Questions,Rome

[Daniel McSorley]

>1) I wanted your oppinions on how Magic wauld fit into a Roman Campain.

The Romans were very, superstitious isn't quite the right word, maybe
accepting people. They not only had their own copious pantheon, they would
incorporate the religions of people they conquored. They believed you could
tell the future of a new city by having a priest examine the entrails of a
rabbit (pheasant? some critter) killed in the area. Every citizen followed
a plethora of gods, depending on the endeavor they were partaking in at the
moment. Priestly magic would definintely fit in with the setting.
I don't think the Romans had as much of a concept of wizardly magic and
the things of fae as later Europeans did. But, they conquored all kinds of
people, including arabs, germanic tribes, and africans, who had strong
traditions of magic, IIRC. I'm sure that their great libraries would have
included something on these practices. A magically inclined roman could
have travelled to a different part of the empire to learn the arts, so I
suppose it would be possible, though it might be more interesting to have
any mage characters be foreign in origin.

>2) From what I know the Roman army used conscription, so how do PC's
> wanting to adventure get around it?
I don't believe citizens were conscripted, except maybe in times of war.
Their armies were professional, all volunteers, and well paid at that. Like
I mentioned in an earlier post, the foreigners had extra incentive to
enlist, to gain citizenship. So, it shouldn't be that hard to not be in the
army if you don't want them to be.

Daniel McSorley
mcsorley.1@osu.edu

[E Gray]

- -----Original Message-----
From: Dragon Peaks Park
To: birthright@MPGN.COM
Date: Tuesday, January 13, 1998 9:07 PM
Subject: [BIRTHRIGHT] - Questions,Rome


>Let me just thank all of you who responded to my questions on the Roman
>setting, it's saved me a tone of research.


Since you chose the final days of the republic, you have lots to go on,
especially
in the style of political struggles, grabs for power, and possibly mad
Emperors,
like Tiberius...

>Time for some more questions:
>
>1) I wanted your oppinions on how Magic wauld fit into a Roman Campain.


Easy as pie, for the Romans were not exactly fanatics about who to worship,
in fact they could be considered broad-minded..

>2) From what I know the Roman army used conscription, so how do PC's
> wanting to adventure get around it?

Well after 100 BC, the legions were all professionals and no longer
conscripts,
so it shouldn't be a problem....in fact as evidenced by the mobs of the
capital,
who were entertained by Bread and Circuses paid for by the ambitious men,
avoiding the press gang was easy..

>3) Those of you who have read TSR's Glory of Rome sourcebook, is it worth
buying?
> Sadly for us RP's in South Africa, it costs an arm an' a leg to get
sourcebooks, so i
> need your oppinion first.


You should probably get it, as it is the best source for this period..

[Dragon Peaks Park]

Let me just thank all of you who responded to my questions on the Roman
setting, it's saved me a tone of research.

E. Gray, you said i should choose my time setting as it would change my campain setup, well
i thaught that the time around the late Republic\early Empire wauld be appropriate. This would
sertainly be a period of some termoil *good for PC involvement* aswell as a time of expansion.

James Ruhland, you offered to expand on the titles on the Roman civil structure- i would appreciate it.

As to PC's with their love for long swords - i'm shure i could fit them in as auxillaries..

Time for some more questions:

1) I wanted your oppinions on how Magic wauld fit into a Roman Campain.
2) From what I know the Roman army used conscription, so how do PC's
wanting to adventure get around it?
3) Those of you who have read TSR's Glory of Rome sourcebook, is it worth buying?
Sadly for us RP's in South Africa, it costs an arm an' a leg to get sourcebooks, so i
need your oppinion first.

Thanks Again.

Glenn Tungay
dpp@futurest.co.za