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AGE OF TREASON - The Iron Simulacrum


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age-of-treason.jpgYou are the citizen of a great empire ruled by an unseen and immortal emperor through his viceroy, a magically animated statue known as the Iron Simulacrum. Beyond the empire's borders lie new lands to conquer, and beyond those lie exotic new worlds to discover and explore. However the greatest dangers are often close to home; not everyone believes the peace and stability of the Empire is worth submission to the Emperor's will, and dangerous plots are afoot even in the highest circles. It is time to decide where your loyalties lie, because this is the Age of Treason.

Used with the RuneQuest II rules, this book provides everything you need to create Adventurers equipped to do their bit for Empire or to slip into the shadows and pursue whatever personal goals their treasonous hearts desire. Choose from dozens of new professions, learn new skills, make pacts with gods and demons and deploy the arts of sorcery in new ways. An extended campaign for beginning level adventurers is included to get you started.

• Setting - Hugely detailed and believable world constructed over many years of development and play

• Adventurer Creation - Over 50 Adventurer professions for civilised characters

• Social Status – a new Characteristic to help define your Adventurer

• New Skills - 6 new skills including Brawl and Fast Talk, plus Education - a new Advanced Skill for literate Adventurers

• New Cults - 9 new cults including Emperor Worship, as well as guidelines for creating many more, and even for founding a cult of your own.

• New Magic - more than 30 new spells as well as new magical skills such as Craft (Enchantment) and Craft (Alchemy)

• Advanced Enchanting – create bespoke magic items

• Spirit Magic – rules for spirits that can manifest in the material world

• Bribery and Corruption – rules to give your Influence skills a boost by greasing palms

• Creatures - demonic sorcerer's assistants, wraiths, golem servants and vampires

• Adventures - an episodic campaign in which even the most humble citizen has the chance to prove his mettle in the Emperor's service.

By Jonathan Drake. 256 pages. Published by MongoosePublishing August 2011.

Ef plest master, this mighty fine grub!
b1.gif 116/420. High Priest.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Now this looks like an excellent sword n sorcery setting, I've seen a preview on the Mongoose site and it looks like a worthy purchase

" Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!"

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I just received my copy from Mongoose. A great looking hard cover book, with some great content. Very sword'n'sorcery feel from what I have seen, more Elric than Conan however. This looks like its gonna be a really good setting...

" Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!"

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I'd like to keep it large format, but for a companion book probably soft cover (all to be discussed with Mongoose) - something over 100 pages. Current content at draft:

1) Treasonous Thoughts - describes some of the key treasonous, nefarious (or not, depending on your point of view) or just odd plots to subvert the empire that Adventurers can get caught up in

2) Goods, Commerce and Money - money and coinage, cost of living, how to advance your SOC, price lists and descriptions for common items (including arms and armour), trade goods, services (including magical ones), land, transport etc

3) Agriculture and Earth Magic - Why agriculture is at the heart of - well, most things - new spells, info and reasons why its relevant to adventurers

4) Adventuring on the Frontiers - three story outlines, plus stats and info (e.g. Sheng spirit Magic) to help kick off developing a campaign in these wild and dangerous regions

5) "Niadra's Scriptorium" - a short scenario set in Zarina that will set the Adventurers off on the road to Sorandib

6) Sorandib section - a city guide and adventure pack comprising cult/organisation details for The Artificers, Beggars and several others; city details, maps, plans of key locations/buildings, rules for Artifice, personalities, and at least one fully detailed scenario, "Twilight's Assassins"...

This not exhaustive, but it's what is drafted right now. Aiming for latter part of Q1 next year. The gap between then and now apart from the production requirements of illustration, editing and layout is deciding what else to pack in there.

In the meantime I will be posting a free pdf scenario to slot in to the adventure thread in the main book to coincide with the availability of the Legend rules. Should be up later this week.

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Sounds great. I really love the flavour of your setting, and many of the rules tweaks make alot of sense.

