Archives of the Empire 3 is again full of interesting articles and ideas to expand the rules. It definitely feels like there is more crunch in this book than vol 1 and 2.
Section one contains rules and background for running your own business. Suggestions include Courier Service, Crafting Workshop, Criminal Gang, Holy Temple, Knightly Order, Tavern, Market Parlour, Noble Estate, Performing Troupe and Publishing House. Each suggestion has descriptions, linked careers and skills, special rules and 3 events that might happen to the business. It also has details of sample creditors, random events, expansion opportunities and 3 sample shops.
Section Two is all about armour, with % chances of looted armour fitting.
Armour now imposes a flat -10 to stealth tests.
There are new rules for repairing armour. Including when skilled players want to repair the party’s.
There are new qualities for armour and flaws.
Importantly what armours can be combined has been updated with these rules. Previous plate could go over leather or chain and chain could go over leather. Which meant a plate armoured, chain armoured, leather armoured warrior could have a might 6 AP making them very hard to hit.
The new rules are that a soft kit or reinforced soft kit (1AP) can go under any armour.
Boiled leather can go under a breastplate (3AP body only) or Brigandine (2 AP on the body and arms) but nothing else.
Chainmail can go under Brigandine or a Breastplate but nothing else.
Plate armour can no longer go over other armour (apart from the breastplate)
The effect of this is that the body can now be most protected but the arms less so and the legs and head even less. I really like these changes. It’s relatively easy to still get 3 AP on every location but limits this becoming excessive.
The chapter finished off with a range of helmets with their own rules and styles.
Chapter 3 has special rules for the cult of Handrich (God of Merchants) including lots of background, a speciality priest career and specific miracles for Handrich.
Chapter 4 covers the minor gods Khaine, Solkan, and the Hedge Wizards of the old faith. There is again a great deal of fluff and lore as wells as speciality priests of Solkan and Khaine. Specific Miracles and a nice big chunk of Hedge Magic Spells which are very flavourful such as Myrkride, Silver Tide and The Ousting.
Chapter 5 covers the Cult of Rhya and you guessed it comes with speciality priests, lore and miracles… you’re detecting a theme now. It’s followed by a Chapter on animal familiars which fits several of these cults very well.
Chapter 7 is different as it is just two pages of adaptions to the racially character generation that let you play characters from different ends of Altdorf including a version for Imperial Dwarfs.
Chapter 8 has the brilliant new Channelling rules I mentioned previously. I can’t stress how much fun these are. I gave examples of the Bright wind’s options but every wind has some. The lore of Shadow for instance let’s you improve your stealth with Ulgu’s Touch; appear less of a threat with Not My Problem; or gain freedom of movement with Passing Shadow. To be clear these aren’t spells, they’re little quirks you pick up as you learn spells that you can use as part of channelling using a little of the channeled energy (which no longer disappears when you use some of it). These are just brilliant.
The final Chapter finishes the book with Lord Adelbert a retired Reiksguard knight with the new Easily Confused trait. This is in keeping with Cubicle 7’s amazing character building and the quality of their NPCs.
There’s a lot in Archives of the Empire 3. Definitely worth a look.
