[7:36 PM]Access Your Inner Light: My name is Daniel Bates, and I am the one person creative designer behind Savages & Sorcery and the creative banner Archaic Aesthetics. Before talking about Savages & Sorcery, it might help to understand where the game itself is coming from. My background is in Anthropology and Psychology, which means I’ve always been fascinated by how myth, culture, and storytelling shape the way people experience the world. That academic interest naturally blended with a lifelong love of history, mythology, and the great literary epics—stories where heroes struggle not just against enemies, but against fate, temptation, and the weight of destiny.
[7:37 PM]Access Your Inner Light: I’m also someone who values meaningful art and powerful emotional experiences, especially in creative practices that explore symbolism and archetype. Over time that led me into collecting and studying tarot decks—so you could probably call me a bit of a tarophile. The idea that imagery, symbols, and narrative can evoke deep emotional responses had a huge influence on how Savages & Sorcery approaches storytelling.
[7:38 PM]Access Your Inner Light: Finally, I have a bit of a rebellious streak. When I see creative spaces being constrained by large corporate interests or narrow expectations, it tends to motivate me rather than discourage me. That impulse—to make things simply because the world says they shouldn’t or can’t exist—has been a big part of the spirit behind this project. Savages & Sorcery is ultimately the result of all those influences coming together: mythic storytelling, symbolic imagery, emotional experience, and a desire to create a fantasy roleplaying game that feels more like participating in a heroic epic than managing a set of mechanical resources. Savages & Sorcery has undergone five major revisions since I began its development. This is the first version I feel is complete enough to stand as a full system. Savages & Sorcery is not an adult roleplaying game in the sense of being built around explicit content. It is, however, a saga-building roleplaying game shaped by adult sensibilities. Its themes include danger, destiny, sensuality, sacrifice, glory, and the consequences of power. The world of Formydia is meant to feel mythic, emotionally serious, and culturally grounded in a Bronze Age sword-and-sorcery mode. Because of that tone and subject matter, the game is best suited for mature audiences.
[7:39 PM]Access Your Inner Light: For the purposes of this Q & A, it may help to divide topics into Lore, Game Design, and Game Aesthetics, as they are all important to the game in different ways.
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! Great to be here, thank you. My name is Przemyslaw. I’m the founder of LilaLoom Press and the creative lead behind the YŌVĀKYĀNA Campaign Setting. I’ve been playing TTRPGs for more than 20 years, spending most of that time as a DM (a forever DM, of course) and designer. I now bring that experience to the project I’m leading. YŌVĀKYĀNA grew out of decades of interest in mythology and theology. It is heavily inspired by Indian and Persian antiquity, while remaining a fully original campaign setting. The inspirations stay at the level of influence, the real world itself is not present in the work. (done)
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