Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Wait' date=' is there an actual map with drawn boundries?[/quote']

 

Posted on the 1st page.

 

No borders yet, just names of nations in the correct areas.

[Manic Typist]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Will the Great Enemy that comes to threaten the world originate from Australia?

 

Hehe.

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Magic

“You’re wasting your time, boy.” The priest’s tone was sharper than he intended. He looked into the shocked, vulnerable face of the young man.

 

There was anger and pleading in the young man’s voice. “I have studied the texts! I have studied the White and the Black, the Green, the Gold and the Red! I know every word of the Great Song!”

 

The priest tried to put compassion in his voice. “It’s not enough, boy. You have studied, but you have not known.” The priest shook his head. “You can’t even reach the White, boy. You can’t Hear or Call, See or Soar. You’ll never know the Black, or feed the Green or Gold.” The priest could see the panic in the boy’s eyes.

 

“Please, master.” The young man’s voice was broken. “Please. I just need more time.”

 

The priest turned to leave the room. “It’s not in your blood, boy,” he said not unkindly, heading for the door. “All the time in the world studying the words and works won’t do you any good. Pack your things.” The priest glanced back from the doorway. “You have a fine mind. You might become a clerk, or an engineer. You will never be a Magicker.” The priest departed.

 

Anger surged in the young man until he trembled. Unseeing, limbs stiff, he stumbled through the temple back to his chambers. He gathered his belongings, clothes, a knife, a few scrolls. Head throbbing, he thought again about the stone.

 

The young man lifted a loose flagstone, and removed a small pouch,

 

He’d kept it hidden. He knew its value. He knew he couldn’t feed the Gold. Now, he knew he’d never feed the Gold.

 

The young man removed a smooth black and gold pebble from the pouch, barely the size of a finger tip. It was warm in his hand. The boy pressed the tip of the dagger into the pad of his thumb.

 

A bead of blood spilled onto the stone. Onto, and into. The black turned red.

 

The boy stopped shaking. “Anyone can feed the Red” he whispered.

 

He could never be a Magicker, but he could feed the Red, and a Sorcerer needs no other colors.

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Will the Great Enemy that comes to threaten the world originate from Australia?

 

Hehe.

 

It could, but there are other possibilities.

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Magic

 

Magic is commonly conceptualized as coming in five “Colors”, though not all magickers accept this point of view.

 

White Magic is personal, emerging from within. It feeds the Black, the Green, and the Gold. White Magic includes:

 

• 1) The power to Hear the thoughts of others and the voices of spirits.
  2) The power to Call to the mind of another, to make your own thoughts heard.
  3) The power to See auras, spirits, the past and the future.
  4) The power to Soar, to leave the physical body and travel both in this world and the spirit realms.

 

Of all forms of magic, the White is the least dangerous to the user. Virtually all magickers (with the exception of Sorcerers) make use of the White, and it is the only form of magic fully approved by the Buddhist orders of Roma, Magadha and Shen Zhou.

[SatinKitty]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Lookin' Good !

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Magic II

 

Black Magic extends the power of the White, using it not just to communicate but to influence, entice and control. Black Magic includes:

 

• 1) Forcing one’s own thoughts into another, feeding false information to senses or seizing control of minds.
  2) Extending the power of one’s own spirit into the physical world, moving objects at a distance or even traveling from one point to another without passing through the space between.
  3) Calling to, invoking, dealing with or binding spirits. This is the single most potentially powerful use of the Black, and the most dangerous.

 

The strain the Black places on the body and mind can exhaust or even kill the user. Dealing with spirits carries dangers of its own, for even minor and benign spirits expect payment. Malicious spirits may turn on their conjurer without warning, or hunt him down long after he considers their business together complete. Those Priests and Monks with the Talent often dabble in the Black, particularly Mystery Cultists, Taoists and followers of Shinto. Weapons, Armor, and other artifacts may be enchanted through the Black, as the Magicker binds a spirit into the object.

[Manic Typist]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Very interesting....

