Elric RPGs
Rôle playing in the Young Kingdoms

Stormbringer

Stormbringer – strictly, Michael Moorcock’s Stormbringer – is a fantasy roleplaying game, now in its fifth edition, based on Moorcock’s tales of Elric and other incarnations of the Eternal Champion.

Moorcock is quoted as saying, “Stormbringer reveals more about my own fantasy world than I could have guessed! It does not merely derive from the books – it complements them perfectly. The game is delightful.” (However, Mike’s relationship with Chaosium has become increasing strained since the early days…)

In this game, the Players portray ordinary people from the Young Kingdoms who seek adventure, riches, power, and understanding, and who face the same sorts of situations and dangers that not only Elric but also Dorian Hawkmoon and Corum encountered.

Stormbringer 5E supersedes Chaosium’s earlier Elric! RPG, which itself replaced earlier editions of Stormbringer!

The 1987 edition of Stormbringer (left) was published jointly by Chaosium in the U.S. and Games Workshop in the UK.

To accompany the game, GW’s Citadel Miniatures produced a range of Young Kingdoms miniatures, including this one of Elric himself (right).

Dragon Lords of Melniboné

This is Chaosium’s version of Stormbringer/Elric! based on the D20 System that underlies the Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition.

This is not, however, Elric’s first appearance in a D&D-related product!

In 1980, the heroes, monsters, and gods of Melniboné and the Young Kingdoms appeared in the AD&D Deities & Demigods (2013). The original version included the Melnibonean mythos (as well as the Chthulhu mythos). However, Chaosium was not thanked for these mythoi on the bottom of page 4, although TSR apparently had permission to use them.

This oversight was rectified in the second printing – “Special thanks are also given to Chaosium, Inc. for permission to use the material found in the Cthulhu Mythos and the Melnibonean Mythos.”

But later editions, including Legends & Lore (1985; 2013), omitted both these fictional pantheons. One story behind this is that Chaosium’s permission was withdrawn (for unknown reasons); another that senior folks at TSR were not happy to “promote” a rival company. The Dungeons & Dragons Third Edition Deities and Demigods (88165) does not contains either of these.

Mongoose’s Elric of Melniboné

Mongoose Publishing is publishing an Elric of Melniboné FRPG that uses the game engine from its “new, streamlined, 21st Century edition” of RuneQuest. The Elric of Melniboné is scheduled for publication in June 2007 with supplements following.

The eldritch isle of Melnibone and the Young Kingdoms across the sea provide a wealth of strange places, deadly foes and potent spells for the Elric of Melniboné roleplaying game. Sail the seas of fate into a demon-haunted world where dragons ride the storm-racked skies and the price of dreams is above rubies. Walk the streets of fabled Elwher, steal the lore of Pan Tang, and cross the Sighing Desert as you quest for eternal Tanelorn.

… [travel] to the Young Kingdoms where dragons fly the skies and chaos reigns!

Mongoose is also publishing other Eternal Champion material, including Hawkmoon (with a Granbretan supplement announced) and maybe Corum too… “Rumours of a forthcoming Corum RPG should not be dismissed as simple gossip either”!