Birthright. Tell Me About It. Please.

[Ranger REG]

From what I've heard over the years, Dark Sun is one property that WotC will not sell because of the fan base.

Let me guess, the fanbase rejects WotC because it is not TSR?

As you've said, not enough customers to keep the line in production, unless we have the fanbase sign an agreement in blood that they'll buy 10 copies of the same product or failing that, will relinquish their bodies & souls to me.

 

[Thomas Percy]

Large enough to maintain interest, not quite large enough to support production. It has always had that problem.

Sad, but probably true, because WotC decisions are based on market research.
There is always hope - at least - that one day appears a company with enough money to pay even absurdal licence fee and enough good faith in planned design - print.

But now, I find AD&D 2 ed rulebooks (with a little help from fans-from- birthright.net -created) sufficient to run 3,5 e game.

 

[Davelozzi]

The "revised" setting was issued just before Birthright was, IIRC.

Both came out in 1995, but Birthright was actually out a few months earlier, in July, whereas revised Dark Sun was an October release.

 

[an_idol_mind]

Both came out in 1995, but Birthright was actually out a few months earlier, in July, whereas revised Dark Sun was an October release.

Actually, Dark Sun came out in 1991. You might be thinking of the revised campaign setting.

EDIT: Never mind, I see what you're saying now. Serves me right for not reading the whole thing before posting.

 

[irdeggman]

Both came out in 1995, but Birthright was actually out a few months earlier, in July, whereas revised Dark Sun was an October release.

True but it is obvious that the Player's Option series (the psionics rules in Skills and Powers) were "based" on the revised Dark sun rules.

It came out in July 1995.

 

[Tonguez]

I agree Birthright is the best setting ever produced by TSR.

However I was playing GURPS at the time it came out but was inspired by the setting and so used the regency ideas but with my own mechanic (which I have since D20-ised)

I found that an easy way to ease people into domain rules was to give them a few Regency Points for actions done for the common good. Say the PC's clear up a marauding band of Goblins in a particular province... give them a couple regency points to use in that province only to represent the fact that they are seen as heroes by the people, and will be listened to. This gives the players the occasional chance or two (as a party, not individuals) to bend some of the local politics to their view, without making them full regents.

This was something I did. Instead of the regency being tied to Bloodlines I instead made it 'Status' which could be earned and used to 'influence' others

As the campaign progresses, the actual regents in the area will take note of these adventurers and start to use them for their own ends (as lieutenants, etc.) and if the players do well, one or two of them could become the heirs to one of the actual organizations over the course of time (maybe the PC Paladin becomes the head of the church as the capstone to his career, etc.)

In play this is what I found to be the best way to handle things - the PCs as 'lieutenants' acting as agents of the ruling authority. It means they can influence things but are not so tied in to having to 'rule' and thus can spend their attention on adventuring if they need

I played games where the PCs were rulers each with there own domain and these were fun, I also played normal adventures in the setting and had fun. The problem came with trying to mix the two modes - which can be done but because they run on different time scales can lead to confusion

 

[Ranger REG]

I agree Birthright is the best setting ever produced by TSR.

Meh. I have some gripes about the sidhe markup (e.g., can't be priests) and the outlander halflings.

Other than that, the rest is okay, once I look past my favorite realm management rules.

 

[Thomas Percy]

Meh. I have some gripes about the sidhe markup (e.g., can't be priests) and the outlander halflings.

Oh yes, I've changed these rules this year at least, and it's much easier to run adventures in Brt right now. eg. I don't need to modify Red Hand of Doom or Races of the Wild etc. etc. etc., because I have Corellon Larethian and Yondalla now.

 

[irdeggman]

Yeah, it may not be BR but it was close enough and usable in any d20 fantasy setting. Too bad Eden stopped making more of them (would have liked if it Field of Bloods can be used in modern and futuristic settings).

The issue with using Fields of Blood (or any D&D d20 based system) for future/mofern economics is in trying to use the d20 Modern mechanics.

I started a discussion at BR.net on potentially switching domain level economics to a more d20 Modern based one.

D20 Modern uses "wealth" and not an actually $ value for items. This causes "issues" when trying to "buy" things like troops and the like.

"Wealth" is a very abstract system that measures income as a whole and not as "found treasure".

 

[Ranger REG]

The issue with using Fields of Blood (or any D&D d20 based system) for future/mofern economics is in trying to use the d20 Modern mechanics.

I started a discussion at BR.net on potentially switching domain level economics to a more d20 Modern based one.

D20 Modern uses "wealth" and not an actually $ value for items. This causes "issues" when trying to "buy" things like troops and the like.

"Wealth" is a very abstract system that measures income as a whole and not as "found treasure".

Well, I could argue that the Wealth system is more of a personal income system rather than what government usually deals on a daily or fiscal basis.

IIRC, Birthright don't necessarily used GP as their standard monetary system for realm management but rather GB (or gold bar; 1 GB = 1 GP).