Render Unto Caesar

This whole thing is the result of a couple of thoughts I’ve had about LARP characters and campaign styles. Thought I’d see what people think.

The setting of the idea is in the modern era, assuming an alternate history in which the Roman Empire survived perpetually and has conquered much of the world. The players begin the game as raw recruits on their first day at the military training camp Fort Rubicon after being conscripted into the Roman Imperial Army.

From the player end the costuming requirements would be very basic. This would help achieve a militaristic uniformity. So costume would be based on modern military gear with a pseudo-Roman theme to it. Red shirts, medals and adornments based on ancient designs, an asklepian instead of a Red Cross, pugio worn by officers as dress daggers. The list of possible examples could go on.

It would be the crew who would really have to go the extra mile in this department. Not only with costuming but for set dressing such as flags, a big map of the world and equipment being issued to the new recruits. The officers would have much more elaborate uniforms reflecting their long service while players would add to their uniforms over successive games. A strong crew culture would be vital to this setting.

The rules would be very simple. It would be a NERF game as the LARP/airsoft crossover hasn’t really yet taken off in New Zealand but also because I think the much higher safety requirements for airsoft would detract from the style of the game. As there would be little in the way of sci-fi or fantasy elements to this setting combat could be covered by falling to the ground once hit and then roleplaying that would.

For example, once hit in the leg fall bodily to the ground. From then on you scream for help, use your arms and good leg to drag yourself slowly along the ground, attempt to stand but keep falling. Eventually a medic would come to your aid or you’d pass out if you figured you’d been injured for long enough with no help arriving. The simple nature of combat would make combat quick, brutal and dramatic.

The style of storytelling I think can be achieved in this game is where I think it starts to get hard to sell. The uniformity removes most of the new costuming buzz and character creation would mainly be the background of an ordinary citizen. As opposed to the heroic epic of other campaign games this would be inspired primarily by war films. Characters from different backgrounds are recruited, brought together and expected to opperate as unit and obey a hierarchical command structure. I think there’s good potential for roleplaying in characters getting to know each other and how each one of reacts to military life.

While certainly not a milsim game, it would be more physical than others. Good footwear would be essential, and players could expect to do some running in formation, climbing, crawling and other basic training excerses, especially in the first game which would be set in a training camp. Players would take night watch shifts, wake up and get to work when they’re told to, eat when they’re told to and take a lot of shit from officers who are charged with getting them working as soldiers should. It would also have to a dry game, as there would be no alcohol on military bases. I know there are a few LARPers who would love the sound of this. It would never get too extreme as the goal here isn’t to punish people but to create a different atmosphere than what we’ve had in previous LARPs.

I can say with some certainty that I’d be pretty eager to -crew- this one though I worry my level of fitness might not make me a suitable candidate! Otherwise, this would be -wicked-.

What is the modern-Roman-Empire using its army for? Are they still conquering somewhere?

What I mean is, leaving aside the cool setting & army atmosphere, what do PCs actually do besides training? Or is that a secret to be revealed in play? Me, I’d go for dealing with an alien invasion. The setting is practically Starship Troopers with a Roman twist anyhow, with the whole military focus and imperial theme. :slight_smile:

[quote=“Ryan Paddy”]What is the modern-Roman-Empire using its army for? Are they still conquering somewhere?

What I mean is, leaving aside the cool setting & army atmosphere, what do PCs actually do besides training? Or is that a secret to be revealed in play? Me, I’d go for dealing with an alien invasion. The setting is practically Starship Troopers with a Roman twist anyhow, with the whole military focus and imperial theme. :slight_smile:[/quote]

They haven’t conquered the entire world, just a lot of it. Maybe I worded that badly. I imagine the Empire would be about the size of the British Empire in the glory days of colonialism. Possibly slightly larger a spread across different parts of the globe. The world isn’t a peaceful one and the Empire uses the army for fighting wars, including civil wars that that historically broken out in the colonies. The game would be set in New Zealand. I’m considering renaming it to New Italy in the setting.

There is a plot besides just training but I don’t want to go into too much detail there. It would work like Band of Brothers, with the first game being the first episodes with David Schwimmer playing Captain Sobel, so it would have to be pitched as a campaign.

I’m keen, this sounds right up my alley.

Like Jackie, I am so in - to crew.

New to LARPing, was directed to this by a friend who is involved in the community. I’m an airsofter, but I own a NERF and have access to a couple more. Sounds right up my alley, seeing as I run a lot of modern kit for airsoft. I’m very keen to join.

This sounds very interesting. I’d be keen.

Heh.

I could definatly be ineterested in somthing like this. I too would need to get my fitness up but its been somthing I have been (slowly) working on for some time. -Standing on your feet all day is not condusive to wanting to go for a run when you get home…

Have you given anymore thought about actually running this Andrew? I really love the concept and want to see it run.

This sounds awesome. I do hope, that if it’s made, it’ll have some GOOD thought put into it. Because the Roman empire was a long long time ago, a lot of things have happened. These would not have happened that way because of the existance of the Roman empire. Other parts of the world (Asia etc.) haven’t been in contact with Europe a lot, so they would still have about the same events, until either Europe started interfering, or the Roman empire starts interfering. The more realistic this alternative time is, the more awesome =D.

Also, suggestions for the name: (I don’t think it was called Italy back then, was it?)

Novus Marterra (Derived from Novus Mare Terra, which means New Sea Land (Which is what New Zealand originally was called in Dutch (translated offcourse))
Novus Brittania (Because they’re two islands =3)
Split it up into “Insula Australis” and “Insula Borealis” (North and South island respectively) as according to a source which I have just randomly fished up, are the latin names for the North and South islands of New Zealand.
Insulis pedesavis “Walking Bird islands” (Just out of general logic thinking)
The best way to go is latin though, as this was the language of the romans. Unless their language evolved into English that is =D.

I have a notebook I’ve been filling with my ideas for the story, historical back-story, game mechanic and style. Once I feel confident I can turn a good concept into a good game, I’ll ask for volunteers for co-GMs and crew.

I like the way you think. I’m the kind who loves to over-analyse small details. The trick to the setting is thinking about how the Empire survived and working history around that. I also like the idea of keeping historical people and events, but twisting into the Roman setting. For example, in my setting there was a great general named Napoleon Bonaparte born in Corsica but being born a Roman citizen his career was quite different.

As for New Italy, I also like jokes. New Italy is funny in that perfect ‘not really funny at all when you think about’ kind of way. Besides, the concept of Italy is far older than the modern country of Italy we all know and love. In this setting, that concept came about in much the same way.

Then another question 'bout the setting, what’s the modern roman empire’s stance on slavery, and the arena? And stuff we today don’t like all that much. And are sandals still in the fashion? =D.

This sounds like a really good idea, i would love to vrew for something like this, i think it could be spectacular XD

Oh, another thing. When writing, the Romans would prefer to use the C (sounds like K in some way) instead of the actual K, they did have a K, but rarely used it appearantly. So maybe that could’ve influinced the english language which came from it (Since you wouldn’t want to force your participants to learn latin =S). So words like Back, would instead be written as Bac. What do you think? Oh, and I doubt words pronounced with a S, but written with a C (Such as the actual word Pronounced) would have the c. as from what I know, the letter C in Latin, can’t sound like an S. So pronounced would be written as pronounsed. Unless you don’t want to bug your players (Those who do writing atleast) =D.

Meh, I only know so much, maybe this wikipedia article can help? =D en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_spel … nunciation

Pronounce would be from ‘pronuntio’. There’s a whole class of Latin words with a ‘tio’ ending (like ‘initio’ and ‘statio’ that worked their way through French to get a ‘s’ or ‘sh’ sound and a nasal ‘m’ or ‘n’ ending and from there into English. You can go back to Middle English texts and see them written with a ‘cion’, eg ‘lamentacioun’ where in modern French they’d retain the ‘t’ in spelling but have the softer pronunciation. (Sorry - it was a good point, but the wrong example, and I’m a language geek. :wink: ) The point about hard-C is right, just the only examples I can think of off the top of my head are Circe and Cicero (pronounced Kirke and Kikero).

Some other things that would give the feel of Latin would be ‘i’ and ‘v’ serving as both a vowel and a consonant (‘j’ and ‘u’ didn’t get invented until long after the Romans had gone).

Also, it’s funny how long ago, a history teacher told me that titles such as Tsar, and Keizer originated from Caesar, That didn’t make any sense to me at the time, because people around me always said “Sesar” instead of “Kaisar” When you pronounce it Kaisar, it’s only a few steps to Keizer, or Tsar.

And Duke is from ‘duc’ (leader, as in war leader), and Prince is from ‘princeps’ with a hard C (also leader, but like the first of a group)

Are those actually existing ranks? Or just your interpretations?

@ OP, what parts of roman society are actually the same as in ancient times? What things are different? What things from current history didn’t happen? What inventions have been made earlier/later? What inventions haven’t been made at all? And which have been made that we, atm, haven’t made?

Also, It’d be funny if this would actually play in, say, the year 1400 or something (Showing that, because the roman empire never fell, some technologies didn’t get lost, just to be rediscovered a thousand years later, resulting in a shorter history, so to say)