Sneak at Deus Vult for RQII

[MongooseMatt]

We have just posted a primer PDF for Deus Vult, the first brand new setting for RuneQuest II.

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/home/detail.php?qsID=1755

It is the closing years of the twelfth century. Saladin has reconquered the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the holy city is once more in the hands of the Saracen. Heresies and sorcery rot Europe from within, while the nobles quarrel and bicker. Even the church is falling prey to this corruption. The world must be saved, through any means necessary. No enemy, no sorcery, no doubt and no fear will prevent the monks of the Order from carrying out the Will of God. Deus Vult!

Players will be inducted into a secret order of the Church, dedicated to protecting humanity and the Lord's own plan from the supernatural horrors that lurk within the fringes of the civilised world. From heathens in the East to warlocks within continental Europe, from bloodthirsty pagan cults in England to corruption within the highest reaches of the royal families, the players must combat the darkest of foes while ensuring the common folk of the world never discover the true roots of all evil.

Deus Vult will be released in April 2010.

 

[Rex]

*Strikes an Imperious pose* I, must have this. Fantastic idea for a setting seriously. Appeals to us Historical people.

~Rex

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

Hmmm... as my main interests are in very "historical" game settings, I was going to write a huge tirade about how this setting smacks heavily of Modern thinking and world-view with little of the attitude and philosophical outlook of the late twelfth century... but I'm assuming it's meant to be "alternative Earth" 'X-Files style'.

So I won't, even though the background in the preview slightly makes me squirm.

I hope (and it looks like it will be), that this is going to be a "high adventure" setting and "to hell with historical accuracy". If so, it might be good fun. If it tries to be too grounded in real history, it might suck.

I'll give it a look anyway (might not buy though).

p.s. it isn't really "Joachimites", they are (and were even at the time) far more widely known as "Joachites". I recommend the books 'Joachim of Fiore & the Prophetic Future—A Medieval Study in Historical Thinking' by Marjorie Reeves; Sutton 1999; and as excellent general reading on heterodox beliefs: 'The Pursuit of the Millennium by Norman Cohn; Pimlico 1993.

As an aside, Joachite ideas were really a thirteenth century concept. Joachim of Fiore only had his revelations sometime between 1190 and 1195.

 

[Rex]

As much as a Die Hard History must be perfect person myself, I always look forward to alternative angle products like this, because it gets people that have ZERO interest in history, somewhat interested, and even motivated to find out about the differences.

~Rex

 

[crazy_cat]

Is this self contained, including all rules necessary to play, or would I need to buy teh MRQ2 main rulebook as well?

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

I think, as it's a setting, you will need to buy the core rules as well (which look like they might be an improvement over the horribly edited MRQ).

 

[SnowDog]

I would have thought that, too except it said Core Rulebook. So, I am not sure of that anymore...

 

[Mongoose Gar]

It needs the RQ2 corebook - it's not standalone.

Lord High Munchkin - Deus Vult is as accurate as a game with monster-hunting assassin-priests blowing up demonic cults with alchemical weapons should be, in that we assume that the Order more-or-less cancels out the effects of the supernatural weirdness. Ish.

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

That's what I thought. So it's "fantasy X-Files".

 

[SnowDog]

Yes, more or less that's my take on it, too. It still sounds like fun.

 

[The King]

Great setting!
And it suits perfectly with Cthulhu's Dark Age

 

[Rex]

Indeed it does, and I'm fine with, a Modified Historical Base Fantasy-esque X-Files game with a supernatural twist.

It's been a formula that has worked in other fields of game play, to the tune of Millions in profit, as well as being FUN.

This looks like good stuff. Much like the RQII looks like very good stuff.

~Rex

 

[Anonymous]

I havent been this excited for something to release, in a long time. APril cant get here fast enough. I have a modern setting game very similar to this genre but have seen nothing in a fantasy setting that got my attention like this has.

 

[Mikko Leho]

I have a modern setting game very similar to this genre but have seen nothing in a fantasy setting that got my attention like this has.

http://www.pen-paper.net/rpgdb.php?op=showbook&bookid=2726

These two sound very much alike.

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

Yes, I'm pretty sure there's even an old 'Basic Roleplaying' setting that's similar, although set just after the Medieval period, I think it's called something like "Witchfinder" or something like that. (It was for BRP and nothing to do with the 'Cthulhu-Live' thing of a like name).

It's a similar set-up of select fervent religious order/secret society dedicated to rid the world of the unholy/demonic/monsterous menace to life/limb/soul using soul-searing magical powers and alchemical tools undreamt of by the unsuspecting masses... you get the idea.

Rather than "fantasy X-Files" it's "Civil War X-Files".

 

[lammomedes]

Since I am a historian and a college professor, while the setting looks spectacular and interesting time to rp in, I want to see more than just a primer.

BTW, I don't mean to be a party pooper, but the exact phrase in common Latin should be "Deus lo volt." It's what the crusaders and the common people themselves would have said and is also the motto of one of the crusader orders. However, "Deus vult" is probably the proper Latin phrase Pope Urban II uttered in 1095 when he called for the 1st Crusade. So Mongoose wins for accuracy at least on one level.

Good job!

 

[Mikko Leho]

Yes, I'm pretty sure there's even an old 'Basic Roleplaying' setting that's similar, although set just after the Medieval period, I think it's called something like "Witchfinder" or something like that.

I am not familiar with that title, but Paradigm Concepts' Witch Hunter: The Invisible World seems to cover similar ground even if set in later period:

http://www.paradigmconcepts.com/witch_hunter/

 

[SnowDog]

So... what does this Deus vult or Deus lo volt mean?

 

[Lakritsploppen]

Using my limited Latin skill... (adds modification bonuses for Knowing spanish & limtidet katalan...) Deux vult means- God Wants-gods will or something in these lines....

 

[SnowDog]

OK, thanks!