Res Publica: A Quest of Ancient Rome
- Thread starter Telamon
- Start date
- Original Historic
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Wow. Remind me to never agree with you again.
So not worth it. I mean, I present math that supports your conclusion and you call it "anal?"
- Location
- Europe
Caesar, age 55
Not to mention the high score in law. If you want to bend the republic out of shape you need to know how to do that semi-legally.
Augustus, age 77
All in all, I think we can afford investing in many skills, as long as we pick a few as our best stats as early as we can and those we don't do anything with.
Yes, those two are insanely talented, but Atellus is right now what, 20? (Just checked, he's 18) We might not quite reach the same level, but I don't think it's wrong talking about raising some of our weaker stats and skills to an acceptable mediocre level given time.
(Also, stepdaddy would have been proud. No wonder he named Octavian his heir.)
Actually kind of a mix. I'd say he is a military/law or military/rhetoric build. Also, note the high administration. If we want to conquer far off regions and someday rule Rome we should definitely look into that regardless of what we choose.
Not to mention the high score in law. If you want to bend the republic out of shape you need to know how to do that semi-legally.
Augustus, age 77
This would be more an administrator/subterfuge build (or I guess the a statesman build). Again high law and administration, probably to rule a state as large as Rome.
All in all, I think we can afford investing in many skills, as long as we pick a few as our best stats as early as we can and those we don't do anything with.
Yes, those two are insanely talented, but Atellus is right now what, 20? (Just checked, he's 18) We might not quite reach the same level, but I don't think it's wrong talking about raising some of our weaker stats and skills to an acceptable mediocre level given time.
(Also, stepdaddy would have been proud. No wonder he named Octavian his heir.)
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- Location
- Anatolia
Oops, I'm used to most people just using their math as justification to shout my ideas down as stupid. I'm really sorry about that, couldn't really read the tone of your post.
Character Sheet: Alexander the Great
- Location
- Texas
So I've been a bit busy this week dealing with projects and finals approaching near the end of the school year, but the update should hit tonight. I'm currently traveling right now, and on my phone, but I've whipped up a character sheet for my favorite non-Roman of antiquity who isn't a dead philosopher — Alexander of Macedon, better known as Alexander the Great.
Special Traits:
Enemy of the Persians (Rank 4): You are the archenemy of the Iranian, the bane of Zoroaster and the vengeance of the Greeks. The Persians detest thee and fear thee, for you have ended the empire of a thousand lifetimes, destroyed that which was never to be destroyed. (+4 against Persian armies, -4 to diplomatic relations with Persians)
Unique Trait:
Ho Megas: You are Alexander. Your armies have marched from one end of the world to the next. From the waters of the Hellespont to the rivers of the Indus, men know your name and tremble. In a thousand tongues, they call you Great. In a thousand tongues they praise your name. You are the mightiest military commander in a hundred generations, a conqueror to shame Xerxes and Gilgamesh. The winged goddess of victory herself bows at your feet in awe. Truly, there will never be another like you. (+3 to all military actions, +4 to all diplomacy/intimidation actions, +5 Reputation, +1 to all governance actions)
Special Traits:
Enemy of the Persians (Rank 4): You are the archenemy of the Iranian, the bane of Zoroaster and the vengeance of the Greeks. The Persians detest thee and fear thee, for you have ended the empire of a thousand lifetimes, destroyed that which was never to be destroyed. (+4 against Persian armies, -4 to diplomatic relations with Persians)
Unique Trait:
Ho Megas: You are Alexander. Your armies have marched from one end of the world to the next. From the waters of the Hellespont to the rivers of the Indus, men know your name and tremble. In a thousand tongues, they call you Great. In a thousand tongues they praise your name. You are the mightiest military commander in a hundred generations, a conqueror to shame Xerxes and Gilgamesh. The winged goddess of victory herself bows at your feet in awe. Truly, there will never be another like you. (+3 to all military actions, +4 to all diplomacy/intimidation actions, +5 Reputation, +1 to all governance actions)
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- Location
- Europe
Basically maxed out military at the age of 32. Yeah, that's Alexander alright.
*cough*
Not to bug you again, but there is another you called the Greatest, but who hasn't joined his equals in the apocrypha yet.
*cough*
Not to bug you again, but there is another you called the Greatest, but who hasn't joined his equals in the apocrypha yet.
KnightofTempest
The Man who would be King
- Location
- Chicago
Alexander had zero logistical skill. He tended to foist that off to one of his Generals.
This is exemplified by his defeats in India. The Indians attacked his supply lines and his men forced him to return home because they were undersupplied already.
This is exemplified by his defeats in India. The Indians attacked his supply lines and his men forced him to return home because they were undersupplied already.
- Location
- Texas
Quite right. A bit of research shows he's absolutely incompetent in that area. I'll turn logistics down to 2 (Very Poor), and boost his Charisma, as it's a wonder his generals never turned on him (or didn't do it sooner, rather).
I personally find that this clashes quite a bit with his tendency to adopt persian traditions and his general treatment of the persian nobility.
- Location
- Texas
What he tried to do has no bearing on the fact that he killed the last (real) Persian King and conquered their nation. Treating the nobles the way he did merely alleviated this trait, and did not erase it — though it is the reason it's a Rank 4, not a Rank 5. If you conquer and humiliate a people on the battlefield, acting nice to the richest of them and wearing their clothes does not erase your past actions.
His adopting Persian traditions, combined with his 4 Subterfuge, ultimately led to nothing but his sudden and unfortunate death of mysterious illness.
