Following up on my Rome-inspired RPG columns of late, I'm looking for people to pass along any RPG settings, fantasy, sci-fi, or otherwise, that have a campaign setting based in some fairly strong measure on Rome at some point in its history. And I do mean "based", not actually featuring Rome (such as BRP's Rome, or GURPS Rome, or AD&D Supplement Glory of Rome).
One of my long-term who knows when goals for the Tankards & Broadswords RPG (whenever I get that bedraggled bird off the ground...) is to create a fantasy campaign setting strongly inspired on the city of Rome and especially how it affected/was affected by the world around it with regards to politics, warfare, and culture. I'd like to take a look at a few examples of what other RPG designers/writers have done in that same regard, and so I turn to my readers to help me find RPG settings out there with a strong Roman influence.
Any help would be immensely appreciated.
8 comments:
http://www.fvlminata.com/About.html
And while you mentioned Gurps Rome, I would also point out that the most recent Gurps Fantasy (for Gurps 4e) has an excellent alternate history Rome setting included).
There is also the alternate history of Roma Imperious by Hinterwelt. I have not played/read it but here is a RPG.net review of the True20 version. There is also a nWoD setting book for Vampire that used ancient Rome as a backdrop.
So you don't want us to mention such things as Cthuhlu Invictus and the like.
http://www.chaosium.com/article.php?story_id=420
Roma Aeterna - a 'Rome never fell' RPG. Inc. legionaries with muskets and steam cars.
The official forum - complete with buckets of bonus setting material - is here.
What have the Romans ever done for us?
One of my favourite ancient world settings is Zenobia by Paul Elliot. The whole game is really well put together. I love the way the context is described. Although it deals mostly with Egypt and Persia, the style of the game is definitely one to look at.
It is, of course, free.
http://thefreerpgblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/zenobia-by-paul-elliot-classic.html
D&D Mystara/Hollowworld suppliments are nominally roman HWR3 The Milenian Empire, Thyatis (not so historical though)
Green Ronin Mystic Vistas Eternal Rome
Field of Glory and various Osprey books have lots of info on military, history, and pretty color plates.
Rolemaster Rome
2nd Zenoba btw.
thread on roman campaigns
a list that might be of interest
I can't point you to much beyond FVLMINATA and GURPS: Rome, like some formers have.
My advice is to download Europa Barbarorum, a mod for Rome: Total War (assuming you have it). Then comb through the files. These guys did tons of research on factions, families, etc. within Roman society. Look up some of the files with your .txt viewer (like Notepad). I've used them before, and not just for Romans, but for Gauls, Carthaginians, and other nationalities. Osprey books are great for visuals. Look up John Warry's WARFARE IN THE CLASSICAL WORLD and Peter Connolly's THE ANCIENT CITY for great reconstructions as well.
When you want to set it makes a big difference in society and government as well. The Republic of the Punic Wars will have a different feel than during Caesar's civil wars or Nero's reign or the death of Marcus Aurelius.
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