Arcanum (role-playing game)
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| Arcanum | |
 Cover for The Arcanum |
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| Designer | unknown |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Bard Games |
| Publication date | 1984 |
| Genre(s) | Historical fantasy |
| System | Custom |
Arcanum is a fantasy role-playing game (RPG) by Bard Games, set in the ancient world before Atlantis sunk. Like other fantasy RPGs, the game uses paper, pencils, dice, rulebooks, and imagination. It is a conversational game in which ancient warriors, magic, dragons, and other mythical creatures and beings exist.
The main rulebook The Arcanum, noted for its extensive magic system, was published in 1984, which was followed by a cleaned up and expanded Second Edition, as clearly indicated on the cover, in 1985. A setting The Lexicon: Atlas of the Lost World of Atlantis was released in 1985, followed by The Bestiary in 1986. The two latter books were republished in 1989 with some new material added as Atlantis, the Lost World.
The world setting is similar to our own world, but thousands of years ago and with different continent names: Mediterranea (Europe), Eria (North America), Tamoanchan (South America), Turan (Arabia), Gondwana (Africa), Jambu (Asia), the Nether Realm (Antarctica), and Anostos and Jotunland (Iceland and Greenland-like). Mythical continents are added: Atlantia (Atlantis), Antilla, Hyperborea, Lemuria, Mu, and others.
The Arcanum was one of the many fantasy RPG games that followed the popularity of Dungeons & Dragons RPG. However, Arcanum gained a strong following by offering several things D&D didn't have. Arcanum researched historical mythology closer than D&D. Arcanum has some different beings and creatures from actual myth, such as hantu, bakru, alastor, bat horin, korupiru, balaha, and others. Arcanum detailed each country's individual culture, based on the actual real world cultures. The ink drawings by artist Bill Sienkiewicz were especially liked by the fans. Arcanum was a real mythology alternative to D&D's increasingly fantasy fiction game. A new 3rd edition has also been released by Death's Edge Games, which consists of three books (Arcanum, Lexicon, and Beastiary).
