the book, I wanted a little more heft.
Players roll dice including their Name, Epithet if it applies, one of four Domains (Arts & Oration, Blood & Valor, Craft & Reason, Resolve & Spirit) as well as divine favor, bonds, and other bonus dice. Keep the two highest dice, plus divine favor d4s. The GM rolls for strife, taking the highest dice from his pool + a static number. If you succeed, you get glory, a big XP track, and if you fail you take Pathos and the GM narrates the outcome against you.
The system is serviceable, a simple dice pool is hard to break, but I also feel like it doesn't do much to guide the fiction in appropriately mythic dimensions. And while there are plenty of cool islands to adventure on at the end of the book, I wanted a little more heft.
November 23, 2025
This is a cool concept for a game.
I prefer Narrative RPGs than Statical RPGs.
Essentially Agon is an episodic RPG set in Greek Mythology where you take on the role of Heroes who are an Odyssey attempting to find their way home through encounters with various mysterious islands. Once you appeal the gods enough, you can go home.
It's real interesting and I wanna give it a try.
But what's most interesting is that they say you don't have to the Greek setting. They imply any Mythology (within respect) will do; examples they give is Greco-Indian, Philippines, and Caribbean.
Yooo!
You could do a campaign based with Catholism/Christian where you play as Crusaders returning from the Crusades and you get lost in the seas. The pantheon could be God and the Archangels. That could be something.
Love games that allow to experiment and expand the rules as far as they can.
I am excited to play Agon!
I prefer Narrative RPGs than Statical RPGs.
Essentially Agon is an episodic RPG set in Greek Mythology where you take on the role of Heroes who are an Odyssey attempting to find their way home through encounters with various mysterious islands. Once you appeal the gods enough, you can go home.
It's real interesting and I wanna give it a try.
But what's most interesting is that they say you don't have to the Greek setting. They imply any Mythology (within respect) will do; examples they give is Greco-Indian, Philippines, and Caribbean.
Yooo!
You could do a campaign based with Catholism/Christian where you play as Crusaders returning from the Crusades and you get lost in the seas. The pantheon could be God and the Archangels. That could be something.
Love games that allow to experiment and expand the rules as far as they can.
I am excited to play Agon!
August 21, 2020
There has been a noticeable rise in recent years (though most clearly in the recent Ironsworn) of game designers really "getting" how to lay out their rules simply and clearly. They provide diagrams, they repeat the important bits, its great.
Agon does that as well, but from the 1 session I have GM'ed, I don't fully get the flow of the game, even if I do understand the rules. This is pretty common when running a new system but the pacing of Agon is so vastly different from the other games I have run. Its like the initial jump from anything OSR based (or any other system that requires a more thorough and detailed plan and playstyle) to the general Powered By the Apocalypse style of pushing details and scenes hard with Moves and simple resolutions.
Even without fully understanding how the pacing is supposed to feel, the aesthetics of Agon are incredibly sharp. The Islands in the back of the book are great inspiration, both in their ability to create direct and layered conflicts with a simple premise and opposing NPCs, and with their beautiful art that looks like what we imagine ancient Greek pot art to mean.
Agon does that as well, but from the 1 session I have GM'ed, I don't fully get the flow of the game, even if I do understand the rules. This is pretty common when running a new system but the pacing of Agon is so vastly different from the other games I have run. Its like the initial jump from anything OSR based (or any other system that requires a more thorough and detailed plan and playstyle) to the general Powered By the Apocalypse style of pushing details and scenes hard with Moves and simple resolutions.
Even without fully understanding how the pacing is supposed to feel, the aesthetics of Agon are incredibly sharp. The Islands in the back of the book are great inspiration, both in their ability to create direct and layered conflicts with a simple premise and opposing NPCs, and with their beautiful art that looks like what we imagine ancient Greek pot art to mean.
November 1, 2024
Цікава, хоча й трохи поверхнева спроба перенести грецький міт, а точніше - звитяги героїв, а ще точніше - Одисею, у настільну рольову гру. Цікавий ігролад створ.є гарний кістяк, на якому, на жаль, трохи бракує "м'яса" - бо автори очікують, що гравці додаватиме стільки і того, що хочуть і можуть саме вони, себто в одній групі гра може нагадувати трохи крінжову серію "Ксени" чи "Геркулеса", а у інший - деталізоване занурення в історію та мітологію. Ігролад тут - лише основа, і то цікава і гарно підлаштована під тему. Він повністю позбавлений ікроменеджменту і, як і більшість ігор Evil Hat, діє масштабними, широкими мазками, залишаючи деталізацію виключно декоративною. Це не ваша типова НРІ, тут не буде місця для різноманітних білдів та стратегій прокачки, вивчання сотень сторінок з різними властивостями, здібностями та іншим, так само геть інші акценти має менеджмент сутичок. Система приваблює саме своїм нетиповим поглядом на сам процес гри, в якому лише віддалено вгадується Powered by Apocalypse, який є тут радше певним підґрунтям, ніж базовим рушієм.
March 3, 2021
Not the game for me, but your experience may vary.
The book is absolutely gorgeous. The art is a different take on classical themes, and I absolutely love it. It's tempting to recommend the book solely on the quality of the art.
The game/rules?
Ugh. Not for me. I'm sure there are people who would like this, but the rules/play style is just goofy to me. The rules are simple ... but almost too simple, and I just don't see what's fun about this.
That said, I think there are a lot of adventure/scene hooks to pull out of this and use in a rule setting I like more.