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Magic III

 

Green Magic is generated in plants and all living things, and is contacted through the White. Some scholars argue that the Black and the Green are one and the same, and that drawing on the life force inherent humans and higher animals is no different than drawing on the power inherent in plants and the lower animals. Still, the majority argue that drawing on the Green is less inherently dangerous and corruptive than drawing on the Black, and that the Green harbors no hidden desires beyond fertility and growth. Powers commonly classed as belonging to the Green include:

 

• 1) Encouraging fertility in plants, animals, and humans.
  2) Healing of injuries and many forms of disease. One exception is diseases where the patient’s body turns against itself, such as advanced cancer and certain forms of allergic reaction. In these cases, the Green may worsen illness.
  3) Strengthening of the body, and enhancement of natural abilities.

 

Correct use of the Green enhances crop yields, enhances health, sustains strength, and greatly improves the lives of individuals and communities. Misuse of the Green can rob the land entirely of fertility or cause disease to rage out of control. Despite the dangers, skilled users of the Green are highly valued. Healers, Physicians, Herbalists, Priests and Monks with the Talent often develop skill with the Green.

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Magic IV

 

Gold Magic is the Gift of the Heaven Stones, the Gift of the People of Ainu. Heaven Stones appear similar to polished quartz crystals, and glow with a golden light when charged with magic. As the magic is used, the stones fade and begin to show black markings. Heaven Stones can be used to create virtually any effect achievable by lesser magic, limited only by the size and charge of the stone and the will and imagination of the user. Even those with no magical Talent may draw on the power of a Heaven Stone. Heaven stones may only be recharged by a user of the White, and then only through prayer and meditation. This process may be made easier through certain devices and rituals, though the precise nature of these is a closely guarded secret. In general, it may take a single magicker the better part of a day to recharge even a quite small Heaven Stone, and several months or longer to recharge the largest. Heaven Stones are extremely rare, and a charged Heaven Stone is worth many hundreds of times its weight in gold. Use of Gold Magic will never directly harm the user, save through the mundane corruptive influence of power.

 

Folklore names many possible origins for the Heaven Stones, but the consensus among scholars has long been that the People of Ainu somehow crafted them, and built a civilization around their use.

 

Many magickers actively seek Heaven Stones. Taoists and Buddhists with magical Talent particularly prize them, though Buddhist doctrine teaches that the use of such power is a barrier on the road to enlightenment.

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Magic V

 

Red Magic is often called the Curse of the Hell Stones, the Curse of the People of Ainu. Sorcerers, who make use of the Red, prefer to refer to the source of their power as Blood Stones. Hell Stones appear similar to polished quartz crystals, and glow with a red light when charged with magic. As the magic is used, the stones fade and begin to show black markings. Hell Stones can be used to create virtually any effect achievable by lesser magic, limited only by the size and charge of the stone and the will and imagination of the user. Should the Sorcerer’s attention falter, these effects may be rendered gruesome or perverse. Even those with no magical Talent may draw on the power of a Hell Stone. Hell stones may only be recharged by contact with the blood of a living creature. Humans provide a greater charge than animals, younger and healthier humans provide a greater charge than the old or the sick, and the magically talented or spiritually pure provide a greater charge than those without talent or the spiritually corrupt. The pain and death of the blood donor enhance the process. In general, it may take the deaths of half a dozen animals or a full pint of a spiritually corrupt human’s blood to fully recharge the smallest Hell Stone, while the largest might require the deaths of multiple magically talented or spiritually pure humans to achieve a full charge. Hell Stones are extremely rare, and a charged Hell Stone is worth many hundreds of times its weight in gold. Use of Red Magic will unavoidably corrupt and madden the user over time, and side effects including physical deformity and even full blown Vampirism are not unknown.

 

A Heaven Stone not at full charge that comes into contact with the blood of a living creature will become a Hell Stone. The lower the Heaven Stone’s charge, the more thoroughly it will be corrupted. The only way to purify a Hell Stone is to expend its full power and then re-sanctify it as a Heaven Stone.

 

Many orders of Priests and Monks seek out Hell Stones for storage and purification. They are also actively sought by Sorcerers.

[assault]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Date: 2760 R (2760 years since the founding of the city of Roma)

 

I didn't really notice this bit at first...

