GURPS Gladius Arcana
Campaign Background
Campaign name: GURPS Gladius Arcana
Starting year: 1011 AUC (258 CE)
Genre: Sword & Sandal
Realistic or cinematic? Cinematic
General theme of campaign: Gladiatorial combat, adventure, and daily life in the Roman Empire
Are there multiple planes of existence? Yes
Campaign World: Roma Arcana (see GURPS Fantasy, pp. 195-232)
Campaign’s base city, nation, empire, or planet: Mediolanum
Society/government type: Imperial Republic
Control Rating: CR4
Tech level: 2
General mana level: Normal
- Do areas of higher/lower mana exist? Yes
Brief description of important neighboring powers, political/economic situation, etc.:
Information for PCs
Player characters are newly trained members of the gladiators who perform for Severus Graeco's Circus and Games. Players are advised to adhere as closely as possible to the Gladiator template found in GURPS Martial Arts: Gladiators (p. 28) or GURPS Fantasy (p. 215).
Starting point value allowed for PCs: 150
Disadvantage limit (including Quirks): -75
PC races allowed: Human
Especially appropriate professions: Characters are property of Quintus Didias Severus Graecus, owner and proprietor of Severus Circus & Games.
Starting Wealth: $750
Starting Wealth levels allowed: Wealth (Struggling) is required for beginning characters.
Starting Status levels allowed: -2
Starting TLs allowed: TL 2
Languages available: Latin is the lingua franca of the Empire, with Greek being spoken and read by most educated citizens. Slaves should choose their native language (free) as well as ensuring at least Broken proficiency (1 point) in spoken Latin. Most slaves do not read at all, but your master is known to provide tutors for his best slaves, so any slave also wishing to read Latin may do so. Only those slaves who are chosen to be scribes or business aides may be taught Greek.
Cultural Familiarities available:
Advantages, Disadvantages, and Skills
Required Advantages:
Required Disadvantages: Duty (Extremely hazardous; 12 or less) [-15]; Status -2 [-10]; Social Stigma (Valuable property) [-10]; Wealth (Struggling) [-10]
Especially appropriate Advantages: Language (Latin) (Native)
Especially appropriate Disadvantages: Bully; Callous; Compulsive Carousing; Discipline of Faith (Ritualism or Mysticism); Greed; Lecherousness; Overconfidence; Reputation; Stubbornness. Code of Honor (Gladiator). See GURPS Martial Arts Gladiators', p. 19.
Especially appropriate Skills: Current Affairs (Sports), Esoteric Medicine, Games (Roman Gladiator), Performance, Savoir-Faire (Ludus), Sex Appeal, Surgery.
Especially appropriate Styles: Greek martial arts: Ancient Greek Boxing (MA 153); Hoplomachia (MA 161); Pankration (MA 188-89); Submission Wrestling (MA 205). Roman martial arts: Armatura (MA 150)
Disallowed advantages, disadvantages, and skills: Allies are not allowed for beginning characters.
Appropriate Patrons, Allies or Contacts: Patron (Severus Graecus) [30]. A powerful individual (10 points) who is quite accessible (12 or less) and who provides equipment no more valuable than starting wealth (+50%). As your master he is not your Patron, but if you intend to buy your freedom, borrow money from him, or use his name to get out of trouble, then you must purchase Severus as a Patron. You may also adjust the cost of this Patron as appropriate to your character by reducing/increasing availability or equipment provisions.
Special Abilities Allowed for PCs
Exotic/supernatural traits: Disallowed for beginning PCs.
Cinematic skills: Disallowed for beginning PCs.
Are PC mages allowed? Disallowed for beginning PCs.
Are PC psis allowed? Disallowed for beginning PCs.
Are PC gadgeteers allowed? Disallowed for beginning PCs.
Rulebooks and Resources
GURPS Basic Set 4th edition
GURPS 4th edition Low-Tech
GURPS 4th edition Martial Arts
GURPS 4th edition Martial Arts: Gladiators
See also
GURPS 4th edition Fantasy for information on the Roma Arcana setting.
GURPS 3rd edition Imperial Rome for background on the historic Roman Empire as well as greater details on society and daily life.