Best resouce for Dark Ages game?
- Thread starter Stormborn
- Start date
Vigilance
Explorer
Your question warms my heart. I posted this on my blog yesterday.
I am about 50 pages into the next major Legends book so I think its time to make an announcement.
For those of you who are members of the Legendsrpg yahoo group, you've already heard this (that's right- I filter information out slowly like the CIA taking over a South American country for General Foods).
The next Legends book will be Legends of the Dark Ages, covering Europe from the Fall of the Western Roman Empire through Charlemagne (476-814). While there will be magic in the game, the goal was to do a more historical take on the period (since arguably Excalibur is a dark ages book as well).
I think for those with an interest in historical gaming this would be a big hit. Also I think there's a lot here for the Excalibur player/gm.
Dark Ages has a lot of info on barbarians, including a couple of new core classes (Marauder and Nomad) and a barbarian bloodline.
The core class list is shaping up along these lines:
Charlatan
Hermit (from Excalibur)
Holy Warrior
Marauder
Mercenary (from Legends of Carthage)
Monk
Noble (from Excalibur)
Nomad
Seer
Skald (from Excalibur)
Soldier
Thief
The book will also provide a fairly indepth history of the period and a period specific equipment section. Included in the equipment rules will be information on mounted combat without stirrups and a complete armor and weapons chart for wrought iron, the strongest metal of the dark ages.
As always, questions and comments welcome.
Chuck
I am about 50 pages into the next major Legends book so I think its time to make an announcement.
For those of you who are members of the Legendsrpg yahoo group, you've already heard this (that's right- I filter information out slowly like the CIA taking over a South American country for General Foods).
The next Legends book will be Legends of the Dark Ages, covering Europe from the Fall of the Western Roman Empire through Charlemagne (476-814). While there will be magic in the game, the goal was to do a more historical take on the period (since arguably Excalibur is a dark ages book as well).
I think for those with an interest in historical gaming this would be a big hit. Also I think there's a lot here for the Excalibur player/gm.
Dark Ages has a lot of info on barbarians, including a couple of new core classes (Marauder and Nomad) and a barbarian bloodline.
The core class list is shaping up along these lines:
Charlatan
Hermit (from Excalibur)
Holy Warrior
Marauder
Mercenary (from Legends of Carthage)
Monk
Noble (from Excalibur)
Nomad
Seer
Skald (from Excalibur)
Soldier
Thief
The book will also provide a fairly indepth history of the period and a period specific equipment section. Included in the equipment rules will be information on mounted combat without stirrups and a complete armor and weapons chart for wrought iron, the strongest metal of the dark ages.
As always, questions and comments welcome.
Chuck
MonsterMash
First Post
Cthulhu Dark Ages gives a reasonable overview of the period. Its not really that easy to separate out the early medieval period from the dark ages though.
Generally things like GURPS Vikings will give useful info on those cultures covered (I don't remember there being a general GURPS Dark Ages though).
Generally things like GURPS Vikings will give useful info on those cultures covered (I don't remember there being a general GURPS Dark Ages though).
KaosDevice
Explorer
MonsterMash said:
I have to give a big second on this one. I really, really liked Cthulhu Dark Ages.
Wombat
First Post
Hmmm, in non-gaming books, there is always In Search of the Dark Ages, which while maybe not 100% accurate at least gives a decent overview of the turmoil of the era (...and the problem of trying to define the era...).
The biggest problem is just when are "The Dark Ages"? Later 4th through 6th century Britain would certainly qualify (if for no other reason than the sheer paucity of manuscripts from the era), but other than that the term opens up a can-o-worms.
Still, Ars Magica and the Green Ronin books are both decent for that High Medieval (12th/13th C) feel. There are several decent (and several bad) books and game supplements out on the vikings and a fair amount of material on Charlemagne's empire (if that still counts as "Dark Ages" -- again, depends on how you are using the term). Einhard's Life of Charlemagne is, I believe, available through Penguin Books and it has a lot of useful material!
The biggest problem is just when are "The Dark Ages"? Later 4th through 6th century Britain would certainly qualify (if for no other reason than the sheer paucity of manuscripts from the era), but other than that the term opens up a can-o-worms.
Still, Ars Magica and the Green Ronin books are both decent for that High Medieval (12th/13th C) feel. There are several decent (and several bad) books and game supplements out on the vikings and a fair amount of material on Charlemagne's empire (if that still counts as "Dark Ages" -- again, depends on how you are using the term). Einhard's Life of Charlemagne is, I believe, available through Penguin Books and it has a lot of useful material!
Vigilance
Explorer
Stormborn said:
Heh, no, my draft is actually done. My guess would be a month tops. Keep in mind this is a PDF only for the moment.
While not historical, I also wrote the ennie nominated Legends of Excalibur (which is available in PDF and print), which takes place in never never land Dark Ages Britain.
You could of course combine the two for an "historical Arthur" campaign.
As for the Merovingians, I deal with them as historical personages, there's a fairly detailed history, at least in terms of the broad strokes. Since Charlemagne is more important I spend more time talking about the Carolingians however.
The time frame is rather broad, starting with the fall of rome and ending with Charlemagne's death. I discuss Bloodlines (variant human races based on social caste), early variants of Christianity (Arianism, Nestorianism etc).
I also deal with historical weapons and armor made from the best material available at the time: wrought iron. I also have rules for fighting from horseback without stirrups and other sundry things that would help you run a historical campaign.
