Follow TV Tropes

Following

History TabletopGame / Monastyr

Go To

OR

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* AristocratTeam: Every party by design.

to:

* AristocratTeam: Every party by design. Unless you specifically go out of your way to defy the rules, you can't be anything else than well-off (but not spectacularly rich), retired, landed noble that's also (due to how the game handles its mechanics) quite incompetent in just about anything.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:


* RichIdiotWithNoDayJob: This is your PC. So is rest of the party. So is [[PunctuatedForEmphasis every. Single. PC. Ever. Allowed.]] You can't be anything else than well-off (but not spectacularly rich), retired, landed noble that's also quite incompetent in just about anything. Take a wild guess how quickly this gets old, especially since entire party is made of those.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* NonProtagonistResolver: To keep with the general theme of NegatedMomentOfAwesome, the game openly expect those to solve the plot for the player characters. Or even outright ''deny'' players interaction with the scenario, which is then solved by [=NPCs=] and players are expected to endure 10-20 minutes of their GM monologuing. [[NotMakingThisUpDisclaimer No, for real]]. Perhaps most prominently, one of the example "adventures" for the game consists of local fishermen defeating the MonsterOfTheWeek all on their own, while the [=PCs=] are told to essentially get lost, but first watching all the events from the nearby beach - and this is the ''expected'' "playstyle" for all scenarios.

Added: 41

Changed: 207

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* AristocratTeam: Every party by design.



* DarkerAndEdgier: As part of the ever-increasing Polish competition in "who's gonna deliver darker take on RPG" during the early [=00s=], ''Monastyr'' was deliberately written to be even more edgy than the already overbearingly dark (and dead-serious) take on ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'' that dominated the Polish TTRPG scene of that era. The game reaches at times near-comical levels of pretentiousness, without an ''ounce'' of self-awareness.

to:

* DarkerAndEdgier: As part of the ever-increasing Polish competition in "who's gonna deliver darker take on RPG" during the early [=00s=], ''Monastyr'' was deliberately written to be even more edgy than the already overbearingly dark (and dead-serious) take on ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'' that dominated the Polish TTRPG scene of that era. The Since the intended mood was akin to what's nowadays called "nobledark" rather than typical "{{grimdark}}", the game reaches at times near-comical levels of pretentiousness, pretentiousness without an ''ounce'' of self-awareness.



* RetiredBadassRoundup: By design, every party begins like this.

to:

* RetiredBadassRoundup: By design, every party begins like this. The game offers some notes on how to play a youngster character, but this is very much optional.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* CreepyCathedral: The landscape is dotted with foreboding Rodian ruins, most of them described as or compared to cathedrals. There's a minor subversion in that they're actually a boon to humans -- they're impervious to the deviria and often contain valuable knowledge.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
minor fix of an earlier edit


It is many centuries since the Prophet launched his crusade. His sons established and were the first to take up the positions of the Emperor, a secular ruler, and the Pope, the spiritual one. However, the times are changing. Developments in technology, caused by new research and rediscovery of Rodian texts both, bring the result that faith is no longer needed to protect oneself. After many wars, the boundary between free humans and demon-ruled pagans has been more-or-less established, and some begin to question the purpose of keeping up the fight. Many stray from the teachings of the Church. Rulers disobey the Pope and Emperor for their own power plays. But even in these times, some still remain faithful.

to:

It is many centuries since the Prophet launched his crusade. His sons established and were the first to take up the positions of the Emperor, a secular ruler, and the Pope, the spiritual one. However, the times are changing. Developments in technology, caused by new research and rediscovery of Rodian texts both, texts, bring the result that faith is no longer needed to protect oneself. After many wars, the boundary between free humans and demon-ruled pagans has been more-or-less established, and some begin to question the purpose of keeping up the fight. Many stray from the teachings of the Church. Rulers disobey the Pope and Emperor for their own power plays. But even in these times, some still remain faithful.



* {[Precursors}}: The Rodians, as we said above. Their cathedrals still dot the landscape and form the game's loose equivalent to the Randomly Placed Dungeon of more adventurous settings.

to:

* {[Precursors}}: {{Precursors}}: The Rodians, as we said above. Their cathedrals still dot the landscape and form the game's loose equivalent to the Randomly Placed Dungeon of more adventurous settings.



** OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: They still live underground, but they're also evil, a sort of "tunnel snakes" to the deviria.

to:

** OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: They still live underground, but they're also evil, a sort of "tunnel snakes" tunnel warfare specialist troops to the deviria.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* CrystalDragonJesus: The Karian Church is a clear fantastic take on Roman Catholicism. The primary difference is that the founder figure, the Prophet, is explicitly not divine or even supernaturally inspired (one can guess it would be too close to home otherwise). As for dogma, it's not much described, but there's apparently less talk of forgiveness and more of support for sciences.


Added DiffLines:

* {[Precursors}}: The Rodians, as we said above. Their cathedrals still dot the landscape and form the game's loose equivalent to the Randomly Placed Dungeon of more adventurous settings.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* {{Reincarnation}}: It's a thing and it's quite a problem for the Church, both dogma and long-term crusading-wise. Once you die, your soul don't go to any sort of stand-in for heaven or even hell, you're just reborn, as a blank slate. And if you were an evil or unfaithful, you will be reborn as deviria, rather than human. Which obviously makes it a problem when fighting a war against said deviria and their ranks just continuously swelling.

to:

* {{Reincarnation}}: It's a thing and it's quite a problem for the Church, both dogma and long-term crusading-wise. Once you die, your soul don't go to any sort of stand-in for heaven or even hell, you're just reborn, as a blank slate. And if you were an evil or unfaithful, you will be reborn as deviria, rather than human. Which obviously makes it a problem when fighting a war against said deviria and their ranks just continuously swelling.

Added: 2012

Changed: 2

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Did some page flipping, game's even worse than I remembered.


* DarkSecret: By default, every single PC is required to pick one, usually related to how exactly they've gained the "retired" part of their RetiredBadass and provide GM with plot hooks. Unfortunately, the game forgot to explain that and you can only figure it out from having experience with similar mechanics in other games.



* {{Expy}}: The Empire is, well, [[TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay The Empire]], with few name-swaps and slight (but not too big) upgrade in the general tech level.

to:

* {{Expy}}: The Empire is, well, [[TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay The the Empire]], with few name-swaps and slight (but not too big) upgrade in the general tech level.


Added DiffLines:

* PlayerCharacter: The game infamously narrowed down the options of who your character can be to a spectrum so small, it's not even really a choice. Then throwing them into a setting where just about anything else would be a more interesting vocation.
* {{Reincarnation}}: It's a thing and it's quite a problem for the Church, both dogma and long-term crusading-wise. Once you die, your soul don't go to any sort of stand-in for heaven or even hell, you're just reborn, as a blank slate. And if you were an evil or unfaithful, you will be reborn as deviria, rather than human. Which obviously makes it a problem when fighting a war against said deviria and their ranks just continuously swelling.
* RichIdiotWithNoDayJob: This is your PC. So is rest of the party. So is [[PunctuatedForEmphasis every. Single. PC. Ever. Allowed.]] You can't be anything else than well-off (but not spectacularly rich), retired, landed noble that's also quite incompetent in just about anything. Take a wild guess how quickly this gets old, especially since entire party is made of those.


Added DiffLines:

* StatusQuoIsGod: The world is by conscious design choice perpetually at the verge of collapse[[note]]Only that not really - the politics and the war against demonic forces are actually a complete stalemate, too[[/note]]. Thus, whatever the party is trying to do, it won't achieve anything in the bigger scale of things. Best they can hope for is finishing their personal quests.
* StylisticSuck: All the lore descriptions are done from the perspective of [=NPCs=] living in the setting of the game. Third of them is made by poorly educated peasants, criminals and low-lives, which has predictable effect on the writing.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** The game is set in a fantasy world with multiple nations, powerful magic and entire slew of fantasy races populating it. You are only ever allowed to come from a single political block, always being human and magic is forbidden to be used, not even as GodzillaThreshold. And no, you can't play on the side of the evil, either.

to:

** The game is set in a fantasy world with multiple nations, powerful magic and entire slew of fantasy races populating it. You are only ever allowed to come from a single political block, always being human (and non-humans are far away from your country of origin) and magic is forbidden to be used, not even as GodzillaThreshold. And no, you can't play on for the side forces of the evil, either.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* FailureIsTheOnlyOption:
** The mechanics are not only clunky, they are also intentionally designed for this in mind.
** On meta-level, the assumed playstyle of the game is that the party will fail with their task or at least die trying.


