Culture Cyclopedia Edition 0.00000006
Table of Contents What this is and why...... 5 And why it looks like trash?...... 5 Do Not Expect Accuracy...... 5 What the Sections Mean...... 5 Rewrite/Good Copy...... 6 Raw Data...... 6 Ancient Greece...... 6 The Basics...... 6 Examples of an Ancient Greece Campaign...... 7 Detailed...... 7 Time Periods of Greece...... 13 Mycenean Greece...... 13 Ancient Greece...... 13 Classical Greece...... 13 Hellenistic Greece...... 13 Roman Greece...... 13 Mythic/Alternative...... 13 Links...... 13 Republic of Rome...... 16 Basic...... 16 Detailed...... 17 Cities, towns and villas...... 17 City of Rome[edit]...... 17 Culture[edit]...... 17 Clothing[edit]...... 17 Food and dining[edit]...... 19 Education and language[edit]...... 20 Arts[edit]...... 20 Literature[edit]...... 21 Sports and entertainment[edit]...... 21 Mythic...... 22 Links...... 22 Imperial Rome...... 22 Basic...... 22 Detailed...... 22 Mythic...... 22 Links...... 22 Sikh, Berber, Bedouin, Pashtun...... 22 Basic...... 22 Detailed...... 22 Mythic...... 22 Links...... 22 Irish (Celtic/Gaelic/etc)...... 23 Basic...... 23 Detailed...... 23 Mythic...... 23 Links...... 23 Southeast Asia...... 23 Basic...... 23 Detailed...... 23 Mythic...... 23 Links...... 23 Wild West/Western...... 24 Basic...... 24 Detailed...... 24 Mythic/Alternative...... 24 Weird West...... 24 Links...... 24 China...... 24 Basic...... 24 Detailed...... 25 Mythic...... 25 Links...... 25 India (Ancient)...... 25 Basic...... 25 Detailed...... 25 Mythic...... 25 Links...... 25 Japan...... 25 Basic...... 25 Detailed...... 25 Mythic...... 25 Links...... 25 Tibet...... 26 Basic...... 26 Detailed...... 26 Mythic...... 28 Links...... 28 Arabian Nights...... 28 Basic...... 28 Detailed...... 28 Mythic...... 29 Links...... 29 Russia...... 29 Basic...... 29 Detailed...... 30 Mythic...... 30 Links...... 30 Napoleonic Age...... 30 Basic...... 30 Detailed...... 30 Mythic...... 31 Links...... 31 Atlantis...... 31 Basic...... 31 Detailed...... 31 Mythic...... 31 Links...... 31 Camelot/Arthurian...... 31 Basic...... 31 Detailed...... 31 Mythic...... 32 Links...... 32 Conanesque...... 32 Basic...... 32 Detailed...... 32 Mythic...... 32 Links...... 32 Ancient Estonians...... 32 Basic...... 32 Detailed...... 33 Mythic...... 33 Links...... 33 Africa...... 33 Basic...... 33 Detailed...... 33 Mythic...... 33 Links...... 33 Basque...... 33 Basic...... 33 Detailed...... 34 Mythic...... 34 Links...... 34 Hungarian...... 34 Basic...... 34 Detailed...... 34 Mythic...... 35 Links...... 35 Georgian...... 35 Basic...... 35 Detailed...... 35 Mythic...... 35 Links...... 35 Crusades...... 36 Basic...... 36 Detailed...... 36 Mythic...... 36 Links...... 36 Aztecs/Mayan...... 36 Basic...... 36 Detailed...... 36 Mythic...... 36 Links...... 36 China...... 37 Basic...... 37 Detailed...... 38 Mythic/Alternatives...... 38 Wuxia (Pronounced “Woo-ZIA”)...... 38 Basic...... 38 Detailed...... 38 Links...... 47 Xianxia (Pronounced Zian-ZIA)...... 48 Basic...... 48 Detailed...... 48 Links...... 48 Links...... 48 Steampunk...... 49 Basic...... 49 Detailed...... 49 Mythic...... 49 Links...... 49 Ice Age...... 49 Basic...... 49 Detailed...... 49 Mythic...... 50 Links...... 50 Languages...... 50 Misc Section or Unsorted Data...... 50 WishList...... 51 Template...... 51 Basic...... 51 Detailed...... 51 Mythic...... 52 Links...... 52 Thread Archive...... 52 What this is and why Because we’ve all seen the threads, “how do I run a greco roman campaign?” “I wanna set up an African Ooga Booga campaign but know shit about africa.” So I am creating a useful first step. It wont be the be all end all, but it can help inspire Gms and offer just enough information for them to run this shit. At the moment its intent is to offer themes, information, and much more. This is an online anonymous work, anyone can add to and improve this.
And why it looks like trash? Because right now all this shit is being copy pasted from other places. I am also very lazy. If there is a source book out there, regardless of system that goes into detail about how to run a game in a specific time period, I will post it here. I might in the future copy information out of it for those sections (and others are welcome to help), but for now atleast look for those books.
Do Not Expect Accuracy This resource is meant to aid Gms and Players in running and playing as characters in these various settings and genres. Because of this, many campaigns wont be 100% accurate to history. This is fine. Therefor the details here will be more focused on being useful or interesting to players and gms than to being complete and accurate.
What the Sections Mean Currently, I plan to divide information into catagories within each Culture or Genre: “Basic” The barebones information that can help you run a campaign in that setting. It could also serve as a way to quickly sell the setting and get people interested. This is the section to use if you want to just run a stereotype of that genre (which for some is all they need)There will be two big segments in here “values” and “Aesthetics”. One covers the key values that define the setting or the people in it. The Aesthetics are the basic visual appearance and qualities of the world/setting. “Detailed” Autistic levels explaining more of that setting. This is the section where you will find pages copy pasted from textbooks. “Mythic” Many settings have a divide between mundane things and magical. This divide seems to exist in rpg campaigns. If the basic and Detailed sections have mostly realworld information, then Mythic is where you find the info about that cultures spirit animals and magic. Optional things that can make the setting fanciful. It may also serve as a dumping ground for random, strange, or interesting things. “Links” Weblinks for more information. Dont be surprised if the info from other sections are just copy pasted from these links.
Rewrite/Good Copy This section will be my own rewrite to slim down some of the copy pasted info. Treat this section as me fucking around in a sandbox to see what works. If you are here for data look down below into the Raw data section. Everything that could be in this section will start below in that section.
Raw Data Everything below is mostly copy pasted from other sources
Ancient Greece
The Basics There are differences between Greece and Rome, but most will not notice the difference. So dont stress over it if you are rolling with a basic Ancient Greece campaign. Fate is a big part of these stories. Make it a theme that has an effect on everything in some way, even the gods. It is an act of Hubris to defy the Fate chosen for you, and in a campaign were Fate can be anthropomorphize, and the Gods are fickle, things get rough. Speaking of Gods, they are not distant. They will come to crash your party. Treat them as super beings who know they are all powerful and have egos just as large. Remember, even Athena, turned a woman into a spider. This aint Disney, make them all jerks. Values • Worship is like a business contract. You ask for something, sacrifice some good wine, cattle or even sinking a whole ship for Poseidon, they bless or help you as they see fit. You may be careful of what you wish for. • Heroes are ones that challenge the gods and/or attempt to make their own Fate, not nice or good people. And unless one god patronizes them, they fail. They may fail even with a god's protection. Remember that both Heracles and Midas were heroes, and it's arguable which one suffered more misfortune. • "Foreign" and "barbarian" are practically interchangeable, and most cultures have this attitude. At the same time, one can admit that, say, persians, are a respectable civilization in their own right. • Countries arent really a thing. Instead, this was the age of city-states. Basically, keep all the intrigue and prejudice you would put in your campaign between countries and instead have it between cities. Each of those had their own coins, armies, sometimes faiths. Aesthetics • marble statues, togas and no shoes. • If there are containers for goods, expect them in simple boxes, urns, or jars. They may be simple in material, but were usually lacquered with patterns. • Paper wasnt a thing. Use tablets or cloth or leather scrolls for text. Examples of an Ancient Greece Campaign The Golden Torch The gentle kind of Crathas died under mysterious circumstances. His advisor, Aeo Felias has claimed himself ruler. After taking power, an Oracle told him that the good king was favored by Athena, and this would doom Aeo Felias to be overthrown by a child born in this city. Aoe orders all men of fighting age into exile, vowing (under false pretenses) that if someone could find and return the Golden Torch of the Gods, he would step down from his throne and award it to the brave soul who completes this task. (He believes this mission impossible, and has no intent to actually step down) The players begin play, already loaded into a boat and sent out. The next person in need they help turns out to be a goddess in disguise (Athena)who decides to help them in minor ways to make Aeo ultimately suffer for murdering her subject. However, Athena has her own enemies, several other gods have taken arms against her, and the players on the boat.