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DocMatoi
Theoretical Lover of Girls
- Location
- within 2 hours of the White House
- Pronouns
- They/Them
yeah he was a massive ho
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
Yeah, sounds like the dude who got hit with puberty like a ton of bricks.
didn't know gold was another word for red.
And your chariot is pimpin'.
... wut.
Now that sounds about right.
A fact that they really don't like.
Until two certain nomad-empires spawned from the same steppe come to kick your record and rep over.
- Location
- The Middle of the Howling Wilderness
Must make it tough to wipe your ass, tho.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Wow. The Alexander character sheet is quite badass. Especially those prophecies. Very metal.
Like the difference between Achilles and Odysseus.
Did you at least try thinking through what the math implies?
I said "raising a skill to medium levels costs much less than raising another skill from medium to high levels."
How did you interpret that as NOT supporting your suggestion that we raise Stewardship to medium levels, or as NOT aimed at the counter-argument claiming that it would be a waste of XP?
In fairness, they did as much conquering, or more... but Attila and Ghengis Khan, while of the same order of conquerors, were not "like Alexander."
Like the difference between Achilles and Odysseus.
Well, Alexander was bringing something useful to the table here, what with the charisma and the asskickings of his enemies. If his generals had to figure out how to make the supply lines work, well... okay, that's frustrating, but it could be worse.
Yes, we have GOT to train up Subterfuge. Our current weakness is acceptable and marginally survivable for an eighteen year old tribune, but we can't stay that way.
I forgive you, but... seriously.
Did you at least try thinking through what the math implies?
I said "raising a skill to medium levels costs much less than raising another skill from medium to high levels."
How did you interpret that as NOT supporting your suggestion that we raise Stewardship to medium levels, or as NOT aimed at the counter-argument claiming that it would be a waste of XP?
- Location
- Orlando,FL
The idea of making our subterfuge legendary gets to me
I like the idea of being the guy with an ear and a knife at every hearth in rome
I like the idea of being the guy with an ear and a knife at every hearth in rome
- Location
- Anatolia
It's because the wording made me misinterpret it to mean a 4th more expensive.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
If we were going to be that guy, we should have picked a different Gift, or, well... rolled differently?
- Location
- USA
If we were going to be that guy, we should have picked a different Gift, or, well... rolled differently?
Or crank out fanworks like crazy, but then our GM will probably have a serious case of "inspiration loss" before we grind enough.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
We can maybe at least fanwork our way to a skill that isn't actively crappy so that we can engage in some level of subterfuge without getting ourselves killed.
If we find ourselves residing in Rome for a while again, maybe we could get an XP trickle from tutoring in the arts of deception by Prosperina?
If we find ourselves residing in Rome for a while again, maybe we could get an XP trickle from tutoring in the arts of deception by Prosperina?
- Location
- Hawaii
Ha! I already binged the series last year! I won't have a massive time sink... Well, guess I'm watching it again.
They have added a lot more since last year.
XIV: The Samnite War, Turn VII
- Location
- Texas
[X] Plan Cunctator
-[X] Castrum Aestiva
-[X] Garrison
-[X] Eliminate the Bandits
--[X] Use the Gauls
--[X] Join the hunt
-[X] Establish Supply Lines
--[X] Pompolussa
-[X] Liberate the Towns
-[X] Connect With Elders
-[X] Study Logistics
-[X] Castrum Aestiva
-[X] Garrison
-[X] Eliminate the Bandits
--[X] Use the Gauls
--[X] Join the hunt
-[X] Establish Supply Lines
--[X] Pompolussa
-[X] Liberate the Towns
-[X] Connect With Elders
-[X] Study Logistics
July 28th, 85 BC
669 Years After The Founding Of Rome
The Year of Flaccus and Marius.
669 Years After The Founding Of Rome
The Year of Flaccus and Marius.
- The Fourth Samnite War (85 BC - Ongoing)
On a cool July afternoon, with one hundred and forty Gaulish riders at your back, you set out into the wilds and fens of Bovianum to bring law to a lawless land. With you are Tercerus and a handful of attendants and bodyguards, but apart from them, you are almost entirely accompanied by the Gauls, who have spent the last month languishing about camp, being barely held back from raiding. Every source you had has made it well clear that they are growing dangerously idle, and so you take personal command of their group in order to hunt down the bandits which had so long plagued this region of Samnium.
You meet the first challenge to Roman authority well before you meet any of the brigands, however. The Gauls, though an all-volunteer force, have long chafed under Roman authority, and being hungry and poor these last weeks has not made them any more amenable to your direction. Tercerus even voices fears that once you get far enough away from Roman eyes, they will fall upon you and take in blood what they feel they are owed in gold. You allay his reservations, assuring him that you have a plan. The leader of the Gallic auxiliaries, a brute of a man named Veniximaeus, is a warrior forty years your elder -- the classical Gaul, all hulking size and proud eyes. Unlike many of his younger followers, however, he has fought for Rome long before coming to Samnium, serving as an auxiliary from Spain to Macedon. It is this final fact upon which you seize.
You host Veniximaeus in your tent one afternoon early into the march and invite the old warrior to regale you with tales of the legion's wars, to which you listen attentively. In turn you tell him stories of your father's Hispanic campaigns, campaigns you dutifully memorized as a boy. Thoughts of Gallic dissent begin to fade somewhere around the third mug of wine, and once it comes out that your father was part of a relief force that saved Veniximaeus' entire cavalry wing during a particularly heated battle, he claps you on the shoulder and proclaims you to be a man of spine and worth, who would be better served in the fields of Gaul than in the cowardly, backstabbing streets of Rome. After you fend off a not-entirely joking proposition to marry one of his daughters, you emerge from your tent side-by-side with Veniximaeus, who, in front of his assembled men, calls you friend, brother, and a Gallic word you later hear translated as 'Roman, but one of the good ones'.