Added DiffLines:

* NegatedMomentOfAwesome: Oh so very much. To wit:
** The rules in general, and GM manual in particular, openly call to pull those on regular basis. Especially when RNG declares critical success or something similar.
** If the current scenario is to end with the success of the party, the GM manual just as openly states that it can ''only'' be achieved by [[TotalPartyKill Total Par...]], err, HeroicSacrifice.
** The game is set in a fantasy world with multiple nations, powerful magic and entire slew of fantasy races populating it. You are only ever allowed to come from a single political block, always being human and magic is forbidden to be used, not even as GodzillaThreshold. And no, you can't play on the side of the evil, either.

Added: 528

Changed: 2

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


** There are also others, such as Bardania, which is a sort of Scotland with Poland-flavoured history, and Cynazja, which is a dark take on Italian cloak-and-dagger stereotypes. That the game draws inspirations from Alexandre Dumas flavors everything with a pinch of France, too.



* TheLastDance: The characters are rarely allowed to succeed in the grand plot, and if so, only at the highest cost. The attitude that this is going to be their last big deed before dying is incorporated both in the rules and the fluff of the book[[note]]This is heavily rooted in the background from which ''Monastyr'' came out. The lead creator previously wrote a very similarly themed set of articles regarding "more serious" take on WFRP. Read: how TotalPartyKill is the true test of "greatness" of the scenario and how player actions should be actively rendered meaningless vs. GM railroaded story.[[/note]]

to:

* TheLastDance: The characters are rarely allowed to succeed in the grand plot, and if so, only at the highest cost. The attitude that this is going to be their last big deed before dying is incorporated both in the rules and the fluff of the book[[note]]This book. [[note]]This is heavily rooted in the background from which ''Monastyr'' came out. The lead creator previously wrote a very similarly themed set of articles regarding "more serious" take on WFRP. Read: how TotalPartyKill is the true test of "greatness" of the scenario and how player actions should be actively rendered meaningless vs. GM railroaded story.[[/note]]


Added DiffLines:

** The game has also been long suspected of being, shall we say, "inspired" by a little-known Swedish RPG ''Gemini''. ''Gemini'' is a DarkFantasy game set in a Baroque-era world where humans have to contend with various demonic infestations... yeah.

Added: 472

Changed: 183

Removed: 14

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* GameplayAndStorySegregation: The game describes [[LadyLand Matra]] as a land of [[SilkHidingSteel subtle, yet implacable political players]], but the rules for Matran characters seem designed to produce a ninja.

to:

* GameplayAndStorySegregation: GameplayAndStorySegregation:
**
The game describes [[LadyLand Matra]] as a land of [[SilkHidingSteel subtle, yet implacable political players]], but the rules for Matran characters seem designed to produce a ninja.ninja.
** The party is intended to be made out of {{Retired Badass}}es with grandiose backstories. The ruleset make it feel as if playing {{Adaptational Wimp}}s.
** Firearms are a big game-changer lore-wise. Gameplay-wise, they are more likely to explode in your hand than achieve anything else.



%% ThatOneRule
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* {{Expy)): The Empire is, well, [[TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay The Empire]], with few name-swaps and slight (but not too big) upgrade in the general tech level.

to:

* {{Expy)): {{Expy}}: The Empire is, well, [[TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay The Empire]], with few name-swaps and slight (but not too big) upgrade in the general tech level.

Added: 1316

Changed: 590

Removed: 18

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* DarkerAndEdgier: As part of the ever-increasing competition in "who's gonna deliver darker take on RPG" during early [=00s=], ''Monastyr'' was deliberately written to be even more edgy than already overbearingly dark (and dead-serious) take on ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'' that dominated the Polish TTRPG scene of that era. The game reaches at times near-comical levels of pretentiousness, without an ''ounce'' of self-awarness.

to:

* DarkerAndEdgier: As part of the ever-increasing Polish competition in "who's gonna deliver darker take on RPG" during the early [=00s=], ''Monastyr'' was deliberately written to be even more edgy than the already overbearingly dark (and dead-serious) take on ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'' that dominated the Polish TTRPG scene of that era. The game reaches at times near-comical levels of pretentiousness, without an ''ounce'' of self-awarness.self-awareness.



