Log In 
Create Your Own World!
Elthos RPG was born in 1978. Over many years the rules have been distilled down into a concise yet flexible mini-system named “The One Die System“. This is the default configuration, but the Rules Book includes higher dice options for those who prefer more nuance to their games. It has evolved over time into a wonderfully flexible, light weight traditional style, genre-neutral, Role Playing Game Framework for Gamemasters who want to create your own World. The Elthos RPG Core Rules Book - The Elthos RPG Rules are designed to minimize grunt work, enable coherency, and facilitate creativity. The 80 page book includes a Table of Contents, an Introduction to the Philosophy of the Elthos System, Gamemaster Advice on running the system, Rules on everything you need to know to build your World and run your games, including Character Generation, Skills & Mystic Powers building, Combat, a wonderful set of Optional Rules, Example Combat with weapons and magic, as well as printable Elthos Character, Combat Tracking, and blank Hex Map & Square Map Sheets for your convenience, plus three handy Appendices, and a handy Page Index. It also provides the (optional) Tactical Combat rules that I devised in the early 1990's for those who like to get down to the nitty-gritty. Needless to say it's been reasonably well tested over time, though frankly I'm pretty sure I will never really be done tinkering with it. Nor should you be! This is a rules framework designed for GM tinkering. The books also feature my own homespun artwork that I created for my various Elthos Campaigns along the way. It's a nice system, and not that difficult to learn. There's even a few innovative ideas in there as well (at least they were innovative in 1978 afaik, and in some cases they may still be innovative). What I can say for certain is that my players and I have enjoyed it a lot over the years... and you might, too.
The Mythos Machine, which the Rules Book alludes to, is a Web Application that supports Elthos RPG with comprehensive set of Game Prep features that fully integrate the Elthos Core Rules. It is your online Number-Cruncher and World Record Keeper. It helps you to build your World's Places, Campaigns, and Adventures, as well as keep track of your Adventure Histories. With it you can create all the Things (Weapons, Armors, Races, Classes, Mystic Powers, Skills, etc) you may want to have in your World, as well as Manage your Player Characters, Adventure Groups and NPCs, and even Auto-Generate Monsters and NPC groups, along with a wide variety of other useful features. Its benefit is that it helps you save time on Game Prep and provides you with a single place to store all your World's information online. No more losing those old notebooks filled with years of Campiagn notes! Not only that, but your Players can use the Mythos Machine to Generate and maintain their Characters in your World(s) online! The Mythos Machine also allows Gamemasters to share their creations with other GMs on the system, thus forming the core of our Gamemaster's Mutual Collaboration Society. All the Mythos Machine asks in return is that you feed it with your fantastic imagination. Imagine being able to add new Things, or Places, or Adventures to your World from anywhere at any time. That's the true Power of the Mythos Machine. I know, because I use it all the time. Honestly, it's really great.The Elthos Rules and the Mythos Machine are designed to work together to provide Gamemasters an elegant and well structured environment for creating Worlds and recording your game stories. However, that said, the Elthos Core Rule Book is designed to be a stand alone product that can be used completely independently of the Mythos Machine for those who do not happen to like computers. I understand completely! So the book is here for you either way. But for those who do happen to like computers the Mythos Machine can be a truly amazing tool to help you keep your RPG games easy to manage and well organized!
I hope you will like what Elthos RPG has to offer and find many years of enjoyment herein!
- Mark Abrams
