Barbarians of Lemuria: Mythic+ Edition Fantasy;Sword-and-Sorcery;Classless;Streamlined;Rules Lite;Low Prep;Quick-Play
At‑a‑glance: Sword‑and‑Sorcery • 2d6 tests + Hero Points • 2–5 + GM • Low prep • Rules‑lite • 2–3h sessions
Theme and Setting
Barbarians of Lemuria is classic sword‑and‑sorcery: steaming jungles, lost cities, scheming sorcerers, and brutal, opportunistic heroes. Lemuria is a mythic world of prehistoric ruins and decadent city‑states where treasure, glory, and grim fate wait behind every black stone door.
Core Mechanics and Rules
Resolution is a streamlined 2d6 + modifiers against a target number. Characters are classless and built from careers (soldier, sailor, slave, etc.), attributes, and a handful of boons/flaws. Hero Points let players seize momentum—turning failures into desperate gambles, pushing stunts, or mitigating harm. Combat is quick and decisive; equipment is abstracted to keep play moving. Magic is risky, rare, and flavorful rather than list‑driven.
The system leans on rulings‑over‑rules. Most rolls are framed by careers, fiction, and stakes rather than by exception‑based subsystems. Advancement is light; the focus stays on bold choices and the next scheme.
What Makes It Unique
Careers replace classes and skills, letting players justify expertise directly from backstory. The Hero Point economy bakes in high‑action pulp pacing without elaborate meta‑currencies. The bestiary and mass/sea battle rules support big set‑pieces with minimal overhead. It’s easy to teach in minutes and translate published sword‑and‑sorcery adventures with almost no conversion.
Target Audience and Player Experience
Perfect for groups who want Conan‑style adventures with modern streamlining: rulings, not rules; speed over crunch; lethal enough to matter but generous with spotlight‑stealing heroics. New players grasp it quickly, and veterans appreciate how little prep it takes to run a night of hardboiled fantasy.