 

So, what is technology like in this setting?

[tkdguy]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

This looks great! I haven't been interested in fantasy gaming in a long while, but this is a setting I can actually get into.

 

BTW, what fighting styles are available in the campaign? Well, you know I had to ask!

[mayapuppies]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Very very nice.

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Technology

 

Looking down at the corpse, Daidalos hawked and spit. The dead man had been Eustathios. He’d been a good worker, Eustathios, a freedman still in service, saving to buy a wife. Every vein had burst, leaving the corpse so red as to be nearly black. Grim faced, Daidalos turned away and stalked across the work camp towards the monk’s tent.

 

Pushing inside, Daidalos found the pale young man, barely more than a boy, his nose buried in a scroll.

 

“I’ve got another worker, dead” growled Daidolos.

 

The pale young man looked up. “Yes?”

 

Daidalos moved forward, grabbing the monk by his tunic and pulling him to his feet. “That’s four men dead from your magic!” The foreman’s rage slurred his words.

 

The young man fought to keep fear from his voice and face. The foreman was old, but he was strong, hardened by a lifetime’s labor. “You knew there would be losses,” said the young man.

 

“Losses!” Daidalos let the monk fall to the ground. It was all he could do not to throw him.

 

The young man moved cautiously to his feet. “In a week, your crew has accomplished three month’s labor. My magic did that. You’ll finish the aqueduct before summer.”

 

Daidalos looked at the monk and thought seriously of killing him. And yet, the pale bastard was right. With the monk, there’d be a fat early completion bonus, and a chance at bigger jobs. Without him, they’d be lucky to finish the aqueduct before winter.

 

“If another one of my freedmen dies because of you,” growled Daidalos, “I’ll see that you join him.” The foreman stalked from the tent.

 

The pale young man breathed out. The fear faded, replaced by anger. What did that ape know of feeding power to a man, averting hunger and the need for sleep, keeping him strong? Too little and the magic was useless, too much and the man would die. And who cared if a few workers died, so long as the project was completed?

 

The young man’s hand drifted to a hidden pocket, toying with a red stone the size of a finger tip. Perhaps it was time the crew had a new foreman.

----------

Technological development is slow in the great empires. An ambitious and well educated man can live far better serving the government or in business than in the crafts. A man inclined to the peaceful, scholarly life can find a career in the temples or monasteries. Perhaps most importantly, the relatively stable great empires look to the past or within for knowledge. There is a pervasive sense that all worth knowing has already been discovered.

 

The presence of reliable magic also impedes technological progress, both by drawing away resources and reducing need. Many bright young people are drawn to study magic, but that knowledge is useless to those without the Talent; these failed students tend to be drawn into the temple bureaucracies or the ranks of government clerks. Rare though they are, magickers skilled with the Black, Red or Gold can craft objects with extraordinary properties. Masters of the White, Red or Gold can predict the future with some accuracy and communicate over vast distances, while masters of the Green, Red and Gold can reliably heal, enhance crop yields and extend life. The availability of these services to the rich and powerful removes much of the incentive to look for new and better ways to achieve similar ends.

 

When thinking of the technologies available in the most advanced cities of Shen Zhou or the Imperium, think of the height of technology within the classical Roman and Chinese empires. Engineering (aqueducts, sewers, dams, other public works) and medicine are reasonably advanced, clockwork is known and sophisticated, and good quality steel, while present, is too expensive for any save the nobility and the richest of the merchant classes. The printing press with movable type is in common use, and literacy is common among the nobility and merchant classes. Slavery is very common in the Imperium, less so in the other empires. Gunpowder has been developed, and is used in fireworks and to a very limited extent in war, but cannon and muskets have yet to appear in any significant numbers. There has not yet been an industrial revolution. Mass production and the assembly line are almost unknown. Steam power is only a novelty, and Roma is lit by gas lights.

[phookz]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Magic

“You’re wasting your time, boy.” The priest’s tone was sharper than he intended. He looked into the shocked, vulnerable face of the young man.

 

[ snip... ]

 

A bead of blood spilled onto the stone. Onto, and into. The black turned red.

