D&D 5E Roman Campaign needs

[Samloyal23]

All of the 2E Historical Reference guides were excellent, they are full of material you can adapt. Don't forget that you can always play against the Romans with characters from all over Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

 

[LandLockedSquid]

All of the 2E Historical Reference guides were excellent, they are full of material you can adapt. Don't forget that you can always play against the Romans with characters from all over Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

I think they have great information, yes.
And yes, I do know the neighbors around the Empire are full of Playable characters. lol. In fact, I have a few players that are interested in just playing the enemies of Rome for my game.

Thanks

 

[Zardnaar]

Yay fixed.

Roman Legionnaire​

Armor Class 18 (chainmail + shield)

Hit Points 32 (5d8 + 10)

Speed 30 ft.

STR 15 DEX 10 CON 14 INT 11 WIS 11 CHA 10

Skills Athletics +4 Perception +2

Senses passive Perception 12

Languages Latin

Challenge 1 (200 XP)

Testudo While adjacent to an ally with a shield a legionnaire can advance at half speed. Ranged attacks against the legionnaire have disadvantage.

Formation Fighting. The legionnaire has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the legionnaire’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.

Multiattack. The legionnaire makes two melee attacks or a ranged attack

Actions



Short Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft, or range 20/60 , one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+2) piercing damage.

Spear. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft, or range 20/60 , one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+2) piercing damage.

Spartan​

Armor Class 17 (breastplate + shield)

Hit Points 58 (9d8 + 18)

Speed 30 ft.

STR 16 DEX 14 CON 14 INT 11 WIS 11 CHA 10

Skills Athletics +7 (expertise) Perception +2

Senses passive Perception 10

Languages Greek

Challenge 3 (700 XP)

Brave The Spartan has advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Shield Bash As a bonus action the Spartan can make a shove attack.

Multiattack. The Spartan makes two melee attacks or a ranged attack.

Actions

Spear. Melee or ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft, or range 20/60 , one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+3) piercing damage.

Reactions

Hoplite Training

The Spartan can make an opportunity attack when a creature enters its reach.

Spartan Veteran​

Armor Class 17 (breastplate + shield)

Hit Points 112 (15d8 + 45)

Speed 30 ft.

STR 18 DEX 14 CON 16 INT 11 WIS 11 CHA 10

Saving Throws Strength +7, Dex +5, Con +6

Skills Athletics +10 (expertise) Perception +3

Senses passive Perception 13

Languages Greek

Challenge 5 (1800 XP)



Brave The Spartan Veteran has advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Skilled A weapon deals one extra die of damage when the Spartan Veteran hits with it (Included in the attack).

Shield Bash As a bonus action the Spartan can make a shove attack.



Multiattack. The Spartan makes three melee attacks or two ranged attacks.

Actions

Spear. Melee or ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft, or range 20/60 , one target. Hit: 7 (2d6+4) piercing damage.

Reactions

Hoplite Training

The Spartan can make an opportunity attack when a creature enters its reach.

Persian Conscript​

Armor Class 12 (shield)

Hit Points 9 (2d8)

Speed 30 ft.

STR 12 DEX 11 CON 10 INT 10 WIS 11 CHA 10

Senses passive Perception 10

Languages Persian

Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)

Actions

Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. Hit: 4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage.

Persian Immortal​

Armor Class 15 (leather+ shield)

Hit Points 27 (5d8 + 5)

Speed 30 ft.

STR 15 DEX 14 CON 12 INT 11 WIS 11 CHA 10

Skills Athletics +4 Perception +2

Senses passive Perception 12

Languages Persian

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)



Multiattack. The Immortal makes two melee attacks or a two ranged attacks

Actions



Spear. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft, or range 20/60 , one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+2) piercing damage.

Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft, or range 20/60 , one target. Hit: 7 (1d6+2) piercing damage.

​

 

[Fenris-77]

Not roleplaying, but the Codex Alera novels by Jim Butcher are a great example of a fantasy setting based (up to a point) on Rome and with a lot of Roman trappings. If you wanted actual Rome I'd run that without 5e sourcebooks pretty happily. D&D is so eurocentric anyway a lot of the rules are pretty plug and play, just adjust magic as needed and go for it. Some history books and some decent historical fiction and you;re off to the races. That said, Classics is my bag and I have a lot of academic background there, YMMV.

I think a frontier campaign would be cool. Either during the main expansion into northern europe or even better closer to the Fall of Rome. A game set on the frontier of a crumbling roman empire would be a hoot.

 

[Samloyal23]

Bone up on that Latin...

