D&D General Destroying Rome?

[Zardnaar]

So I'm running an ancient Greek campaign set around 432 BC on an alternate earth. I've tweaked some events eg instead of Persians invading it was the Zaharans. Zahar is basically Sumerian/Arkadia so



The dates a bit vague but said invasion was 50ish years ago. Anyway the theme of the game is Fate of Atlantis. The weapons and equipment us ancient greek era but the Atlanteans have things like full plate.

They're currently near Delphi and are uncovering the manipulation of the Pithia (the prophet of Apollo). It's possible they prevent the Peloponnesian war equivalent.

Bit old school by the time they're done they'll be name level. And possibly have Atlantean artifacts, weapons, armor etc.

They've meet a merchants who's been to Latium. It's "full of barbarians who will never amount to much". One of them joked they coukd go there and found their own Domains via conquest.

So I'm thinking they could unite the Greek world and found something like the Byzantine Empire 700 years earlier. The heartland would be Greece and Asia Minor but back then the Greek world also included colonies in France, Italy, Black Sea, Libya etc.

Thoughts to on the nose, fun, stupid idea?

 

[ersatzphil]

Thoughts to on the nose, fun, stupid idea?

That sounds amazing.

 

[Blue Orange]

I don't know if it's even stupid as history--history's a lot more contingent than we think, and there's no reason the Romans couldn't have been wiped out, changing the course of history forever.

Whatever the historical inaccuracy, it's AMAZING as a game idea. Good excuse to go back and read every Greek mythology book you've got. Mythic Odysseys of Theros is the obvious starting off point. I've seen an OSR game, Mazes & Minotaurs, that does 'what if D&D was based on ancient Greece not medieval Europe' you might also want to mine for ideas. Going a little farther afield, Conan games are usually supposed to mimic the ancient rather than medieval world and might also be good sources to steal from. It's D&D, not history.

There are many classic Greek monsters already in the game like harpies, manticores, griffins, sphinxes, giants, and centaurs, and in some editions cyclopes; you could flesh those out into complete societies with a few different cultures. There's also the singular creatures D&D turned into monster species like the Minotaur, Medusa (one of 3), Lamia, Chimera, and Hydra; you could also expand on Echidna, Scylla and Charybdis, Cerberus, Python the serpent, the Colchian dragon, the Nemean Lion, the man-eating horses of Diomedes, the Stymphalian birds, sirens,
D&D with its polytheism is in some ways a better fit for the ancient than the medieval world religiously if not technologically.

If you're nuts enough you can serve Mediterranean food instead of pizza--ancient Greeks had grapes, olives, and cheese, all of which are able to be eaten as snacks instead of the traditional chips or pretzels. They drank wine, but you may not want drunk players, especially if you have to drive home...but you could do grape juice.

 

[Zardnaar]

I don't know if it's even stupid as history--history's a lot more contingent than we think, and there's no reason the Romans couldn't have been wiped out, changing the course of history forever.

Whatever the historical inaccuracy, it's AMAZING as a game idea. Good excuse to go back and read every Greek mythology book you've got. Mythic Odysseys of Theros is the obvious starting off point. I've seen an OSR game, Mazes & Minotaurs, that does 'what if D&D was based on ancient Greece not medieval Europe' you might also want to mine for ideas. Going a little farther afield, Conan games are usually supposed to mimic the ancient rather than medieval world and might also be good sources to steal from. It's D&D, not history.

D&D with its polytheism is in some ways a better fit for the ancient than the medieval world religiously if not technologically.

If you're nuts enough you can serve Mediterranean food instead of pizza--ancient Greeks had grapes, olives, and cheese, all of which are able to be eaten as snacks instead of the traditional chips or pretzels. They drank wine, but you may not want drunk players, especially if you have to drive home...but you could do grape juice.

I didn't want to use Theros I don't think it's very good as a not Greek setting.

It's a good product but I wanted something grittier.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Interestingly, that puts the players in the role of the Gauls, who attacked and sacked Rome c. 387 BCE (ok -- 40 years early, but still pretty close).

Rome, as I'm sure you know, puts up a fair resistance, both then and in subsequent centuries. But it could be fun for the players to be given oportunities that dovetail with the historical narrative: i.e. they want an army? Brennus the Gaul has 30k soldiers or whatever. It can still be your players' fight, but they can end up following contemporary mid-Republic plotlines. (and who's to say that the Etruscans didn't also have Atlantean artifacts...?)

 

[Blue Orange]

Interestingly, that puts the players in the role of the Gauls, who attacked and sacked Rome c. 387 BCE (ok -- 40 years early, but still pretty close).

Rome, as I'm sure you know, puts up a fair resistance, both then and in subsequent centuries. But it could be fun for the players to be given oportunities that dovetail with the historical narrative: i.e. they want an army? Brennus the Gaul has 30k soldiers or whatever. It can still be your players' fight, but they can end up following contemporary mid-Republic plotlines. (and who's to say that the Etruscans didn't also have Atlantean artifacts...?)

"Romulus, our testudo just vanished in a fireball!"

"Have the priests of Mars cast protection from energy and we'll spread out more next time. And stock up on javelins."

 

[Zardnaar]

"Romulus, our testudo just vanished in a fireball!"

"Have the priests of Mars cast protection from energy and we'll spread out more next time. And stock up on javelins."

That could happen but in my campaign notes divine retribution is actually a thing.

Illusionist bit more common but not many boom type spellcasters.

If one did actually do that it's possible Aries manifests and your side loses.

Espicially between Greeks or a formal type of war.

First divine intervention roll happened last night.

 

[Horwath]

"Romulus, our testudo just vanished in a fireball!"

"Have the priests of Mars cast protection from energy and we'll spread out more next time. And stock up on javelins."

That tight formation is about 4 soldiers per 5ft square, fireball covers 52 squares, damn, 208 hits.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

That could happen but in my campaign notes divine retribution is actually a thing.

Illusionist bit more common but not many boom type spellcasters.

If one did actually do that it's possible Aries manifests and your side loses.

Espicially between Greeks or a formal type of war.

First divine intervention roll happened last night.

They'll want to be careful then. Venus (specifically Venus Genetrix) and Mars were patron deities of Rome.

Keep in mind: Aphrodite was also Aphrodite Pandemos, Aphrodite "of all people," who was very influential in the gathering-together of the folks who made Athens. (As much as it was a city of Athena, it was also a city of several other gods, including Aphrodite and Dionysus.) Assuming you stick with the syncretism--that Venus is Aphrodite, Mars is Ares, etc.--then the Greeks could be taking some very serious risks by attacking those favored by one of their own gods.

 

[Zardnaar]

They'll want to be careful then. Venus (specifically Venus Genetrix) and Mars were patron deities of Rome.

Keep in mind: Aphrodite was also Aphrodite Pandemos, Aphrodite "of all people," who was very influential in the gathering-together of the folks who made Athens. (As much as it was a city of Athena, it was also a city of several other gods, including Aphrodite and Dionysus.) Assuming you stick with the syncretism--that Venus is Aphrodite, Mars is Ares, etc.--then the Greeks could be taking some very serious risks by attacking those favored by one of their own gods.

I figured thr gods are fine with it as long as they don't cheat eg use magic like fireball.

By the time that rolls around the Atlantis stuff might sideline the gods. Zeus and co aren't THE Zeus and co.