Under the Eagle Standard--Roman HERO

[Bismark]

Re: Under the Eagle Standard--Roman HERO

 

If you are bothered about some semblance of 'accuracy' (insofar as it is possible when dealing with events that far back in history), be careful which sources you use: the Middle and Late Roman Empire's big bad enemy next door - the Sassanian Empire of Persia, has had a lot of research done on it in the last 25 years or so - which has led to opinions of its army organisation diverging greatly from the picture in the 1980s. [Just compare the old Osprey Rome's Enemies 3 book with the recent Sassanian Elite Cavalry book from the same publisher and you will see what I mean]. The aforementioned Sarmatians have also had a bit of a 'revamp' (it appears they used less armour and fancier {e.g. horned} saddles than previously thought, but they still used big honking lances [kontos]).

 

Last time I checked (earlier this year) the latest opinion was still that stirrups were invented somewhere near Korea and arrived in Europe in the 500s AD with the Avars.

 

N.B. Don't be fooled by the "stirrup myth" with regard to effective lance charging - the design of saddle is at least as important to a charging lancer as the presence of stirrups - a Celtic/Roman/Sarmatian horned saddle provides a lot of support.

 

If using the earlier period as a template, note that eastern legionarii tended to keep with mail as their armour, even when lorica segmentata was standard issue in the western provinces. Time to add some Weapon Familiarities to the 'usual suspects' that 'normal' characters take, methinks.

 

You can also have fun statting up period weapons like the pilum and (for those pesky barbarians - the Dacian sica/falx, the Germanic Angon and francisca, etc.).

 

Also remember that in the Early to Middle Imperial period, slings were important missile weapons for those Auxilia who were not archers, especially in the eastern provinces (horse archers - and their horses - not appreciating being hit by fast-moving lead slingshot, which I believe averaged about 50-60g in weight).

 

Anyway, best of luck...

[Mastermind]

Re: Under the Eagle Standard--Roman HERO

 

Last time I checked (earlier this year) the latest opinion was still that stirrups were invented somewhere near Korea and arrived in Europe in the 500s AD with the Avars.

 

You are correct. I confused Alans with Avars. I have one of the books with those references. Also thanks for the reminder that heavy calvary and lance charges were not dependent on stirrups.

[Eosin]

Re: Under the Eagle Standard--Roman HERO

 

But on the the other hand, they were also responsible for putting Keira Knightley in a battle-bikini...

 

 

I thought those were the femanists pict societies?

 

Actully, the stuff I was reading (again, concerning the Alans this mostly comes from the Mamoth Book of Arthur) they had a quaint legend about the sword being thrown into the sea where is was taken by some kind of water spirit/mermaid thingy. The sword was something special but I can't recall exactly what...

 

Keira Knightley still looks hot in a battle-bikini but they should have gone ahead and made her a beserker... you know one of the naked kind. Now that would have been worth paying for....

[OddHat]

Re: Under the Eagle Standard--Roman HERO

 

David Gemmell's Sword in the Storm and Midnight Falcon could both provide some very interesting plot seeds for this kind of game, and there's always HBO's Rome and both the book and TV versions of Robert Grave's I, Claudius. As much as I enjoyed Gladiator, there's a bit too much Hollywood morality forced into the setting for a really Roman campaign (imo).

 

On the questions of historical periods full of "good guys" doing horrible things, that's pretty much all of it.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: Under the Eagle Standard--Roman HERO

 

David Gemmell's Stones Of Power Series -- Ghost King and Last Sword of Power inclueds the Lost Legion storylines.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Gemmell#Stones_Of_Power_Series

 

David Gemmell's Greek Series (alternate history) -- Lion of Macedon and Dark Prince. Inclued Legion type elements.

 

David Gemmell's Troy Series -- Troy: The Lord of the Silver Bow, Troy: Shield of Thunder, and Troy: The Fall of Kings Inclued Legion type elements.

 

Harry Turtledove's The Videssos Books

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Turtledove#The_Videssos_Books

 

Fiction set in ancient Rome

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiction_set_in_Ancient_Rome

 

 

 

More later

 

QM

[OddHat]

Re: Under the Eagle Standard--Roman HERO

 

David Gemmell's Troy Series -- Troy: The Lord of the Silver Bow, Troy: Shield of Thunder, and Troy: The Fall of Kings Inclued Legion type elements.

 

Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow and Troy: Shield of Thunder have both been written. TFoK has not been released and, so far as I am aware, was not completed before Gemmell's death. All follow a Greek rather than a Roman theme, but certainly contain the seeds for some interesting Classical period campaigning.

[Lucius]

Re: Under the Eagle Standard--Roman HERO

 

I may have mentioned this, but I have often wanted to do a campaign set among the barbarians who ultimately sacked Rome.

 

I'll call it Gothic Hero.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary wonders if berserkers ever fought mounted...

[Phil]

Re: Under the Eagle Standard--Roman HERO

 

How many settings drawing on medieval Europe have' date=' say, witch hunts or holy wars to kill the infidel -- human infidels I mean, not orcs?[/quote']

 

At least one. The standard campaign setting for Ars Magica used to be in Languedoc / Provence around the time of the Albigensian crusade against the Cathars, a heretical Christian sect.

[Eosin]

Re: Under the Eagle Standard--Roman HERO

 

Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow and Troy: Shield of Thunder have both been written. TFoK has not been released and' date=' so far as I am aware, was not completed before Gemmell's death. All follow a Greek rather than a Roman theme, but certainly contain the seeds for some interesting Classical period campaigning.[/quote']

 

 

I heard that his wife was finishing book 3 from his outline. Apparently she has been ghost writing with him for awhile. I think that was an official statement but I can't remember where it was posted.

[Markdoc]

Re: Under the Eagle Standard--Roman HERO

 

At least one. The standard campaign setting for Ars Magica used to be in Languedoc / Provence around the time of the Albigensian crusade against the Cathars' date=' a heretical Christian sect.[/quote']

 

Yep. And one of the best games I've played in was a C&S game set during the first crusade. No orcs, no magic, just simple hand to hand violence and plenty of it, lightly spliced with politics, greed and betrayal.

 

A lot like the actual events, when one considers it.

 

cheers, Mark

[Mastermind]

Re: Under the Eagle Standard--Roman HERO

 

yup lots of material for inspiration both historical and fictional...

 

How about some game write ups?

 

I found this here on the boards from a few years back...

 

Armatura

Cost Martial Arts Maneuver

1 Weapon Element: Blades, Shields

1 Extra Weapon Element: Spears

3 Thrust: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +1 DCV, Weapon Strike +2 DC [Notes: From shield wall +1 DCV per side "covered" by an ally up to +2]

4 Shield Block: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Block, Abort [Notes: Only with Shields. Shield adds it's DCV to OCV.]

4 Return Strike: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Weapon +2 DC Strike, Must Follow Block

4 Hold: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, +15 STR to resist Shove; Block, Abort

4 Push: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, +15 STR to Shove [Notes: Only with Shields]

3 Defensive Turn: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +3 DCV, +5 STR to resist Disarm, Bind, Grab Weapon; Dodge, Abort

Martial Arts Cost: 24 Cost

Skill

2 WF: Blades, Polearms and Spears

2 PS: Soldier 11- 2 KS: Armatura Training 11-

1 Fast Draw 8-

1 Tactics 8-

3 Teamwork 11-

Skills Cost: 11

Total Cost: 35