Detailed
Greek Clothing The Ancient Greeks were not fussy about their clothing. The garments they wore were made for function, and they were made simply. A single piece of fabric could be styled and restyled, to fit a particular occasion or a fashion. And with Greek summers being brutally hot, the less fabric and complicating seams to deal with, the better. Fabrics The fabrics that the Greeks used for their clothing were sometimes spun in the home (often into a heavy wool material), or made from linen fabric that was imported. For every member of the family, except for infants who often wore nothing at all, an outfit usually consisted of a square or rectangular piece of fabric, pins for fastening, and sometimes shoes and/or hats. The
Illustration 1: Chiton pieces of fabric were folded around the body, and pinned together at the side seams and shoulders, as well as being belted. Though it might sound as if the Greeks walked around wearing plain potato sacks, their clothing would have been dyed bright colors and would have been decorated with ornate patterns. Types of Garments The style and type of the garment depended on who was wearing it, and the job or function required of the person. There were several types of garments, derived from a basic tunic. The tunic was worn by both men and woman, and varied in length according to job and gender. It was often tied at the waist, and might also have been pinned at the seams, depending on the style of the garment. A chiton was a type of tunic worn by Greek men, and was often made of a lighter linen material, as men were often outdoors more, and would require more comfortable clothing (especially in the summer). It could be draped over both shoulders, or over only one. When it was draped over one shoulder, usually the left, it was known as an exomie. This type of chiton was usually worn for horseback riding, work, or exercise. Illustration 2: Peplos A peplos (or peplum) was a type of tunic worn by women. Usually made from a heavier wool material, this garment was made from a large rectangular piece of fabric, and could be draped and fastened (with buttons, pins, or brooches) in different ways to reflect different styles. A peplos was worn as a full-length garment, because a proper Greek woman revealed nothing. In colder weather, Greeks wore a cloak over their tunics for warmth, known as a himation. This garment was usually made of wool, and was fashioned from a rectangular piece of cloth that was draped over the person, sort of like a Roman toga. It served a dual purpose, especially for men. The himation came in handy for soldiers away from home, also serving as a warm blanket on a cold winter night. Other types of cloaks worn by the Greeks included the epiblema, a shawl worn by Greek women, and the chlamys, a short cloak worn by young Greek males. Shoes & Hats The Greeks were not particularly fond of shoes, usually eschewing them, especially at home. But on special occasions or on matters of business, Greeks would wear leather sandals or boots with their tunics. However, it was not uncommon for a Greek to go barefoot for his entire life. In addition to covering their feet, the Greeks sometimes covered their heads as well. A Greek man sometimes wore a petasos, a wide-brimmed hat that helped to protect them from the summer heat. Women occasionally could be seen wearing hats that featured high-peaked crowns. This was no doubt only for the most special of occasions, though. While certainly not fancy, Greek clothing was functional, and built to last. In fact, in today’s haute couture we often see a bit of Ancient Greek fashion influence. The columnar style of the tunic, especially the women’s peplos, is not an uncommon style to be worn by women today.
* Fate needs to be a theme, even a stat. IT affects all, even the gods. Hubris is defying what Fate chooses for you. You can take notes of Miura's Berserk in this. Guts is a greek hero, beneath the aesthetic.
Attempts to reach the level of gods makes them aware of you. This may be the worst thing ever. The Gods pretty much follow the idea of might makes right and zoophilia isn't a thing. Remember the Minotaur.
Worship is like a business contract. You ask for something, sacrifice some good wine, cattle or even sinking a whole ship for Poseidon, they bless or help you as they see fit. You may be careful of what you wish for.
Heroes are ones that challenge the gods and/or attempt to make their own Fate, not nice or good people. And unless one god patronizes them, they fail. They may fail even with a god's protection. Remember that both Heracles and Midas were heroes, and it's arguable which one suffered more misfortune.
Everything has a antromorphic personification, even Fate herself. Every god has plenty of daughters or sons that are representations of things associated with their divine domain. Your character's background can include: "mama went to bathe in the river and it got her really wet. I was born nine months later."
"Foreign" and "barbarian" are pratically interchangeable, and most cultures have this atitude. At the same time, one can admit that, say, persians, are a respectable civilization in their own right.
The Hydra is a Dragon, not a type of lesser monster.
Stay away from Typhon. The Gods fear it for good reason.
Stay only within bow range of Achilles. He can be more of a mindless beast than most monsters. Be careful of his javelins as well.
Try to judge a singing contest between mountains sometime.
Speaking of mountains, no one extinguished the mountain lions Europe had yet.
Chariots are used by heroes or as cavalry. Go deep enough in the past enough, and no one has bred horses big enough to mount one person, so chariots pulled by horses, cattle and gryphons ( http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/chariot96.jpg ) are the only option. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/55/53/a7/5553a77362c5e6d344cbe5abfe4418db.jpg http://xlegio.ru/netcat_files/Image/armies/scythed_chariot_in_color.jpg https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/9e/b2/1b/9eb21b65febf61c4e7f5438002ab1ef3.jpg
Speaking of gryphons, you can ride wingless ones. They are freaking fabulous ( https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Knossos_fresco_in_throne_palace.JPG ). I bet they have cute mating dances ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1o6xwO3aAk ).
Don't ask what year is it. The same city may have a half dozen dating and calendar systems, none of them compatible with their neighbors.
Slaves. A kidnapper may sell you at the next city-state, but you can also have the right of life and death over someone you rightfully trust to guard your daughter.
Besides the Olympics, there are a dozen games staged at diferent regions and cities. Besides the competitions, games are also political assemblies, religious festivals and markets.
Most warriors either need or have only a large shield, helmet, cloak against rain and cold (taken off during the fight), sandals, javelins, spear and/or sword. Having that, you may be a topless amazon for all I care. Javelineers, archers and slingers usually have even less. Adding quilted armor and greaves may be enough to classify you as "heavy infantry", and with good reason: https://youtu.be/AQDr13TyLJ8 . Speaking of armor or lack thereof...
Good bronze (copper+tin) surpasses iron and it's easier to work with. Some bronze alloys can penetrate steel: https://youtu.be/Uz_CBcxzOFk . A fictional world may have much more deposits of tin, and closer to deposits of copper, than real life. So a mythic Greece may have reason to disdain iron as barbarian and inferior, while bronze is the true greek, superior metal. Bronze breastplates may be cheaper, bronze full plate may be used by more people than the single rightmost hoplite in the front row of the phalanx ( http://byzantinum.deviantart.com/art/Archaic-Greeks-387639716 ). A great advantage over barbarians unless some iron-affected foreigner invents steel. If someone does, it will be likely not! India or not!Africa.
One can find lamellar and scales made of bronze, horns, leather, iron, tusks, bone and even certain vegetal fibers. There are as many options as there are different barbarians, and the Gods alone know how many of these there are.
Axes are considered armor-piercing, because even when blunt they are quite useful maces. There are double axes.
There is no canon. A good way of showing the many versions of each legend is through the amazons: A) Go far enough from normal lands, and you'll find women wearing trousers, riding horses , shooting bows and welding sagaris pick-axes as well as their men! B) It's said that in some very distant nomad tribes called "amazons", there is not one man to be found. They mate with an all-male tribe or the scythians, and send the boys back to the men they slept with. In their campaigns, male prisioners are used and abused until death, their minds so taken by narcotics that they feel no pleasure, only violation by she-demons. C) Others tell us that these women aren't nomads, but have a city in the north coast of Anatolia. Men live there as well, but as an underclass, an example of how foreigners have customs oposite to Greece. D) There are even those that say they are lybians from the upper Nile. They wear snake-skins, or perhaps belts made of snake skins, and are ruled a demigod queen called Medusa. Their dreadful masks are made of bronze so polished as to reflect the sun, also having tusks and snake-head carvings. The combination of these masks with their reputation and the realization that one fights women causes hesitation, fear and blindness, thus paralysing their enemies long enough for a lethal strike. http://www.rejectedprincesses.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/scythians-3-with-amazon-666x900.jpg https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/fe/8b/5c/fe8b5c735a770331da77972a56a3a4b7.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Amazonomachy_Antioch_Louvre_Ma3 457.jpg/1280px-Amazonomachy_Antioch_Louvre_Ma3457.jpg https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Amazon_trousers_BM_VaseB673.jpg/4 61px-Amazon_trousers_BM_VaseB673.jpg https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ed/8a/42/ed8a422d606e39af1a274c4932f107b6.jpg https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/56/d4/a1/56d4a124fd290de7f9748121ac86cd48.jpg http://www.ancient-origins.net/sites/default/files/field/image/amazons.jpg https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/60/8d/5c/608d5c6707984637e256f4052e44d528.jpg http://img01.deviantart.net/343a/i/2006/198/b/e/pentesileia_as_executioner_by_borba.jpg
The ancient Spartoi (not the same that spartans) sprung from sowed dragon's teeth, "fully armed". One can interpret this as a sort of dragonfolk with claws and scales instead of weapons. Whatever your choice, it is said theban aristocrats descend from them.
And how about some berserkers? Mad warriors weren't exclusive to vikings. http://europabarbarorum.wikia.com/wiki/Worg%C5%8Dzez_(Wild_Mercenary_Infantry) http://alkman1.blogspot.com.br/2007/06/berserks-history-of-indo-european-mad.html
You can have a race of thracian half-bear giants if you wish, not unlike the Norn of Guild Wars.
Speaking of giants, some of them have two snake tails instead of legs.
Speaking of snakes, snakewomen want to have sex with you, and one of your sons can found a kingdom.
One of the PCs makes part of a mystery cult, and that explains why he's has wizard powers drawn from ancient texts from wacky eastern or egyptian lands where they do everything different.
A sorceress may be a follower of Hecate, goddess of moon, witchcraft, ghosts and necromancy*. She may use her powers to better her life in a society where most women are pretty much property of their husbands and fathers. Witch-hunting may ensue.
*The original necromancy, talking with the dead or undead to see the future, portents and prophecies. Your character may be the first to use this as a means to control ghosts and undead, using them just like "fantasy necromancy".
Your ranger/longe range hitter is more likely to use javelins or slings than bows. The first includes flaming and all iron versions, the second outranges most bows, breaks shields and launches either lead bullets inscribed with curses or ceramic jars of greek fire. They say egyptian slingers use a carnivore scarab which can roll up into a ball: http://melvynyeo.deviantart.com/art/Ceratocanthidae-481314938 .
You could mix much of the Hyborian Age of Conan into a "Mythic Greece" setting. It already portrays a prehistorical lost age of Earth, with several not!cultures which later turn into the real cultures they were based on. The land of "Corinthia" represent not!Greece itself, while "Argos" is somewhat greek. Foreign not!cultures relevant for a "Mythic Greece", such as amazons and egyptians, also appear. Note that this also ties in the Cthulhu mythos... ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyborian_Age#Corinthia ) ( https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5c/Maphyboria.jpg ) ( http://hyboria.xoth.net/history/hyborian_age.htm )
The Bronze Age collapse and the subsequent dark age is an almost unbelievable but real apocalyptic event. There are good theories, but much remains unexplained. The Sea Peoples, who were they? Where did they came from? These raiders of horned helmets and swift ships (quite the viking stereotype) are a blank in the history of the world. One known thing is that they razed all known civilizations, except for the phoenicians. These prodigal sailors and worshippers of Dagon were untouched and even prospered afterwards. "Sea People" being respectful to worshippers of "Dagon", need I say more?