It's a strong entry for the first LEGEND setting, and the whole LEGEND line will benefit as a result. You certainly had big shoes to fill after Lawrence Whitaker and Pete Nash departed Mongoose, but I think this work is a great finished product that bubbles with potential.

Try and plead with the Mongoose Superiors to make your companion volume a hard cover as well, it looks so much better in the shops (and in my bookcase! ;D).

" Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!"

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Mankcam

Sounds great. I really love the flavour of your setting, and many of the rules tweaks make alot of sense.

It's a strong entry for the first LEGEND setting, and the whole LEGEND line will benefit as a result. You certainly had big shoes to fill after Lawrence Whitaker and Pete Nash departed Mongoose, but I think this work is a great finished product that bubbles with potential.

Many thanks Mankcam - the feedback is really appreciated.

Pete Nash was kind enough to review a section or two I thought may be problematic and his notes were of course very useful. If the book stands up to what well respected professional games writers are turning out I'm more than happy. And if it brings genuine pleasure to people as a good read for inspirational purposes and gives people fun times around a gaming table, that's the prize.

It's a shame not to have had, in the end, a book with RuneQuest engraved on the cover and my name next to it, as RQ has been with me since about 1981 as a way to spend quality time with my best chums. But things changed when the book was still in draft - in the end there's a lot to be said for being first out the door for Legend, and I hope it does well.

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  • 2 months later...

Did this get posted somewhere yet ?

Here you go:

Please feel free to visit the new Age of Treason blog, where you can avail yourself of Strictly Courtroom, a free scenario to slot into the published campaign. You can find us at:

http://draconianpress.net/ageoftreason/

go to the archived post 'new scenario posted today' Simply click on the Strictly Courtroom link when you get there to access the pdf

With best wishes

GP (Simulacrum)

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Thanks. I just got my copy from amazon last week. My first impressions are very good. I like the idea of having a campaign to introduce beginning players to the setting ( similar to the old RQ Borderlands campaign pack).

I think it might be handy to have a 1 or 2 page pdf introduction/overview of the empire for prospective purchasers/players to give them a taste of the flavour of the setting. There is a lot more to this setting than I thought when I ordered it.

I use  fantasygrounds.com

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It's a great book, some new mechanics with a great setting, in a very nice big hardcover. Actually I think LEGEND should make this their flagship fantasy/sword n sorcery product, it is so good. When I'm not so tired I'll try and throw a more articulate review down somewhere, probably on Amazon.

" Sure it's fun, but it is also well known that a D20 roll and an AC is no match against a hefty swing of a D100% and a D20 Hit Location Table!"

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 1 year later...

Sorry for the necro post, but a search turned up very little...

But what happened to Age of Treason? I bought a print copy of Legend at launch, but set it aside for any main campaigns. Now my group has decided to switch over to Legend rules from BGB, and in my searches I found AoT, and I've got to say... My god...

I've always been more an RPG collector than player, but that changed recently and my group is burning through my stockpile of materials. I wanted to steer more towards a swords and sandals setting, but while RQ has always been my bread n butter, I have little love for Glorantha. I've always preferred to flesh out my own worlds, but this is an amazing setting, and I want to know more more more!! There is no mention of it on mongoose's site, and its not listed on drive thru or rpgsite...

I may be tearing open old wounds, but what happened? From what I can glean without jumping to rpggeek this setting could have been a flagship for Legend and given the system some much needed character, but its like its been eradicated. Which makes me sad.

Currently running...

Blood & Oil... The Wastes of Mad Max in BRP on Roll20

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  • 2 years later...
37 minutes ago, Marrethiel said:

Great book, however I have a question.

Page 163 mentions a Grampus which I can't find stats for

Does anyone know what they are?

Cheers

They are giant scorpions that shoot acid instead of being poisonous.  I don't know if they were statted up in Legend, but they are in the fully-compatible Monster Coliseum for MRQ II. They aren't so complicated that you couldn't just stat them up yourself too.

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