A Question for those with long-running Birthright campaigns

[King_Stannis]

I have run a Birthright campaign, on and off, since its release in 1995. The timeline has been advanced 30 years in that time (now 581 mr), to accomodate 3 "generations" of Birthright characters. In my campaign, the Empire has been reformed under the banner of one of my 1st generation player's character, Adam Bannier, the chosen of Haelyn. He ruled wisely for 10 years, but was killed in a surprise attack on his honor guard.

Also, Aeric Boeruine and Darian Avan are dead as well. So is the Mhor. Rogr Aglondier is a doddering old man with alzheimer's like symptoms, lovingly cared for by his daughter. Marlae Roesone is 55 years old, but still a beauty.

What I want to know are similar stories from you. What main characters have you killed off or drastically changed? Have any of your players united the Anuirian states into an empire as is the case in my campaign? How far have you advanced the storyline in your Birthright world? Feel free to be detailed if you like. I could shed a little more detail on my campaign if others do the same.

 

[Davelozzi]

I have no stories to share but I will say that I envy you. That sounds like a really cool campaign. Nice work.

 

[King_Stannis]

thanks dave.

I think many long running campaigns build up a nice history and detail. The thing about Birthright is that there is a common foundation for all campaigns. I would just love to hear how others have dealt with some of the characters and plotlines from the boxed sets.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

I played briefly in a Birthright campaign, as Marlae Roesone, but it didn't last much beyond a year of in game time.

However, I had strong thoughts about annexing nearby small countries, and also forming some sort of unified league against Ghoere (I think)...

I enjoyed the campaign, and would love to play again with updated 3e rules. I suppose if you kept the Kingdom rules and used 3e rules for characters, it would work. Probably.

Nice to hear about someone else's characters though!

 

[King_Stannis]

I played briefly in a Birthright campaign, as Marlae Roesone, but it didn't last much beyond a year of in game time.

However, I had strong thoughts about annexing nearby small countries, and also forming some sort of unified league against Ghoere (I think)...

I enjoyed the campaign, and would love to play again with updated 3e rules. I suppose if you kept the Kingdom rules and used 3e rules for characters, it would work. Probably.

Nice to hear about someone else's characters though!

I play now just for the setting and history of the campaign. Really, we don't even mess around with the domain rules - though they'd be pretty useless now that there is a unified empire, anyway.

FYI, Marlae is a very strong NPC my world. While the emperor rules from the Iron Throne, 3 "Kings" govern the major regions of the empire under him. The Western, Central, and Eastern regions. Marlae Roesone succeeded the Mhor as governor of the Central Region, So she is one of the most powerful figures in the empire. She answers only to the Emperor.

I always liked her, and so did my players, including one who portrayed William Moergan II, ruler of Osoerde . William Moergan II is and interesting fellow in his own right. He was a friend and adventuring companion to Adam Bannier, the 1st Emperor of the reborn Anuirian Empire.

 

[La Bete]

My group had a couple of bashes at BR, one set over in Rheulgard(sp?), where we split the kingdom up (a mni-civil war) and divvied it up amongst the players.

We ended up interacting more with the Goblins and Elves than with anyone else until late in the game, where we were dealing with some of the Brecht nations.

A later game was actually set in northern Aduria! We jimmied with the history, and had the northern part of the continent settled by various colonies, alongside Mieres. For this game we revamped the domain rules pretty thoroughly, and had it as a multi-GM campaign. With a lot of intra-party plotting.

Again we didnt deal with any of the big players in Anuire, as we would normally deal with their minions during negotiations - of course we always feared mussing with Mieres in case his liege came over with an army to teach us a lesson.

The last game we had was a non-regent game (when 3e came out), which was set in the campaign described above - but 120 years later. It was glorious to show how peoples previously good intentions were twisted by time.

Also let me show how what may seem just and reasonable to rulers may appear significantly different on the ground.....


didnt answer you Q at all really King_stannis, but its always good to have a rant about BR.

 

[King_Stannis]

My group had a couple of bashes at BR, one set over in Rheulgard(sp?), where we split the kingdom up (a mni-civil war) and divvied it up amongst the players.

We ended up interacting more with the Goblins and Elves than with anyone else until late in the game, where we were dealing with some of the Brecht nations.

A later game was actually set in northern Aduria! We jimmied with the history, and had the northern part of the continent settled by various colonies, alongside Mieres. For this game we revamped the domain rules pretty thoroughly, and had it as a multi-GM campaign. With a lot of intra-party plotting.