After that, the Gauls are yours.
The hunt which follows is a brutal affair which is not half as methodical as you would like. The Gauls tear out across the countryside like hounds finally loosed from the leash, their horses thundering across the hills like dervishes. Wherever one of the riders finds signs of bandit activity, he alerts the larger group, and you and Veniximaeus descend with your amassed force upon the bandits. It is haphazard and far from the clinical, deadly way in which the Romans perform their hunts, slowly tightening the noose until the enemy either try to flee and die trying, or gather together to await death. But it works. The bandits either break in terror and are cut down as they try to run, or they make a last, foolish stand against the Gauls, and are cut down regardless.
As success follows success, the Gauls grow more rowdy, and it is almost all you can do to rein them in. With Veniximaeus at your side, you can rein in most of them, but the worst offenders chafe even at their chieftain's word, and are barely stopped from raiding a village they only recently delivered from the bandits by your own arrival with the bulk of the force. Veniximaeus publicly chides the leader of this group, but in private he all but shrugs his shoulders and says there is nothing he can do. These men did not sign up to be auxiliaries out of any great love for Rome or her endless wars, but out of a desire for wealth and glory, both of which seem to be lacking in killing petty bandits.
So, you tell him, you will simply have to find them glory.
The surviving bandits have fled and gone to ground, but a few enterprising locals, seeking vengeance against those who have so long terrorized them, points you in the direction of the biggest and most centralized hideout. Bandits are not rebels -- when pressured, they merely split apart and go home. However, a charismatic leader, Heracleo, has built up a small cult of personality around himself and his band, and has even begun attempting to paint himself as a rebel of late, in order to gain freely what he has so recently stolen. The people of Bovianum and it's outlying areas, however, have had none of it, and even Gemino has disavowed him as a murderer and a thief -- an irony, to be sure, that is not lost upon you.
It is a perfect opportunity, then, to both earn glory and nip a potential threat in the bud. In the early morning, on the tenth day of your hunt for the bandits, you fall upon Heracleo's camp. The bandits, with typical Samnite ferocity, attempt to resist, but the Gaulish cavalry easily routs them, butchering them almost to a man. Heracleo makes a final, valiant stand against the Romans, and goes down with a Gallic arrow in his neck as his men fall in droves around him. In the aftermath of the battle, Veniximaeus delivers to you his severed head, his eyes still wide with fear.
A brutal trophy, but one that makes a clear point. In the following days, what few bandits remain throw down their swords and go home. The profit is no longer worth the risk, and there are easier ways to make coin without risking both life and limb.
Rome has come to Samnium.
Taming the Gauls: 1d20 + 2 (Accomplished Charisma) + 1 (Proficient Diplomacy) = 22
versus
The Untamed Gaul: 1d20 + 3 (Celtic Pride) = 21
Rein Them In: 1d20 + 2 (Accomplished Charisma) + 0 (Average Command) +3 (Veniximaeus' Word) = 11
Needed: 10
Hunting the Bandits (1): 1d20 + 2 +2 = 16
Hunting the Bandits (3): 1d20 + 2 +2 = 13
Hunting the Bandits (4): 1d20 + 2 +2 = 14
Hunting the Bandits (5): 1d20 + 2 +2 = 8
Needed: DC 12
Needed: 2 out of 4
Dispersing the Bandits: 1d20 +2 (Accomplished Military) +0 (Average Command) + 1 (Gift of Minerva) + 2 (Gallic Cavalry) = 21
versus
Driving off the Romans (Heracleo): 1d20 +1 (Proficient Military) +1 (Proficient Military) +5 (Hearts of Steel) = 18
Roman Victory
versus
The Untamed Gaul: 1d20 + 3 (Celtic Pride) = 21
Rein Them In: 1d20 + 2 (Accomplished Charisma) + 0 (Average Command) +3 (Veniximaeus' Word) = 11
Needed: 10
Hunting the Bandits (1): 1d20 + 2 +2 = 16
Hunting the Bandits (3): 1d20 + 2 +2 = 13
Hunting the Bandits (4): 1d20 + 2 +2 = 14
Hunting the Bandits (5): 1d20 + 2 +2 = 8
Needed: DC 12
Needed: 2 out of 4
Dispersing the Bandits: 1d20 +2 (Accomplished Military) +0 (Average Command) + 1 (Gift of Minerva) + 2 (Gallic Cavalry) = 21
versus
Driving off the Romans (Heracleo): 1d20 +1 (Proficient Military) +1 (Proficient Military) +5 (Hearts of Steel) = 18
Roman Victory
News filters in from the east. Marius and Sulla are drawing ever closer to what seems destined to be their final confrontation. Sulla marches through Greece, burning the last Pontic holdouts and subjugating the few Greek cities which still deny Rome. In Anatolia, Marius has conquered up the coast, establishing a vital overseas supply line from Italy and his supporters in the eastern half of the Republic. Thus supplied, he makes for the interior of Anatolia, where the Pontic King Mithridates Eupator rallies his armies for what is set to be the last gasp of a free Asia, refusing to relinquish his hold on the lands he has shed so much blood for. Roman or Greek, whoever wins in Asia must still contend with the looming threat of Sulla, and winter draws ever nearer.