* GameplayAndStorySegregation: The game describes [[LadyLand Matra]] as a land of [[SilkHidingSteel subtle yet implacable political players]], but the rules for Matran characters seem designed to produce a ninja.

to:

* {{Expy)): The Empire is, well, [[TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay The Empire]], with few name-swaps and slight (but not too big) upgrade in the general tech level.
* FantasyCounterpartCulture: Alternatively, the Empire is a weird mix of Holy Roman Empire (general aesthetics and political fragmentation) and Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (the way how said politics are handled).
* TheGMIsACheatingBastard: The ruleset openly encourage to ignore roll outcomes, fudge them, make up additional negative modifiers and what not, all in the service of the "better story", which the game understands as "[[{{Railroading}} keeping it on the rails at all costs]]".
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: The game describes [[LadyLand Matra]] as a land of [[SilkHidingSteel subtle subtle, yet implacable political players]], but the rules for Matran characters seem designed to produce a ninja.



* TheLastDance: The characters are rarely allowed to succeed in the grand plot, and if so, only at the highest cost. The attitude that this is going to be their last big deed before dying is incorporated both in the rules and the fluff of the book[[note]]This is heavily rooted in the background from which ''Monastyr'' came out. The lead creator previously wrote a very similarly themed set of articles regarding "more serious" take on WFRP. Read: how TotalPartyKill is the true test of "greatness" of the scenario and how player actions should be actively rendered meaningless vs. GM railroaded story.[[/note]]



* OrphanedSeries: Much like ''TabletopGame/{{Neuroshima}}'' the franchise carried on strong for a good while, but the chief developer kind of lost interest in [=RPGs=] in favour of his far more profitable board game business. At that point, the co-developer had most of the stillborn Second Edition ready, but was left on ice and nothing came out of it in the end.

to:

* OrphanedSeries: Much like ''TabletopGame/{{Neuroshima}}'' the franchise carried on strong for a good while, but the chief developer kind of lost interest in [=RPGs=] in favour of his far more profitable board game business. At that point, the co-developer had most of the stillborn Second Edition ready, but was left on ice and nothing came out of it in the end. Notably, the lead designer invoked OldShame when asked about ''Monastyr'' in a podcast from 2020.



* StandardFantasyRaces:

to:

* StandardFantasyRaces:StandardFantasyRaces: They don't matter that much, since player characters are explicitly not allowed to be anything else than humans, and all the non-humans live outside the borders of the Empire.



%% ScrappyMechanic

Added: 1569

Changed: 869

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Gunpower Fantasy is in the works since 2018, so I doubt it will ever launch


[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ow_the_edge.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[{{Tagline}} The tale of courage and sacrifice]]]]



* NinetiesAntiHero: The character generation openly suggests to make an entire party of those. Why? Because obviously edgy anti-heroes [[RuleOfCool are the coolest]]!



%%When "Gunpowder Fantasy" is finally launched, it should be put here.

to:

%%When "Gunpowder Fantasy" is finally launched, it should * DarkerAndEdgier: As part of the ever-increasing competition in "who's gonna deliver darker take on RPG" during early [=00s=], ''Monastyr'' was deliberately written to be put here.even more edgy than already overbearingly dark (and dead-serious) take on ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'' that dominated the Polish TTRPG scene of that era. The game reaches at times near-comical levels of pretentiousness, without an ''ounce'' of self-awarness.



* GentlemanAdventurer: Loosely speaking, the player characters are assumed to be independently wealthy aristocrats so that players won't have to put maintenance before the story. (Of course, that it allows for epic dramas, political shenanigans, and courtly intrigues is also of essence.)
* OrphanedSeries: Much like ''TabletopGame/{{Neuroshima}}'' the franchise carried on strong for a good while, but the chief developer kind of lost interest in [=RPGs=] in favour of his tabletop (not RPG) game business. At that point, his co-developer had most of the stillborn Second Edition ready, but was left on ice and nothing came out of it in the end.

to:

* GentlemanAdventurer: Loosely speaking, the player characters are assumed to be independently wealthy aristocrats so that players won't have to put maintenance before the story. (Of Of course, that it allows for epic dramas, political shenanigans, and courtly intrigues is also of essence.)
essence.
* LoadsAndLoadsOfRules: The infamously clunky [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3d20_system 3d20 system]], later used in ''TabletopGame/{{Neuroshima}}'', was explicitly created for ''Monastyr''.
* OrphanedSeries: Much like ''TabletopGame/{{Neuroshima}}'' the franchise carried on strong for a good while, but the chief developer kind of lost interest in [=RPGs=] in favour of his tabletop (not RPG) far more profitable board game business. At that point, his the co-developer had most of the stillborn Second Edition ready, but was left on ice and nothing came out of it in the end.