1. Barba tenus sapientes ("Wise as far as his beard"): someone that looks intelligent but actually isn't
2. Corvus oculum corvi non eruit ("A crow will not pull out the eye of another crow"): solidarity in the face of criticism
3. Auribus teneo lupum ("Holding a wolf by the ears"): a shaky situation that will end badly no matter what happens
4. Brutum fulmen ("Senseless thunderbolt"): an empty threat
5. Carpe noctem ("Seize the night"): make the most of your time, specifically working through the night to finish something
6. Castigat ridendo mores ("Laughing corrects morals"): the usefulness of comedy in affecting social change
7. Panem et circenses ("Bread and circuses"): people being happy solely with food and entertainment
8. Vox nihili ("Voice of nothing"): a pointless statement
9. Cui bono? ("Who benefits?"): rhetorical question meaning whoever has the most to gain is most likely the guilty party
10. Felix culpa ("Happy fault"): an error that eventually has a positive outcome
11. Homo sum humani a me nihil alienum puto ("I am a human being so nothing human is strange to me"): showing respect for people simply because we are all human
12. Hic manebimus optime ("Here we will stay, most excellently"): staying in an situation or location despite the fact that things have gone sour
13. Ignotum per ignotius ("The unknown by the more unknown"): when trying to explain a situation becomes more confusing than the situation already is.
14. Caesar non supra grammaticos (“The Emperor is not above the grammarians.”): Everyone needs to follow the rules for them to work.
15. Carpe noctem. (“Seize the night.”) Make the most of every night.
16. Carthago delenda est (“Carthage is to be destroyed.”)
17. Et in Arcadia ego… (“And in Arcadia, I am…:”)
18. Ex nihilo nihil fit (“Nothing comes from nothing.”) There is no free lunch, you have to work for what you want.
19. Hannibal ad portas (“Hannibal is at the gates.”) The bogeyman is here.
20. Imperium in imperio (“An empire within an empire.”) A state within a state.
21. Panem et circenses (“Bread and circuses”) Basic needs to keep people happy.
22. Velocius quam asparagi coquantur (“Faster than you can cook asparagus.”) Something that happens quickly.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Formation Fighting. The legionnaire has advantage on an attack roll against a creature if at least one of the legionnaire’s allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.

I would have it convey disadvantage on attack rolls against an ally within 5 feet rather than advantage on attacks. The formations where largely defensive, and that would have the game mechanics quirk of protecting them from sneak attacks.

I think AC 18 is a bit high. I would treat Lorica hamata as a mail shirt (AC 13 medium armour) rather than an AC 16 mail coat, especially since is was largely replaced by Lorica squamate (scale mail AC 14 medium) in later periods. I would treat Lorica segmentata as ring mail (AC 14 heavy). Officers wear a breastplate (AC 14 medium). I don't think officers would pay all those denarii if their armour offered less protection than that worn by common foot soldiers.

 

[Zardnaar]

I would have it convey disadvantage on attack rolls against an ally within 5 feet rather than advantage on attacks. The formations where largely defensive, and that would have the game mechanics quirk of protecting them from sneak attacks.

I think AC 18 is a bit high. I would treat Lorica hamata as a mail shirt (AC 13 medium armour) rather than an AC 16 mail coat, especially since is was largely replaced by Lorica squamate (scale mail AC 14 medium) in later periods. I would treat Lorica segmentata as ring mail (AC 14 heavy). Officers wear a breastplate (AC 14 medium). I don't think officers would pay all those denarii if their armour offered less protection than that worn by common foot soldiers.

Not bad I threw it together is about 5 minutes.

 

[LandLockedSquid]

this is all very good folks, thank you very much.
I had a try at running a home-brew tonight with some of the suggestions from the last few days, went pretty well, just need to tweak a bit of the group combat, but all in all, the group did enjoy it.
I'll try to share some of the things I did here at a later date.
Really appreciate all of the input.

 

[Zardnaar]

The main thing is to have fun. A frontier game could be interesting.

 

[LandLockedSquid]

I would have it convey disadvantage on attack rolls against an ally within 5 feet rather than advantage on attacks. The formations where largely defensive, and that would have the game mechanics quirk of protecting them from sneak attacks.

I think AC 18 is a bit high. I would treat Lorica hamata as a mail shirt (AC 13 medium armour) rather than an AC 16 mail coat, especially since is was largely replaced by Lorica squamate (scale mail AC 14 medium) in later periods. I would treat Lorica segmentata as ring mail (AC 14 heavy). Officers wear a breastplate (AC 14 medium). I don't think officers would pay all those denarii if their armour offered less protection than that worn by common foot soldiers.

Yeah, when I ran it last night, the 18 AC was high, especially in formation with the guys helping each other with shield covering. We talked about lowering it as well at the table.
thanks.