Closer to home, less portentous news filters in from the east of Samnium. The negotiations are going well, and Sertorius has been in talks with the elders of the Hirpini. As a show of goodwill, he has secured for them several rights and benefits for which he promises to argue for in Rome, as well as the far more physical gift of several talents of gold from his own stores.
Your own efforts are proving fruitful as well. Aquilonia proves true to it's word, establishing an immediate supply line to Bovianum the moment the Sixth cohort encamps within it's walls. Protected by Roman soldiers on streets you yourself have recently made safe, the first grain shipment arrives to the cheers and applause of the people of Bovianum, despite being carried across broken roads for a portion of the journey.
The second shipment, however, is struck by Gemino, who seems determined to prove a thorn in your side. While not a total defeat, he manages to light a few of the grain wagons on fire, though he does not destroy the entire shipment, or even a majority of it. Still, the bandit's message is clear: while he lives, Romans and their friends are never safe in Samnium. The people are noticeably less jubilant when the burned and battle-scarred wagons roll through the city gates, and the name of Gemino spreads once more through the streets -- though spoken more often with hate than reverence, now.
It is this newfound turning of sentiment against the formerly idolized Gemino that makes you feel safe enough to begin the process of returning towns from under his control. You set the Ninth to the task, a duty often as simple as marching into the villages and planting a flag. They enjoy success for a week or so, but an informant within the Samnites gets word to you that Gemino is planning an ambush on the cohort as it enters the nearby town of Bracchia. If this attack is successful, it could decimate the cohort and leave you maimed for the rest of the campaign. You send word to them, but rather than retreat, the ambitious centurion of the Ninth plans a counterattack to wipe out Gemino's forces.
It goes horribly wrong. Despite the advantage of foreknowledge, the centurion and the cohort nonetheless have the tables they attempted to turn reversed on them by one of Gemino's lieutenants, who rallies his men and leads them to push the cohort back. Amazingly, the centurion manages to keep his half-green cohort from routing, and engages in a protracted battle with Gemino's forces. It is a testament to the man's skill that, aware he is far outmatched and deep in enemy territory, he manages to hold his cohort together long enough to make an organized retreat, losing few to no men. But, yet again, Gemino's message is starkly clear. If Rome could not protect itself with knowledge of his actions, how can it hope to protect the defecting villages?
You spend the next week negotiating and bickering with tribal elders and leaders who come to you for reassurances of support and protection. Through cajoling and begging and a fair amount of bribery, you manage to convince all of them to hold off on defecting -- as long as you send the Ninth Cohort to protect them for a few more weeks, of course.
Attack the Roman Shipment (Gemino) : 1d20 +4 (Renowned Command) +4 (Renowned Military) = 18
versus
Defend the Train (Marcus Fullio): 1d20 +0 (Average Military) +1 (Proficient Command) -1 (Half-Green) = 16
versus
Defend the Train (Marcus Fullio): 1d20 +0 (Average Military) +1 (Proficient Command) -1 (Half-Green) = 16
Samnite Victory
The Battle of Bracchia:
Warning of the Ambush: 1d20 +0 (Average Subterfuge) -1 (Enemy of the Samnites) = 17
Needed: 15
Turn the Tables (Centurion): 1d20 +1 (Proficient Military) + 1 (Proficient Command) +6 (Forewarned) -1 (Half-Green) = 10
versus
Ambush the Romans (Gemino's Lieutenant): 1d20 +4 (Renowned Military) +1 (Proficient Command) -6 (Forewarned) = 17
Resounding Samnite Victory
Roman Morale Check: 1d20 +1 (Proficient Command) -1 (Half-Green) = 16
Needed: 14
Destroy the Romans (Gemino's Lieutenant): 1d20 +1 (Proficient Command) +4 (Renowned Military) = 12
versus
Escape Intact (Centurion): 1d20 +1 (Proficient Command) +1 (Proficient Military) -1 (Half-Green) = 17
Roman 'Victory'
Stop Them From Wavering: 1d20 +2 (Accomplished Charisma) +1 (Proficient Diplomacy) -1 (Enemy of the Samnites) = 19
Needed: 16
The Battle of Bracchia:
Warning of the Ambush: 1d20 +0 (Average Subterfuge) -1 (Enemy of the Samnites) = 17
Needed: 15
Turn the Tables (Centurion): 1d20 +1 (Proficient Military) + 1 (Proficient Command) +6 (Forewarned) -1 (Half-Green) = 10
versus
Ambush the Romans (Gemino's Lieutenant): 1d20 +4 (Renowned Military) +1 (Proficient Command) -6 (Forewarned) = 17
Resounding Samnite Victory
Roman Morale Check: 1d20 +1 (Proficient Command) -1 (Half-Green) = 16
Needed: 14
Destroy the Romans (Gemino's Lieutenant): 1d20 +1 (Proficient Command) +4 (Renowned Military) = 12
versus
Escape Intact (Centurion): 1d20 +1 (Proficient Command) +1 (Proficient Military) -1 (Half-Green) = 17
Roman 'Victory'
Stop Them From Wavering: 1d20 +2 (Accomplished Charisma) +1 (Proficient Diplomacy) -1 (Enemy of the Samnites) = 19
Needed: 16
Your other endeavors for the month go surprisingly well, however. Pompolussa establishes a supply line to Boventum with ease, defending it with twice the men to prevent a third, humiliating defeat at Gemino's hands. Surprisingly, however, nothing ever materializes. It seems the rebel has chosen easier targets, or at least left this one alone for now. Your officers puzzle over it for days -- attacking your supply lines would be the easiest way for Gemino to accomplish his goal of driving you off, as he cannot hope to take your massed forces alone. Leaving them alone to become well-defended is either an uncharacteristically massive strategical blunder on his part -- or, well, he is planning something.In Bovianum, you yourself endeavor to make ties to the elites of the city you even now strive to conquer, attending meetings and feasts of the great and powerful. Like Sertorius in the east, you realize that tying yourself to the Samnite establishment is one of the only ways to permanently subjugate the area -- and one that has benefits for yourself. In Rome, you are little more than a newcomer, an ambitious youth among many. To the Samnites here and now, however, you are the supreme power, the absolute representative of Rome in this part of the world, and when you speak, Rome speaks with you. Several of the elders and wealthy men of Bovianum have come to you seeking assistance or support for their endeavors, and your backing should they become Roman citizens. These men have pull across Samnium, and should you take them on as clients, you may be able to build a substantial power base after the war. Of course, should you not be able to fulfill your promises, the Samnites will not easily forget your betrayal.