Again we didnt deal with any of the big players in Anuire, as we would normally deal with their minions during negotiations - of course we always feared mussing with Mieres in case his liege came over with an army to teach us a lesson.

The last game we had was a non-regent game (when 3e came out), which was set in the campaign described above - but 120 years later. It was glorious to show how peoples previously good intentions were twisted by time.

Also let me show how what may seem just and reasonable to rulers may appear significantly different on the ground.....


didnt answer you Q at all really King_stannis, but its always good to have a rant about BR.

Did you find the non regent game most enjoyable? I know that, other than those first characters, my players have always been adventuring characters who were related to regents etc. Which is why we never delved too deep into the domain system.

also, did you ever test drive the war card system? It's been a while, but I always thought it was an acceptable way to resolve mass combat.

 

[Tzarevitch]

The birthright campaign I play in has passed about 8-9 years so far.

Players are playing the following characters:

- Baron of Talinie & Supreme Heirarch of the Northern Imperial Temple - (That's me) a ran1/pal1/cleric14
- Count of Endier and Guildmaster of Heartland Outfitters - human, rogue/shadowdancer(total levels = 16)
- Duke of Tuornen - half-elf, arist1/wiz15
- King of Halskapa - ersheigh (former human) ranger18
- Supreme Guildmaster of the Taelshore Combine (a mainly player-created guild located mainly in Halskapa) Fighter/Rogue of about 17th level.

Major changes to the realms include:
1. Formal alliance between Talinie and the goblin kingom of Thurazon has resulted in Talinien troops assisting the goblin king in putting down several palace coup in the name of the mutual stability of both kingdoms.

2. The Nothern Imperial temple has healed its philosophical differences with Haelyn's Bastion of Truth in Dhosone. The High Priest of the HBT married the cousin of the Supreme Heirarch, cementing the re-integration of HBT properties back into the Northern Temple. High Priest James Ardannt of the HBT was given the title of Heirarch of the Northern Temple and continues to oversee the old HBT properties in Dhosone. Talinien (Northern Temple Troops) were then dispatched to bolster the Baroness of Dhosone and as a show of the might of the Northern Temple and as a show of the Northern Temple's support of the Baroness' rule.

3. Talinie and Boeruine entered a more formal alliance and Talinie provided troops and ships in support of Archduke Boeruine's claim to the Imperial Throne. The Northern Imperial Temple also officially backed Archduke Boeruine's claim to the throne. As part of the agreement regarding the official backing, temples in Boeruine are split between the Northern Temple and the Hidden Temple of Cuiricaen (sp).

4. Talinien troops led by the Supreme Heirarch himself repelled an invasion of Dantier Island by the wizard known as The Eyeless One. This opens a new era of understanding between Talinie and The Awnsheigh known as The Siren, who controlled the island. With permission of The Siren, the Northern Temple opens temples in her realm on Dantier Island, Ghiga and Newtonor.

5. The Five Peaks officially ceaseed to be unclaimed territory as a result of a combined Boueruine and Taliniean Five Peaks Pacification Project. Two of the five provinces are ceded to Boeruine. One province is ceded to Talinie (The Gorge). One province (Puinol) remains in control of the Warlock of the Stonecrowns. One province (Floodspaeth) is in control of the great dragon Lifesbane. Temples in the Five Peaks are split evenly between the Northern Temple and the Hidden Temple of Cuiricaen (sp.) as part of the Pacification Articles of Agreement.

Regretably, the renegade wizardess known as The Eyeless One was killed in the change in administration in The Gorge. To insure that she never again plagues the land, King Dherg Weir of Halskapa beheaded her, baked her body into bread before eating it.

5. Talinie continued its push toward greater political influence as the Supreme Heirarch of the Northern Temple is married to Lassica Diem, daughter of the Baron of Diemed.

6. Carilon Alam, Duke of Alamie died in an otherwise bloodless palace coup led by a Vos adventurer named Nikolai Volkstead (an NPC). Voklstead declared himself Tsarevo of Alamie. Nary a tear is shead for cruel old Duke Alam (who allegedly slipped and fell from the castle turret while trying to escape house arrest). Tuornen and Alamie then sign a mutual defense pact.

7. King Dherg Weir of Halskapa died in the course of his adventures. His son, a khinasi wizard succeeded him and married the head of the horse clans of Halskapa to quiet the discontent of the jarls of the land. Dherg Weir is later resurrected and goes on to continue his adventuring career free of the burdens of rulership. (The PC playing Dherg Wier also plays his son. Our DM prefers the players continue to run their dynasty after characters die.)

