RuneQuest Empires review?
- Thread starter The King
- Start date
One word..
WOW!
Or rather..Drooool!
This supplement is chock full of rules and ideas on the building and running of empires. It provides details on the economics of empires, the effects of both religion and magic on empires, how empires wage war, and how empires (and kingdoms) can come into being and/or fail and break apart.
It also expands upon the roles of the nobility, providing details on the differences between the levels of nobility in term of fief incomes, the roles and responsibilities of nobility to both their subjects and those above them, and the effects of their political standing within a realm and upon the "mood" of the populace.
Additionally, it includes rules for the construction and maintenance of various buildings ranging from shrines and smithies to castles and cathedrals and incorporates the effects of weather and various seasonal events on realms.
Empires not only provides background for any RQ campaign, its rules fit seamlessly with the character-driven RQ rules, allowing a GM to run a campaign at the metagame level while providing a more immersive environment for players. It gives a GM more than enough info to bring the players into the arena of high-level politics as the players increase in power and influence. With Empires, RQ players can truly become nobles and even heads of state and experience the benefits, and headaches, that come with taking on such lofty positions.
I've been playing RQ in its various iterations for decades (literally) and this is one of the most useful RQ supplements I've seen in all that time.
WOW!
Or rather..Drooool!
This supplement is chock full of rules and ideas on the building and running of empires. It provides details on the economics of empires, the effects of both religion and magic on empires, how empires wage war, and how empires (and kingdoms) can come into being and/or fail and break apart.
It also expands upon the roles of the nobility, providing details on the differences between the levels of nobility in term of fief incomes, the roles and responsibilities of nobility to both their subjects and those above them, and the effects of their political standing within a realm and upon the "mood" of the populace.
Additionally, it includes rules for the construction and maintenance of various buildings ranging from shrines and smithies to castles and cathedrals and incorporates the effects of weather and various seasonal events on realms.
Empires not only provides background for any RQ campaign, its rules fit seamlessly with the character-driven RQ rules, allowing a GM to run a campaign at the metagame level while providing a more immersive environment for players. It gives a GM more than enough info to bring the players into the arena of high-level politics as the players increase in power and influence. With Empires, RQ players can truly become nobles and even heads of state and experience the benefits, and headaches, that come with taking on such lofty positions.
I've been playing RQ in its various iterations for decades (literally) and this is one of the most useful RQ supplements I've seen in all that time.
Hervé said:
This year
You're quite welcome!The King said:
When I put together a campaign, I get some enjoyment in including some metagame events that will occur regardless of what the players do. The details in the supplement make this much, much easier and have pointed out aspects of kingdoms I hadn't considered or even though of.
A GM can literally solo-play a high-level strategic game at the empire, kingdom, and even city-state levels and use the results to expand on his multi-player campaign. The only other RPG I personally have seen that allows this is Harn. And, IMO, the MRQ rules are more streamlined yet still extremely useful.
I think there are some great ideas in there, and there definitely is a lot that set me thinking, but I would have preferred more on Gloranthan empires instead of several pages of info on Ancient Rome. Or rather just more of Glorantha, nothing wrong zith the Rome info an sich.
Another thing at I kinda find lacking is the intermediate step: rising in local politics, say the village level or town level. I was hoping for more info on acquiring property locally, building up power etc. Still, the thing is called empires and not villages, so I suppose that's only right. Gonna have to handle that myself after all.
All in all definitely cash well spent - the thing cost €27, and hey, the house rules book can always handle a few more pages
Another thing at I kinda find lacking is the intermediate step: rising in local politics, say the village level or town level. I was hoping for more info on acquiring property locally, building up power etc. Still, the thing is called empires and not villages, so I suppose that's only right. Gonna have to handle that myself after all.
All in all definitely cash well spent - the thing cost €27, and hey, the house rules book can always handle a few more pages
Does it include things like building a dun, running a small kingdom/chiefdom. I'm putting together a campaign based in Dalriada(Scotland not Ireland) right before the Romans leave the Isle. Plan on things like raids from Saxon, Picts. Also adventuring further south towards the wall. So I am wondering how helpful this book will be to add to my resources(both gaming and non-gaming)?
rabindranath72
Mongoose
Only problem is it will be for d20...Hervé said:
Banesfinger
Mongoose
Can someone let me know how this product compares to other 'empire building' products?
For example, the old D&D campaign setting: "Birthright" had some great rules for running a kingdom (including mass warfare, random kingdom events, etc).
What about the new rules for running a Noble House in Green Ronin's: "A Song of Ice and Fire" rpg?
Thanks for any info.
For example, the old D&D campaign setting: "Birthright" had some great rules for running a kingdom (including mass warfare, random kingdom events, etc).
What about the new rules for running a Noble House in Green Ronin's: "A Song of Ice and Fire" rpg?
Thanks for any info.
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