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1 Empi res Credits Contents Author(s) Introduction 2 Lawrence Whitaker Empires Defined 4 Editor Charlotte Law Characteristics 6 Layout and Graphic Design Imperial Economics 19 Will Chapman Emipires at War 32 Interior Illustrations Religion, Magic and Myths 48 Kim Feigenbaum, Claudio Cassini, Esther Sanz, Sean Thornton and Devin Platts Factions and Guilds 57 Proofreading Imperial Service 75 Nick Robinson Building Kingdoms 89 Playtesters James Carrington, Chris Donnelly, Chris Furness, Bruce Renown 109 Mason, Ben Quant, Douglas W. Wacker, Ioan Wigmore Imperial Characters 113 Special Thanks Sample Empires 117 Pete Nash, John Hutchinson, Simon Bray, Jeff Richard and Greg Stafford Index 126 Copyright Information RuneQuest Empires ©2010 Mongoose Publishing. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this work by any means without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden. All significant characters, names, places, items, art and text herein are copyrighted by Mongoose Publishing subject to its licence from Issaries, Inc. This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Game License, please go to www.mongoosepublishing.com. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United Kingdom. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organisations, places or events is purely coincidental. RuneQuest is a trademark (TM) of Issaries, Inc. Produced under license from Issaries. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. Introduction This book deals with states and empires: how they are made, how they function and how they die. History has taught us that no New Realms empire is permanent; some are long-lasting, with the benefits they RuneQuest Empires also takes the RuneQuest game into new bring echoing down through the ages, yet no empire lasts forever. areas. Yet when they exist, they are the mightiest institutions of rule possible, encompassing continents and diverse cultures, creating First, countries and empires can be played almost as characters, a common unity despite differences of language and belief. lending a new dimension to RuneQuest campaigns, or providing Empires are forces for change and stability; for construction and a game within a game, if you so choose. The rules presented allow destruction. They may last centuries – as did the Roman Empire for mighty conflicts and the annual administration of states, either – or they may be short-lived and fragile, yet extensive. RuneQuest to form a backdrop to a traditional campaign, or to be played Empires explores these facets. through as a game in its own right. More precisely, RuneQuest Empires quantifies empires in terms of Second, noble characters who might find themselves in charge of the RuneQuest mechanics. Many RuneQuest campaign settings estates, or even whole countries, now have the tools with which have an empire as their backdrop: witness Glorantha with the to play through the administration of those estates, again on an mighty empires of the God Learners, Empire of the Wyrms’ Friends annual basis and in addition to their traditional adventuring and Dara Happa. Imperialism forms the background to many career. campaigns, because its institutions engender exploration, conflict and adventure. An active imperial nation is forever looking for new Thirdly, RuneQuest Empires offers ways for Adventurers to conquests or new ways to exploit or tame its conquered territories. become embroiled in the wide-scale activities of states or imperial For the conquered, the Imperial state might be an enemy to be powers. This book provides information on how Adventurers actively opposed and battled against. If your RuneQuest campaign can be a part of mass battles and how they can engage in specific has an empire at its heart – or if your players’ characters have types of activities at their homeland’s request or order. These reached the point in their careers where they can be part of forging are to be considered optional rules and not used as a substitute an empire, then this book is for you. for the enjoyment of roleplaying individual scenarios. However the information in the Empires At War, Imperial Service and Naturally enough this book is scattered with examples of various Building Kingdoms chapters provide wonderful opportunities for empires. Three are prominent: the God Learner Empire from solo gaming at a variety of levels. Glorantha, the Bright Empire of Melniboné from Michael Moorock’s Elric saga and the Roman Empire of our own Earth. Finally, RuneQuest Empires describes mechanisms for developing You do not need to play in either Glorantha, the Young Kingdoms factions and guilds – organisations that involve large numbers or Rome to understand the examples presented here but if your of members and exert some form of influence, often political. campaign is based in either, then the examples will help illuminate The material in the Factions and Guilds chapter allows these the settings. If you have no experience of these worlds, then these organisations to be created to a reasonable degree of depth, examples still serve as active illustrations and may even inspire you complete with their customs, practices, affiliations/alliances and to investigate them. magic. 2 3 Structure of this Book Chapter Seven: Imperial Service RuneQuest Empires is divided into the following chapters. Using this chapter Adventurers can take-on abstracted long-service missions on behalf of their faction, guild, state or empire. Of particular use where solo play is concerned, this chapter provides Chapter One: Empires Defined a detailed structure for political, diplomatic, mercantile, religious What is an empire? How do they come into being? This chapter and espionage missions. examines the formation, existence and end of empires, setting the scene for the following chapters. Chapter Eight: Building Kingdoms In this chapter we provide rules and guidance for building the Chapter Two: Characteristics of RuneQuest most outward signs of empire – fortresses, strongholds and Empires castles. The chapter also provides an abstract system for managing The game mechanics for RuneQuest Empires are defined here. estates. Empires can, in many ways, operate as characters: this chapter shows you how. Chapter Nine: Renown Renown and reputation for RuneQuest Adventurers is the scope Chapter Three: Imperial Economics of this chapter: gaining a reputation, its benefits (and drawbacks) The economics of empires; trade, commerce and financial management. and keeping it intact. Chapter Four: Empires at War Chapter Ten: RuneQuest Imperial Almost every empire is forced to wage war – either internally or Characters against rival empires. This chapter provides mechanics for handling How to manage RuneQuest characters in an overtly imperial conflict within empires and between empires. setting, examining how the characteristics of an empire influence a character’s capabilities and vice versa. This chapter Chapter Five: Religion, Magic and Myths also includes new professions concerned with imperial How does religion, faith and belief fit into an empire? This chapter administration. examines this fundamental question. It also introduces magic used on a state scale. Chapter Eleven: Sample RuneQuest Empires The God Learners, the EWF, Elric’s Bright Empire and Rome are Chapter Six: Factions and Guilds defined in terms of the mechanics provided by this book. Designing and creating political factions and mercantile/craft guilds. Everything from membership through to benefits and obligations. Empires Defined History is littered with empires: the Roman, the Assyrian, the Uncoerced Annexation Phoenician, the Persian; and the worlds of fantasy follow suit – the This strategy relies on the empire or ambitious country to be able Bright Empire of Melnibone; Granbretan’s Dark Empire; and the to compensate the country it is attempting to annex to a sufficient dual empires of Glorantha – the Middle Sea Empire of the God extent to make the prospect of annexation enticing. It also means Learners and the draconic Empire of Wyrms’ Friends. These real that incorporating the annexed country into the empire will yield and fictitious empires are very different beasts but all have one economic or military advantages that the empire will share with thing in common: the desire to expand territory and develop a the annexed country. This strategy avoids the expense of sending unified system of politics, belief and trade that will ensure that the massed troops to seize the territories desired and then hold them, empire endures. battling potential insurrection whilst the nation is fully assimilated into the empire. Imperial ambition stems from the human need to demonstrate superiority in some capacity, be it militarily, economically or religiously and, usually, all three at the same time. Imperialism Coerced Annexation is the system by which a dominant power is able to control the Coerced Annexation relies on the country to be annexed realising trade, investment, labour and natural resources of other peoples. that military conquest will occur if it does not agree to join the It can be peacefully brought into being, or, as is most common, it empire. It usually comes about by the assembly of sufficient involves armed conquest and warfare with territory expanded by military force on the country’s borders, forcing the capitulation force and soverign states being absorbed into the fabric of empire of the desired territory

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