tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post8046517106420636179..comments2024-03-23T02:49:05.115-06:00Comments on Gundobad Games: Early Merovingian Gaul/France: A Great Alternative Template for a 'Vanilla' Fantasy Sandbox SettingGundobadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-10322687596984284842023-01-03T13:35:18.124-07:002023-01-03T13:35:18.124-07:00I’ve always liked games based on actual historical...I’ve always liked games based on actual historical periods, even if they play a little fast and loose with things. Flashing Blades for example, set in 17th Century France was a favourite game in the 80s/90s, for example. Wolves of God is something caught my eye a while back, but I’ve yet to find an opportunity to use it. Definitely interested in seeing more on the Merovingians: from what you’ve described it sounds a very interesting setting indeed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-21171172262575933032022-06-02T14:51:36.050-06:002022-06-02T14:51:36.050-06:00Thanks for your interest - I'll hopefully answ...Thanks for your interest - I'll hopefully answer at least some of these questions in subsequent posts. :-) Gundobadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-8229786307717921432022-05-23T14:17:29.677-06:002022-05-23T14:17:29.677-06:00This interests me. Please continue. For example, w...This interests me. Please continue. For example, what does arcane magic look like in this world? Divine? <br /><br />How would you integrate dungeoncrawls? What monsters would you highlight? Which monsters would avoid deploying? Would you use XP-for-gold? Or perhaps a Renown system for advancement? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-17724958605389823942022-05-23T06:24:17.210-06:002022-05-23T06:24:17.210-06:00Please continue exploring this topic! I was involv...Please continue exploring this topic! I was involved in a rules playtest with Alex Schroeder that was set in a Merovingian-era fantasy alpine region and it was really great. Frotz Selfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06246983739730328348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-8418915664352211682022-05-19T12:53:42.165-06:002022-05-19T12:53:42.165-06:00Thanks for the answer. This C&C supplement is ...Thanks for the answer. This C&C supplement is "Codex Germanicus".Wieści Historycznehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09360529107079657313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-68793782790872673112022-05-19T10:10:39.093-06:002022-05-19T10:10:39.093-06:00Thanks for your interest!
The AD&D Paladins o...Thanks for your interest! <br />The AD&D Paladins of Charlemagne book technically addresses a period just after the one I'm covering here, though I haven't read it so I don't know how well it could transfer across. I haven't seen that C&C German compendium, but that's a good tip.<br />Regarding writing my own mini-setting: I will see. I don't know that I have the time for something really substantial. However ... I will admit that I've *already* written a little mini-setting to illustrate one corner of the kind of realm I'm discussing...perhaps I'll include a peek at that at some point in this series. :-) Gundobadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-65014642694014042382022-05-18T16:03:06.655-06:002022-05-18T16:03:06.655-06:00I've read your text with great interest, as I ...I've read your text with great interest, as I am a fan of all games medieval and especially Dark Ages. Actually wanted to ask do you want to write a setting (or mini-setting) for this. Speaking about RPG books there is AD&D 2ed Charlemagne or German compendium for Castle&Crusaders with a number of information about German tribes and early kingdoms and many beasts from legends and folklore. Highly recommended if you want to play your own Nibelung.Wieści Historycznehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09360529107079657313noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-5473868258889423872022-05-17T14:02:13.723-06:002022-05-17T14:02:13.723-06:00Nice!
I've been thinking of making essuria/den...Nice!<br />I've been thinking of making essuria/denagoth in the world of mystara as a kinda proto France, so I'm excited for this series Lance Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13817319325489613672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-5739539268317616612022-05-17T07:58:41.263-06:002022-05-17T07:58:41.263-06:00Serendipitously, I just read the Smithsonian artic...Serendipitously, I just read the Smithsonian article on Brunhild and Fredegund: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/medieval-queens-daring-reigns-quickly-forgotten-180979246/ Vance Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03911245780875316627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-72661988927009711622022-05-16T18:44:54.240-06:002022-05-16T18:44:54.240-06:00Thanks for your interest! A couple readers were as...Thanks for your interest! A couple readers were asking for further-reading tips, so I've combined my feedback in a follow-up comment - just look below.<br /><br />To address your question about Wolves of God: I should note that I know a bit about the WoG system and tables, but not much. Based on what I know, I think it could work fine with some tweaking. However, Merovingian Frankish society had a LOT more continuity with the Roman past, a lot more urban continuity, and a greater and earlier degree of socio-political complexity than did Anglo-Saxon England. Part of what I hope to unpack in these posts is that a Merovingian-themed setting could offer you much of what the better-known Anglo-Saxon settings offer, while ALSO offering you the ability to play around with 'bigger building blocks' at the same time. Gundobadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-21090299768074638332022-05-16T18:42:26.845-06:002022-05-16T18:42:26.845-06:00Thanks for your interest! A couple readers were as...Thanks for your interest! A couple readers were asking for further-reading tips, so I've combined my feedback in a follow-up comment - just look below. Cheers!Gundobadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-47402602665988948292022-05-16T18:41:41.226-06:002022-05-16T18:41:41.226-06:00Thanks for the interest, folks! In terms of recomm...Thanks for the interest, folks! In terms of recommendations for further reading, here goes:<br />+ first - as I tell my university students - Wikipedia is a terrible place for them to finish their research, but it *can* provide a decent place to start, at least to begin getting their bearings. <br />+ To get a feel for stories from Merovingian history, the most famous primary source is the sixth-century churchman and historian, Gregory of Tours. The Penguin translation of his history is adequate for these purposes and accessible. (The Penguin one is titled **History of the Franks**, which isn't really what he called his historical work, but that name has kind of stuck). <br />+ Back when I was in grad school, the go-to (English-language) intros to Merovingian history were some survey texts from the 90s: Ian Wood's **The Merovingian Kingdoms** or Patrick Geary's **Before France and Germany**. Those are now both dated, but would still offer a good and accessible scholarly intro to the topic within a single cover. <br />+ For those looking more more current material and willing to engage more specialized texts, there are options! <br />+ My top recommendation for a short scholarly survey now would be Raymond Van Dam's ch. 8, "Merovingian Gaul and the Frankish Conquests," pp. 193-231 in **The New Cambridge Medieval History, Vol. 1: c. 500-c.700** ed. by Paul Fouracre (Cambridge, 2005). <br />+ For those who really want to nerd out, collect your Monopoly money and advance straight to: Effros & Moreira, eds., **The Oxford Handbook of The Merovingian World** (Oxford, 2020). <br />+ There are many more specialized studies and monographs on various sub-topics. One that I'll likely refer to in a coming post is Allen E. Jones, **Social Mobility in Late Antique Gaul: Strategies and Opportunities for the Non-Elite** *(Cambridge, 2009). Gundobadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14335443896772607081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-51262817809873867542022-05-16T16:56:22.255-06:002022-05-16T16:56:22.255-06:00I am very interested in reading more blogs about t...I am very interested in reading more blogs about this subject. I'd also love some reading suggestions if you have them. And don't sweat the academic stuff, I studied history in grad school so I welcome such readings!Jason Blackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12094182994091699575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978585450395254487.post-62833711443421478402022-05-16T16:03:44.183-06:002022-05-16T16:03:44.183-06:00If I wanted a crash course on merovingian france w...If I wanted a crash course on merovingian france what should I read/watch besides wikipedia?<br />Would Wolves of God be a bad system to run Merovingian france in?<br />Johnvak01https://www.blogger.com/profile/03032197028506204220noreply@blogger.com