1. A game set during the 17th Century wars of religion?    Ideas that occur to me are a houseruled WFRP (and if so 1e or 2e) or maybe Flashing Blades, but there must be options I'm missing.

2. A game set during the Renaissance in the early to mid 16th Century?  Maelstrom (the original one from way back in the day) could work I guess, or maybe WFRP again with tons of houserules, but neither is quite right I suspect.

3. What about a game set in Britain in the 14th Century?  Mongoose Runequest maybe?  Other?

In each case, if you have a choice, why that choice and not something else?

Thanks all

I was going to break apart your post and quote each choice. But this way is easier  : Look at my subtitle near my avatar. Everything except the Warhammer Fantasy , I would choose to use GURPS4th edition.  (At least I'm consistent and somewhat predictable.)

 Hell, if I knew more about the background universe of WARHAMMER - I bet GURPS could adapt that as well. I've seen threads over on the SJG forums where people were doing just that.

 Other reason I say GURPS?

 A lot of those setting or ideas you list are basically historical campaigns. GURPS has always been good at doing historical settings. Lots of gamers have bought their historical settiung books just for use as reference even tho they were running other game systems.

- Ed C.

Until I learn more about the tone and playstyle you're shooting for I will recommend Wushu.

OK, and En Garde for the 17th c.

Hey Koltar, I've amended the OP to be clearer, I'm only asking about the three historical periods, the systems I mentioned were just thoughts I had that might fit but weren't necessarily great.

Gurps would indeed do them all, but it's not presently my cup of tea, fine as it is and happily as I would play it were you to run it.

Quote from: Pierce InverarityUntil I learn more about the tone and playstyle you're shooting for I will recommend Wushu.

OK, and En Garde for the 17th c.

History, politics, religious and civil conflict, rise of the merchant classes and eclipse of the aristocracy, gritty tone, the usual.

Flashing Blades incidentally is basically En Garde with extra stuff, I mean they never admitted it but it's way obvious if you own both.

If you're playing soldiery or others involved in smash-'em-up action: GURPS

If you're doing courtly/political/religious shennanigans: The Dying Earth.

No, really. Its got excellent "social interaction" rules and glosses over combat (aside from duelling and such). It would be really good for talky intrigue RPing.

Quote from: WerekoalaIf you're playing soldiery or others involved in smash-'em-up action: GURPS

If you're doing courtly/political/religious shennanigans: The Dying Earth.

No, really. Its got excellent "social interaction" rules and glosses over combat (aside from duelling and such). It would be really good for talky intrigue RPing.

TDE is an interesting suggestion actually, that could be worth looking at, though I wonder if the tone would end up too comic.

I had thought of making the following houserule next time I run TDE:

"no health pool.

If you lose a fight, which is a contest of attack versus defence, then you are slightly wounded if the attacker wins with a marginal victory, incapacitated if they win with a solid victory and dying if they win with a overwhelming victory.

I don't have the book to hand, so the success levels aren't correctly named there, but you get the idea.

For non-combat threats to health I'd have you roll an appropriate skill like Survival or Athletics, if no skill you get one die as usual.

And that's it. Robin Laws has a tendency to make PCs unkillable or near as in his games, which I think directly works against his goal of having combat less of a feature. Make combat deadly, but persuasion effective, and combat will not happen much.

As the game is currently written you go through a ton of rolls until the fight is decided, then a ton of health rolls until the PC takes a wound, and that wound is then the lightest possible. I don't think it works that well, but I think it can be fixed fairly easily.
"

Okay I'm amending my answer based on anecdotal evidence and play report testimony  I've heard from LOTS of customers over the past years ....

 I could also recommend maybe SAVAGE WORLDS for doing those historicals - I just haven't had enough practice with the system. Am at the verge of trying it stage with that set of rules.

 It all depends on how 'tight' and regimented you want your rules system.

 I don't recommend the Mongoose Runequest for ANYTHING. Customers have been unhappy with it at the store....what copies we have of it at the store now  - just sit there on the shelf. There was also a recent flamewar over on the SJG forums about the Mongoose RUNEQUEST  and the upshot of it all was that there was a ton of typos, mistakes and pages of errata related to it.  (also longterm Runequest were very unhappy with it for various reasons)

Short version: Its got "issues" as a game system - okay ?

 The more I think about it..... TRUE20 might work out as well. The Pundit may know much more about that system than I would. A couple of the store customers were doing a Musketeers game using TRUE20.

 Hope thats somewhat helpful.

Guess it also depends on whats available and easy for you to get  in Italy.


- Ed C.

Thanks Koltar, particularly for the MRQ feedback, that's useful.

FYI, I'm located in Britain, not Italy (though I do go there fairly often).

I'd probably go with Savage Worlds for all three.  Though for 14th century Britain I could see making D&D or Pendragon stretch to fit.

Quote from: Balbinus"no health pool.

If you lose a fight, which is a contest of attack versus defence, then you are slightly wounded if the attacker wins with a marginal victory, incapacitated if they win with a solid victory and dying if they win with a overwhelming victory.

Robin Laws has a tendency to make PCs unkillable or near as in his games, which I think directly works against his goal of having combat less of a feature. Make combat deadly, but persuasion effective, and combat will not happen much.

Yeah, the combat part is kinda klunky, but the flavor of the language and the social combat is more what I had in mind for the courtly intrigue style of game. I'd never use TDE for anything like The Three Musketeers, for example, but it'd be great for a BBC drawing-room drama - or some spunky Bishop trying to take down the Pope via deciet and intrigue.

Hi Balbinus!

1: I'd use my own Blood Games II, with no Path characters and Ancient Chargen. It's what I actually used when running this, along with A Mighty Fortress for reference, and it worked very, very well.

2: TDE, with your health pool idea. I like it!

3: Pendragon.

-clash

I noticed you posted the same question on the Big and Purpley.
 GURPS is getting some positive support from names I don't even recognize.

Cool!!


- Ed C.

I don't have any good suggestions for 1&2 that haven't already been mentioned...well, maybe Lace & Steel based on pure hearsay...although personally the "weird" elements of the game, and their choice of illustrator, are factors that kept me away.

Quote from: Balbinus3. What about a game set in Britain in the 14th Century?  Mongoose Runequest maybe?

Harnmaster, I'd go for 1e because I know it best and have qualms about HMC and 3e, and I don't know HM Gold at all. Although HM is based more specifically on the 11th century, it would still probably be the quickest BRP-like game to adapt (including Elric/Stormbringer), except possibly Pendragon.

For more mechanical support of high-level stuff like politics and economics, I understand there's a Harnmaster manors book, not sure how good it is.

All that said if you can figure out Burning Wheel, the Lifepaths, Resources/Circles/Reputation, and other elements offer at least the promise of a built-in campaign framework. E.g. I remember reading somewhere that the income/expenditure rolls (I really forget how they work) for a beginning knight basically lead to a net expected loss, thus urging the character to seek employment/"adventure".

Well, you know what I'd suggest.


But I'll do it anyway.  EABA.  Handles the specific genres fine, and I could adapt some of the ideas and equipment from the Ythrek sourcebook, which is semi-Renaissance in feel.