 

The boy stopped shaking. “Anyone can feed the Red” he whispered.

 

He could never be a Magicker, but he could feed the Red, and a Sorcerer needs no other colors.

 

Repp'ed.

 

I love this. Very intrigued to see where this goes.

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Fighting Styles

 

The warriors of Shen Zhou are widely acknowledged as the most personally formidable in the world, while the Legions of the Imperium are acknowledged as the finest soldiers. Magadha is not known for its warriors, but its wrestlers and yogis are renowned. Mystical warriors are well known in Shen Zhou, and have appeared throughout the Imperium and in virtually every nation where magic is practiced.

 

Non player character common guards, soldiers and mercenaries will generally not receive martial arts packages, instead receiving weapon familiarities and combat skill levels. Player characters may reasonably purchase any traditional martial art or fighting style appropriate to their place of origin or early training. Chi powers and other extraordinary fighting abilities are permitted.

[phookz]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

I haven't gamed in over a year. I haven't played HERO in over a decade. I still come to these boards - mostly I lurk and read. What keeps me coming back is stuff like this.

 

One thing I've noticed about the HERO boards is the high level of creative effort and collective good-will about creating new content - game worlds, ideas, mechanics, characters. It's inspiring. It's what keeps me coming back, even though I don't have an opportunity to play.

 

I've been to other message boards - there's good info on the WOTC boards. That is, there is good info if you're looking for the best way to min-max your D&D character. That's not to say that there isn't some well written, well thought out concepts and guidelines for creating your own characters, but the majority of the content is for min-maxing. That's something I don't see here.

 

What is it about HERO that makes it different? There's clearly something different about the community here - this is a community of folks genuinely interested in creating good stories through gaming. I rarely, if ever, see posts here about creating the 'best build' for a character. I think it has something to do with the HERO system itself, but I'm not sure.

 

Certainly it is true that if you wanted to min-max HERO is the system to do it with. But this is a known, published factor. It's why the GM is encouraged and expected to be involved in character creation - to ensure the character is in line with the campaign. Is this why there is little or no min-maxing going on here?

 

I'm rambling, I know, but I just had to say it. This thread is great, and it's not alone - there are lots of great threads here. I am very interested to see where OddHat's campaign idea goes. Very well thought out and intriguing - I can't wait to read more.

[assault]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

What is it about HERO that makes it different? There's clearly something different about the community here - this is a community of folks genuinely interested in creating good stories through gaming. I rarely' date=' if ever, see posts here about creating the 'best build' for a character. I think it has something to do with the HERO system itself, but I'm not sure.[/quote']

 

I haven't seen a lot of min-maxing on many of the other boards I visit either, so it's not just HERO. I have a suspicion that DnD is the exception here, since it has the highest concentration of young hack and slashers who think min-maxing is clever. It also has a rather lashed together system, with plenty of scope for abuse. (And is a lot of fun, of course!)

 

Many of the folks here are relatively old, and some are even relatively mature. So min-maxing is viewed as a little passe.

 

There is one dirty secret though. The high proportion of veteran players means that the standard of character building is very high. Many of the characters that are posted here are min-maxed to the teeth. It's just that it is done with subtlety, and almost unconsciously.

 

I build characters that are intentionally simple and inoffensive. They look like quite trivial designs. But every one of them is run through a whole bunch of probability calculations before they ever see the light of day.

[teh bunneh]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

I haven't gamed in over a year. I haven't played HERO in over a decade. I still come to these boards - mostly I lurk and read. What keeps me coming back is stuff like this.

 

Hello, Phookz. I can't speak for Oddhat, but I can say that your post is the kind of thing that people on the Hero boards love to see -- "That's a great idea, I'm going to use it in my own campaign!" is almost like manna from heaven. It's the whole reason that many of us post information about our campaigns, our ideas, our characters.

 

Thanks for posting -- and here's hoping you find yourself a game sometime soon! :cheer:

 

Bill.

(Oh yeah, and Oddhat? Good stuff, as usual).