Bronze automatons are a thing. Artificers capable of making those may be your only source of 'magic items' that aren't godly gifts or pieces ripped off monsters that have divine parentage. Moving tables, turtle-like war engines ( https://youtu.be/bi4f8CTbhhg ), armor made of indian iron which surpasses even greek bronze, drilling rams, primitive crossbows etc. One recently made a machine capable of throwing great stones, promising it shall end those craven archers refusing to close the distance for manly fights. This starts an arms race of which war engine can throw the heavier stone, which can demolish any wall, as well as means to defend against those engines.
Galleys come in many sizes. From fast biremes used by and against pirates, going to armored triremes ( https://youtu.be/5e1cmprH6BY ) and all the way up to huge catamarans, crewed by 4000 professional rowers and free men: https://youtu.be/eVfszRzWttk . Those were all realistic vessels. Fantasy opens the possibility of replacing a hundred rowers with a couple of cyclops with either gigantic paddles or moving levers of a clockwork system using paddlewheels. And if one has a hundred legless undead, sails are superfluous, for they won't get tired, rebel or stop rowing.
As one goes away from Greece, the world gets weirder. North: there are trees taken away by the tides up north, crashing ships like floating islands, its leafs as sail under the winds. Men dressed as wolves eat human flesh. East: One-eyed nomads steal the gold of gryphons. Elephants are so plentiful that peasants may have one. West: the winds of the iberia coast impregnates mares. The great river Oceanus may not be a river at all. South: a kingdom of tall hairless people, except for the head. Their bones are rubbery and their two- tongued mouths can talk with two people at the same time. The garamantian chariot nomads are actually raiders from a kingdom that somehow grows crops in the middle of the desert. Time Periods of Greece
Mycenean Greece
Ancient Greece
Classical Greece
Hellenistic Greece
Roman Greece
Mythic/Alternative Although there is already quite alot of magic and divine intervention in place, there is still two ‘power levels’ to potential campaigns. The first is mundane, the players are baseline humans of the setting, regardless of training and skill. The second is have the players be demi humans. The greek gods slept around, alot, and left plenty of bastard children alone in the world. Keep the same themes, but have the players realize they are half gods with powers, and keep the mystery of which god their parent is a central plot point.
Links https://readcomiconline.to/Comic/Age-of-Bronze Bestiary: http://www.theoi.com/greek-mythology/bestiary.html
Kingdoms of Mythic Greece: http://www.theoi.com/greek-mythology/kingdoms.html
Weird foreign lands: http://www.theoi.com/greek-mythology/fabulous-tribes.html
I assume you're aiming for fantasy. If that's not the case, read this to get the ideas and themes: (Note that the links below may be quite useful for fantasy campaigns as well)
Historically correct story about the Trojan War, uniting all the fragments and accounts. http://readcomiconline.to/Comic/Age-of-Bronze
The End of Civilization (In the Bronze Age): Crash Course World History 211 https://youtu.be/ErOitC7OyHk
Knossos 3D reconstruction https://youtu.be/P3Ez8drCIvc https://youtu.be/LGsVKFld6XM
The Traditional Narrative of the Bronze Age Collapse https://youtu.be/A3mlkdLMrSk
"The End of the Bronze Age. In this video, the foundation Luwian Studies presents a comprehensive and plausible scenario of what might have happened." https://youtu.be/oz5uFA9IWJ8 (4:54 resume) https://youtu.be/1DNyA90f_aw (49:00 full)
THE GREEK AGE OF BRONZE Weapons and warfare in the late Helladic time 1600-1100 BC http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/ Also contains information on the Sea Peoples.
More on Sea Peroples: https://periklisdeligiannis.wordpress.com/2012/12/02/the-sea-peoples-history-weaponry-and-a- detailed-list-of-their-tribes-13th-12th-century-bc/ https://periklisdeligiannis.wordpress.com/2015/05/02/on-some-possible-sea-peoples-settlements-in- sicily-sardinia-and-corsica-bronze-age/
Bronze Age pics: http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/war18.jpg https://periklisdeligiannis.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/edit.png Armor http://www.hellenicarmors.gr/media/photos/18/hellenic_armors_18_01.jpg http://www.hellenicarmors.gr/media/photos/18/hellenic_armors_18_02.jpg http://www.hellenicarmors.gr/media/photos/18/hellenic_armors_18_03.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/armour06.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/armour68.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/corselet03.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/scale07.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/armguard08.jpg Helmets http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/elmi9.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/elmi10.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/elmi11.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/earlyhelmet63.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/middlehelmet38.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/middlehelmet12.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/latehelmet08.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/achille-eric.jpg Shields http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/bodyshield51.jpg https://periklisdeligiannis.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/00.jpg https://periklisdeligiannis.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/connolly1.jpg Weapons http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/sword18.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/sword69.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/spear176.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/bow01.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/otherweapon50.jpg http://www.bronze-age-swords.com/
Iron Age: http://www.hellenicarmors.gr/products.php?pageId=11&lang=EN http://www.hellenicarmors.gr/products.php?pageId=12&lang=EN https://periklisdeligiannis.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/skythian-warlord.jpg https://periklisdeligiannis.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/romans-vs-greeks.jpg https://periklisdeligiannis.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/athena-promachos1.jpg
Gallery with plenty of useful images: http://panaiotis.deviantart.com/gallery/34496451/Cultural-Heritage
Bronze Age ships: http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/ship135.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/ship136.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/ship28.jpg http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/images/ship35.jpg http://www.navistory.com/pages/antiquity.php >A particularly rich and long era in naval matters, although rather limited in its study towards the Mediterranean. It began rouhly 1000 to 5000 years after the ice age. This period extends over the Bronze Age (3500 BC) and continues through the Iron Age (1200 BC) opening the classical era (500 BC).
Reconstruction of ancient Corinth city as it was in II century AD, in Roman Empire ages. https://youtu.be/dEHPfMIyLfc
Articles on ancient history http://www.livius.org/
There was more than one version of the list, and the author may have got some details wrong. http://www.livius.org/articles/concept/seven-wonders-of-the-ancient-world/
Geospatial network model of the roman world http://orbis.stanford.edu/
Europa Barbarorum II. This mod for Medieval II: Total War offers tons of information on the in-game texts of its buildings and units. The wiki talks a lot about factions and warriors of the Iron Age: http://europabarbarorum.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
About the hoplite phalanx: https://periklisdeligiannis.wordpress.com/2015/06/02/hoplite-phalanx-where-it-was-invented/ https://periklisdeligiannis.wordpress.com/2014/05/04/hoplite-tactics-the-hoplite-phalanx/ https://periklisdeligiannis.wordpress.com/2015/04/21/the-hoplite-phalanx-in-combat-hoplite-tactics/
Republic of Rome
Basic Unlike the Pax Romana of the Roman Empire, the Republic was in a state of quasi-perpetual war throughout its existence. Its first enemies were its Latin and Etruscan neighbours, as well as the Gauls, who even sacked the city in 387 BC. The Republic nonetheless demonstrated extreme resilience and always managed to overcome its losses, however catastrophic. After the Gallic Sack, Rome indeed conquered the whole Italian peninsula in a century, which turned the Republic into a major player in the Mediterranean. The Republic's greatest enemy was doubtless Carthage, against which it waged three wars. At home, the Republic similarly experienced a long streak of social and political crises, which ended in several bloody civil wars. At first, the Conflict of the Orders opposed the patricians, the closed oligarchic elite, to the far more numerous plebs, who finally achieved political equality in several steps during the 4th century BC. Later, the vast conquests of the Republic disrupted its society, as the immense influx of slaves they brought enriched the aristocracy, but ruined the peasantry and urban workers. In order to solve this issue, several social reformers, known as the Populares, tried to pass agrarian laws, but the Gracchi brothers, Saturninus, or Clodius Pulcher, were all murdered by their opponents In this context, the last decades of the Republic were marked by the rise of great generals, who exploited their military conquests and the factional situation in Rome to gain control of the political system
Values
The Romans usually treated their traditional narratives as historical, even when these have miraculous or supernatural elements. The stories are often concerned with politics and morality, and how an individual's personal integrity relates to his or her responsibility to the community or Roman state. Heroism was an important theme. When the stories illuminate Roman religious practices, they are more concerned with ritual, augury, and institutions than with theology or cosmogony.[1]
Aesthetics Detailed
Cities, towns and villas
City of Rome[edit]
The ruins of the Servian Wall, built during the 4th century BC, one of the earliest ancient Roman defensive walls.
Life in the Roman Republic revolved around the city of Rome, and its seven hills. The most important governing, administrative and religious institutions were concentrated at its heart, on and around the Capitoline and Palatine Hills. The city rapidly outgrew its original sacred boudary (pomerium), and its first city walls. Further growth was constrained by an inadequate fresh-water supply. Rome's first aqueduct (312) built during the Punic wars crisis, provided a plentiful, clean supply. The building of further aqueducts led to the city's expansion and the establishment of public baths (thermae) as a central feature of Roman culture.[293][294] The city also had several theatres,[295] gymnasiums, and many taverns and brothels. Living space was at a premium. Some ordinary citizens and freedmen of middling income might live in modest houses but most of the population lived in apartment blocks ( insulae, literally "islands"), where the better-off might rent an entire ground floor, and the poorest a single, possibly windowless room at the top, with few or no amenities. Nobles and rich patrons lived in spacious, well-appointed town houses; they were expected to keep "open house" for their peers and clients. A semi-public atrium typically functioned as a meeting-space, and a vehicle for display of wealth, artistic taste, and religious piety. Noble atria were also display areas for ancestor-masks (imagines).[296]
Most Roman towns and cities had a forum and temples, as did the city of Rome itself. Aqueducts brought water to urban centres.[297] Landlords generally resided in cities and left their estates in the care of farm managers.
Culture[edit]
Clothing[edit] Main article: Clothing in ancient Rome The Orator, c. 100 BC, an Etrusco-Roman statue of a Republican senator, wearing toga praetexta and senatorial shoes; compared to the voluminous, costly, impractical togas of the Imperial era, the Republican-era type is frugal and "skimpy" (exigua).[298]
The basic Roman garment was the Greek-style tunic, worn knee-length and short-sleeved (or sleeveless) for men and boys, and ankle-length and long-sleeved for women and girls. The toga was distinctively Roman. It was thought to have begun during the early Roman kingdom, as a plain woolen "shepherd's wrap", worn by both sexes, all classes, and all occupations, including the military.[299] By the middle to late Republic, citizen women had abandoned it for the less bulky, Greek-style stola, and the military used it only for off-duty ceremonies.[300] The toga became a mark of male citizenship, a statement of social degree.[301] Convention also dictated the type, colour and style of calcei (ankle-boots) appropriate to each level of male citizenship; red for senators, brown with crescent-shaped buckles for equites, and plain tanned for plebs.
