D20 Shakespeare: Macbeth

[Crothian]

Written between 1606 and 1607, Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, rivaled only by Hamlet and King Lear. Set in the tumultuous and somewhat barbaric eleventh century of Scotland, the play tells the story of a heroic warrior, Macbeth, who is driven into a bloody series of murders and horror by his own unbridled ambition and the supernatural forces of darkness, manifested in the form of fatal prophecies. However, as one sees his actions become increasingly vile and depraved, one is still reminded of his humanity and former worth by the pangs of guilt which he suffers in moments of solitude and by the strong bonds of love that connect him to his equally ambitious wife. Herein we realize that the tragedy is not the murders of kings, friends, and children, or the havoc caused by civil war. It is, in fact, the knowledge that a hero has succumbed to the weaknesses inherent in the human race and, embracing wickedness, becomes a villain. This RPG sourcebook focus on the history and setting of this well known Shakespeare piece and how to integrate it into your regular local gaming session. This sourcebook also comes with several adventures seed with different endings to this classic play. You have read the dramatic piece, now play the adventure.Written by Jason J. McCuiston. Page Count: 13 Pages

 

[Crothian]

Macbeth

Once again I am back to a Shakespearian tragedy. These plays do have lots of elements that would make role playing in them fun. They seem to be deigned for a one shot and might be a fun thing to try at a convention. These do not seem to be designed for the usually campaign though. They really cannot easily be inserted into a Forgotten Realms of Midnight game for instance. Although I imagine this might not be seen as that big a tragedy in the world of Midnight. D20 Shakespeare: Macbeth is this book and it offers a few interesting takes on adventuring with the play.

D20 Shakespeare: Macbeth is a PDF by Louis Porter, Jr. Design. The company has a few of these Shakespearian plays ready to be played in the d20 rule set. The PDF is not the long at only thirteen pages. That number though may be appropriate considering the bad luck of performing the play sometimes brings and the curse of the play that some believe in. There are no book marks in the PDF. The layout is very simple with no art and some page borders. There is only one instance of a lot of white space and it is at the end of the book before the Open Game License.

The book starts with some history of the play and an introduction to the characters. It is an interesting read for anyone with a passing interest in the play. The bulk of the book is a summary of the different acts and the event of the play. This is a nice overview and should bring people familiar wit the play enough so they can properly run it. Someone not familiar with the play will of course have a more difficult time with this. All the major NPCs are stated out. The NPCs are nicely described and it does bring some good points from the play into the stat blocks. Some of the characters have special qualities and extra bit like fighting styles under a combat section.

What I find most interesting in the product though is the alternate possibilities the given. For instance they have an interesting idea if Macbeth basically stays good through out. Or what if the prophecies don’t matter and it is just whoever is left alive at the end is king. These options can make the play seem a little new to even those familiar with it and give some nice possibilities for players to carve their own story instead of worrying about what the play dictates.

The book is a nice one to pick up for people interested in the play. I am not sure how useful it will be anything but running the play, but I am sure an enterprising DM can find something. I would have liked a bit more information on running it though. It does not seem to be a straight forward as modules or other adventures are. It seems to more intended for people familiar with the play and people who are not might have some difficulties with it.