THE SETTING Chronicles of BABEL is not a strictly accurate historical roleplaying game but a game of myth and legend, of how the ancients thought their history began. Chronicles of BABEL takes as its premise the idea that there was a single great city of Mankind at the start of history. This city and its surrounding settlements had been created by gods for Mankind, and everything beyond the city was the unknown preserve of godlings, demons, monsters and supernatural folk, of beast-men and half-humans. The city of Babel is a fantasy, mixing elements of the Tower of Babel and the Biblical first city of Enoch with the ancient metropolis of Babylon and the very real ‘first cities’ of Eridu and Uruk. As such, the setting of the game is a small one at first. Mankind has rarely explored further than the field boundaries on the edge of Babel’s territory. Some hardy folk herd sheep in the surrounding grassland, some others have established tenuous trade links complete with irregular caravans that bring in goods and materials to the city. But each expedition is a step into the unknown world of the supernatural. Mankind has yet to populate the earth, and the Deluge has yet to wipe out most of these men. Babel is the First City. It is the only large enclave of humans on Earth, gathered together in lineal Houses for mutual protection, and tending to the shrines of the gods, their lineal ancestors. The wide world is full of exotic wildernesses, fabulous beasts and bizarre humanoid civilisations. The citizens of Babel are reluctant to leave the city walls of Babel, or the comforting fields and orchards that surround it. Out there - the world is still being formed. There is one bloodline of the human race that lives permanently outside of the city of Babel- the Tribe. The Tribe is a collection of clans living nomadically in the grasslands on the edge of the desert. Tribesmen are greatly mistrusted by the city-dwellers. Some of the most powerful gods are Dumuzi, Ninurta and Ishtar. Each House worships one of these gods as a founding ancestor, and maintains a temple to the deity. All House members are initiates of this cult. Babel is dominated by the Ziggurat, a huge stepped-pyramid devoted to the Creator, Marduk, the great god. All Houses venerate Marduk equally, and all gods owe him respect and fealty. The gods remain able to walk upon the Earth and come and go freely to and from the temples in which they reside during their earthly visits. They can be encountered, attacked - even seduced by mortals. Elders of a House are all high priests of the founding deity. In the Wilderness There are many wondrous creatures, places and civilisations of godlings outside the immediate area of Babel. Here are a few: Lotus-Eaters - Egyptians. Not human, but golden-skinned beings living an idyllic life of luxury amidst fantastic monumental architecture. Tiger-Men - From India. Snake-Men -Living in the deserts. Hairy Wild-Men - Like Enkidu. Scorpion-Men - From Mesopotamian myth. Lion-Men - Urmallu, leonine centaurs. Wind Children - Beautiful winged people adept at great magics. Dwarves - Little people, dark skinned, good at juggling and entertaining. Campaign Ideas Not sure how appropriate this is, but if we're talking the first civilization, pre-human history as we know it, it would be a great setting to examine those primal questions of what makes human beings go wrong, and when did it start. What if one of your Founding Figures (maybe the thirteenth, if you like traditional numerology) "fell", and the House that worshiped him/her is beginning to show signs of that corruption? It's the PCs' job to ferret out Trouble in Paradise and stop it if they can, or (as is more likely) if they can't, to save what they can from the rubble.... and while they're doing that, to ask and examine *why* this started, and what it means for they themselves as well as their loved ones, their own Founders, etc. etc. Pride vs. Humility, Service vs. Glorification, Industry vs. Consumption. Some more hook possibilities: They could be part of a cabal looking to overthrow the rulership of the gods, or loyal followers looking to destroy said cabal. They could be exiled from the city, forced to wander through strange and inhospitable landscapes. They could be missionaries or merchants, bringing the benefits of civilization to the aforementioned strange and inhospitable landscapes. They could be Houseless rogues, doing dirty and