* WritingAroundTrademarks: The game is best described as "late 90s Polish take on ''[[TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay Warhammer]]'', if one was only ever allowed to play as Imperial". Not only it's '''very''' blatant, but further ties to the past of the lead designer, who previously worked on scene-defining set of articles about WFRP and how to bring it to [[DarkerAndEdgier "higher level"]]. ''Monastyr'' is nothing more but said articles, collectively known as ''Jesienna Gawęda'', grafted into a separate tabletop RPG, rather than using [=WFRP 1e=] ruleset.
** This further ties into a long-lasting publishing conflict in Poland, where three different publishers tried to cash in on Warhammer immense popularity. ''Monastyr'' was chiefly created to still get Warhammer players and fandom, without taking part in that conflict or getting license for the game itself.



%% ScrappyMechanic

to:

%% ScrappyMechanicScrappyMechanic
----

Added: 475

Changed: 23

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* TheCavalierYears: This era is the default historical inspiration.
%%When "Gunpowder Fantasy" is finally launched, it should be put here.



* GentlemanAdventurer: Loosely speaking, the player characters are assumed to be independently wealthy so that players won't have to put maintenance before the story. (Of course, that it allows for epic dramas, political shenanigans, and courtly intrigues is also of matter.)

to:

* GentlemanAdventurer: Loosely speaking, the player characters are assumed to be independently wealthy aristocrats so that players won't have to put maintenance before the story. (Of course, that it allows for epic dramas, political shenanigans, and courtly intrigues is also of matter.essence.)



* RoyalRapier: Since Dominium is no longer in the [[MedievalEuropeanFantasy medieval default]], older types of swords have been replaced with rapiers. That said, some traditionalists or no-nonsense soldiers may still cling to other types, finding rapiers either too modern or unsuited to battlefield work.



** OurOrcsAreDifferent: They're the common grunts of demonic armies.

to:

** OurOrcsAreDifferent: They're the common grunts of demonic armies.armies.
%% ThatOneRule
%% ScrappyMechanic

Added: 597

Removed: 296

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


* GentlemanAdventurer: Loosely speaking, the player characters are assumed to be independently wealthy so that players won't have to put maintenance before the story. (Of course, that it allows for epic dramas, political shenanigans, and courtly intrigues is also of matter.)



* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: They still live underground, but they're also evil, a sort of "tunnel snakes" to the deviria.
* OurElvesAreDifferent: They're sociopathic killing machines, assassins and commandoes of the forces of evil.
* OurOrcsAreDifferent: They're the common grunts of demonic armies.



* SaintlyChurch: The Church, as depicted in the game, is about never wrong, and the problems are caused by people straying away from it. Whenever religious fanatics are described, the narration makes sure to note the Church authorities have only a loose control over their actions.

to:

* SaintlyChurch: The Church, as depicted in the game, is about never wrong, and the problems are caused by people straying away from it. Whenever religious fanatics are described, the narration makes sure to note the Church authorities have only a loose control over their actions.actions.
* StandardFantasyRaces:
** OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: They still live underground, but they're also evil, a sort of "tunnel snakes" to the deviria.
** OurElvesAreDifferent: They're sociopathic killing machines, assassins and commandoes of the forces of evil.
** OurOrcsAreDifferent: They're the common grunts of demonic armies.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* GameplayAndStorySegregation: The game describes [[LadyLand Matra]] as a land of [[SilkHidingSteel subtle yet implacable political players]], but the rules for Matran characters seem designed to produce a ninja.

Added: 173

Changed: 1

Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None


It is many centuries since the Prophet launched his crusade. His sons established and were the first to take up the positions of the Emperor, a secular ruler, and the Pope, the spiritual one. However, the times are changing. Developments in technology, caused by new research and rediscovery of Rodian texts both, bring the result that faith is no longer needed to protect oneself After many wars, the boundary between free humans and demon-ruled pagans has been more-or-less established, and some begin to question the purpose of keeping up the fight. Many stray from the teachings of the Church. Rulers disobey the Pope and Emperor for their own power plays. But even in these times, some still remain faithful.

to:

It is many centuries since the Prophet launched his crusade. His sons established and were the first to take up the positions of the Emperor, a secular ruler, and the Pope, the spiritual one. However, the times are changing. Developments in technology, caused by new research and rediscovery of Rodian texts both, bring the result that faith is no longer needed to protect oneself oneself. After many wars, the boundary between free humans and demon-ruled pagans has been more-or-less established, and some begin to question the purpose of keeping up the fight. Many stray from the teachings of the Church. Rulers disobey the Pope and Emperor for their own power plays. But even in these times, some still remain faithful.


Added DiffLines:

* AdventurerArchaeologist: Oddly enough (or not?), in-universe clergy also doubles as researchers, and plenty of that research involves looking for Rodian scientific texts.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

* OrphanedSeries: Much like ''TabletopGame/{{Neuroshima}}'' the franchise carried on strong for a good while, but the chief developer kind of lost interest in [=RPGs=] in favour of his tabletop (not RPG) game business. At that point, his co-developer had most of the stillborn Second Edition ready, but was left on ice and nothing came out of it in the end.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None

Added DiffLines:

''Monastyr'' is a Polish DarkFantasy TabletopRPG, inspired by sources ranging from ''Literature/TheThreeMusketeers'', through ''{{TabletopGame/Gemini}}'', to ''{{TabletopGame/Warhammer}}''.

In the past, the world -- Dominium -- was inhabited by [[{{Precursors}} the Rodians]], humans of immense spiritual power and knowledge, favoured by {{God}}. But alas, in time [[AndManGrewProud they grew proud]] and succumbed to the temptations of demons, wishing to sway them away from the Creator. The demons succeeded, and Rodians were abandoned to live in diminished human forms, subservient to their demonic rulers.

Many years later, a son of a courtier of one of the demonic lords disobeyed the gravest law of the land, not to enter the old Rodian ruins. In there, he discovered the truth about the world, the past glory of humans, and their past relation with the Creator. Enraged, he proclaimed what he discovered for all to hear, killed the demonic lord, and began the crusade to liberate humankind.

It is many centuries since the Prophet launched his crusade. His sons established and were the first to take up the positions of the Emperor, a secular ruler, and the Pope, the spiritual one. However, the times are changing. Developments in technology, caused by new research and rediscovery of Rodian texts both, bring the result that faith is no longer needed to protect oneself After many wars, the boundary between free humans and demon-ruled pagans has been more-or-less established, and some begin to question the purpose of keeping up the fight. Many stray from the teachings of the Church. Rulers disobey the Pope and Emperor for their own power plays. But even in these times, some still remain faithful.

The players are supposed to play as middle-aged aristocrats who once were young and promising, but then something -- injury, dishonor, enemies in high places -- brought them down. Now, though, they emerge from their estates, trying one last time to become heroes they were meant to be.

!!This tabletop RPG provides examples of:
*AndManGrewProud: The Rodians were just too great for their own good.
*CallARabbitASmeerp: Sort of. The in-universe word "deviria" is synonymous with "demons", but also carries the connotations of "non-human living beings". Yes, whether animals count is a contentious issue, also in-universe.
*EvilSorcerer: ''Any'' sorcerer, the game assumes. Those who try to learn magic without evil intent, either to fight fire with fire or as an edgy pastime, are explicitly described as delusional.
*OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: They still live underground, but they're also evil, a sort of "tunnel snakes" to the deviria.
*OurElvesAreDifferent: They're sociopathic killing machines, assassins and commandoes of the forces of evil.
*OurOrcsAreDifferent: They're the common grunts of demonic armies.
*RetiredBadassRoundup: By design, every party begins like this.
*SaintlyChurch: The Church, as depicted in the game, is about never wrong, and the problems are caused by people straying away from it. Whenever religious fanatics are described, the narration makes sure to note the Church authorities have only a loose control over their actions.

Top