The whitest, most voluminous togas were worn by the senatorial class. High ranking magistrates, priests and citizen's children were entitled to a purple-bordered toga praetexta. Triumphal generals wore an all-purple, gold-embroidered toga picta, associated with the image of Jupiter and Rome's former kings - but only for a single day; Republican mores simultaneously fostered competitive display and attempted its containment, to preserve at least a notional equality between peers, and reduce the potential threats of class envy.[302] Togas, however, were impractical for physical activities other than sitting in the theatre, public oratory, and attending the salutiones ("greeting sessions") of rich patrons. Most Roman citizens, particularly the lower class of plebs, seem to have opted for more comfortable and practical garments, such as tunics and cloaks. Luxurious and highly coloured clothing had always been available to those who could afford it, particularly women of the leisured classes. There is material evidence for cloth-of-gold (lamé) as early as the 7th century BC.[303] By the 3rd century BC, significant quantities of raw silk was being imported from China.[304] The Lex Oppia (215 BC), which restricted personal expenditure on such luxuries as purple clothing, was repealed in 195, after a mass public protest by wealthy Roman matrons.[305] Tyrian purple, as a quasi-sacred colour, was officially reserved for the border of the toga praetexta and for the solid purple toga picta;[306][307] but towards the end of the Republic, the notorious Verres was wearing a purple pallium at all-night parties, not long before his trial, disgrace and exile for corruption.[308]
For most Romans, even the simplest, cheapest linen or woolen clothing represented a major expense. Worn clothing was passed down the social scale until it fell to rags, and these in turn were used for patchwork.[309] Wool and linen were the mainstays of Roman clothing, idealised by Roman moralists as simple and frugal.[310] Landowners were advised that female slaves not otherwise occupied should be producing homespun woolen cloth, good enough for clothing the better class of slave or supervisor. Cato the Elder recommended that slaves be given a new cloak and tunic every two years; coarse rustic homespun would likely be "too good" for the lowest class of slave, but not good enough for their masters.[311] For most women, the carding, combing, spinning and weaving of wool were part of daily housekeeping, either for family use or for sale. In traditionalist, wealthy households, the family's wool- baskets, spindles and looms were positioned in the semi-public reception area (atrium), where the mater familias and her familia could thus demonstrate their industry and frugality; a largely symbolic and moral activity for those of their class, rather than practical necessity.[312]
As the Republic wore on, its trade, territories and wealth increased. Roman conservatives deplored the apparent erosion of traditional, class-based dress distinctions, and an increasing Roman appetite for luxurious fabrics and exotic "foreign" styles among all classes, including their own. Towards the end of the Republic, the ultra-traditionalist Cato the younger publicly protested the self-indulgent greed and ambition of his peers, and the loss of Republican "manly virtues", by wearing a "skimpy" dark woolen toga, without tunic or footwear.[310][313]
Food and dining[edit] Main article: Ancient Roman cuisine
Banquet scene, fresco, Herculaneum, Italy, c. 50 BC Modern study of the dietary habits during the Republic are hampered by various factors. Few writings have survived, and because different components of their diet are more or less likely to be preserved, the archaeological record cannot be relied on.[314] Cato the elder's De Agri Cultura includes several recipes and his suggested "Rations for the hands". The list of ingredients includes cheese, honey, poppy seeds, coriander, fennel, cumin, egg, olives, bay leaves, laurel twig, and anise. He gives instructions for kneading bread, making porridge, Placenta cake, brine, various wines, preserving lentils, planting asparagus, curing ham, and fattening geese and squab.[315] The Roman poet Horace mentions another Roman favorite, the olive, in reference to his own diet, which he describes as very simple: "As for me, olives, endives, and smooth mallows provide sustenance."[316] Meat, fish and produce were a part of the Roman diet at all levels of society.[317]
Romans valued fresh fruit, and had a diverse variety available to them.[318] Wine was considered the basic drink,[319] consumed at all meals and occasions by all classes and was quite inexpensive. Cato once advised cutting his rations in half to conserve wine for the workforce.[320] Many types of drinks involving grapes and honey were consumed as well. Drinking on an empty stomach was regarded as boorish and a sure sign for alcoholism, the debilitating physical and psychological effects of which were known to the Romans. Accusations of alcoholism were used to discredit political rivals. Prominent Roman alcoholics included Marcus Antonius,[321] and Cicero's own son Marcus (Cicero Minor). Even Cato the Younger was known to be a heavy drinker.[322]
Education and language[edit] Main articles: Roman school and Latin
Rome's original native language was early Latin, the language of the Italic Latins. Most surviving Latin literature is written in Classical Latin, a highly stylised and polished literary language which developed from early and vernacular spoken Latin, from the 1st century BC. Most Latin speakers used Vulgar Latin, which significantly differed from Classical Latin in grammar, vocabulary, and eventually pronunciation.[citation needed]
Following various military conquests in the Greek East, Romans adapted a number of Greek educational precepts to their own fledgling system.[323] Strenuous, disciplined physical training helped prepare boys of citizen class for their eventual citizenship and a military career. Girls generally received instruction[324] from their mothers in the art of spinning, weaving, and sewing. Schooling in a more formal sense was begun around 200 BC. Education began at the age of around six, and in the next six to seven years, boys and girls were expected to learn the basics of reading, writing and counting. By the age of twelve, they would be learning Latin, Greek, grammar and literature, followed by training for public speaking. Effective oratory and good Latin were highly valued among the elite, and were essential to a career in law or politics.[325]
Arts[edit] Main articles: Latin literature, Roman art, Music of ancient Rome, and Roman architecture
In the 3rd century BC, Greek art taken as the spoils of war became popular, and many Roman homes were decorated with landscapes by Greek artists.[326] Inside the "Temple of Mercury" or Temple of Echo at Baiae, containing one of the largest domes in the world before the building of the Pantheon, Rome in the 2nd century AD
Over time, Roman architecture was modified as their urban requirements changed, and the civil engineering and building construction technology became developed and refined. The architectural style of the capital city was emulated by other urban centers under Roman control and influence.[citation needed]
Literature[edit]
Early Roman literature was influenced heavily by Greek authors. From the mid-Republic, Roman authors followed Greek models, to produce free-verse and verse-form plays and other in Latin; for example, Livius Andronicus wrote tragedies and comedies. The earliest Latin works to have survived intact are the comedies of Plautus, written during the mid-Republic. Works of well-known, popular playwrights were sometimes commissioned for performance at religious festivals; many of these were Satyr plays, based on Greek models and Greek myths. Lucretius, in his On the Nature of Things explicated the tenets of Epicurean philosophy. Towards the end of the Republic, Virgil's epic poem, the Aeneid, built on Homer's ancient Greek epic, the Iliad, to make the Trojan prince Aeneas an ancestor of the Roman people.[citation needed]
Sports and entertainment[edit]
The city of Rome had a place called the Campus Martius ("Field of Mars"), which was a sort of drill ground for Roman soldiers. Later, the Campus became Rome's track and field playground. In the campus, the youth assembled to play and exercise, which included jumping, wrestling, boxing and racing.[citation needed] Equestrian sports, throwing, and swimming were also preferred physical activities.[citation needed] In the countryside, pastimes included fishing and hunting.[citation needed] Board games played in Rome included dice (Tesserae or Tali), Roman Chess (Latrunculi), Roman Checkers (Calculi), Tic-tac-toe (Terni Lapilli), and Ludus duodecim scriptorum and Tabula, predecessors of backgammon.[327] Other activities included chariot races, and musical and theatrical performances.[ Social structure (classes/castes/professions etc.) Economy Government & Municipalities/regions Foods Weapons & Military tactics Methods of travel
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Imperial Rome
Basic GURPs Imperial Rome has a book Values Aesthetics Detailed Social structure (classes/castes/professions etc.) Economy Government & Municipalities/regions Foods Weapons & Military tactics Methods of travel
Mythic
Links
Sikh, Berber, Bedouin, Pashtun
Basic
Detailed
Mythic
Links http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/49940009/ Irish (Celtic/Gaelic/etc)
Basic Values Aesthetics Detailed
Mythic
Links Wikipedia has a huge amount of info on pagan Ireland(and occasionally some Scotland and Wales) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaelic_Ireland https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_polytheism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_animism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_mythology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaels
Fun fact: Irish people practiced fosterage, and would often send children to be raised with other people to strengthen their relationships
Southeast Asia
Basic
Detailed
Mythic
Links http://hariragat.blogspot.com/2014/03/building-southeast-asian-settings-part-i.html http://hariragat.blogspot.com/2014/04/on-southeast-asian-settings-part-ii.html http://hariragat.blogspot.com/2014/05/highland-southeast-asia-for-your.html Wild West/Western
Basic
GURPS Old West has a whole bunch of useful info. Just read that and your set for the basic level.
Detailed
Mythic/Alternative
Weird West
Links
China
Basic Values Aesthetics Detailed
Mythic
Links
India (Ancient)
Basic
Detailed
Mythic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_legendary_creatures_in_Hindu_mythology
Links On war elephants http://hariragat.blogspot.com/2015/08/elephants-at-war-india-to-southeast-asia.html
Japan
Basic GURPs Japan can give some information Values Classic themes are Duty vs. Desire, and sacrifice for justice. Aesthetics Detailed
Mythic
Links Japanese shinto concepts: http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/shrine-guide-2.shtml Life/Living in Rokugan? = useful Busido stuff for samurai stories. Hard to find cover image.(unable to confirm) Emerald Empire (L5R book) Imperial Histories 1 and 2 have some good campaign ideas/backstory/Alternate Timelines Tibet
Basic Unable to confirm at this moment, but The Secrets of Tibet for Call of Cthulhu by Chaosium promises to offer plenty of information regarding the area.
Detailed Tibet has a bunch of mountain gods, most of which control the weather; winds; hail and lightning. These gods might assume human form and have children with the locals. Said mountains are worshipped because their summer-melted snow provides water for fertile valleys.
