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Eternal Rome $13.95
Average Rating:4.3 / 5
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Eternal Rome
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Eternal Rome
Publisher: Green Ronin Publishing
by Michael T. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 05/08/2011 21:28:35

I bought this supplement because I was beginning my campaign in Arcanis, which has a Roman analogue. Eternal Rome is quite accommodating of alternate histories, featuring a "What If?" section in the first chapter. It covers the various regions contemporary with Rome and their opinions of Romans (hint: not very good).

The second chapter digs into the guts of D20 systems and modifies them appropriately: steppe barbarians don't rage, bards are divided into Celtic and Orphic types, druids are more like their historical counterparts (a change near and dear to my heart, as I've been railing against the "hippy druid" portrayal for over a decade), and the new gladiator class is reminiscent of the same class from the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition Complete Gladiator's Handbook. Like the 2nd-edition version, the 3rd-edition version is powerful. This is a fighter class with the uncanny dodge chain and a host of other abilities including bonuses to combat, from weapon styles and preferred opponents. Strangely, this section downplays paladins ("The Romans didn't regard spellcasting as compatible with the virtues of the warrior...") but gives the vigil prestige class access to spells. There are surprisingly few classes focusing on the legendary Roman fighting styles and, to my disappointment, no professional legionnaire core class.

Feats and skills round out the third chapter, many of them superseded by Complete Warrior.

Chapter four is where Eternal Rome distinguishes itself from other supplements with its Fame score. This is the much vaunted distinction between a Roman-style game and a typical fantasy sword-and-sandals epic: politics. Be it senators or gladiators it details a range of bonuses and penalties that come about from being famous or infamous. The equipment chapter is fifth and features the full range of gladiatorial weapons and armor.

Roman magic covers the sixth chapter, which features the usual spells and magic items. It's distinguished by two entries, the evil eye and the Legion Eagle. The Eagle Standard figured prominently in my campaign and the description does it justice, but treats it as an artifact without explaining how these important staples of Roman warfare were created. Making them artifacts changes the role of the wielder (an aquilifer, which was the role of my character in the Arcanis campaign) significantly.

The monsters chapter features such well-trammeled territory as the catoblepas, fury, hippocampus, and siren. There are also two races, nymph and satyr - anyone remember the half-nymph and half-satyr article from Dragon Magazine?

Chapter eight fleshes out the Roman world and places for adventure. Chapter nine is a historical primer, although game masters would be better-suited picking a period in Roman history and doing their own research. The ninth chapter covers Roman culture and is by far the most valuable for a game master planning a Roman campaign. Chapter eleven details Roman religion which is better represented in other works but still relevant here for its cleric rules. The book concludes with an adventure for 4 to 6 1st-level characters in which they visit a Sibyl. I would have preferred fleshed-out NPCs, like the patron Strabo who makes a cameo in the adventure along with a map of his estate.

Eternal Rome takes on a massive topic and does its level best to encompass all of Roman history, myth, and legend in one book. Although it struggles in parts to cover every aspect of Roman life, Eternal Rome lays a solid foundation to launch a campaign. It will still require a considerable amount of effort on the game master's part, and probably a few other gaming supplements, to fully flesh-out a Roman campaign.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Eternal Rome
Publisher: Green Ronin Publishing
by Patrick M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/31/2009 18:09:23

I wasn't actually looking for a book for a Roman campaign, but rather a book that would help me build my own Empire in a game centered around an Imperial power-base.

The level of detail in the book is quite good regarding Rome, it's history and territories, the legions and everyday life generally. It also goes into detail regarding general campaign or session ideas based on the territories the players will be residing in as well as the time-period in which the players exist.

It also has a section on the roles of Core and Prestige classes as well as a new class: Gladiator.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Eternal Rome
Publisher: Green Ronin Publishing
by Scott D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/20/2006 00:00:00

Really a phenomenal effort. If you are into history, want to play in a fantasy ROme or more gritty, realistic Rome, this wors for either. I am using it as a template for a civilization in a game of mine. Well-written, voluminous, and filled with tons of details, I found this to be a fine effort, and an interesting read even if you do not using it for gaming.<br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: Great overview of the entire civilization, yet with tons of details.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Tough call--I did not reall see any weaknesses.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Eternal Rome
Publisher: Green Ronin Publishing
by David I. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/18/2006 00:00:00

While there is nothing inherently wrong with this sourcebook, and it was quite helpful in formulating ideas for my most recent campaign it is disappointing when compared to other Green Ronin: Mythic Vistas products, such as Skull & Bones and Trojan War. I was dissappointed with the lack of a "Campaign Concept" section and the very few adventure ideas, that is why I bought the book and I was forced to buy both GURPS Imperial Rome, and the old TSR: Glory of Rome books to try and satisfy the gap. Overall an acceptable product but it smells of a less than whole-hearted effort.<br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: Region overviews, however sparse did cover a large amount of ground. <br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Did not cover slavery or christianity fior political reasons.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Acceptable<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
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Eternal Rome
Publisher: Green Ronin Publishing
by Rebecca M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/19/2005 00:00:00

Historically accurate, painstakingly detailed, everything you need to recreate ancient Rome, or even experiment with alternate timelines. Impressive to say the least. Whether you want to focus on city play, Legionary campaigns, gladatorial combat, or political intrigue, nothing has been left out.<br><br><b>LIKED</b>: History history history! Everything has been researched.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Mythic beast and non-human race information was included, which was a distraction for me. While I'm sure that the Romans believed that such things existed, we wanted to focus strictly on realistic gameplay.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Eternal Rome
Publisher: Green Ronin Publishing
by Edward C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/18/2005 00:00:00

I've anxiously awaited this particular item, as I've alway thought that Rome was a great subject for a sourcebook. I've also enjoyed the other products from this company, so I couldn't wait for the print version to come out. I was not disappointed; this is a great supplement.<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Excellent<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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