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Pen & Paper Roleplaying Central => Pen and Paper Roleplaying Games (RPGs) Discussion => Topic started by: Trond on May 07, 2020, 12:59:01 PM

Title: Mesopotamia RPG?
Post by: Trond on May 07, 2020, 12:59:01 PM
Anybody tried using this for a setting? Sticking with the BC side of history, which period or region/cities would you use? Sumer? Akkad? Babylon? Assyria? Would it be "Gilgamesh the RPG"?
Title: Mesopotamia RPG?
Post by: Thornhammer on May 07, 2020, 01:14:06 PM
You might check out Sorcerers of Ur-Turuk for some inspiration.

It is not a straight historical setting, but worth a look.
Title: Mesopotamia RPG?
Post by: RandyB on May 07, 2020, 01:31:58 PM
Quote from: Trond;1129128Anybody tried using this for a setting? Sticking with the BC side of history, which period or region/cities would you use? Sumer? Akkad? Babylon? Assyria? Would it be "Gilgamesh the RPG"?

Pre- or Post- Late Bronze Age collapse? The former gets you the great ancient empires; the latter is called Testament. Green Ronin, IIRC?
Title: Mesopotamia RPG?
Post by: Brendan on May 07, 2020, 01:34:54 PM
You might enjoy this series of blog posts:

https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/p/mesopotaimian-adventures.html
Title: Mesopotamia RPG?
Post by: Trond on May 07, 2020, 02:21:46 PM
Quote from: RandyB;1129133Pre- or Post- Late Bronze Age collapse? The former gets you the great ancient empires; the latter is called Testament. Green Ronin, IIRC?

You're answering my question with another question? :P
Title: Mesopotamia RPG?
Post by: RandyB on May 07, 2020, 03:54:45 PM
Quote from: Trond;1129143You're answering my question with another question? :P

Not by intent. :)

If you want post-LBA Collapse, the game Testament is focused on that era. I think it was from Green Ronin, but I am not sure.

If you want pre-Collapse, that's where the great ancient empires are. That could be "Gilgamesh the RPG", yes. I think there was a Mythic Mesopotamia supplement in the old d20 days that might provide a different take on the pre-Collapse era.

Sorry for the lack of details. I don't have my digital library handy at the moment.
Title: Mesopotamia RPG?
Post by: Trond on May 07, 2020, 04:28:55 PM
Quote from: Brendan;1129134You might enjoy this series of blog posts:

https://elfmaidsandoctopi.blogspot.com/p/mesopotaimian-adventures.html

Wow, lots of links there. Thanks!

Quote from: RandyB;1129153Not by intent. :)

If you want post-LBA Collapse, the game Testament is focused on that era. I think it was from Green Ronin, but I am not sure.

If you want pre-Collapse, that's where the great ancient empires are. That could be "Gilgamesh the RPG", yes. I think there was a Mythic Mesopotamia supplement in the old d20 days that might provide a different take on the pre-Collapse era.

Sorry for the lack of details. I don't have my digital library handy at the moment.

I guess I wasn't so much asking how to do it (zero gaming going on for me right now), as wondering what others have been doing, if they have tried it. Just curious.

Mythic Mesopotamia, yes that does ring a bell.
Title: Mesopotamia RPG?
Post by: Loz on May 07, 2020, 06:44:34 PM
We have Mythic Babylon in the works (art being assigned and layout about to begin) for Mythras. We also have a podcast detailing the content of the book, and the approach taken by the authors. It's set in the 18th Century BC, and focuses on Sumer, Akkad and Subartu.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4448[/ATTACH]

https://www.buzzsprout.com/266482/1479823-1-4-by-the-mythras-of-babylon
Title: Mesopotamia RPG?
Post by: GeekyBugle on May 07, 2020, 06:49:07 PM
Quote from: Trond;1129128Anybody tried using this for a setting? Sticking with the BC side of history, which period or region/cities would you use? Sumer? Akkad? Babylon? Assyria? Would it be "Gilgamesh the RPG"?

La puerta de Ishtar if I remember correctly is a sword and sandal game in such a setting, but it's in Spanish, not sure if it was released in English.
Title: Mesopotamia RPG?
Post by: Trond on May 08, 2020, 12:01:17 AM
Quote from: Loz;1129179We have Mythic Babylon in the works (art being assigned and layout about to begin) for Mythras. We also have a podcast detailing the content of the book, and the approach taken by the authors. It's set in the 18th Century BC, and focuses on Sumer, Akkad and Subartu.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4448[/ATTACH]

https://www.buzzsprout.com/266482/1479823-1-4-by-the-mythras-of-babylon

Cool!
Title: Mesopotamia RPG?
Post by: Simon W on May 08, 2020, 03:26:31 AM
Hex Games do a Gilgamesh (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/104263/Gilgamesh?term=gilgamesh) rpg. I don't have it so can't say if its any good, but I do have their Hobomancer rpg and that's done pretty well. And the QAGS system is currently free (you need it for their games).
Title: Mesopotamia RPG?
Post by: Weru on May 08, 2020, 08:34:45 AM
I've started working on an OSE - B/X Fantasy Sumerain sandbox setting. Haven't got much done yet just some design notes on the thousands of gods (who are built like supers) and some wacky conversions of the B/X vanilla 7 classes to Sumerian counterparts. It's called Gods of the Seven Cities. The campaign pitch is D&D zeroes to heroes party vs Supers. I can post blog links to the notes and classes if anyone is interested.
Title: Mesopotamia RPG?
Post by: TimothyWestwind on May 09, 2020, 09:26:21 AM
I play in my own S&S setting which spans Bronze Age to Antiquity level tech. I liberally borrow from several time periods and cultures. (It's set in Southeast Asia during the last Ice Age)

I'm not educated enough about the time period to be able to make distinction between the Sumerians, Akkadian, Assyrians or Babylonians, so it's a mixture of various tropes.

City states
Large monuments
Wilderness beyond the cities where beasts and monsters roam.
Enslaved peoples
Capricious gods
Society split into castes
Priest kings/queens
Observing and reading the motions of the stars
Small armies, ritual combat
Merchants travel far for precious goods

Some of the games I use to mine ideas:

Blood & Bronze: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/173051/Blood--Bronze-rules

Babylon On Which Fame and Jubilation Are Bestowed (2nd Edition): https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/304978/Babylon-On-Which-Fame-and-Jubilation-Are-Bestowed-2nd-Edition
Title: Mesopotamia RPG?
Post by: Trond on May 11, 2020, 03:32:43 PM
Quote from: TimothyWestwind;1129365I play in my own S&S setting which spans Bronze Age to Antiquity level tech. I liberally borrow from several time periods and cultures. (It's set in Southeast Asia during the last Ice Age)

I'm not educated enough about the time period to be able to make distinction between the Sumerians, Akkadian, Assyrians or Babylonians, so it's a mixture of various tropes.

City states
Large monuments
Wilderness beyond the cities where beasts and monsters roam.
Enslaved peoples
Capricious gods
Society split into castes
Priest kings/queens
Observing and reading the motions of the stars
Small armies, ritual combat
Merchants travel far for precious goods

Some of the games I use to mine ideas:

Blood & Bronze: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/173051/Blood--Bronze-rules

Babylon On Which Fame and Jubilation Are Bestowed (2nd Edition): https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/304978/Babylon-On-Which-Fame-and-Jubilation-Are-Bestowed-2nd-Edition

That sounds cool! Thanks for the links!