BRP Rome!

[Pete Nash]

Originally Posted by Simlasa

That sourcebook was okay but seemed more like an expanded encyclopedia entry than really being a game setting. It either didn't have enough detail or had way to much... but never really came to life. It gave me lots of facts but I didn't come away with any better an idea of what I'd do there... reading fiction based in the period seemed better for that.

That sums up the entire difficulty of writing historical source-books. You need to pack in facts and details so that the GM can portray the atmosphere and culture correctly. Since it's impossible to comprehensively cover every aspect of an ancient culture, you must try to concentrate on those specific areas which will be fun to roleplay.

Bringing it to life is the hardest part. In the fantasy or Sci-fi genre it is easier to instill a sense of wonder, and hook the reader. Doing the same thing with a historical setting is very difficult, requiring the author to find the most intriguing and exotic aspects of that period. This is why I'm including so many quotes from the Roman and Greek author's of the time... Their own words can do far more than I to fascinate or amuse the potential purchaser.

How can you beat something like “and they [the rebellious legionaries] killed a centurion, Lucilius, to whom, with soldiers' humour, they had given the name "Bring another," because when he had broken one vine-stick on a man's back, he would call in a loud voice for another and another.”
Tacitus - Annals

Or... “I must not omit here, in reference to painting, a celebrated story that is told about Lepidus. During the Triumvirate, when he was entertained by the magistrates of a certain place, he had lodgings given him in a house that was wholly surrounded with trees. The next day, he complained to them in a threatening tone, that he had been unable to sleep for the singing of the birds there. Accordingly, they had a dragon painted, on pieces of parchment of the greatest length that could possibly be obtained, and surrounded the grove with it; a thing that so terrified the birds, it is said, that they became silent at once; and hence it was that it first became known how this object could be attained.”
Pliny the Elder - Naturalis Historia

Or... “Weep, you girls. My penis has given you up. Now it penetrates men’s behinds. Goodbye, wondrous femininity!”
Anonymous Graffiti

Originally Posted by Simlasa

I'm hoping BRP Rome will go right where the GURPS book went... the other way.

I hope so too! It'll be a book full of history... but hopefully entertaining and campaign inspiring history!

[Atgxtg]

Yeah, the hardest thing with historical settings is that modern people really don't understand what everyday life was like, and tend to view things in terms that they understand.

Things like roasted, stuffed mouse (tasty), garum (a paste made from rotted fish entrails, Rome's answer to ketchup) and vomitoriums don't translate well.

Likewise, most people tend to look at the Biblical account of sleeping in the stables as subhuman way to live, missing the point. In fact, the stables weren't much different that most homes. It was the idea that one of such high status (The Messiah) would be born in so humble a spot that was the point.

That sort of stuff is hard to convey, but crucial to breathing life into the campaign setting. Otherwise Rome just becomes generic fantasy in skirts.

[TRose]

Originally Posted by Atgxtg

Yeah, the hardest thing with historical settings is that modern people really don't understand what everyday life was like, and tend to view things in terms that they understand.

Things like roasted, stuffed mouse (tasty), garum (a paste made from rotted fish entrails, Rome's answer to ketchup) and vomitoriums don't translate well.

Likewise, most people tend to look at the Biblical account of sleeping in the stables as subhuman way to live, missing the point. In fact, the stables weren't much different that most homes. It was the idea that one of such high status (The Messiah) would be born in so humble a spot that was the point.

That sort of stuff is hard to convey, but crucial to breathing life into the campaign setting. Otherwise Rome just becomes generic fantasy in skirts.

Well as far as food goes, all I can say there a lot of food my Philippine born wife eats that even after 20 years of marriage I will not touch , such as Balot( A Duck egg almost hatched) or Shrimp paste.. And when she cooks pig intestines I leave the house.
But you are right that most people dont understand how hard life was then. But all one really has to do is look at how life is in many underdeveloped country to get a glimpse of what life was like
I admit I have a hard time understanding why people kill each other over slight differences in ethnic make up or because somebody worship God in a slightly different way,

[Atgxtg]

Originally Posted by TRose

Well as far as food goes, all I can say there a lot of food my Philippine born wife eats that even after 20 years of marriage I will not touch , such as Balot( A Duck egg almost hatched) or Shrimp paste.. And when she cooks pig intestines I leave the house.

If you want revenge, try cinnamon. That spice has an effect on most people from non-western nations that garlic has on vampires.

[Trifletraxor]

Originally Posted by TRose

Well as far as food goes, all I can say there a lot of food my Philippine born wife eats that even after 20 years of marriage I will not touch , such as Balot( A Duck egg almost hatched)...

Hehe, I ate that when I was there. Tasted kinda rubbery.

SGL.

[TRose]

Originally Posted by Atgxtg

If you want revenge, try cinnamon. That spice has an effect on most people from non-western nations that garlic has on vampires.

No revenge needed. She still a cute little thing and makes up for it in other ways

Originally Posted by Atgxtg

Likewise, most people tend to look at the Biblical account of sleeping in the stables as subhuman way to live, missing the point. In fact, the stables weren't much different that most homes.

Interesting how quickly this sort of thing fades from knowledge. I remember growing up in rural Germany in the 70s, when big farmhouses which combined the stables in the front and the living areas in the rear were still the norm. You'd never really get rid of the smell, but it seemed pretty acceptable (dare I say, cozy) at the time.

[Trifletraxor]

Originally Posted by Pete Nash

Well, it originally started off as a player's handout called Pax Romana written for an adventure set in Nero's Rome. I'd designed (what I considered then) a comprehensive booklet for Roman character generation, seeded with little snippets of cultural info.

Pax Romana is now to be found in our download section!

SGL.

[Jason Durall]

If anyone's interested, I've posted some of the files I created for my recent BRP Rome game in the Download section.

[Atgxtg]

Originally Posted by Jason Durall

If anyone's interested, I've posted some of the files I created for my recent BRP Rome game in the Download section.

I'm interested. I'm sure other will be too, once they get a chance to stop by.

Jason, any chance that you cost post some more on EBRP?