I'm contemplating running an Angel game (using the Angel Cinematic Unisystem rules, not necessary the 'Angelverse') for a game set in the Elizabethan era.

Any chance there are some decent RPG books on that period?  System doesn't matter; I'm more interested in setting-related stuff with a RPG perspective.

Thanks!

Three books I found useful when running Call of Cthulhu in that era:

A Mighty Fortress for AD&D (available on pdf from RPGNow)...if you only pick up one, THIS IS THE ONE!!

GURPS Swashbucklers (also on pdf from e23)...very good background for the era

Maelstrom, coincidentally being discussed in another thread here

Oh, and available for free download is Elizabethulhu by Cam Banks (from the Evil Hat site)...basically D&D 3.0 in Elizabthan England.  Apparently this is being reworked (and renamed Gloriana) into a full supplement by Gareth-Michael Skarka, but I have no idea what the release date might be.

Hope this helps!

(edit: actually 4 books - I forgot Strange Aeons for Call of Cthulu!  I think that's available on pdf too, through DriveThru)

Quote from: FighterboyHope this helps!
 

It does, thanks.  :cool:

Note that A Mighty Fortress is very much post Elizabethan Age.

Quote from: mythusmageNote that A Mighty Fortress is very much post Elizabethan Age.

Are you sure?  I thought it covered about 1550 onwards.

It's actually not a well covered period, Gurps Swashbucklers doesn't cover it in much detail at all, Maelstrom is good but has little background info, AMF is the only one I'd strongly recommend.

I think Phil Masters site may have an excerpt from an unpublished Sorceror's Crusade book with some good info on it, I have no idea how much SC generally had on the period.

ALthought its a humorous game, and it deals with Goblins of its own defninition, GURPS Goblins is a pretty good resource on Georgian London.

It mentions Elizebethan England, but doesn't concentrate on it.

Quote from: BalbinusAre you sure?  I thought it covered about 1550 onwards.

1550-1650, decidedly Elizebethan!  Besides, the character kits were definitely slanted to the Elizebethan period...Sea Dog, Gentleman Adventurer and Philosopher Mage, plus Thespian, if my memory serves right...

Quote from: mythusmageNote that A Mighty Fortress is very much post Elizabethan Age.

Not true, Mythusmage. I have it, and have used it for several Elizabethan games. One was a Blood Games campaign which started in Bermuda during a storm. On the island were a wizard, his beautiful 'daughter', a winged homunculus,and a powerful monster. This campaign went on - they met a very young Athos at Shakespeare's funeral, and attended Pocohontas' funeral as well that same year IIRC - until the Thirty Years War. It's currently suspended, but we may go back at any time.

-clash

Hmmm ... it looks like A Mighty Fortress is the key resource available, then?

Okay, time to visit RPGnow ...

Quote from: flyingmiceNot true, Mythusmage. I have it, and have used it for several Elizabethan games. One was a Blood Games campaign which started in Bermuda during a storm. On the island were a wizard, his beautiful 'daughter', a winged homunculus,and a powerful monster. This campaign went on - they met a very young Athos at Shakespeare's funeral, and attended Pocohontas' funeral as well that same year IIRC - until the Thirty Years War. It's currently suspended, but we may go back at any time.

-clash

Wow.  That sounds very cool!  :cool:

Quote from: AkrasiaHmmm ... it looks like A Mighty Fortress is the key resource available, then?

Okay, time to visit RPGnow ...

Very highly recommended, and I never used it for D&D.

-clash

Quote from: AkrasiaWow.  That sounds very cool!  :cool:

Thanks! If you don't know your Shakespeare, the bit about Bermuda was the plot from the Tempest. Thing was, none of my players got it, yet they ended up telling old Will the story when they got back to England...

-clash

The vibe I got from A Mighty Fortress was early 17th century. A hundred years can cover a lot of events. For example, between the early part of the 1st century A. D. and the early part of the 2nd the city of Rome went from a population of approximately 1 million to arond 300 thousand. A population loss of some 70%.

I can recommend it for an Elizabethan Period campaign, as well as a 30 Years War campaign. As a matter of fact, if you're thinking of doing a Ring of Fire campaign (1632 et al) it's a better resource than the abortive 1632 d20 supplement.

Heads Up: The currency system in A Mighty Fortress is not standard D&D. It's a simplified version of the currency system in use at the time, and can present problems to those familiar only with modern decimal currencies. In addition, your players could earn a tidy profit simply by converting one country's currency to a second country's, then converting that to a third country's currency and then converting that to the first country's. Exact details are lost in the mists of time I'm afraid.

Quote from: flyingmiceThanks! If you don't know your Shakespeare, the bit about Bermuda was the plot from the Tempest. Thing was, none of my players got it, yet they ended up telling old Will the story when they got back to England...

-clash

Speaking of New World adventures during this period. Legend has it that the newly established Harvard University offered the position of staff astronomer to Galileo Galilei. Being under house arrest at the time, and rather old on top of it, he had to decline the offer. Harvard being a Protestant establishment at the time had a good deal to do with it.

But what if Henry VIII had gotten his divorce, and England had remained a Catholic country? Could the Holy See have shipped their problem child off to America in the hopes his separation from the fractious world of European astronomy could help settle things down? And how would the PCs get involved?

Quote from: flyingmiceThanks! If you don't know your Shakespeare, the bit about Bermuda was the plot from the Tempest. Thing was, none of my players got it, yet they ended up telling old Will the story when they got back to England...

-clash

Yeah, I got that and thought that it was damn clever.  :cool: