[Birthright] What was so great? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

[Birthright] What was so great?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
TheLoneCleric
Jun 01, 2008 21:22:29 Birthright was one of those settings I never got to play or read. So what was so great about the setting? What was iconic about it aside form Dark Sun, Ravenloft, etc.
#2
Brom_Blackforge
Jun 03, 2008 9:56:34 I'm playing in my first Birthright campaign now, using the 3rd edition rules from Birthright.net, and I'm really enjoying it. Part of it may be having a good DM and having players who game together well, because part of what I like is how fully-developed all the characters have become. But part of the fun is in getting to rule a province. The characters aren't just notable because they're adventurers, they're also of noble blood. We've done some dungeon crawls - it IS still D&D - but we've also had political scheming and espionage and diplomatic wrangling, even some mass battles. And at least for me, it has been really easy to familiarize myself with the political boundaries (at least of the region we're playing in) and with the Birthright deities.
#3
DerekSTheRed
Jun 03, 2008 19:09:56 Birthright's schtick is the PCs are nobles and part of the ruling class. You still go on adventures, but it's usually dictated for political reasons. The biggest draw to the setting was the entire fate of the world was left in the hands of the players.

There are several campaign settings where it seemed like all the big events were being done by NPCs. Not so with Birthright. All novels were set in the time before the start of the campaign. Players literally redrew the maps based on their successes and failures without interference by someone else's pesky canon.

One of the reasons the PCs dominated the setting was it's lack of magic. Most magic users were just magicians who could only cast 3rd level spells. Only the nobles/blooded could cast real magic.

Blooded characters had the divine right of kings flowing through there veins and they got more powerful if the killed other blooded scions or characters. This gave it a very Highlanderish feel to it. If you killed enough blooded scions, you could become a god. Now with the 4E epic destiny demi god, you have built in rules for it.

Many of the elements of the default PoL setting that appeal to players, are already present in BR. If you like PoL, you will LOVE Birthright.

Derek
#4
jiggawha_dup
Jun 04, 2008 2:05:43 nothing
#5
etherrider
Jun 12, 2008 20:16:39 Birthright presented great opportunities and like so many campaigns was entirely made by the DM and group. It was something different when it first came out and at the time was a great way to forget about the realms. I started way back in the day when it was blackmoor or greyhawk and not a lot about either one. Birthright was not just about being a regent but having to deal with more problems and situations than just "I proceed to door #2 and whack whatever is there." Any campaign world can be that, but Birthright presented some nice rules for ruling which nothing else really did.

I remember a player is 1st edition thought that to start an uprising would be just as easy as giving every peasant 10gp each (more than most might see in a lifetime) so he just asked what the population was and put the gold out there. Birthright refined that a you can take actions to cause unrest in a province....you could actually use influence to gain support in that province and win the people over to your cause....perhaps even march in with your troops to "defend" them against tyranny....all the while you as the regent may be dealing with other personal issues.

It was best used as a mature game or else it could easily turn into a wargame. The background and history was as nice as any other products put out and provided a real feel for the various peoples.

I see quite a bit of BR influence into the world building for Eberron....faint but there.
#6
nutefunray
Jun 13, 2008 12:22:48
nothing

Herr, herrr, herr, dirka, dirka, dirka.

Birthright kicks major @ss as a setting. The history of the land and gods, the fact that you can influence major events, the maps, the villains. It's an awesome world.

I am getting ready to do a 4E continuation of our Birthright campaign that has been going since the beginning. We are now into the 3rd generation of characters, and many of the old PC's were major players in the world. One united the realms into the new Anuirian Empire.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 TheLoneCleric Jun 01, 2008 21:22:29	Birthright was one of those settings I never got to play or read. So what was so great about the setting? What was iconic about it aside form Dark Sun, Ravenloft, etc.
#2 Brom_Blackforge Jun 03, 2008 9:56:34	I'm playing in my first Birthright campaign now, using the 3rd edition rules from Birthright.net, and I'm really enjoying it. Part of it may be having a good DM and having players who game together well, because part of what I like is how fully-developed all the characters have become. But part of the fun is in getting to rule a province. The characters aren't just notable because they're adventurers, they're also of noble blood. We've done some dungeon crawls - it IS still D&D - but we've also had political scheming and espionage and diplomatic wrangling, even some mass battles. And at least for me, it has been really easy to familiarize myself with the political boundaries (at least of the region we're playing in) and with the Birthright deities.
#3 DerekSTheRed Jun 03, 2008 19:09:56	Birthright's schtick is the PCs are nobles and part of the ruling class. You still go on adventures, but it's usually dictated for political reasons. The biggest draw to the setting was the entire fate of the world was left in the hands of the players. There are several campaign settings where it seemed like all the big events were being done by NPCs. Not so with Birthright. All novels were set in the time before the start of the campaign. Players literally redrew the maps based on their successes and failures without interference by someone else's pesky canon. One of the reasons the PCs dominated the setting was it's lack of magic. Most magic users were just magicians who could only cast 3rd level spells. Only the nobles/blooded could cast real magic. Blooded characters had the divine right of kings flowing through there veins and they got more powerful if the killed other blooded scions or characters. This gave it a very Highlanderish feel to it. If you killed enough blooded scions, you could become a god. Now with the 4E epic destiny demi god, you have built in rules for it. Many of the elements of the default PoL setting that appeal to players, are already present in BR. If you like PoL, you will LOVE Birthright. Derek
#4 jiggawha_dup Jun 04, 2008 2:05:43	nothing
#5 etherrider Jun 12, 2008 20:16:39	Birthright presented great opportunities and like so many campaigns was entirely made by the DM and group. It was something different when it first came out and at the time was a great way to forget about the realms. I started way back in the day when it was blackmoor or greyhawk and not a lot about either one. Birthright was not just about being a regent but having to deal with more problems and situations than just "I proceed to door #2 and whack whatever is there." Any campaign world can be that, but Birthright presented some nice rules for ruling which nothing else really did. I remember a player is 1st edition thought that to start an uprising would be just as easy as giving every peasant 10gp each (more than most might see in a lifetime) so he just asked what the population was and put the gold out there. Birthright refined that a you can take actions to cause unrest in a province....you could actually use influence to gain support in that province and win the people over to your cause....perhaps even march in with your troops to "defend" them against tyranny....all the while you as the regent may be dealing with other personal issues. It was best used as a mature game or else it could easily turn into a wargame. The background and history was as nice as any other products put out and provided a real feel for the various peoples. I see quite a bit of BR influence into the world building for Eberron....faint but there.
#6 nutefunray Jun 13, 2008 12:22:48	nothing Herr, herrr, herr, dirka, dirka, dirka. Birthright kicks major @ss as a setting. The history of the land and gods, the fact that you can influence major events, the maps, the villains. It's an awesome world. I am getting ready to do a 4E continuation of our Birthright campaign that has been going since the beginning. We are now into the 3rd generation of characters, and many of the old PC's were major players in the world. One united the realms into the new Anuirian Empire.