>Monks could reconcile the taking of life and inflicting pain in times of warfare by receiving indulgences from the head lamas.
>In practice, monasteries evolved into hierarchies with distinct classes of masters, teachers, students and servants. There were also fraternities of younger monks that valued physical development and training in combat. They took great effort to develop their ability to jump higher and further and held competitions on a regular basis to test themselves against the skills of their brethren. From these fraternities was drawn a group commonly called the Dob-dobs who served in a security and law enforcement capacity. Men were chosen for the Dob-dobs who were stronger and larger than average, as well as fearless. They were distinguished by the large padded shoulders of their clothing and usually blackened their faces with soot to make their appearance more menacing. Their duties included crowd control during public ceremonies and maintaining order within the monastery. The weapons that they carried were typically a short staff and a whip made from rhinoceros hide imported from Nepal and northern India. The sharp crack of the Dob-dobs whips was an iconic part of any public event as they drove back the crowds that surged forward to place themselves in favorable locations to receive blessings from the lamas.
>The typical method that a monastery would use to deal with local bandit tribes would be to send out a cursing party of up to sixty monks. Usually the bandits would pay the monastery a fee and depart their lands to avoid being cursed. >On pilgrimage routes in the vicinity of monasteries, long walls of stone covered with Tibetan writing are often seen. These walls are constructed of individually carved and painted rocks called mani stones. Pious monks either carve or paint the individual rocks and over the centuries some of the walls have become over a mile long. Travelers are supposed to pass a mani with the wall of stones to their right. Very often a chorten will be located on the end of the mani wall and marks the burial site of a person of importance, or in the case of the largest chortens, perhaps an entire family. Chorten is sometimes translated into English as receptacle for offerings. A chorten that contains the ashes of many individuals may have had the ashes mixed with clay and formed into a figure that represents them. If the ashes are completely present a skilled wizard may be able to use them in a Resurrection spell. There is one school of thought, among some involved with esoteric matters, that the major chortens are placed over the entrances to the lairs of monsters to stop them from entering our world.
>Potala Palace – It contains over one thousand rooms and in some places the walls are over fifteen feet thick. Having been built on a hill allowed for excavation of the stone to create hidden galleries, rooms and stairways. There are thirteen floors of structures with many of them interconnecting. There are rooms and entire sections devoted to government functions and monastic schools for specialized techniques. There are some rooms where entry is restricted only to the Dalai Lama and, in some cases, they have not been visited for several centuries. >Throughout the famed Himalayan mountains are large, hidden valleys known as beyul, places of peace and refuge revered by Tibetan Buddhists. These secret lands of legend have drawn Buddhist seekers for centuries, and one called Pemako is thought to have been the inspiration for Shangri-La. Information on their locations was kept on scrolls hidden under rocks and inside caves, monasteries and stupa (shrines). A person might follow instructions from the ancient texts but still not be able to see or experience the beyul if not in the proper spiritual state. Some beyul are now inhabited, others are occasionally visited by spiritual seekers and adventurers, and some are still unknown. The total number of beyul, discovered and not, is often said to be 108. They are places where physical and spiritual worlds overlap and Tantric practice effectiveness increases with multiple perception dimensions. Padmasambhava assigned deities to protect the beyul. Protective forces manifest as snowstorms, mists and snow leopards. Buddhist texts indicate beyul are discovered when the planet is approaching destruction and the world becomes too corrupt for spiritual practice.
>Gompas are multi-purpose ecclesiastical and civil centers that range from small village-like settlements, set around a central prayer hall, to large fortifications with high walls housing monasteries, nunneries and Buddhist universities. They are home to the learning, lineage and sadhana (spiritual practices) of the various Sarma schools to develop in Tibet since the fall of the Empire.
Mythic
Links
Arabian Nights
Basic The well known imagery of the Arabian Nights comes from a long collection of stories within stories known as the 1001 nights. (I forget the actual name, but its long) The version of middle eastern life at this time is distorted, much like over the top nature of comic books or modern popular media. Take that into consideration when running this setting, a lot of it has already been warped from reality, which gives GM’s more lee-way in running it without grogs pointing and going “Yo it wasn’t like that and sheet.” This is a great setting to go over the top. The time period is around the rise of Islam to the fall of constantinople Values • Fate is an absolute power over one’s life. Good men can die unfairly, street rats may get suddenly rich. It is how a character reacts to their uncontrollable fate that demonstrates their virtues • Gross ingratitude and blasphemy are always punished • Monotheisim. This is a world of Islam and the Qu’ran. Even if you use a generic no-name religion in its place, make it a dominat monotheistic religion that has strong ties with local governments. If you would still like to include multiple religions, consider making them all offshoots or reinterpretations of the main belief. Consider Zoroastrianism. Its dope shit. • Lunar Calender. There are autistic details here, so I will keep it simple. They had a calender based on the moon. 12 months, Each around 29 to 30 days, starting on the New moon each time. Aesthetics • Deserts, oasis's (oasi? How the fuck do you pluralize oasis?), rip off the appearances of the buildings in Alladin and your solid on the look • Scimitars not swords • turbins and white billowing cloths • Carpets and Rugs are common • Arabia was a hub of trade between many distant places. Give it plenty of wealth, but noticable wealth disparity. Detailed Gurps has an Arabian Nights supplement. Its quality has not been determined. Mythic
Links Pre-Islamic Arabia: http://nabataea.net/arabia.html http://nabataea.net/who.html http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/18350298/
Russia
Basic Things used to be good. Now they're worse. And getting worse.
There is no great, ancient evil waiting to be awakened. It was always awake.
Witches are not always of sinister intent, and should therefore be treated with extra caution. If you can't trust them to be evil, you can't trust them at all.
Do not enter the forest. It will eat you.
Do not go swimming in any body of water. You will be eaten.
There are many tales of great cities in lands far away. You will never get to see them.
Old people know the secrets to killing the fantastic creatures of the land. Except when they don't, in which case they will at least be able to direct you to someone who does know those secrets.
Fantastic creatures often cannot be killed in any way but a single, very specific and convoluted way.
Fantastic creatures and wilderness are often bad. The nobles ruling you are generally worse.
You are expected to idolize the nobles ruling you. Not that the nobles really care, but daydreaming about them helps distract from an otherwise bleak existence.
The people living south of you aren't very fond of you. Despise them.
The people living west of you aren't very fond of you. Despise them, too.
The people living east of you aren't very fond of you. Don't even bother despising them. The cossacks tend to look down on you. You don't have to despise them, but be wary.
People living in more populous settlements than yours look down on you. Keep a good face as long as you can trade stuff with them, but otherwise you can think whatever you want of them.
The best thing you can do with your time is go cutting down trees. It kills the forest that would eat you, and it gets you wood that can be used either to throw on the fire or to build your coffin with. If nothing else, at least it takes the mind off how much you hate life and everyone who are not from the same place as you. Values Aesthetics Detailed Social structure (classes/castes/professions etc.) Economy Government & Municipalities/regions Foods Weapons & Military tactics Methods of travel
Mythic
Links http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/50128118/ http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/28965839/
Napoleonic Age
Basic GURPs Age of Napoleon has information on this Values Aesthetics Detailed Social structure (classes/castes/professions etc.) Economy Government & Municipalities/regions Foods Weapons & Military tactics Methods of travel Mythic
Links
Atlantis
Basic Yes its not ‘real’ but it has enough lore that people might want to run this. GURPs Atlantis has information on this Values Aesthetics Detailed Social structure (classes/castes/professions etc.) Economy Government & Municipalities/regions Foods Weapons & Military tactics Methods of travel
Mythic
Links
Camelot/Arthurian
Basic GURPs Camelot has information on this Values Aesthetics Detailed Social structure (classes/castes/professions etc.) Economy Government & Municipalities/regions Foods Weapons & Military tactics Methods of travel Mythic
Links
Conanesque
Basic Yes its not ‘real’ but it has enough lore that people might want to run this. GURPs Conan has information on this Values Aesthetics Detailed Social structure (classes/castes/professions etc.) Economy Government & Municipalities/regions Foods Weapons & Military tactics Methods of travel
Mythic
Links
Ancient Estonians
Basic >non-indo european, only related to finnish, hungarian and a few tribes in russia >centuries of struggle etc. >at the crossroads of baltic, nordic, german and russian cultures >HUGE mythology, predating christian times including a nice list of magical items >history with both the teutonic knights and the hansa >entire area is full of weird,tiny baltic tribes and remnants >cool visual stuff etc. Values Aesthetics Detailed Social structure (classes/castes/professions etc.) Economy Government & Municipalities/regions Foods Weapons & Military tactics Methods of travel
Mythic
Links https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Estonia
Africa
Basic Values Aesthetics Detailed Social structure (classes/castes/professions etc.) Economy Government & Municipalities/regions Foods Weapons & Military tactics Methods of travel
Mythic
Links https://atmarpgsetting.blogspot.com/2018/08/african-fantasy-ideas-for-rpg.html http://dwasf.org/index.php/2017/04/29/sword-and-soul/
Basque
Basic >complete language isolate, nothing even comes close to their language, every single relative went extinct thousands of years ago >genetic analysis suggest that the locals lived in the same area since they were cavemen >survived the indo-european invasion, the bronze age migrations, the roman invasion, the german invasion, the arab invasion, and centuries of being part of spain >their niche was whaling and fishing, and they were some of the best at it >basque whalers travelled the whole atlantic ocean, forming cultural mixup pidgin languages with languages as different as algoquin and icelandic >actual culture is an interesting mix of north spanish and south french culture(bet you didnt know about their strong regional culture) Values Aesthetics Detailed Social structure (classes/castes/professions etc.) Economy Government & Municipalities/regions Foods Weapons & Military tactics Methods of travel
Mythic
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Hungarian
Basic >non-indo european but extremely easy to find sources >about as alien from english as chinese, can use cool sounding names and the like >centuries of struggle aganist invaders, lots of wars to get inspired from >history of being a tribal confederation of nomadic horsemen before >retained cool horse stuff to steal for games like hussars >in possession of IRL relics like the mummified right hand of their first king, a horn a tribal chieftain used to kill a german prince and a holy crown that is supposed to seal a pact between them and virgin mary, also a symbol of legitimate governance >cool visual stuff, flags architecture etc Values Aesthetics Detailed Social structure (classes/castes/professions etc.) Economy Government & Municipalities/regions Foods Weapons & Military tactics Methods of travel
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Links
Georgian
Basic >elf runes tier alien looking script >almost a complete isolate too with tenuous links to basque of all languages >country is about 3200 years old, counting from the first federation of georgian tribes >centuries of struggle(noticing a pattern here) >crossroads of byzantine, middle eastern and russian-orthodox cultures, with huge persian influences aswell >one of the first christian nations of the world >interesting landscape of mountain and seafaring themes mixing up >cool visual stuff Values Aesthetics Detailed Social structure (classes/castes/professions etc.) Economy Government & Municipalities/regions Foods Weapons & Military tactics Methods of travel
Mythic
Links Crusades
Basic GURPS Crusade has some info on this Values Aesthetics Detailed Social structure (classes/castes/professions etc.) Economy Government & Municipalities/regions Foods Weapons & Military tactics Methods of travel
Mythic
Links
Aztecs/Mayan
Basic Gurps has a supplement on Aztecs. Will review to see its quality. Values Aesthetics Detailed Social structure (classes/castes/professions etc.) Economy Government & Municipalities/regions Foods Weapons & Military tactics Methods of travel
Mythic
Links China
Basic GURPs China has information on this. Basic level is close to the "standard medieval fantasy" equivalent, and the setting where you can throw in most non-magic Chinese cultural element(s) without worrying too much. If there's a conflict happening somewhere, it is mostly because of a war with foreign powers, or a civil war etc.