Pick One
Contidius [] Contidius is, in simple terms, a populist. He rallies the people to his side with fervent rhetoric and impassioned dialogue. With the backing of the people behind him, he has thrown his willpower and support behind many important laws and reforms in the city. To defy Contidius is to defy the will of the people, or so he proclaims. His requests are simple, if selfish -- that his land be protected from any seizures, that he be granted the same tax exemptions as the average Roman elite, and that he is rewarded for his service with governorship of Bovianum. In return, he promises to throw the people of the city behind you -- for now, at least. As a populist, his fortunes are dependent on whichever way the wind happens to be blowing, and if the people abandon him, the benefits of your alliance go up in smoke.
Marius Himatus [] The Himatus are an ancient and proud bloodline of the Pentrii tribe of the Samnites, and one of the original founding families of Bovianum. A leader and powerful administrator of the Samnite state during the Social Wars some years back, Himatus has flipped sides entirely, becoming one of the staunchest supporters of Roman rule in Samnium, and one of the first to personally accept Roman citizenship. He seeks your patronage in order to ensure that he and his family would be protected from retribution, and once the war is over, makes clear his intent to move to Rome and resettle there, far from the knives of the dissidents he betrayed -- with your help, of course. While he has far-reaching connections and influence among the Samnites, it would all dissolve upon his removal to Rome, making a connection with him only beneficial in the short-term.
Vorichus [] Vorichus is one of the most up-and-coming men in Samnium, and by far the youngest man to sit on the city's tribunal of elders, despite being from no family or name of note. This oddity is explained by a very salient fact: he is, in effect, a gangster. The groups of disillusioned and angry young men who prowl the city's streets owe their allegiance to him, and his name is carved or painted onto half the walls in Bovianum. He promises you things the old windbags on the council cannot -- connections, names. He knows people, he says, who know people who can beat the living hell out of other people, and get results besides. Gemino's troop movements? The names of the most important dissidents? He can get you all of that. Hell, he'll let you know what Gemino's going to eat before breakfast before Gemino does. And in return? Gold. Lots and lots of gold. And a title, too. Maybe, say...Governor of Bovianum?
Brullio [] Brullio is a merchant, nothing less, nothing more. Admittedly, he is a merchant with fingers in every pot from here to Capua and back. For the last twenty years, he has made Bovianum his home, and pledges his full support to the Roman cause, as every Roman citizen should. Of course, he will require some help in order to help you. Escorts for his poor, beleaguered caravans, for one thing. And exemptions from those cutting, cutting taxes to which he is subjected for the horrible crime of not being a natural-born Roman. And, just perhaps, someone to turn a blind eye to the things he is trading in that he really shouldn't be. In return, he would put his full financial backing towards the Sixth Legion. And, of course, he might make a few private charitable donations to his new friend Atellus in the process.
No One [] These selfish vultures can choke on their bribes and promises of support. Rome needs no friend in Samnium save Rome.
Marius Himatus [] The Himatus are an ancient and proud bloodline of the Pentrii tribe of the Samnites, and one of the original founding families of Bovianum. A leader and powerful administrator of the Samnite state during the Social Wars some years back, Himatus has flipped sides entirely, becoming one of the staunchest supporters of Roman rule in Samnium, and one of the first to personally accept Roman citizenship. He seeks your patronage in order to ensure that he and his family would be protected from retribution, and once the war is over, makes clear his intent to move to Rome and resettle there, far from the knives of the dissidents he betrayed -- with your help, of course. While he has far-reaching connections and influence among the Samnites, it would all dissolve upon his removal to Rome, making a connection with him only beneficial in the short-term.
Vorichus [] Vorichus is one of the most up-and-coming men in Samnium, and by far the youngest man to sit on the city's tribunal of elders, despite being from no family or name of note. This oddity is explained by a very salient fact: he is, in effect, a gangster. The groups of disillusioned and angry young men who prowl the city's streets owe their allegiance to him, and his name is carved or painted onto half the walls in Bovianum. He promises you things the old windbags on the council cannot -- connections, names. He knows people, he says, who know people who can beat the living hell out of other people, and get results besides. Gemino's troop movements? The names of the most important dissidents? He can get you all of that. Hell, he'll let you know what Gemino's going to eat before breakfast before Gemino does. And in return? Gold. Lots and lots of gold. And a title, too. Maybe, say...Governor of Bovianum?
Brullio [] Brullio is a merchant, nothing less, nothing more. Admittedly, he is a merchant with fingers in every pot from here to Capua and back. For the last twenty years, he has made Bovianum his home, and pledges his full support to the Roman cause, as every Roman citizen should. Of course, he will require some help in order to help you. Escorts for his poor, beleaguered caravans, for one thing. And exemptions from those cutting, cutting taxes to which he is subjected for the horrible crime of not being a natural-born Roman. And, just perhaps, someone to turn a blind eye to the things he is trading in that he really shouldn't be. In return, he would put his full financial backing towards the Sixth Legion. And, of course, he might make a few private charitable donations to his new friend Atellus in the process.
