Volume 1 PLAYER’S CAMPAIGN GUIDE GURPS 4th Edition Legendary Britannia PLAYER’S CAMPAIGN GUIDE – GURPS 4TH EDITION Legendary Britannia 2008 Hyneks 1157 Hwy 965 NW • Cedar Rapids, Iowa • 52404 Phone 319-857-5426 • [email protected] Table of Contents INTRODUCTION..................................... I CREATURES .......................................... 59 WITH DISCLAIMERS AND APOLOGIES ........ I ORDINARY WILDLIFE.............................. 59 DOMESTIC ANIMALS ............................... 59 MAPS ......................................................... 1 OTHERS .................................................. 59 BRITANNIA ............................................... 1 GLOSSARY ............................................. 60 HIBERNIA ................................................. 2 ARMORICA ............................................... 2 CAMPAIGN NOTES .............................. 61 MAINLAND EUROPE ................................. 2 WHO’S WHO ........................................... 61 HISTORY .................................................. 7 WHERE’S WHERE ................................... 61 WHAT’S WHAT ....................................... 61 PRE-HISTORIC/PRE-ROMAN ALBION TIMELINE .................................................. 7 ROMAN BRITANNIA TIMELINE .................. 8 POST-ROMAN BRITANNIA TIMELINE (BEGINNING OF THE SAXON INVASIONS) 10 LIFE IN BRITANNIA ............................ 13 THE PEOPLE OF BRITANNIA .................... 13 KINGDOMS AND POLITICAL SYSTEMS ..... 17 TECHNOLOGY ......................................... 18 LANGUAGES ........................................... 19 STATUS AND RANK ................................. 20 ECONOMICS ............................................ 21 CRIME AND PUNISHMENT ....................... 22 RELIGION .............................................. 23 CHRISTIANITY/CATHOLICISM ................. 23 CELTIC PAGANISM/DRUIDISM ................ 24 ALL OTHERS ........................................... 27 HERB LORE AND MAGIC .................. 28 HERB LORE ............................................. 28 ALCHEMY ............................................... 31 MAGIC .................................................... 31 POWERS .................................................. 49 CHARACTER CREATION .................. 50 STARTING POINTS ................................... 50 DESIGNING CHARACTERS ....................... 50 NONHUMAN RACES ................................ 52 ADVENTURING CHARACTER TYPES ........ 56 Introduction With Disclaimers and Apologies This manual is the aggregation of a long abiding fascination with Arthurian legend and English history in general and my more recent introduction into to the world of role playing games. The material presented herein has been compiled and, in some cases, shamelessly stolen from: The history of Roman Britannia and post-Roman, dark age England as presented through various websites and literary texts1 Assorted Arthurian legends as presented through various websites and literary texts2 Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page) The History Files (http://www.historyfiles.co.uk/MainFeaturesIndex.htm) GURPS 1st Edition Camelot GURPS 3rd Edition Spirits GURPS 3rd Edition Faerie GURPS 3rd Edition Celtic Myth Legends of Excalibur: Arthurian Adventures by Charles Rice The Great Pendragon Campaign 5th Edition by Greg Stafford Saxons! Wolves in the Fold of Arthur’s Britain by Loo F. Carrick and Roderick Robertson Etc., Etc., Et. Al. This manual is not meant for publication or sale. It has been compiled and provided free of charge as a visual aid to those playing in my Legendary Britannia role playing campaign. This manual is a living document and subject to change as appropriate. 1 I have perused far too many to list singly herein. However, this is a living document. Thus, as I revise and add to the material herein, I may come to rely on some individual references more than others. Should that happen, I will cite and give credit to those references. 2 Ibid. i LEGENDARY BRITANNIA Chapter 1 Maps This chapter is subject to the most change, primarily in the form of additional maps. As player characters travel through Britannia, or anywhere else for that matter, they will have opportunities for access to maps. Those maps will be included in this section as appropriate over the course of the campaign. Britannia Albion is the oldest known name for the island of Britain. Albion and the surrounding islands were known as the Britanniae Isles. Upon occupation of the island, the Romans referred to it as Britannia. The term later came to mean the Roman province that extended over much of the island but did not include those land’s north of Hadrian’s Wall which was called Caledonia (known