Stuffs like rockets, repeating crossbows, heavy armours, shields, bows & arrows, fancy Chinese firearms/bombs/cannons, mundane emperor, imperial civil servants and mandarins etc belong here.
If you are looking to run basic, mundane china, its best to keep fancy Kungfu out of it. If you’d like to go all Hidden Tiger Crouching Dragon, look below in the Alternative section for Wuxia, and if you want balls to the wall magic god shit, check out Xianxia.
Values In premodern China, the great majority of people held beliefs and observed practices related to death that they learned as members of families and villages, not as members of organized religions. Such beliefs and practices are often subsumed under the umbrella of "Chinese popular religion." Institutional forms of Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and other traditions contributed many beliefs and practices to popular religion in its local variants. These traditions, especially Buddhism, included the idea of personal cultivation for the purpose of living an ideal life and, as a consequence, attaining some kind of afterlife salvation, such as immortality, enlightenment, or birth in a heavenly realm. However, individual salvation played a small role in most popular religions. In typical local variants of popular religion, the emphasis was on (1) passing from this world into an ancestral realm that in key ways mirrored this world and (2) the interactions between living persons and their ancestors. Basic Beliefs and Assumptions In every human society one can find manifestations of the human desire for some kind of continuance beyond death. In the modern West, much of human experience has been with religious theories of continuance that stress the fate of the individual, often conceived as a discrete spiritual "self" or "soul." Typically, a person is encouraged to live in a way that prepares one for personal salvation, whether by moral self-discipline, seeking God's grace, or other means. Indic traditions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, include similar assumptions about the human self/soul and personal salvation. In premodern China, especially if one discounts Buddhist influence, a person's desire for continuance beyond death was rooted in different assumptions and manifested in practices not closely related to the pursuit of individual salvation. First, Chinese emphasized biological continuance through descendants to whom they gave the gift of life and for whom they sacrificed many of life's material pleasures. Moreover, personal sacrifice was not rooted in a belief in asceticism per se but in a belief that sacrificing for one's offspring would engender in them obligations toward elders and ancestors. As stated in the ancient text, Aesthetics Clothing: Men, sashed tunic and jacket. Women, dresses and aprons. Round straw hats to ward off sun and rain. The length of the sleeves and skirts depends on how much physical work the wearer expects to do. Peasants or soldiers wear loose unencumbering garments. Nobles wear overly complicated dress with trails of fabric that drag behind them. Nobles grow their nails long to prove they dont need to do physical labour. Detailed Social structure (classes/castes/professions etc.) Economy Government & Municipalities/regions Foods Weapons & Military tactics Methods of travel
Mythic/Alternatives
Wuxia (Pronounced “Woo-ZIA”)
Basic Kung fu and a little bit of magic Detailed Okay. Note that these aren't mutually exclusive, and can be thought of as the kind of adventures one has as he ups his class.
>Note that I will mostly use D&D-influenced terms, as that is the system I am most familiar with.
>I tend to classify the typical "Chinese setting" into several "Worlds" or you can say "Layers" (I am sure there's a better word for it, but I can't think of one right now), which can be used as a framework to expand into a detailed setting.
>The first layer is what I called:
>1) "Base world" or "Overworld" This is the layer/setting that is closest to its "standard medieval fantasy" equivalent, and the setting where you can throw in most non-magic Chinese cultural element(s) without worrying too much. If there's a conflict happening somewhere, it is mostly because of a war with foreign powers, or a civil war etc. This is the stage where a "Fighter Class" can shine most brightly. If there is a "East meet West" setting, this is also the easiest setting to use.
>Stuffs like rockets, repeating crossbows, heavy armours, shields, bows & arrows, fancy Chinese firearms/bombs/cannons, mundane emperor, imperial civil servants and mandarins etc belong in this layer.
>Classes like fighter, warlord (and/or strategist) also belong here. Base world tend to be no/low magic. Spellcasters, if they exist at all, are mostly limited to divination/adivsor role.
>You will also notice that I do not mention "Kung fu" and "martial arts" in this layer, because they don't (normally) belong here. Fighters in this layer act like...well, fighters, i.e. they whack at each others with the weapons they are good at, without shouting "iron heart surge" or whatnot.
>2) "Jianghu (??)" or what I called "Low Wuxia" or "Underworld" >This is the entry gate to the world of Wuxia, where you will start to find all sorts of martial arts stuffs. However at this layer it is still very much grounded in reality. Most factions that operate at this layer are the ancient Chinese equivalent of gangsters and mafias and triads. Wealth and vengeance, as well as the underworld's code of honour, is the prime motivation of conflict at this layer. Gang fights happen about as often as personal duels.
>Stuffs that belong to this layer: Wealthy river merchants (essentially "river mafia"), mountain bandits, rebels, salt peddlers, horse merchant alliance (again, essentially "horse trading mafia" of sort), caravan bodyguards (??), martial arts throwing weapons, taverns. etc. Due to the prevalence of river merchants, underwater combat happens quite a lot.
>Classes that belong to this layer: Rogue. As long as you step into the territory of Wuxia, you will be dealing with rogues, rogue variants, and more rogues.
>Stuffs that do NOT belong to this layer: Heavy armours and shields, bows, crossbows and arrows, fighter class, firearms*. Low Wuxia also tend not to have legendary swords and somesuch.
>*As this layer is more grounded in reality, many stories set in early 20th century (Republican/Japanese occupation period) utilize this layer, and thus firearm are (sometimes) quite prevalent.
>3) "Wulin (??)" or what I called "High Wuxia" >De facto Wuxia world. Borderline supernatural martial arts such as jumping really high, short range ki blasts, internal energies and punch through metal doors etc are quite common here. Various martial art sects and religious organizations (instead of lowly criminal gangs like the Low Wuxia) pop up at this layer. Fame, romance and sex, legendary weapons, martial pursuits and secret manuals become the prime motivator of conflict. Otherwise some evil ominous cult wanted to dominate the Wulin world, causing all sort of mayhem.
>Personal duels, assassinations, and martial arts tournaments are much more common at this layer, although war between sects or against aforementioned evil cult are also common.
>Stuffs that belong to this layer: High powered martial arts, secret manuals, lost treasures, legendary (but usually not supernature) weapons, tournaments, "Wulin alliance", code of honour, religious organisations, evil cults, impossible but non-magical gadgets and traps ("Rapid fire thousand needle launcher" or "automaton wooden dummy", or something like that), weird poison and medicine ("it will kill you during the first day of next Chinese new year!" kind of poison), weird animals ("the toad whose blood can cure all poison").
>Classes that belong to this layer: Rogue, assassin, and possibly swashbuckler, some sort of martial art- herbalist class. Some of the more exotic Wuxia archetypes, such as the crazy zitherist that cause you to go insane or mind control you with her music, or cult leader that control swarms of poisonous snakes, might fit into bard and druid class, albeit imperfectly. Also monk.
>Stuffs that do NOT belong to this layer: Most stuffs that do no fit in Low Wuxia also do not belong here. Which means no heavy armour and shield whatsoever, barring rare exceptions. No firearms and generally no magic (which mostly limited to Base World at the moment).
>As you can see, the worlds of Chinese fiction are generally distinct - a military general (fighter class), armoured to the teeth and wield a heavy war axe, will not generally show up and compete in a Wuxia tournament (remember Wuxia is mostly rogue class), and you won't generally see river merchant gangfights in a novel about massive civil war.
>Yet these layers also superimpose over each other. They can and do exist in the same setting/universe, as well as interact with each other. A military general might also be good at martial arts and influential in the Wulin world, Imperial government maintain a secret service agency that specifically deal with martial art sects, martial artist request the aid of river merchants (or more likely, just kick their arse and force them) to acquire a legendary sword sunken in a lake, strategist employing martial artist to assassinate political enemy, etc.
>These instances are actually quite common, although character without background in multiple layers (multiclass?) usually end up in a fish-out-of-water situation. >4) Xianxia (??), or "Immortal Heroes" >This is the layer where immortal swordsages flying around, aero-skateboarding with sword (yes, this is really, really common), fighting with remote-controlled swords, swinging swords that turn into dragons or frikkin' laser beams, etc.
>You will notice that I mention sword repeatedly (specially, Chinese double-edged straight sword, the Jian). Well because Taoist religion, which most of these fictions are based on, is really really fond of Jian, and thus most if not all characters in this layer will wield a Jian or two...or thousands.
>This is the high fantasy version of Chinese fiction, and most of the characters in this layer are immortals, immortals-in-training, or at the very least, larger-than-life magical heroes. Sects still exist in this layer, although they generally become full-on religious (typically Buddhist and Taoist, plus the evil cult). Prime motivators for conflict are usually due to the awakening of some ancient, Morgoth-level evil beings, disruption of the balance of light and darkness/Ying and Yang, etc.