secretive deeds for the Houses to live (Shadowrun 6300 BC!) They could be aspiring to godhood themselves by the doing of Epic Deeds(tm) in Far-Away-Lands(c) Rivalry between the gods and their "houses" could generate plots. Characters could be sent on missions to gain followers/support/artifacts for their patron gods, all of whom are jockeying for position and influence in the city. These internal rivalries could be balanced against the external threat to ALL the gods posed by a figure like Tiamat and her hordes of monsters who desire nothing more than to return the world to the watery chaos of pre-creation. Missions could include journies to strange, distant places like Magan, Meluhha (the Indus valley?)and Dilmun (Bahrain, where Gilgamesh heads in search of immortality). Perhaps an object like the Tablets of Destiny (stolen by the Zu bird in myth and which endow the bearer with rulership over the gods and creation) could form a plot focus. It would be essential to keep such an item out of the hands of Tiamat, but at the same time individual gods might covet the power of the tablets for themselves. Try this out for size. How about another city of like people with unlike gods. Heretics, whatever. Anyway the PCs are chosen by the Gods of patron city to sabotage the other. Sneaking in the dark of night to poison the grain, Luring a giant from some far off land to the city by taking a possesion from the Giant forcing it to attack the oppositions city, assassinating the scouts and explorers of that city, destroying statues making the people lose faith. Plenty of ideas here. Have the city be only rumor and make them go and find the city with only little info but what is said in hard to understand myth. Word puzzles. Then when found comince destruction. Only they must not discover your work or your city. If they do its all out war! Then your PCs have failed and must survive a great battle. I dont know, just some ideas. Later and good luck. THE CHARACTERS Allegiance to a House Characters all belong to one of the Houses of Babel (there are well over a hundred Houses, though the largest number only a dozen or so). A House is an extended tribe of Babelites that claim descent from a common ancestor, typically one of the gods. Houses have a very diverse range of economic activities, from farming to herding to pottery, but every House specialises in certain areas, and its members become adept at these activities. Most members of House Shamash, for example, are judges, while members of House Ninurta are warriors. The Elders of the Houses form the Assembly of Babel. The status of the respective Houses depends on the relationship of the patron gods to one another. If the House deity is a trusted advisor of a greater god, then in Babel, that House will be deferential to the House of that greater god. As in Heaven, as it is on Earth. have much the same social status (all except the royal house), but the status of individuals varies, from the young initiate at the bottom of the House structure, to the Elder at the top. The son or daughter of a House member begins his adult life with social rank of 1 - at the bottom of the Household. The Three Aspects The Babel priesthood sees human-kind as dominated by three essential elements present during its creation. Marduk, newly crowned king of the gods, fashioned the first man from wet clay, moistened with the life-giving waters of the Ocean Below, and mixed with the fresh blood of Kingu, the rebellious Slain God. The first man was born! The three elements then are Blood, Clay and Water. BLOOD encompasses action and physical energy. [ORANGE] CLAY encompasses strength, vitality and resilience. [GREEN] WATER encompasses wisdom, speech and magic. [BLUE] Characters are rated in these different elements typically on a scale from 1-4. The total of his elemental scores will always be 7. Typically, the player places a coloured stone into a bag for each point in an element; orange for Blood, green for Clay and blue for Water. This collection of seven stones is known as the 'Sebittu', meaning literally the Group of Seven. The fabric or leather pouch used to hold the Sebittu is therefore called the Sebittu-Bag. Specialisations Characters can begin the game with specialisations (skills and other abilities). When a specialisation becomes relevant to the task at hand the player is entitled to draw an extra stone from the bag. Choose one specialisation wth which