Birthright anyone still play ?

[Farganger]

We play Birthright every Saturday, although more for the setting now than the "regency" game.

Lots of "adventuring" domain turns of late, and most of the original regent PCs have been replaced by shiftless adventurer types.

The regency aspect of Birthright is a fun idea, but I really dislike the method of resolving battles. Realm magic and summoned undead and monsters completely overshadow flesh-and-blood troops.

The first six months were great fun though, before I became disenchanted with the nuts and bolts of campaigning . . .

 

[DanMcS]

What don't you like about the battles? The war card system, or the fact that undead outfight regular troops? Because I really think undead, summoned monsters, and powerful magic will outfight regular troops no matter what battle system you're using.

Johnsemlak: The idea behind the setting is that it gives you a rules set to play the ruler of a kingdom. There are ways to kind-of stat out realms, population, economics, religion, armies, that kind of thing. You're the king.

 

[johnsemlak]

Johnsemlak: The idea behind the setting is that it gives you a rules set to play the ruler of a kingdom. There are ways to kind-of stat out realms, population, economics, religion, armies, that kind of thing. You're the king.

That's what I thought.

It did allow for more or less 'conventional' adventuring as well, though, didn't it?

 

[DanMcS]

Obviously . There are monsters and old ruins and wilderness areas. It could be used just like a standard D&D setting, I'm actually running an on-again/off-again game in this style right now, since my players weren't interested in starting as landed rulers. You get more out of it if you use the domain rules, but really, they aren't tied /too/ tightly to the setting, people have used them for Greyhawk and Kalamar and FR games, and you can play in Cerilia (the continent of the BR setting) easily without them.

 

[der_kluge]

Our first 3E game was set in Birthright, but I think the GM mostly just used it for the maps, and a bit of the history. We played pre-racial hatred in the timeline, though.

 

[Farganger]

What don't you like about the battles? The war card system, or the fact that undead outfight regular troops? Because I really think undead, summoned monsters, and powerful magic will outfight regular troops no matter what battle system you're using.

Wasn't too fond of the war card system or the battle board thing, but it was really the immense power of (easily) summoned undead, ogres and such that ruined the feel for me.

I completely agree that units of undead and/or ogres will outfight regular troops (assuming the MM type critters will be facing relatively low level warriors), but I found it disappointing to recruit and maintain elite armies (at vast expense) and have them slaughtered by creatures summoned at little cost by mid-level casters or decimated by insta-kill spells cast with similar ease.

Just a personal feeling (albeit shared within our particular group). We played three pitched battles (against the notorious Blood Skull Barony) and then decided to pursue means other than war, as it were . . .

I do like the setting and idea of playing regents, as I said. Blood abilities could use some diversification though - we have a big group and it is very rare to have a unique power. (For instance, we currently have two PCs with "Divine Wrath", two with "Enhanced Vision", etc.)

 

[diaglo]

haven't played face-to-face in years.

but i still play on the computer from time to time.

 

[Jade Solstar]

It's good to see it's still alive!
I do agree that the battle system needs more to it, the resolution of large scale battles was sometime...suprising I guess!
Overall though the world had alot of history and flavor to it, which is one of the things I liked so much.
IMO it is the closest original D&D setting to the world of Middle-Earth, races, magic and magic items, even parts of the history of the world...

jade

 

[blueshade]

It's good to see it's still alive!
I do agree that the battle system needs more to it, the resolution of large scale battles was sometime...suprising I guess!
Overall though the world had alot of history and flavor to it, which is one of the things I liked so much.
IMO it is the closest original D&D setting to the world of Middle-Earth, races, magic and magic items, even parts of the history of the world...

jade

Jade, what is it that you mean by the battle system being surprising? That was a bit confusing. Maybe you could clarify this for us all (or at least me).

 

[Ace]

I love the game, but lost my copy of it years ago

I would love to play in a new game, but no one in these parts runs one.

Sorry to interupt the thread but I can't PM so....

If you are interested I have a Birthright boxed set, some modules and the Beastiary available on .marketplace under 1976 to 2e stuff