Labyrinths & Legends (Arthe)

Labyrinths and Legends is a fantasy table top RPG created in 1974. L&L's staple game play usually consists of navigating an ancient labyrinth to fight a great evil imprisoned at the center and take the treasures that surround that evil. While Game Masters (those who host the adventure) usually create their own legends and labyrinths L&L has a number of published material for new GMs to adopt and build upon. Some using settings like castles, caves, or other locations rather than labyrinths.
== Default Premise ==
Legendary evils have been sealed away in great labyrinths. Some seek to unleash the evils upon the world, and when they break the seals it's up to mighty heroes to put an end to the evil before it spreads across the world.
Published L&L adventures tend to focus on a legendary evil, which serves as the adventure or campaign's main antagonist. These figures in 1E came directly from real world folklore and mythology but 2E began to produce antagonists that drew from various sources with amalgamated semi-original stories surrounding them.
== Published Adventures ==
* Minotaur (1E) - Minotaur was the first adventure published for L&L and discontinued in 1979. Fans of the adventure have taken it upon themselves to revise it's story and update the mechanics with varied homebrew results.
* Mad Queen of the Sands (1E) - One of the more disliked of first edition adventures for L&L the quest involves the awakening of an ancient, and insane Lamia Queen once sealed away now awakening to rebuild her empire. It caused issues for the game community as the majority of the players and GMs where unable to run the game in a mature fashion. Experiences with this adventure played a role in the DESA hearing that ended 1st Edition.
* Henry (2E) - Henry is a Human focused antagonist who is a combination of various legendary Human evils. He's genocidal towards non-Humans, beheads his wives when they bare him no sons, and governs as a self serving tyrant- at least before he was frozen in time and a great labyrinthine fortress built around him and his suspended followers. Now, after centuries the seal keeping Henry from bringing terror upon the land have been broken- and from his would be prison he now commands forces bent on reclaiming what he once ruled. Accepting mercenary work for the military our heroes have been sent on a daring mission to enter the dungeons of the Fortress and ascended into the winding chambers above to reach the throne room and put an end to Henry while the bulk of his forces are away.
== Edition Differences ==
* First Edition - First Edition is still very much beloved by L&L fans though it was discontinued in 1979. The rules are much simpler focusing on six core stats (strength, dexterity, etc) with certain species having + and - to those attributes. They also have abilities reserved for the world of myth; Naga can shape shift into a Human form, Wolfkin can transform into full wolves, the Lamia sub-race of Naga can swallow small or tiny creatures whole, Humans have a 'Force of Will' allowing them a second chance at over coming enchantment. The various abilities of legendary proportions goes on. But this is the version that got racial groups riled up and thus DESA to investigate. In light of the negative attention 1E was discontinued.
* Second Edition - Second Edition lacks the + and - to core attributes, and has done away with the monstrous aspects of the none human species for the sake of a more honest portrayal while maintaining abilities deemed 'magical'. This means the Lamia sub-race of Naga was removed from the game while Humans still have the 'Force of Will' ability now applying to more situations such as second wind or dying stroke. Backgrounds where added to give players additional customization options with a wider skill selection at first level.
==Controversy==
*DESA, created the same year L&L was published was signaled in 1979 by complaints regarding L&L's use of negative stats (such as -2 strength) and claims that the game enforces speciest notions through stereotypes and antagonistic 'monsters' as a number of Demi-Humans where listed. L&L's creator defended his work against the claim saying that his game celebrates the diversity of Arthe's population and that part of that is our own strengths and weaknesses. He reminded the committee that his game is based on ancient and medieval times when the world was much different, and that the players don't fit into the speciest crowd- their groups tending to be diverse in make up and that this RP helps build understanding through role play. Regardless L&L has ceased to use negative stats nor positive stats but rather focuses on abilities the unique physiologies player types allow for.
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