[James Gillen]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Trivia: The Roman calendar is now set at 'Anno Domini' (Year of Our Lord) since the adoption of Christianity by the Romans. Prior to Christianity, the dating was set from the founding of the city, or in Latin Ab Urbi Conditi, so the year would be written as 2760 AUC instead of AD.

 

Also, historically, the founding of Rome is dated from 753 BC, so to get the date in the Christian calendar, you'd just subtract 753 years.

 

So if the date is 2760, subtracting 753 yields 2007 'AD.'

Which means that if tech is still on the same level as the old Chinese Empires, then it must REALLY have stagnated. But I can actually believe that, given that historically empires that lived off slave labor had little incentive to advance industrially. Plus, of course, there's magic.

 

JG

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Trivia: The Roman calendar is now set at 'Anno Domini' (Year of Our Lord) since the adoption of Christianity by the Romans. Prior to Christianity' date=' the dating was set from the founding of the city, or in Latin [i']Ab Urbi Conditi[/i], so the year would be written as 2760 AUC instead of AD.

 

Also, historically, the founding of Rome is dated from 753 BC, so to get the date in the Christian calendar, you'd just subtract 753 years.

 

So if the date is 2760, subtracting 753 yields 2007 'AD.'

 

Yes, which is why I did it that way.

 

The reason for writing it as 2760 R is as a reminder that this is the dating used by the Imperium, not by Shen Zhou or the other great empires. Totun is the major exception; Mayan calendar notation is just ugly, and doing the conversions was more effort than it was worth.

 

Which means that if tech is still on the same level as the old Chinese Empires, then it must REALLY have stagnated. But I can actually believe that, given that historically empires that lived off slave labor had little incentive to advance industrially. Plus, of course, there's magic.

 

JG

 

There's a section on that up thread, the short version of which is that technological and social stagnation are themes in the setting. There's an argument that, in the real world, China's technological progress effectively ended because they'd become "civilized too soon". With unlimited manual labor, no chance for change for the rural poor and the potential for a comfortable life for the urban population, there wasn't much incentive for technological progress, especially with the brightest and most ambitious kids in each generation going into government service. Add magic to the equation to actually provide the benefits technology could offer the rich, and stagnation seemed natural.

[assault]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

So if the date is 2760' date=' subtracting 753 yields 2007 'AD.'[/quote']

 

That's why I asked about the state of technology... I didn't originally think to do the conversion, but once I did, I went "??? Oh!".

 

Which means that if tech is still on the same level as the old Chinese Empires, then it must REALLY have stagnated. But I can actually believe that, given that historically empires that lived off slave labor had little incentive to advance industrially. Plus, of course, there's magic.

 

Presumably magic is the key. The technology in this setting seems to be roughly on a par with China in the 12th or 13th Century or so. This is a very serious stagnation, even if we eliminate the rapid technological growth of Europe from the 18th Century onwards.

 

Of course it is likely that magic has tended to fossilise social relations, keeping the powerful on top of the heap longer than they would have lasted in our timeline. This society would reek of archaic customs and social hierarchies.

[assault]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

There's an argument that' date=' in the real world, China's technological progress effectively ended because they'd become "civilized too soon". [/quote']

 

Unfortunately this argument is nonsense. "China's technological progress" never "effectively ended".

 

It was outstripped by European "technological progress", but mainly because the latter got there first. In any case, China is catching up quite nicely, and may well regain its technological advantage over the last century. Given that the European advantage has only existed for about three hundred years, that puts it well and truly into the category of historical accident.

[OddHat]

Re: Imperium Romanum - A fantasy campaign

 

Unfortunately this argument is nonsense. "China's technological progress" never "effectively ended".

 

It was outstripped by European "technological progress", but mainly because the latter got there first. In any case, China is catching up quite nicely, and may well regain its technological advantage over the last century. Given that the European advantage has only existed for about three hundred years, that puts it well and truly into the category of historical accident.

 

I lived, worked and traveled in Asia for quite a while; I'm aware of how well urban China has caught up with the west, and fully expect it to pass us fairly soon. The situation has changed, and the factors that slowed progress in China no longer apply.

 

As to the argument's validity, that's worth arguing, but not in this thread. For purposes of this campaign, I'm accepting it.