Unfortunately, Dherg Weir's son died 6 months later in an unfortunate incident with a beholder. The ceremony was closed casket (i.e. the character was disintegrated.) The former chieftain of the Horse Clans now reigns as Queen of Halskapa.

8. Tournen recently suffered a palace coup. The Duke of Tuornen (PC) was with a Tighmaevril weapon in the ensuing melee, by his former chief of intelligence (an NPC). The Duke's bloodline and his realm were then stolen by the blade and given to the usurper. Fortunately, the usurper's reign was one of the shortest in history as he was killed by the former duke's companions (specifically the Count of Endier) within a minute of the duke's murder. The duke's body was then secretly rushed to the main temple of the Northern Imperial Temple whereupon the duke was restored to life.

In the interim, Tuornen fell into chaos. The other regents of the land could feel the duke's ties to Tuornen being severed and they began their own bids for power. The Western Imperial Temple, backed by Prince Darien Avan of Avanil, chose one of the duke's vassals, a blooded noble, to act as puppet for Avanil and began a campaign to take control of Tuornen. At the noble's request, Avan's troops then invaded Tuornen to "restore order."

Meanwhile, the newly raised duke began his own secret plan to retake his kingdom. He contacted the rival church in the kingdom, the Millitant Order of Cuiricaen (sp?) and offered them official recognition as state religion and further benefits from the ruler in return for them supporting him and restoring his bloodline. Backed by the Millitant Order, the duke then went to his neighbor, the afore-mentioned Tsarevo of Alamie, and called upon the Tuornon-Alamie mutual defense pact. The Tsarevo, fearing Prince Avan's control, agreed and sent his court wizard and several legions of vos berserkers to drive Avanese troops out of Tuornen.

In a move that surprised everyone, Avan's rival Boeruine also moved to take advantage of the situation and launched a naval bombardment and marine assault of Avan's primary seaport. The attack caused significant damage to the dock facilities, and it did demonstrate that Avan couldn't maintain an invasion of Tuornen and protect Avanil at the same time. Avanil's invasion forces rapidly withdren from Tuornen when Baron Diem, at his daughter's (who is also my PC's wife) request, also sent Dieman troops to Avan's border to demand he withdraw from Tuornen.

Unfortunately, while Avan's troops withdrew, his political presence didn't. Tuornen's problems were then further compounded when the awnsheigh Ruhobbe invaded and seized two of Tuornen's provinces. Ruhobbe's forces then devastated the countryside for two seasons before the Duke of Tuornen could expel them.

9. Problems continue to plague the land of Anuria as Endier is afflicted with a magical plague. To kill the plague, the Count hires a group of wizards to "fumigate". The City of Endier is evacuated for a "holiday in the countri" at the Count's expense and then the wizards set about covering the city with Cloudkill spells. The infestation is wiped out at no loss of life but at a trully astronomical cost. The plague is later traced to a bio-warfare program created by the awnseigh known as The Gorgon.

Further investigation reveals that the Gorgon's armies are on a war footing and he has launched a campaign of destabilization against all of the lands not under his boot. Attempts to form a unified front among all the rulers of Anuria recently came to nothing except vague promises of money and mutual support to Mhoried, the country on the Gorgon's border. Meanwhile - - the Gorgon's mobalization continues. . .

This is where our campaign stands so far.

Tzarevitch

 

[King_Stannis]

Regretably, the renegade wizardess known as The Eyeless One was killed in the change in administration in The Gorge. To insure that she never again plagues the land, King Dherg Weir of Halskapa beheaded her, baked her body into bread before eating it.

I love that! great detail in your campaign, by the way. It sounds quite interesting. This is the response I was hoping for - to see how the campaigns have turned out differently.

If I get the gumption, I'll try to post some more detail on mine, too.

Baked into bread - classic!

 

[La Bete]

Did you find the non regent game most enjoyable?

In some ways yes. Because BR lent itself to a 'living world' feel, it was easy for the players to see that the adventures they were sucked into were often the results of high level political maneuvering, the aims of which they were rarely aware of

- such as when the players stumbled into a conflict between two intelligence organisations, the Baerghos-Nothern Aduria Mercantile Combine Intelligence Service and the Hand of Caelcorwynn.

-such as when the players were travelling through a province that had rebelled against its liege the Dread El-Seraph, and sworn alliegence to the True El-Seraph....

Never used the war cards though (i was in the middle of my magic the gathering is evil, and thus all cards are evil), instead we used a (much modified and extended) version of the D&D Compainion set's War Machine.