No One [] These selfish vultures can choke on their bribes and promises of support. Rome needs no friend in Samnium save Rome.
In between negotiating selfish bastards and dealing with the incredibly mixed news of the various endeavors around the countryside, you devote yourself to your newly found field of logistics. In the library of Bovianum, you find a few decent books on how the Diadochi kept the armies of Alexander fed during his constant wars, and you read it in your free time, often combing through passages with Tercerus, who uses the opportunity to talk your ear off about how logistical knowledge ties in with being able to properly command your forces.
As July rolls to an end, Bovianum creaks under the weight of marching boots and moving armies. Your cohorts have accomplished most of their tasks, despite being harried and harassed by Gemino all along. The area is beginning to solidly fall under Roman control, but you are under no illusions about just how secure you are. Samnium is a barrel of oil, and all it takes to light it is a single match.
For you, that match has a name -- Gemino of the Pentrii.
Logistics Study: 1d20 + 2 (Accomplished Education) +1 (Gift of Minerva) = 18
Needed: 2
XP Awarded: 1,140
EXP 1000/1000 to Rank 2
Rank Up!
EXP 140/2000 to Rank 3
Command (Training From Tercerus): 1d850 + 200 (Gift of Minerva) = 1013
(4,323/6000) to Rank 7
Needed: 2
XP Awarded: 1,140
EXP 1000/1000 to Rank 2
Rank Up!
EXP 140/2000 to Rank 3
Command (Training From Tercerus): 1d850 + 200 (Gift of Minerva) = 1013
(4,323/6000) to Rank 7
So people have asked me how studying works in this game. Well, the answer is...on a case-by-case basis. I roll a 1d20 + Your Education Modifier to see how well you do at the act of studying itself -- maybe you can't focus, maybe you can't find a book covering anything you've read that day, maybe Atellus daydreams about that one Vestal Virgin with the nice eyes and wastes all his studytime...whatever. Once you pass that roll, I assign a percentage of XP based on how advanced you are in the skill and how much I feel studying will help.
This amount will go down rapidly as you increase in a skill. After gaining a skill, studying it for a few turns in a row, even if they are week-long turns, can easily net you thousands of XP. Once you reach Average and up, however, the amount gained from studying will rapidly diminish, and you should probably either find a teacher, up your Education skill, or increase the skill in the best and most readily available way: practical experience.
Right now, he's gaining thousands of XP on Logistics because it's literally his first time ever encountering the subject. He could flip the book open to a random page and learn something, anything about it. After ten months studying, however, he'll be hard-pressed to expand his knowledge through study alone.
This amount will go down rapidly as you increase in a skill. After gaining a skill, studying it for a few turns in a row, even if they are week-long turns, can easily net you thousands of XP. Once you reach Average and up, however, the amount gained from studying will rapidly diminish, and you should probably either find a teacher, up your Education skill, or increase the skill in the best and most readily available way: practical experience.
Right now, he's gaining thousands of XP on Logistics because it's literally his first time ever encountering the subject. He could flip the book open to a random page and learn something, anything about it. After ten months studying, however, he'll be hard-pressed to expand his knowledge through study alone.
VOTING
The Pentri
The Pentrii, one of the largest and most powerful of the Samnite tribes, are divided among themselves, with their capital city of Bovianum being harassed and starved by loyalists of their own people. With the bandits gone, the various elders finally feel secure enough to convene a tribal assembly in Aquilonia, to which they have invited you out of respect for your status as Rome's representative in their area of Samnium. While they are not wholly united like the Hirpini, there are some cities and towns which have not yet thrown their lot with or against Rome, who could be persuaded either way. The cities like Bovianum and Aquilonia would remain allied with you either way, but winning the support of the tribal assembly would be a great boon to Rome's legitimacy in the area. There are several things you can offer the Pentrii to convince them to join with Rome.
Pick as many as you'd like, but remember Rome (or rather, Sertorius) will have to deliver on all of them. Pick too few, and the Pentrii elders will laugh you out of town.
Harvest [] You promise them Rome will not touch their harvest. The area is badly hit by the rebellion, in no small part due to your own actions, and so you promise them exemption from grain tax for the next year should they submit.
Manpower [] The men of the area, if they are not rebels or bandits, are likely dead or starving. You promise them exemption from levies and recruitment for the next year and a half, to let their boys reach adulthood before being sent off to die.
Taxes [] You promise them a slight tax cut, to allow the devastated villages a chance to pick up the pieces before the tax collectors move in. This will be an especially difficult pill to swallow back in Rome, and one you are not sure even Sertorius can enforce.
Rebuild the Area [] Though this was one of Rome's initial promises, the area still lies in ruins, with crumbled roads and shattered walls. You promise to patch up the failing infrastructure around Bovianum.
Censure their Rivals [] You promise to levy heavier taxes and punishments on the rivals and enemies of the Pentrii for having wholly opposed Rome.
No Land Seizures [] You promise the Pentrii that Rome will not seize their land to support and reward it's legions, as it so often does around Italia.
Nothing [] The Pentrii have no leg to stand on. Either they kneel, or they will fall. Their cities have fallen, and now they pretend to make demands? They are Roman now, with all that entails -- Roman taxes, Roman recruitment, and Roman laws. (Gain One Personal Action)
Manpower [] The men of the area, if they are not rebels or bandits, are likely dead or starving. You promise them exemption from levies and recruitment for the next year and a half, to let their boys reach adulthood before being sent off to die.
Taxes [] You promise them a slight tax cut, to allow the devastated villages a chance to pick up the pieces before the tax collectors move in. This will be an especially difficult pill to swallow back in Rome, and one you are not sure even Sertorius can enforce.
Rebuild the Area [] Though this was one of Rome's initial promises, the area still lies in ruins, with crumbled roads and shattered walls. You promise to patch up the failing infrastructure around Bovianum.
Censure their Rivals [] You promise to levy heavier taxes and punishments on the rivals and enemies of the Pentrii for having wholly opposed Rome.
No Land Seizures [] You promise the Pentrii that Rome will not seize their land to support and reward it's legions, as it so often does around Italia.
Nothing [] The Pentrii have no leg to stand on. Either they kneel, or they will fall. Their cities have fallen, and now they pretend to make demands? They are Roman now, with all that entails -- Roman taxes, Roman recruitment, and Roman laws. (Gain One Personal Action)
Command
As supreme commander of all Roman forces in Bovianum, it falls to you to command the cohorts and set their goals for the next few weeks. Bovianum looks to you for protection and support, and if it does not get it, the city might begin to fall back towards Gemino.
Pick Two (Three Depending on Choices)
Fortify the City [] You set one of the cohorts to building and refurbishing the city's walls. Devastated by Sulla during the Social War, they are a poor defense against bandits and rebels.
Call off the Garrison [] You order the Sixth back from Aquilonia. The town has already sent enough supplies to last weeks, and you need the Sixth for other things. (Gain One Command Vote)
Pacification [] You set one of the cohorts to patrol the city's streets, acting as a city guard that cracks down on any signs of rebellion or dissension.
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Protect the Towns [] You send your forces to protect the towns you have recently liberated from Gemino. They have all but threatened to defect if you do not provide them with the protection they so badly desire, and so you send a cohort to do just that.
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Appropriation [] You appropriate the harvest of the nearby towns and settlements in the name of Rome, in order to feed your men. They are already decently supplied, but if you end up here in winter, you will need all the foodstuffs you can get.
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Defeat the Rebels [] You continue the hunt for the crafty and wily rebel captain Gemino.
--[] You join the hunt for Gemino yourself (-1 Personal Action)
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Restore the Roads [] The roads between Bovianum and surrounding settlements have decayed and fallen into disrepair, making travel a daunting task. You set a cohort to repairing and, if necessary, rerouting these roads.
Protect the West [] The towns to the west, situated near to the Valley of the Vulturnus, seek Roman protection from the bandit/rebel Tercerian, who has risen up and taken control of the city of Aesernia. While Tercerian's grip on the Valley is far too weak for any expedition to attack the cohort or expand rebel control outside the Valley, his raiding parties have harassed and terrorized outlying villages and townholds for weeks. You dispatch a cohort to protect these towns.
--[] You join this cohort yourself. (-1 Personal Action)
---- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Protect the Supply Lines [] You cannot shake the feeling Gemino will attempt a strike on your supply lines. If he manages to destroy them, your men will starve. If you waste your men's time guarding against nothing, however, they will not be pleased. You send...
[] Pompolussa assures you he can easily do it, but assigning him here will mean the Second cannot perform any of the many tasks for which it is needed.
[] You go yourself. (-1 Personal Action)
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Supress Revolution [] You decide to harshly suppress the rebels in Bovianum and the surrounding area, ordering a cohort to round up dissidents and malcontents and crucify them on the major roads in the area as a reminder of the power of Rome. By showing the people what happens to traitors, you may be able to shock them into servitude.
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Call off the Garrison [] You order the Sixth back from Aquilonia. The town has already sent enough supplies to last weeks, and you need the Sixth for other things. (Gain One Command Vote)
Pacification [] You set one of the cohorts to patrol the city's streets, acting as a city guard that cracks down on any signs of rebellion or dissension.
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Protect the Towns [] You send your forces to protect the towns you have recently liberated from Gemino. They have all but threatened to defect if you do not provide them with the protection they so badly desire, and so you send a cohort to do just that.
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Appropriation [] You appropriate the harvest of the nearby towns and settlements in the name of Rome, in order to feed your men. They are already decently supplied, but if you end up here in winter, you will need all the foodstuffs you can get.
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Defeat the Rebels [] You continue the hunt for the crafty and wily rebel captain Gemino.
--[] You join the hunt for Gemino yourself (-1 Personal Action)
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Restore the Roads [] The roads between Bovianum and surrounding settlements have decayed and fallen into disrepair, making travel a daunting task. You set a cohort to repairing and, if necessary, rerouting these roads.
Protect the West [] The towns to the west, situated near to the Valley of the Vulturnus, seek Roman protection from the bandit/rebel Tercerian, who has risen up and taken control of the city of Aesernia. While Tercerian's grip on the Valley is far too weak for any expedition to attack the cohort or expand rebel control outside the Valley, his raiding parties have harassed and terrorized outlying villages and townholds for weeks. You dispatch a cohort to protect these towns.
--[] You join this cohort yourself. (-1 Personal Action)
---- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Protect the Supply Lines [] You cannot shake the feeling Gemino will attempt a strike on your supply lines. If he manages to destroy them, your men will starve. If you waste your men's time guarding against nothing, however, they will not be pleased. You send...
[] Pompolussa assures you he can easily do it, but assigning him here will mean the Second cannot perform any of the many tasks for which it is needed.
[] You go yourself. (-1 Personal Action)
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Supress Revolution [] You decide to harshly suppress the rebels in Bovianum and the surrounding area, ordering a cohort to round up dissidents and malcontents and crucify them on the major roads in the area as a reminder of the power of Rome. By showing the people what happens to traitors, you may be able to shock them into servitude.
-- [] Use the Gauls: The Gallic Auxiliaries you brought with you have proven themselves tameable, but only under your command. Without your authority, or placed under another Roman commander, they might lose control. Their ferocity is both a boon and a drawback -- if they attack or loot the very people you're meant to be protecting, your authority in Bovianum will take a nosedive. (Can Only Be Used Once, Does Not Use Up a Command Vote if Used)
Personal
Despite the rigors of command and administering an enemy city, you have managed to find some little time for yourself -- or rather, for you to advance your ambitions.
Select Two
Despite the rigors of command and administering an enemy city, you have managed to find some little time for yourself -- or rather, for you to advance your ambitions.
Select Two
[] Prosecute Cases: You have already overseen a handful of cases in Bovianum, and you realize that your career in the law need not grow stunted while you are at war. You begin to diligently see to it that the laws of Rome are enforced in your city and in the camps.
[] Reform the Laws: The laws of the city of Bovianum are a mess, a mix of traditional tribal laws and decrees from the elders, filled with contradictions and loopholes. You set about rewriting them, but be warned: failure means hatred in the eyes of the people, and even success may not win you love -- you meddle with traditions as old as Rome.
[] Begin Journal: You begin a daily record of your actions and deeds in Samnium and on campaight, for posterity and future reflection.
[] See to Affairs: With extended downtime, you can actually see to affairs in Rome. You write to Proserpina asking for a list of sister's best suitors, as well as a compilation of other affairs that might need your attention.
[] Study Logistics: You read books on planning and organization, hoping to gain greater mastery of logistics and large-scale planning.
[] Speak With The Architects: You speak with the legion's architects and engineers, hoping to increase your own knowledge of Engineering.
[] The Sibyl: In the rolling hills of Bovianum, there waits the Sibyl of Bovianum, a Samnite prophetess said to follow the ancient Greek rites. You make your way to her, hoping to learn your future.
[] Brotherhood: You began eating your meals with the men, to show them that you stand as one of them, not some aloof aristocrat.
[] Sparring: You began sparring with the men, testing your own skill with the blade against the skill of the men serving under you.
[] Silver Tongues, Silver Words: You began to attempt to form deeper connections with the men, walking around the camp and speaking and talking to your soldiers. With enough personal charisma and skill for speech, you can begin to make yourself as loved in their hearts as Sertorius.
[] Fortune's Favor: After camp is made for the night, several of the officers, including Pompolussa, gather to gamble and game. These men are all fast friends, with ties stretching back years, but if if you integrated yourself with them and got them to consider you one of them, it would go a long way towards improving your standing in the legion.
[] Study: You study the campaigns of some of Rome's greatest generals, hoping to increase your own skill with command.
[] Reform the Laws: The laws of the city of Bovianum are a mess, a mix of traditional tribal laws and decrees from the elders, filled with contradictions and loopholes. You set about rewriting them, but be warned: failure means hatred in the eyes of the people, and even success may not win you love -- you meddle with traditions as old as Rome.
[] Begin Journal: You begin a daily record of your actions and deeds in Samnium and on campaight, for posterity and future reflection.
[] See to Affairs: With extended downtime, you can actually see to affairs in Rome. You write to Proserpina asking for a list of sister's best suitors, as well as a compilation of other affairs that might need your attention.
[] Study Logistics: You read books on planning and organization, hoping to gain greater mastery of logistics and large-scale planning.
[] Speak With The Architects: You speak with the legion's architects and engineers, hoping to increase your own knowledge of Engineering.
[] The Sibyl: In the rolling hills of Bovianum, there waits the Sibyl of Bovianum, a Samnite prophetess said to follow the ancient Greek rites. You make your way to her, hoping to learn your future.
[] Brotherhood: You began eating your meals with the men, to show them that you stand as one of them, not some aloof aristocrat.
[] Sparring: You began sparring with the men, testing your own skill with the blade against the skill of the men serving under you.
[] Silver Tongues, Silver Words: You began to attempt to form deeper connections with the men, walking around the camp and speaking and talking to your soldiers. With enough personal charisma and skill for speech, you can begin to make yourself as loved in their hearts as Sertorius.
[] Fortune's Favor: After camp is made for the night, several of the officers, including Pompolussa, gather to gamble and game. These men are all fast friends, with ties stretching back years, but if if you integrated yourself with them and got them to consider you one of them, it would go a long way towards improving your standing in the legion.
[] Study: You study the campaigns of some of Rome's greatest generals, hoping to increase your own skill with command.
There is now a TWELVE-HOUR MORATORIUM on all votes.
Use this time to discuss the choices available and create different Plans. As previously discussed, any votes not in plan form, or submitted before the moratorium is up, will not be counted.
As always, discussion is rewarded. (As are Omakes and Reaction posts.)
Use this time to discuss the choices available and create different Plans. As previously discussed, any votes not in plan form, or submitted before the moratorium is up, will not be counted.
As always, discussion is rewarded. (As are Omakes and Reaction posts.)
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- Location
- ferreries
You know, as much as I hate the fact that he managed to pull that of and escape again, I can't help but feel that Gemino shoot himself in the foot this time. As the leader of a guerrilla resistance force, support from the local population is a must and he isn't exactly doing much to acomplish that.
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