>Magical beasts and plants, while they started to pop up in this layer, tend to be rare, and usually are simply magic version of real-life animals. These beasts do sometimes shapeshift into a more human form after enough training.
>Sometimes a particularly talented yound lad is chosen to become the protege of a immortal wiseman, or evil cult sacrificed entire village/city/kingdom/continent for their evil rituals, etc. However, once a character from previous three layers stepped into Xianxia layer, there's usually no turning back.
>Stuffs that belong to this layer: Immortals, magic swords, more magic swords, intelligent weapons (usually swords), magical evil cults, curse and cursed weapons (again, usually swords), supernatural poisons, magic, magical beasts (such as giant magic snake etc), Chinese alchemy.
>Classes that belong to this layer: Swordsage, wizards, highly enlightened monks.
>5) Chinese mythology >At this layer, we deal with stuff like "Journey to the West", gods, buddhas, demons and monsters. Celestial emperors, heavenly court, divine champions, mythical beasts, and so on.
>This layer is to the Base World what Xianxia is to Wuxia. In a sense you can say the immortals and swordsages from the previous layer are civilians/underworld, while this layer is the government and the boss.
>The power level gap between this layer and the other layers is so vast that the death of one minor god can be the equivalent to edition change from D&D 3.5 to D&D 4. An escaped pet dog from heaven can be the very same prime evil that require the effort of entire Xianxia world (layer 4) to put down. Due to this power level gap, this layer tend to sit around doing very little, only occassionally sending divine aid to some mortals and stuffs.
>As it is quite similar to base world, only more magic (Celestial court can be as corrupt as its mundane counterpart, as this is the case in real Chinese mythology), it tends to interact with the base world layer moreso than other layers.
>The analogue to level progression is at least partly intentional, although I have more of a "3.5e class tier list" in mind when I wrote that, althoug swordsage obviously isn't tier 1 or 2 in D&D setting (I forget to make it clear that the swordsage I was talking about isn't the same as3.5e swordsage in D&D).
>Making it a "low level beginner > mid level adventurer > high level heroes" progression can in fact work quite nicely. Despite what my previous email might indicates, there's actually no significant power gap between the "Base world" and the "Wuxia world". Only when you move up to magic stuffs does the power gap emerge. Good thing that "training really hard" and "killing enemy really hard" is indeed some of the many ways for a mundane to move into Xianxia layer or higher.
>While it might be shocking to some that a battle-hardened military general (i.e. fighter class) might be taken out by a Wuxia kungfu guy (i.e. a rogue class) in a head-on, 1v1 duel (in fictional world anyway), in reality they are merely good at different things. Throw a bunch of Kungfu guys to the battlefield, and they will be shot to pieces in no time (due to having no armour) or trampled by massive cavalry charge.
>(Note that High Wuxia is significantly more powerful than Low Wuxia. Many Wuxia novels do not make clear distinction between the two, although the difference is there)
>3.5) Xiuzhen (??) or "Cultivator" stories >This is not a "layer" per se (and I don't like the name "cultivator", which I think is a faulty English translation), but rather a modern sub-genre of Xianxia novel, most commonly found in web-novels, light novels, and comics.
>To put it simply, it is basically a "level grinding story". The main character is more often than not a Base World layer nobody. By training, study, killing stuffs, sexing real hard, eating exotic stuffs, unearthing artifacts, and inheriting wisdoms and inner energies and life essence or whatever, the main character gradually move up the ladder/layer, eventually becoming an true immortal, god, or some sort of multiversal Supreme being.
>Cultivating, or forcibly extending one's lifespan, is obviously against natural law, so every cultivator must at some point face his own "Heaven's calamity" (basically a single target rock-fall-everyone-die event. In some cases, this is the result of Layer 5 gods actively trying to f**k with every single poor guy at layer 4). This can come in the forms of divine retribution, divine labours, training-gone-wrong, accidents, bad lucks, enemies, own inner demon emerging etc. If one manages to survive, he or she will "level up", ascending into the next level of power, otherwise he will perish. Depending on the writer, one might have to survive five to twenty calamities (or more!) to achieve full immortality.
>I think it is too influenced by modern MMORPGs and most of these works are trash. However it does present an interesting and somewhat creative merge of modern RPG elements and classical Chinese fantasy fiction. Plus it gives a good excuse for the DMs to throw progressively powerful stuff at the players.
>Due to the nature of this type of novels, the MC will spend a long time as an Immortal-in-training. Extremely powerful, but not quite there yet. Which is perfect if you don't want something too overpowered.
>???) Chinese ghost(busting) stories >Again not a layer, and not even a solid genre on its own. I just feel this is too good a material to pass up. At lower layers (Base World), we have the wandering Taoist exorcists trying to stop the Jiangshi (hopping corpse) menace, or a monk exposing a magic snake that shapeshifts into a lady and try to seduce young man (Legend of the White Snake). At high layers, we have a minor god (Zhong Kui ??, look it up) catching demons that escaped hell.
>A good place to look for low-level mythical beasts to throw at the players in China-themed rpgs.
>Chinese ghost stories share many similarities with the gothic horror genre (vampire, werewolf, headless horsemen etc). Sometimes the monster/ghost is portrayed in a sympathetic light, while the hunter become bad guy, but otherwise (in RPG sense) they are not that different. Oh, the Taoist monster hunter tend to suck the monster into a container (usually a magic pouch, or gourd bottle) and then seal it inside, rather than (or in addition of) straight out impale its heart or cut off its head.
>Larger/High power version of these sealing container is the Zhen Yao Ta (???), or monster-sealing pagoda, basically the magic version of Arkham Asylum. Another function of Xianxia sects is to guard the pagoda...and yes, sometimes prison breaks do happen...
>kinks to work out for a "port" a D&D-isque RPG to a believeable Chinese-themed fictional setting (or "East meet West" scenario):
>1) Characters from different layers rarely mingle with each other. >If there's interaction, they usually just work out a cooperative deal or loose alliance, and almost never go adventuring together. So a "classic" fighter-rogue-wizard-cleric adventuring party will be really out of place in a Chinese setting. Worse yet, China did not have a knightly/warrior aristocrat class, so you can't use the "Knight and his squires/sidekick" excuse. Exceptions do exist, so this isn't too hard to work out.
>2) No equivalent to cleric class >With the possible exception of Taoist alchemy, medicine in ancient China was highly secularised, which means there are no "cleric" class that pray to the gods and using divine power/miracles to heal wounds and cure diseases. In fact, seeking antidote/healing internal injuries/realign potentially fatal ki flow disruption is a major plot elementi in many Wuxia stories, which tells you how rare these professions are.
>Closest thing to a "Divine healer" class in Chinese setting is the tales of Ji Gong (??), a buddha- disguised-as-crazy-beggar-drunkard-monk. But he is closer to a good trickster god than actual healer though.
>Replacing these clerics are wandering medicine men (which can be either charlatan or real doctor), although these guys tend to be extremely terrible in combat. In Wuxia works, there's usually a highly skilled herbalist (or entire sect of herbalists) hidden in a canyon somewhere.
>Wuxia code of conduct > The concept of Wuxia code of conduct generally only apply to High Wuxia, as characters from Low Wuxia tend to be more pragmatic/down to earth. This code of conduct may vary from writer to writer, so I can only put up a general guideline:
>If A and B entered a duel, and there's no personal feud involved (yet), the older/more experienced party, or party with higher Wulin social standing (let's say A) will generally offer to let the other side (let's say B) attack him for 3~10 "moves" without retaliation. An offer in reverse/counter offer will be seen as great humiliation. An offer in absurd number ("I will let you attack me 10000s time") is also intentionally humiliating.
>In the above situation, A is supposed to let B attack him for 3~10 attacks (depending on his offer). He can evade and/or parry (depending on the writer, sometimes he cannot even parry) as long as he stand his ground.
>If A is forced to retaliate, getting hit by B, or forced to dodge/tumble away from the place he was originally standing before the quota runs up, he is considered humiliated or "losing face".
>Hidden weapon and poison are considered dishonourable/underhanded in a duel. Same goes for throwing sands in someone’s eye etc. In some settings, magic get the same treatment.
>Not that anyone will believe you, but “oops I slipped” is still a good excuse if you want to kill someone during a duel that’s supposedly not to the death. Doing this for too many times will cause someone to use the same excuse on you though.
>After a duel, the WINNING side is supposed to find excuse for the losing side to explain away his lose, in order to "save his face". Even if both parties and all bystanders know the real reason why someone is losing. Bragging around or humiliating the losing side is seen as stepping over the line.
>On the other hand, the losing side is supposed to praise the martial prowess of the winner, EVEN if he used underhanded tactics to win (and every bystander knows that). Finding excuses for yourself or angrily accusing the winner of cheating is a good way to "lose face".
>Intentionally pickpocketing your rival during a duel, or using weapon to cut away his head/dress assessories without harming him during a duel, will be considered very offensive by the receiving party (who wouldn't?) as it means you are toying with him. Sometimes a "pickpocketing duel" might occur.
>Cutting off someone's hair/beard is considered equally offensive as cutting off someone's head (hair is SERIOUS BUSINESS!). Throwing weapons are generally immune to this rule, for some reason.
>The above two points can be done honourably in some cases, i.e. A has all the rights to kill B to enact vengeance or something, but choose to spare B instead, only cutting off some of B's hair as symbolism.
>If there is a fight between different sexes, female chest is off-limit to empty handed attack. Period. Even in a duel-to-the-death situation. Doubly offensive if one party is using something like "Eagle claw" martial arts to target the female chest, or anything that looks like he is trying to grope her. Likewise, intentionally slash apart female dress (without harming her) is a big no-no. ACTUALLY groping her is a surefire way to turn a friendly duel into a fight to the death, and invites bigger fishes to intervere/gank up on you.
>If there's no one looking, then there's no rule. If there's no one alive, then there's no one looking. (Good characters will uphold rules regardless)
>Mad people follow no rules, and no rules apply to you when you are dealing with such people.
>Killing one's own master is one of the most serious offenses in the Wuxia world. But the master has all the right to kill his own student without reason. If one such student is your sworn brother/adventuring party member etc and his master comes and tries to kill him...no, you are not supposed to intervene, UNLESS you have good reason to, or at least something that pass as an excuse ("he's gone mad!" Is a good one, since no rule applies to a mad man). You must convince other onlookers with your excuse though.
>Masters are not supposed to intervene in a duel between students. IF they intervene, they usually just save their own student without attacking the other student.
>Students CAN intervene in a duel between masters in some extreme cases, even attacking enemy masters, although this tend to end badly for them.
>An open invite for eveyone at the scene to attack oneself can mean (a) he consider everyone at the scene so beneath him that they are not worth his trouble, or (b) he is cornered to the point that he's prepared to go all out. If (b) is the case, all Wuxia rules no longer apply to him (and everyone else fighting him).
>If you are adventuring, and you entered a town/city that is under the protection/care/territory of a certain sect, you are supposed to pay them a friendly visit, or at least notify them of your stay. Most sects will build some sort of reception hall (if not their HQ) in their territories. Failure to do so will be seen as an attempt to cause trouble. Religious sects and beggar sect tend not to hold any territory though, and they freely enter and leave the territories of other sects (well, because monks and beggars don't usually seek lodging in a tavern, which is THE brewing place of all sort of trouble).
>If there are multiple sects (usually a Wulin/high Wuxia sect and several Jianghu/low Wuxia organisations) at the same city, pay visit to the top dog.
>The above rules will not apply to you if you are still a nobody and doesn't show up on their radar, or you are not from Wuxia layer/background. It WILL apply to you if you bring twenty armed followers with you though. That's why it is kind of hard to play as a warlord class in a wuxia setting. It STILLS apply to you even if you are an imperial general on active duty.
>If you and your followers are too high leveled for them to touch you, you will be treated as a walking natural disaster instead (if you still refused to follow above rule). Sometimes entire city will shut down as they wait for you to leave. This reaction is quite similar to what happens when a band of bandits stroll into an unguarded cowboy town.
>This may sounds like common sense, but disrupting a wedding or funeral procession is a big taboo. If you really have to do it, cover your face.
>Doubly so if you see a funeral procession that has the coffin covered in red. (Chinese use white as a mourning colour, and red as the colour of celebration. A funeral in red means that the dead person suffered extreme injustice, probably murdered without knowing who is the suspect. The victim's family is symbolically trying to turn the dead into a vengeful ghost so he can avenge himself).
The Chinese concept of "face"1/2 >Tied directly to fame, and tangentially related to honour. However it has less in common with honor code concepts such as chivalry or bushido or noblise oblinge, and everything to do with social position and personal connection/sphere of influence. So if you are very very wealthy, or have power (martial or otherwise), sit on a high government position, have a drop dead gorgeous wife, know someone important in the government, doing a lot of good deeds etc, you will have a lot of good "face/fame".
>After you earned pass certain level of fame, you are expected to behave/treat others in certain way, and others not at the same level with you are also expected to treat you in certain way.
>The primary purpose of this face/fame is...well, demanding respect from others, as well as social bargaining chip that let you break the aforementioned Wuxia code or other code (within certain acceptable limit). For example, there's one guy that every one is trying to hunt down and you, for some reason, wanted to save him. If you have enough "faces", you can use it to basically demand everyone to step down. Everyone that heeds your demand is considered "selling you face" or doing you a favour, while those that ignore you are considered offending you. So now you have an excuse to kick their arse.
The Chinese concept of "face"2/2
>However, doing this repeatedly cause you to use up your "face currency". Those people that "sold face" to you may return someday and demand some reparation or reward or favour as well.
>Also, while all "faces" have some base value, different people place different importance on different type of "face". Son of a wealthy merchant will get very little respect from a martial artist, because the martial artist places more value on "face" related to martial prowess, influence of someone's sect etc. OTOH, a wealthy merchant that donated most of his wealth to do good deeds will earn a lot of respect from a good/righteous martial artist, even if said merchant know zero kung fu.
The Chinese concept of "face"3/4 actually
>Despite the convenience of having many "face currency", it is still just a social bargaining chip and not some magical Geas spell. Using the currency usually means you are giving up some long term benefit for short term, immediate gain.
>Taking the previous example, when you step in to protect that guy, and put your bargaining chip on the table, you are essentially forcing every pursuer to reconsider whether the benefit of hunting down that guy outweigh the risk of getting into trouble with you. Plus if they stop now, they are "selling you face"/doing you a favour. These pursuers have everything to gain and nothing to lose, and they don't even have to do anything!
>However if the pursuer has some personal feud (let's say that guy killed the pursuer's entire family) that he want to settle, and will satisfy at nothing other than the death of that guy, then all the "face currency" in the world probably (but not always) won't help.
>As for you, by simply associating yourself with a guy that everyone is trying to hunt down, you are already "losing face". Asking everyone to step down is also a form of requesting for favours, so you use up your "face currency" even more. If someone refused to stop due to personal vengeance or something, and you forcibly beat him down, you are losing even more "face". So this bargaining chip is not something that can be used lightly. This is the reason why intentionally humiliating others (cause them to "lose face") is a big deal, and many Wuxia codes of conduct revolve around this.
>Oh, in some cases, another person with the same level of face/fame step in, and put HIS bargaining chips on the table, demanding others to ignore your demand. In that case you and him.....well, duke it out to decide.
The Chinese concept of "face"4/4 >I always think of Chinese "face" as something like a political/diplomatic facade that no one really believe in or even care about, but decided to play along anyway. To this end it is the complete opposite of chivalric ideals and bushido. While chivalric code is the code of conduct that every knight should strive for but only really exists in an idealised/romantised "bygone age", Chinese code is very much real and already there for ages, and the society at large is ready to force its totalitarian, twisted, ugly and uncaring rules down your throat, by peer pressure or even force if needed be. There's a Chinese idiom "As long as you are in Jianghu, your body does not belong to you".
>In other word, a Chinese fantasy/Wuxia world is a world where everyone tries to force everyone else to act in a Lawful Stupid way (the "law" being Wuxia code/"face"), but thinks the law does not apply to himself. Thus powerful people or people with the right connection can get away breaking a lot of the laws.
>(In high fantasy setting/layer, at times the players will have to face the f**king buddha/god/immortal/whatever standing between them and the chaotic evil dark lord, and the gods will throw their bargaining chip, asking the player to stop/look the other way.)
>So even "law-abiding" players are expected/encouraged to break the code, or at least exploit some loophole once in a while.
>(In a sense you can remove everything I said before, every martial arts, Wuxia guys, Chinese gods and immortals and dragons, and replace them with beholders, aliens and kobolds, but keep the "code" in place and the setting can still be recognizably Chinese.)
>"Cape buster agency" is one of the many ways for a Base World government to deal with the Wuxia world. It also features heavily in many Wuxia novels, especially those set in Ming Dynasty (because Ming Dynasty had the most famous and iconic secret service agency, the Jingyiwei). Although like anything that came from the Government, they tend to be painted in extremely unfavourable light, usually outright evil. In Wuxia setting, these agencies usually act like a non-religious version of the Spanish Inquisition though.
>You can also reference the Tales of the Legendary Judge Bao Zheng and his four "Arresters". (I don't know the proper English translation, but think these arresters as the ancient Chinese equivalent of Police Sheriff)
>In both cases the government agents act like spies, inspectors, assassins and law-enforcement, with equipment you would expect from such professions, and the agents usually act like typical Wuxia guys. But it does allow you to bring armed followers and bust into people's house as long as you have the required paperworks/warrant.
>Ming Dynasty Jinyiwei was almost the perfect match for WH40k Inquisition. Worse yet the Jingyiwei wasn't the only secret service agency around... There were also Eastern Depot, Western Depot, and the Inner Depot, each more powerful and corrupt than the next. (Jingyiwei was run by guards/military men, while the other three were run by eunuchs).
>You can think of the Depots as different Ordos (Malleus, Hereticus, Xenos etc), and Jinyiwei as their chamber militant. This analogy isn't completely accurate, but close enough.
That's all folks. Links https://pastebin.com/KybyNCUR Found an article relating to more Wuxia stuff, haven't had the time to get halfway through it but it'd probably be under the detailed section considering it goes over things like character archetypes, world, and stuff like that. http://www.kanzenshuu.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=31707 http://atmarpgsetting.blogspot.com/2018/08/chinese-fantasy-and-mythological-tips.html Xianxia (Pronounced Zian-ZIA)
Basic God level Chinese magical fights
Detailed Links Wuxiaworld has some pretty good primers on Chinese myth and magic, mostly through the lens of Xianxia and cultivation but it has pretty general stuff to. https://www.wuxiaworld.com/page/general-glossary-of-terms https://www.wuxiaworld.com/page/cores-in-chinese-cultivation-novels https://www.wuxiaworld.com/page/what-dao-heck Links Steampunk
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Languages If anybody wants language resources for their cultures, an anon on /his/ a few years ago made a giant collection of language learning tools for just about everything under the sun (It even has Klingon). All here: https://mega.nz/#F!x4VG3DRL!lqecF4q2ywojGLE0O8cu4A Link to original thread: http://archive.is/JTRoM bit dot do/langstuff also redirects to the folder for ease of access.
Shit Load of history and Military History http://archive.is/JTRoM
Misc Section or Unsorted Data
War elephants for the India section: http://hariragat.blogspot.com/2015/08/elephants-at-war-india-to-southeast-asia.html
Treasure trove of many, many folklores and mythologies. http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm
Pre-Islamic Arabia: http://nabataea.net/arabia.html http://nabataea.net/who.html
Japanese shinto concepts: http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/shrine-guide-2.shtml
/tg/ thread on russian folklore: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/28965839/ Copypaste the fourth post into the basic section.
A medieval account of the mongols: http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/rubruck.html
Chinese architecture section: >Besides their famous Great Wall, chinese city walls were thick. In fact, they were so thick that even pre-industrial cannon wasn't effective: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_city_wall#Effectiveness_against_artillery They even had walled circular villages which were actually one single building: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakka_walled_village This aspect is quite suitable for those wordbuilding dorfs.
WishList Sparta Athens Carthage Egypt Africa Scythian amazons Rome Atlantis Midgard Celts Mesoamerica Pre-colonial Philippines arabian nights Spanish Colonial Era of the Philippines (1520 - 1899?) ancient India
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Thread Archive Original http://boards.4chan.org/tg/thread/62315631 The Failed Sequel http://boards.4chan.org/tg/thread/62393448