My group is discussing starting a Burning Wheel campaign, and we're trying to iron out what kind of setting we want. Right now, it looks like we want something strongly influenced by Byzantium, Persia, Sassanid and Babylonian cultures. Besides going to the library for history books, are there any gaming supplements that cover these civilizations or has a similar feel?
I remember a Byzantium book, I think by Avalanche press. I read it for only a minute so I don't know much about it.
I think Green Ronin's Testament covers some Mesopotamian cultures.
I'm sure there's a GURPS book. There's a GURPS book for everything.
Nicephorus, I'll look around for those books. A book specifically about Byzantium sounds great. Maybe my FLGS has it...
Quote from: Name LipsI'm sure there's a GURPS book. There's a GURPS book for everything.
True, true. :D
I wish I knew of something. I think Avalanche's Byzantium book was an adventure. But it was also set at the fall of Byzantium to the Ottomans.
Testament cover a the biblical era but maybe you could draw something from it. Otherwise I don't really know. There's lots of info online though.
Since we already have the system (and I'm fairly sure there's nothing written about Byzantium for Burning Wheel...), maybe the best shot would simply be the library.
What Byzantine period are you aiming for in feel? It changed considerably through it's history. I might be able to recommend a few general books once I get home.
One fun book is The Secret History by Procopius of Caesaria. He was a top level guy in the reign of Justinian and was present during some of the campaigns by Belisarius and Narses. He wrote several panegyrics about Justinian. The Secret History is a buried manuscript where he talks trash about everyone who is high up. It might given insight into how things really worked.
There's also a book of letters by a woman who travelled the Mediterranean and a diary by a sister of one of the Commnensus emperors which are good but I can't remember the titles just now.
I would look at the Osprey series of books. That would cover much of the history and military class types/weapons for you. As far as game settings go, I don't know of any that cover those cultures specifically... not GURPS for sure. Testament (by Green Ronin) might cover Babylon, but I'm not sure.
Quote from: NicephorusWhat Byzantine period are you aiming for in feel? It changed considerably through it's history. I might be able to recommend a few general books once I get home.
I can't honestly say. I think the "Early bastion of the one true faith", including the numerous groups vying for the right to define that faith is a big part of what appeals to some of our players. Then some wants Arabian Nights, and we're trying to figure out if those can be combined...
Keep the recommendations coming. I'll write them all down before I hit the library.
Caliphate Nights by Green Ronin would probably be of great use... I forgot about that one.
Take a look at Ancient Kingdoms: Mesopotamia by Necromancer Games.
Quote from: ColonelHardissonTake a look at Ancient Kingdoms: Mesopotamia by Necromancer Games.
Wow... never heard of that one. Thanks!
It's generally been well-reviewed, and I like it a lot. The criticisms I've seen of it is that it's more a book of adventures than a sourcebook, but really, it seems to capture the setting really well, and does have info on running a campaign in such a milieu.
My books are a mess right now, never got around to searching through them.
Here's a free copy of the secret history:
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/12916
Part of Procopius' book Wars also covers the wars between Persia and the Byzantine empire in the 6th century.
One of the books that I was trying to remember is the Alexiad by Anna Comnena (sometimes spelled Komnene). The other is Selected letters of Mary Wortley Montagu; she lived in Constantinople around 1700 and some of her letters give a good picture of the Ottomans at the time.
So, how did the game go? *curious*
Didn't see this thread the first time it came up, but I wouldn't recommend Last Days of Constantinople (the D&D module) after skimming a used copy. It's very thin and I don't think there's much to base a campaign on.
On the other hand, the OP could probably do a lot worse than to check out Zenobia.
http://www.geocities.com/zozergames/zenobia.html
http://balbinus.com/Zenobia.htm
I own and have DMed "The Last Days of Constantinople". Great Adventure, but the NPC Stats suck monkey balls. They are nearly all built not according to the rules, as well as built ineffectively.
Don't look for good crunch in that one. Still, a nice Byzanphile coverage in regards to background and theme.
After restatting the NPCs, it was a total blast, which even some of the hardcore D20-detractors in my group cherish to this day.
All the non-magic options of D&D really shine in that one: weapon and armour choice make a big difference. And it's highly "thematic" in that it forces the players to make severe moral decisions.
Interesting. Obviously I have to defer to someone who's actually played the module! (But "GURPS Byzantium" it surely isn't!)
How can a game, which can end with some characters closing the breach in the Theodosian Wall along with the last Roman Emperor facing the wild Wallachian Hordes (with Vlad Tepes (the Impaler) as their leader, and an endles sea of Jannissaries); to buy the other characters enough time to save the Empress not totally rock?