to begin the game. Common specialisations include: Grow Food Make Tools Animal Care Toil Throw Make Friends Memory Deceive Reed-Weaving Meat & Skins Make Pots Make Clothes Jump Strong Back Strong Legs Strong Arms Keen Eye Good Ear Light-Sleeper Prepare Food Rope Use Brew Beer Swiftfoot Swim Tend Fire Fishing Boating Human Nature Ambitious, Cautious, Greedy, Cowardly - these are all aspects of human nature. Each player should pick a Nature for his character, it can be good or bad, since any Nature can be seen in either a positive or a negative light. Players are encouraged to play their characters in the spirit of their chosen Nature. Occasionally a character's Nature may become an issue, and will require a test. Fighting One's Nature: A situation arises which a character's Nature demands he become involved in. A Greedy character offered a bribe, a Loving character with sick to tend, etc. Resisting this Nature requires a test. Draw 3 stones. The test is successful if a Blood, Clay and Water stone are all drawn at the same time. The Benefit of Nature: Characters act according to their Nature because they find it beneficial to do so. When a situation arises for which a Nature should become a bonus, the referee can allow an additional stone to be drawn for the relevant task check. For example, an Ambitious man trying to intrigue, or a Vain man trying to impress at a banquet by looking good. Typical Human Natures: This list is by no means exhaustive! Use your imagination! Ambitious, Boastful, Brave, Calm, Cautious, Chaste, Confident, Cowardly, Curious, Daring, Determined, Drinker, Easy-Going, Faithful, Flirt, Forgiving, Gambler, Generous, Gossip, Greedy, Grim, Happy, Honest, Honorable, Humble, Impetuous, Industrious, Intolerant, Lazy, Liar, Loud, Loving, Loyal, Part-Goer, Patient, Polite, Reckless, Secretive, Selfish, Shy, Stubborn, Surly, Suspicious, Thief, Trustworthy, Vain, Vengeful, Womanizer. Belongings Characters begin the game as rank 1 citizens of Babel, and pretty poor ones at that. There is no money as such - the people of Babel have no need for it, being allocated rations, clothing and other items depending on need and rank within the House. But all things are not equal, items, tools, weapons and other products are given basic ratings based on their worth. A typical measure is the sheep, a common herd animal amongst Babelites. So a bronze sword might be worth 4 sheep. The starting character has credit within his House equivalent to 10 sheep, and can draw goods from the temple stores up to a total of that value. Some typical items and their values follow: WEAPONS & ARMOUR Item Worth (in Sheep) Shield 2 Dagger 3 1H Axe 3 Mace 2 1H Spear 3 2H Spear 5 2H Axe 5 Club 1 2H Club 3 Staff 1 Helm 4 Light Armour 2 Heavy Armour 9 USEFUL TOOLS Item Worth (in Sheep) Hemp Rope (60 cubits) 2 Leather Slingbag 1 Twine (10 cubits) 1 Sheepskin Cloak 2 Reed Sandals 1 Waterskin 1 Leather Belt 2 Adze 3 Felt Hat 4 Leather Skullcap 1 Firestarter 1 Headband 1 Clay Dish 1 Clay Jug 2 Clay Bottle with Stopper 1 Copper Knife 2 Bedroll 1 Clay Oil Lamp 1 Bottle of Oil 2 Fishing Line & Hooks 2 Pouch 1 Copper Needle 2 Goathair Tent (5 Man) 6 THE RULES Resolving Tasks When a task needs to be resolved, the player randomly picks out a couple of stones from the bag and inspects them. If he has a drawn a stone of the right element for the task at hand, that task succeeds. For example, resisting the effects of a poison is a Clay task. If one of the stones is green, then the poison has no effect. Referees can make the task more difficult by asking only for one stone to be drawn, or easier by asking for three stones to be drawn. Contested Tasks When two characters are competing against one another (an arm wrestle, a running contest, a debate, haggling etc.) then the task at hand is a contested task. Teaming Up When characters work together to accomplish some task then they can quite simply pool their resources. Each character involved makes a draw from his bag. All stones of the relevant colour are added together and used as one result. For example, if three characters tried to push a stone out of the way, they would each make a separate draw of two stones. The referee has decided that a total of 3 Clay stones are needed. The 3 characters draw a total of 4 Clay stones and so push the stone with some ease. A very strong character might have been able to push the stone on his own. Injuries Characters are often injured or wounded during adventures. Soon these injuries impair a character’s abilities to carry out tasks, and will eventually kill him. When the referee determines that a character is injured, he describes the wound to the player and drops a Black stone into the player-character’s bag. This injury will only deteriorate if left untreated. Anytime the character draws a Black stone when he attempts any action, that action will fail due to the pain of the injury. If the character has received an injury the player draws three stones after each hour has passed. If more of the stones are Black than Clay, the referee drops in another Black stone - the wound is deteriorating. If all the stones drawn are Black, the character falls over and is incapacitated, dying within 10 minutes. Likewise, if a character attempts any strenuous activity (combat, climbing, running, falling etc.) the same three-stone draw rule is used. So after a fight, another 3 stone draw is made, and if the number of Black stones out-numbers the Clay stones then the character’s wound is worsened. Drop in another Black stone. Remember that if three Black stones are drawn the character starts dying! Multiple Wounds - A character with seven Black stones is automatically incapacitated and will die within 10 minutes - the human body can take only so much accumulated trauma! Fights Fights are common in the Chronicles of BABEL. This is a primitive world with many belligerent inhabitants. But fights are resolved quite quickly and easily with only a small number of special rules. The player character must succeed in a Blood test, drawing out at least one Blood stone to inflict damage on his opponent. The difficulty of this task is determined by both the Toughness score of the enemy monster or character and the weaponry wielded by the character. Example: a Lion has Toughness 5, Wounds 5. All non-player characters and monsters have a Toughness rating and a Wounds rating. Characters have their own Toughness rating (based on Clay plus armour) and the Advantage score provided by their weapon. How this various values interact formss the basis of the combat rules. There are 6 stages to the combat process. 1 - Weapon Advantage The first task in resolving a combat is determine the character's Weapon Advantage. This is simply done by checking the weapon on the table below. Only player characters do this, non-player characters and other foes do not. Refer to the table below: Weapon Advantage Score Notes Dagger 2 Copper-bladed two-edged dagger 1H Axe 4 Crescent-shaped copper axe 1H Spear 5 Copper-headed short spear 2H Spear 8 Copper-headed long spear 2H Axe 7 Crescent-shaped copper axe Club 1 Wooden stick Mace 3 Stone-head on a wooden haft 2H Club 6 Very heavy huge wooden club Staff 2 Long wooden walking-staff 2 - Foe's Toughness The second task in resolving a combat is determine the foe's Toughness. The referee will know in advance the Toughness of any foe he pits against the characters. As a guide, the following foes are given sample Toughness ratings: Foe Toughness Rating Poor Thief 2 Bandit 3 Warrior or Lion 5 Manticore 6 Giant Snake 8 Dragon 9 3 - Compare and Draw! The third stage to combat resolution is comparing the character's Weapon Advantage (eg. 1 H Axe 4) with the foe's Toughness (eg. Lion 5). This comparison tells the player how many stones to draw when trying to resolve one 'round' of combat (a round is perhaps 10 seconds, the amount of time it takes all participants to take one action). The player draws a number of stones based on the following chart: 3 Stones Weapon Advantage greater than foe's Toughness 2 Stones Weapon Advantage equal or less than Toughness 1 Stone Weapon Advantage ½ or less of Toughness The number of Blood stones drawn equals the number of Wounds inflicted upon the foe! If no Blood stones are drawn, then the player character himself is hit in combat by his foe!! See 'Are You Hurt?' further below. 4 - Foe's Wounds Each foe has a Wounds score, which will generally (but not always) correspond to that foe's Toughness rating. So a Lion with Toughness 5 will usually have a Wounds score of 5. Each Wound sustained from the player character's weapon is subtracted from this Wound score. When it reaches 0 the foe is crippled and probably dies very quickly. The referee may declare that certain woundings may affect the foe's performance in combat, and a Wound sustained may be accompanied by a fall, by incapacitation or some other effect. 5 - Are You Hurt? If a player fails to draw a Blood stone in combat, then the character himself is injured. How many Wounds does he sustain? To resolve this question compare the Toughness of the player character with the Toughness of the foe (as determined in section 2). Use the chart below: Comparison Character Suffers ... Foe's Toughness 3 or more than Character's Suffer 2 Wounds Foe's Toughness 1 or 2 more than Character's Suffer 1 Wound Foe's Toughness Equal or Less than Character's Suffer 1 Wound To determine the player character's Toughness rating, simply add his Clay score to the Armour scores of the armour he is currently wearing. Armour Armour Score Notes Copper Helm 1 Shield 1 Sheepskin 1 Cross-Banded Leather 2 Copper Scale Coat 3 Note: The Sheepskin, Cross-Banded Armour and the Copper Scale Coat cannot be worn in conjunction with one another. They must be worn separately. After one turn of fighting one of the antagonists suffers a wound inflicted by the winner. If the player character fails to draw a Blood stone that turn, then he is wounded by his foe. The referee drops a Black stone into his bag (2 if his foe's Toughness exceeds his by 3 points or more). See 'Injuries', earlier on. FOES Foes may be animals, magical beings, magical beasts that roam the wilderness, and even human antagonists of all kinds. All are rated by the referee according to their combat efficiency, a measure known as Toughness that ranges from 1 to 9. This Toughness is also usually equal to the creature's Wound level. So a Toughness 4 Lion will have a Wound level of 4. Both Toughness and Wounds are used to resolve combat. Auras Gods and those truly powerful magical beings touched by the divine wear a number of mystical 'auras' about them. These auras exude magical glamour to amaze and terrify ordinary mortals. Powerful beings wear more auras than lesser creatures. Many (such as the scorpion-man) wear no aura at all. Before a being can be tackled physically, its auras must first be overcome. Auras are not just visual but spiritual. The storm demon Pazuzu, for example, has 6 Auras. Any character confronting Pazuzu must draw stones from the bag and attempt to gain a Water stone or be dazzled or immobilised with fear by Pazuzu's Auras. The difference between the number of Auras and the character's Water score determines how many stones are drawn for this action. The player draws a number of stones based on the following chart: 3 Stones Water score greater than number of foe's Auras 2 Stones Water score equal or less than number of foe's Auras 1 Stone Water score ½ or less than number of foe's Auras A hero with Water score of 3, then, confronting Pazuzu on a mountain-top has to contend with the 6 Auras of that evil being. He can only draw 1 stone in defence, and fails! If he'd succeeded, he could have acted normally. Failure results in incapacitation for a number of rounds equal to the number of the creature's Auras. Our Water 3 hero is dazed and overawed for 6 rounds. During this time the being is actively holding that individual in his thrall. He can do this simultaneously to a number of individuals, but breaks the spell if he moves to attack any of them. After the period of glamour a character moves as normal, but cannot harm or try to harm that being that day. He isn't under its spell, but he is mortally afraid of its power and cowed by the divine energies that the being exudes. A List of Foes Asag - King of the Stone Giants Toughness 8 5 Auras Anzu - The Storm Bird Toughness 9 3 Auras Copper Giants Toughness 6 1 Aura Magillum - The Living Boat Toughness 8 2 Auras Manticores Toughness 5 Mushushu - The Snake-Dragon Toughness 9 6 Auras Pazuzu - King of the Wind Demons Toughness 7 6 Auras Giant Snakes Toughness 4 Fire Stallions of Kur Toughness 4 Humbaba Toughness 9 7 Auras The Seven Terrors Toughness 6 2 Auras The Seven Sons of Ishara Toughness 8 6 Auras Centaurs Toughness 4 Mermen Toughness 3 Scorpionmen Toughness 5 Lionmen Toughness 5 Wildmen of Edin Toughness 4 Capricorns Toughness 3 Hippogriffs Toughness 3 Griffins Toughness 6 Lions Toughness 5 The Seven Sages Toughness 5 3 Auras Seven-Headed Hydras Toughness 7 Six-Headed Wild Rams Toughness 5 Stone Giants Toughness 6 1 Auras Storm Bulls Toughness 6 1 Aura Wild Dogs Toughness 2 Zu Birds Toughness 6 Return to Game Page |
| Chronicles of Babel |
| Roleplaying At the Dawn of Civilization |
 |
 |