Other D&D Variant Domain play, what, if anything, do you use?

[cbwjm]

Aria is less game and more world building exercise, you start by creating a map, determining topography, seasonal cycles and weather patterns and major geological features. Then you create Heritage Groups (Species, Nations, Cultures) and then start 'play' where you are essentially playing as a Society advancing through its history and occasionally zooming in to one of its culture heroes or rulers (the closest thing to individual PC).

The mechanics were % rolls but in typical 1990s fashion they were a shambles to read through the 800-odd pages and went into excrutiating details. Luckily I was a player via PBEM so fortunately didnt have to keep checking back on every possible parameter to be rolled.

There is a fudge version which at least has easier rolls

Sounds almost like the inspiration for microscope RPG.

 

[cbwjm]

Agree. Not to sound like a broken record, but I don't think there's anything else that even comes close. Curious what others offer up though.

I did see An Echo Resounding by Sine Nomine Publishing. Haven't read it myself, but is an add-on for OSR systems that might appeal to those looking for more abstract domain rules.

I did have a look at An echo resounding (turns out I'd added to my drivethruRPG library at some point), I think it was too much for me when I read it a couple weeks back, but that might have been because I was flicking through it too fast trying to quickly grasp it.

 

[thirdkingdom]

The Into the Wild Omnibus that I wrote has pretty extensive, fairly granular rules for domain play inspired by the Rules Cyclopedia.

 

[sevenbastard]

I built a whole system of homebrew domain play for my characters in a 5e campaign and my party was not interested at all in the idea, they just wanted to keep exploring the sandbox...

Maybe that's why there are not more robust system? Most players dont care about it?

Honestly I was excited as a DM to do it because domain choices impacted the sandbox and politics. As a player...when presented with something that feels like work, budgets, bookkeeping, spending choices, I get less excited.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Agree. Not to sound like a broken record, but I don't think there's anything else that even comes close. Curious what others offer up though.

I did see An Echo Resounding by Sine Nomine Publishing. Haven't read it myself, but is an add-on for OSR systems that might appeal to those looking for more abstract domain rules.

Working with the Without Number series would be my second choice. All are excellent games that cover a lot of territory.