today as Scotland). Figure 1 indicates the names and locations of the Celtic tribes living on Britannia at the start of the Roman occupation in AD 43. Figure 2 is a political map of Britannia in AD 400 at the end of the Roman occupation. The kingdom names in many cases coincide with the primary tribe in the area. The primary Roman “states” are indicated in red. After the Roman withdrawal, this political structure was gradually abandoned in favor of the independent kingdoms. Of note, some tribes that existed prior to the Roman occupation were either Romanized beyond recognition, melded with other Celtic tribes in area, and/or pushed out of there native region to seek refuge in other parts of Britannia or on Hibernia. In some cases, as with the Icenii, the Romans decimated tribal populations altogether in response to resistance or uprisings. Figure 3 is a political map of Britannia in AD 475 at the time when the legendary Arthur was beginning his rise to power. The green regions indicate those areas either under Saxon control or Saxon invasion. 1 LEGENDARY BRITANNIA Hibernia Ierne is, arguably, the oldest name for the island of Ireland. The Romans referred to it as Hibernia or Scotia. Figure 2 contains a political map indicating the names and locations of Hibernian Celtic tribes/kingdoms at the end of the Roman occupation of Britannia. Hibernian influence may become more important as the campaign progresses. If so, this section will be augmented with additional information and materials as discovered by the player party or deemed appropriate by the GM. Armorica Armorica is an ancient name associated the a significant portion of Gaul (France) including the Brittany Peninsula, the territory between the Seine and Loire Rivers, down the Atlantic Coast, and inland to some indeterminate point. A large number of Celtic tribes lived in this area and trade between Britannia and Armorica was long established by the time the Romans occupied it. There were several migrations from Britannia to Armorica during the Roman occupation and after the Roman withdrawal, most likely due to increased raids by Vikings and Hibernians as well as the later invasion Britannia by the Saxons. Mainland Europe By the beginning of Arthur’s reign, the Rome Empire has lost much of its territory to invading Teutonic tribes, some of whom have been pushed from their traditional homelands by pressure from the Huns. Rome is the seat of the Papacy but Constantinople is the seat of the Roman Empire. Italy itself is under Teutonic rule. Rome makes repeated attempts to regain its lost territories with some near term success. Ultimately, Roman Imperial influence dwindles and fades. However, Roman traditions and laws have made their mark on the populations of Western Europe. These influences are seen incorporated into the law, religions, military strategies, and daily lives in the new Teutonic kingdoms. 2 LEGENDARY BRITANNIA Figure 1 – Britannia AD 43 – Celtic Tribes at the Beginning of Roman Occupation 3 LEGENDARY BRITANNIA Figure 2 – Britannia AD 400 – Political Map at the End of Roman Occupation 4 LEGENDARY BRITANNIA Figure 3 – Britannia AD 475 – Political Map at the Beginning of Arthur’s Rise to Power 5 LEGENDARY BRITANNIA Figure 4 – Armorica 54 BC – Roman Geographical Area of Armorica at Time of Julius Caesar Figure 5 – Europe AD 476 6 LEGENDARY BRITANNIA Chapter 2 History To understand the social, diplomatic, and military nuances of Arthurian Britannia it is important to have a brief understanding of the history of that region both before Julius Caesar invaded and during the Roman occupation. The period of time immediately following the final Roman withdrawal from Britannia is of greater import because it directly sets the stage for Arthur’s rise to power and defines the forces against which he struggled in order to unify Britannia. Pre-Historic/Pre-Roman Albion Timeline3 c.5000 BC The New Stone Age begins. The first evidence of farming appears; stone axes, antler combs, pottery in common use on Albion. c.4000 BC Construction of raised, wooden walkways as a way to traverse the low, boggy, swampy areas in the Somerset Levels, near present-day Glastonbury; earliest-known camps or communities appear. 3500-3000 BC First appearance of long barrows and chambered tombs. The primitive burial rite known as "corpse exposure" is practiced, wherein bodies are left in the open air to decompose or be consumed by animals and birds. 3000-2500 BC Castlerigg Stone Circle, one of Albion's earliest and most beautiful, begun. Pentre Ifan (Dyfed), a classic example of a chambered tomb, constructed. Bryn Celli Ddu (Anglesey), known as the "mound in the dark grove," begun, one of the finest examples of a "passage grave." c.2500 BC The Bronze Age begins with multi-chambered