Cursed Empire 3rd Ed.
What is Cursed Empire?
Cursed Empire is a table-top roleplaying game (ttrpg) set in the fantasy world of Thargos. ?
The history of the realm is steeped in blood and conquest. The Thargian overlords of old¸ Saurians that enslaved all other races¸ have been overthrown and consigned to the deepest deserts. ?
The Thargians were masters of magic and genetic manipulation. They leave behind them a sundered realm of warring peoples and frightening monsters. Those in their wake are trying to forge their own kingdoms¸ struggling to build upon the best of the old ways. ?
Cursed Empire is a game-world of warring factions¸ dark magics and fractured cultures hoping to rebuild from a cataclysm that destroyed most of the known world. The Empire is crumbling and trying to fortify itself against attacks from its chaotic neighbour¸ Karnarcos. ?
The Old Gods are dead: sundered from their believers by the Cataclysm. Elemental Temples rule the life of most in the realm¸ granting power and favour to their followers. ?
Noble Houses¸ Guilds and factions from all the ruling clans and families form fragile alliances to help them stave off the encroaching chaos from Karnarcos. Magic is powerful but has a high cost: it is difficult to master and exhausting to use. The old Magic Schools are trying to re-establish themselves as the watchers and keepers of mystic knowledge¸ but with so much magic loose in the realm¸ that is a battle that may never be won.
Thargos is built on legend and renown. The deeds of those heroes that have gone before¸ inspire the fight to bring order to a world on the brink of darkness and anarchy.
Players take on the role of characters in this world. They will be seeking to establish their own renown while serving their masters¸ whoever they may be. Characters may be seeking honour and glory for their Order¸ Guild¸ Household¸ Cult¸ Faction¸ or Temple: they may be an emissary in a world desperately in need of values to cling to.
The game is about the struggles of mortals abandoned by their Gods¸ of Priests striving to revive the faith of the faithless. Of Mages seeking the ultimate truths through magic¸ even though these truths are what brought about the great fall of civilisation in the first place. And of course¸ of Warriors fighting enemies of all kinds - some more human than others.
Cursed Empire is a game that takes place in the midst of a world going through a rebirth. It is a game about rising from the ashes. A game of exploration¸ of discovery¸ of facing fears¸ of forging relationships. ?
Cursed Empire is a game where would-be-heroes will have every chance to prove themselves or die trying.
The value of self-sacrifice¸ heroic deeds and devotion and varying levels of loyalty are some of the core themes of any Cursed Empire game. Characters face real dilemmas in the choices they make in the adventures they experience¸ and this is a key part of the setting.
Why reboot¸ what was 'wrong' with 2nd edition?
It's not a matter of right and wrong. Many people play Cursed Empire 2nd Ed and get a great experience from it. So in any sense that matters¸ there's nothing 'wrong' with it.
What we did notice was that a lot of people shied away from Cursed Empire because they felt it was too complex. We got feedback from those who tried to read it with a view to running it¸ that they couldn't get the hang of the rules: they got the feeling there was a great game-world in there¸ they just couldn't get to it.
Art and the way a game-book looks is also important - we can pretend it's not¸ but it is. People can be turned away or brought in by the art and layout. The art for 3rd Edition brings the feel and flavour of Thargos much more vividly to life: it still has a dark¸ somewhat gritty feel¸ but now the full-colour art makes it more of an accessible world.
With that in mind¸ and the fact that roleplaying game-play has changed a lot over the years since