So far, it seems to me that Harper's game systems (Agon, Blades in the Dark, et al) just aren't for me.
The book is absolutely gorgeous. The art is a different take on classical themes, and I absolutely love it. It's tempting to recommend the book solely on the quality of the art.
The game/rules?
Ugh. Not for me. I'm sure there are people who would like this, but the rules/play style is just goofy to me. The rules are simple ... but almost too simple, and I just don't see what's fun about this.
That said, I think there are a lot of adventure/scene hooks to pull out of this and use in a rule setting I like more.
So far, it seems to me that Harper's game systems (Agon, Blades in the Dark, et al) just aren't for me.
April 15, 2022
This RPG book is beautiful, geared toward narrative-driven storytellers, and I'm dying to play.
April 27, 2021
I was concerned about this game due to the reputation of the 1st edition being a heavily PvP style game, which is something my group is generally uninterested in, but my interest in the subject, authors and publisher combined to make me give it a try. I'm glad I did!
Agon is basically The Odyssey: the RPG. The player characters are a band of heroes sailing from island to island in a quest to reach home. Along the way they face challenges that build their legends. Each island represents a single adventure, and likely a single session.
This is a mechanically simple system that is more focused on the narrative, but the mechanics seem to provide just enough structure to support that narrative in play.
There is still an element of PvP. Each time a new island is discovered, the characters compete to determine who will be the leader. Each challenge defeated has one character who shines above the rest, and therefore takes the most Glory (which is a form of experience points). Fortunately, it doesn't look like these will be objectionable to my group.
Like pretty much all Evil Hat products, the graphic design and layout is attractive and functional. I don't see any problems that would make it difficult to reference in play.
I hope to get a chance to play it at some point.
Agon is basically The Odyssey: the RPG. The player characters are a band of heroes sailing from island to island in a quest to reach home. Along the way they face challenges that build their legends. Each island represents a single adventure, and likely a single session.
This is a mechanically simple system that is more focused on the narrative, but the mechanics seem to provide just enough structure to support that narrative in play.
There is still an element of PvP. Each time a new island is discovered, the characters compete to determine who will be the leader. Each challenge defeated has one character who shines above the rest, and therefore takes the most Glory (which is a form of experience points). Fortunately, it doesn't look like these will be objectionable to my group.
Like pretty much all Evil Hat products, the graphic design and layout is attractive and functional. I don't see any problems that would make it difficult to reference in play.
I hope to get a chance to play it at some point.
April 10, 2025
Agon es un juego de rol de inspiración homerica.
Está pensado para reflejar los viajes de la odisea de Homero en los que un grupo de héroes busca el camino hacia su patria y se enfrenta a la veleidad de los dioses.
La estructura de las partidas está pensada en primer lugar como una serie de desafios en los que el mejor entre sus iguales prevalecerá, y en segundo lugar por el camino del pathos, de cada héroe individual, que sufre de camino a su potencial heroico, y a veces tiene un final trágico.
Enlace al club de lectura que hicimos en Rolerøs no representativøs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvLfo...
Está pensado para reflejar los viajes de la odisea de Homero en los que un grupo de héroes busca el camino hacia su patria y se enfrenta a la veleidad de los dioses.
La estructura de las partidas está pensada en primer lugar como una serie de desafios en los que el mejor entre sus iguales prevalecerá, y en segundo lugar por el camino del pathos, de cada héroe individual, que sufre de camino a su potencial heroico, y a veces tiene un final trágico.
Enlace al club de lectura que hicimos en Rolerøs no representativøs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvLfo...
February 10, 2022
An interesting system combining a firm template for progressing through each 'island' of play with very freeform group storytelling.
I'd like to give it a go, but can imagine it will require enthusiastic players and some practice to make it sing.
The book itself is a lovely production. Perhaps my main criticism is that a little more flesh could have been put on the supplied islands, suggestive as they are.
I'd like to give it a go, but can imagine it will require enthusiastic players and some practice to make it sing.
The book itself is a lovely production. Perhaps my main criticism is that a little more flesh could have been put on the supplied islands, suggestive as they are.
January 21, 2025
There's a lot of great content in here. I'm definitely going to be using at least pieces of this to build out parts of other campaigns from other systems.
One thing that's a little weird is that it spends a lot of time making sure you know not to bully the other players while playing. I don't think you should bully people, in or out of a game, it just feels a little condescending for the rulebook to overextend itself like that.
One thing that's a little weird is that it spends a lot of time making sure you know not to bully the other players while playing. I don't think you should bully people, in or out of a game, it just feels a little condescending for the rulebook to overextend itself like that.
March 2, 2021
This is a very purpose-built roleplaying game to go on an Odyssey with your own Hero. I found the rules easy to understand with clear examples of gameplay. Queer-friendly and it gives a quick nod to safety tools. I can't wait to try it out!
September 12, 2021
Una interesante juego de rol que nos propone interpretar a unos héroes de la Grecia mítica embarcados en un viaje de vuelta a sus hogares, y que para lograrlo tendrán que congraciarse con los dioses mientras resuelven eventos en las diversas islas que visitan.
December 17, 2022
Cool idea for a cinematic hero game, I think this could be fun if you cannot get your full group together, or you have a lull in your campaign. I have not played yet, but it looks fun and pretty straight forward. Check it out.
Read
November 3, 2020Keen to try it.
January 8, 2021
can't wait to play it now!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews