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43AD - Roleplaying in Roman Britain $9.99
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43AD - Roleplaying in Roman Britain
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43AD - Roleplaying in Roman Britain
Publisher: Zozer Games
by Eric F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/26/2021 00:44:30

"43AD is a gritty military-style game with a slice of dark horror running through it. Life is grim and the world of the native Britons is painted in dark and horrific colours. Britain is a place of fear and death, terrors and torments, and the Iron-Age tribes live with these horrors. Celtic priests, the druids, contain them in lakes and pits and forests. When the legions step onto British soil, they step onto a land of ancient horrors of which they (as yet) know nothing. Life, honour and warfare amongst the tribes is explained for players and GMs alike.

Characters are Roman soldiers, fighting for the emperor in a hostile land against the battle-hardened warriors of the tribes. This is the visible enemy, but beyond, should the Game Master wish to go there, lay the dark secrets of Britain, the night terrors, the death-bringing spirits of the wild, the night crawlers, the face eaters, the skinchangers and the rest of the monsters and wild things that infest Britain. "

Let me tell you a little story, ages ago when I was little and sitting taking in the sights of a history book on Roman Britian bigger then I was. There was a picture of Hydrian's Wall. And I vowed that someday I would not only visit it but understand it as well as the reasons behind it. In 2006 we did just that & connected with several family members. The thing that struck me on the English side of the wall was the weight of how much history there is there. Reading through Zozer Games 43 A.D. is full on like coming home for me. The familiar history mixed with the wyrd in 152 pages & this is a passion project for the author/designer. The amount of detail here is incredible from skill set ups for Cepheus Engine style ancient PC's to the details in weapons, civilization, to monsters the details are bold. Highlights for me include: Spells Monsters Cultural information on Romans and Britons Character write-ups that fit on a single index card 10 minute character creation So without heistation I approached Zozer Games & we promptly sent a copy of 43 A.D. & this book is on another level. Sure there are copies of other horror themed historical rpg's sitting on my shelf. But is on another level without a doubt. This isn't to say that 43 A.D. is completely overwhelming on its hisory or game details. Far from it, the game reads like a combination of deadly campaign, detailed rpg, & action movie waiting to happen. The combat is bloody, the system sings along in a bloody way, & this game screams to be played. The game feels like Zenobia another Paul Elliot creation where the legions of Roman meet the forces of the desert.

But 43 A.D. has the look & feel of Roman occupied Britian with a horror film twist or two thrown in. And this is a deadly little affair of a game. The PC's are strangers in a strange land & they are far from home. And this is a cold, dangerous, lonely little world to have a PC die in. And no its not depressing but its incredibly dangerous.

But is 43 A.D. worth getting?! In a word yes! This is a complete unto it's game & while other books are going smaller & smaller with Cepheus Engine rpg rules. 43 A.D. takes this notion & kicks its teeth in to give the DM & his players a complete package for ten dollars! And its up to Zozer Games quality unto itself. So in a word yes 43 A.D. is very much worth getting for three reasons, one this is a game about Roman occupied Britian done by a historian who writes history & techinical books for a living. Two the maps & cartography are gorgeous! And three the setting is not one that I'd ever want to actually live in & I say this with all due respect! The idea of being in the middle of no place squared surrounded with no modern medicine, no real way home, & surrounded by people who will take your head off? No thanks but to role play in this world from the safety of your table with 2d6 system done by Zozer games absolutely! When it comes to the supernatural 43AD - Roleplaying in Roman Occupied Britain doesn't skimp. But instead presents a very different world to our own. This is a world where history & magick collide on three fronts. The Celtic, the Roman Empire, & the day to day lives of the Britanians who lived with both both of these powers. And also lived with the power of magick. And die by it! We have a full array of the dark forces on both the Roman & the Celtic sides Black Druids, Skinchangers, the Flayed Man, the Headless Killer, Fomorians, the undead Cauldron-Born, Face Feeders, and individuals such as Longinus (the Undead Centurion, the one who was present at Jesus' crucifixion), Scathach the Witch, and the Old Crone of Aberros all make their presence known. These entities filter through a 2d6 system that on the surface resembles the traditional Cepheus Engine & its deriatives is unique because of its legacy through the Zenobia rpg..

This is because the occult & supernatural existed side by side with the gods for both the Romans & Celtic. But these powers didn't play favorites! The Black Druids, Skinchangers, the Flayed Man, the Headless Killer, Fomorians, & many others will take any PC they can for sacifice or worse. History reflects the source & times, the history is bloody & high handed with PC's getting the worst of it. Glorious! If you want to check out what we're talking about here?! Go to Zozer games & download Zenobia's free materials today!

Note that A.D. 43 takes a vastly different take on the Cepheus Engine & does so with its own brand of style. Yes the systems are similar. But their different in two areas, application & principal. A.D. We're talking about the way armour work in this game, plus the the system for advancement, the easy way that the game handles the importance of advantages, & how magic is powered within it. All in All I think 43AD - Roleplaying in Roman Occupied Britain is a solid game in the Zozer Games line & a fine addition to any DM used to both the Cepheus Engine rpg & its lines. Paul Elliot does an incredible job with this game! Highly recommended! Eric Fabiaschi Swords & Stitchery blog Want More OSR action?! Please subscribe to https://swordsandstitchery.blogspot.com/ Thanks for Reading our Review!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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43AD - Roleplaying in Roman Britain
Publisher: Zozer Games
by Asen G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/30/2012 04:18:22

A really in-depth treatment of the setting. Personally, I like picking the combat effects after rolling, the way armour work, the system for advancement, the simple way the game handles the importance of advantages, how magic is powered... and did I mention the work that went in the setting? It's a splendid game indeed.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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43AD - Roleplaying in Roman Britain
Publisher: Zozer Games
by William M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/15/2012 17:26:41

An excellent game on Ancient Roman military/horror campaign! Like the author, I am also a history buff concerning this era. I have been searching and searching for a game like 43AD, but was not content with what was out there. Cthulhu Invictus is good, but not quite what I was looking for. Fvulminata was too radical (romans with guns). Roma Imperious, meh...But, 43AD satisfied what I was looking for! 43AD concentrates on one small part of the Roman Empire so you don't feel overwhelmed by this massive world spanning campaign, which is what the other games I mentioned tend to do. This game really gives you a feel for being a legionaire in a cold, strange land and the horror element makes it perfect! You can also run your game at any point in the roman occupation of Britain, from first landing to Hadrians Wall. Nice art and maps, tons of ideas for running your game low horror or high horror, simple system that offers just enough character customization to make the players feel unique. I hesitated because of the price, but am glad I took a gamble! I'd rather support the independent rpg makers than the big guys anyday! The layout and flow of the book is great and I look foward to supplements (hint hint to the author: dark forests of Germania would make an excellent horror setting).



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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