Deus Vult

[soltakss]

Deus Vult

This is a fairly thick hardback with a nicely restrained cover. Inside, it looks good, well laid out with some internal artwork.The artwork is, by and large, OK, but a bit modern for the setting. There are some maps, of Western Europe and of Mount St M ichel, which are good but it could have done with more.

Introduction - This is written from the viewpoint of the Order. It covers areas such as On the History of the Order, On the Nature of the Order, On the Duties of the Order, On the Structure of the Order, On the Teaching of Initiates, On the Abbey of St M ichel, On the Blessed Ring and the Order's Salvation and On the Furtherance of Our Blessed Task. These are very interesting and give a flavour of what it means to be part of the Order.

Character Generation - Characters start as Seasoned, with all Characteristics over 6 or more, as the Order only accepts the best. Order Training is interesting with skills increased based on your highest Characteristic rather than being in a profession. Later Recruits can be from the backgrounds of Poor, Outlaw, Urban, Educated or Noble. Order members can belong to different Professions of Acrobat, Alchemist, Animal Trainer, Bard, Bandit, Beggar, Blacksmith, Clergy, Courtier, Craftsman, Diplomat, Farmer, Fisherman, Herdsman, Hunter, Knight, Nobleman, Noblewoman, Monk, Mercenary, Merchant, Miner, Physician, Sailor, Scholar, Soldier/Warrior, Spy, Thief, Thug, Tracker, Wife, Whore, Witchhunter, Woodsman and Village Priest. There are tables showing random events that could have happened to you in the past, with an Order Event Table and an Occult Event Table for each background, these can add some flavour to your personal history. The community of Faith allows you to generate allies, contacts, enemies and rivals, rounding off your character nicely. This chapter allows you to roll up a character with a lot of flavour, having professions and backgrounds suited to the period and with a lot of extra fluff and history. This is how Character Generation should be done.

Solis Sacerdotis - This describes the history and structure of the Order, with sections of A History Noble and Unknown, Structure of the Order, Hieromonks, The Order and the World, The Master, Claustral Priors, Obediantry Priors, Preceptors, The Superior General, Breviary, A Demon-Haunted World and The Enemy. These contain a short history of the Order, together with excerpts from the Gospel of St Thomas, an interesting take on a Catholic Order, as well as a description of the structure and hierarchy of the Order. There are many things about this that are good, some of the background pieces introduce outside events in an easy to read way. This is a very good background chapter.

The Instruments of God - This contains descriptions of the tools and equipment in the Order. It covers a number of weapons, magical items, weapons, weapon improvements, armour improvements, wondrous devices, alchemical compounds, and relics. What can I say? These are crunchy, useful, fit the setting perfectly and would make an old roleplayer very happy indeed. Excellent stuff.

The Mont St-M ichel - Yes, there is a space in the middle of Michel, this is repeated in each of the chapter headings containing the word but not in the text, this must have a hidden meaning in the game which, I am sure, will be revealed in a later supplement. This is a very short chapter showing the layout of the Abbey that acts as the Headquarters of the Order. Short but sweet, this could have been expanded on.

Brethren of the Order - This is a series of NPCs, some are members of the Order, others are contacts and even rivals and enemies. Overall, these are good, well-balanced, well thought out sets of NPC statistics. This finishes off with a number of playable pre-generated PCs which could be used in a convention or one-off game.

Gifts and Miracles - This covers Preternatural Gifts, the equivalent of Legendary Abilities and Miracles, the equivalent of Divine Magic or Merrie England/Stupor Mundi Blessings. The Preternatural Abilities are OK, but are heavily combat-oriented whereas I'd have preferred some that reflect the period. Miracles work well, with some new spells and a list of standard RQ spells available to the Order.

The Church - This covers the Catholic Church of the period with sections of The Inquisition, The Templars and Witch-Hunters. This is a very short section and could have been a lot longer and more detailed. The Church and Crusaders are very briefly covered but these are very sketchy descriptions indeed. I'd have liked this to have been expanded on, to be honest.

The Enemy - This describes the enemies of the Order. It splits enemies into Monsters, Cultists, Sorcerers and Heretics. It covers Cults, Sorcerers, Heresies and Impediments. The Cults section describes what cults are, gives some cult structures, shows how to use cults in the game and gives some sample cults. There are tables on Cult Brands, Ritual Sites, Force and Supernatural. The Sample Cults are OK, nothing special but could be used in most games. Sorcerers contains a very brief description of how to locate. observe and eliminate the sorcerer. Heresies also contains a very short description of the main heresies of the time. These are very short and contain no information about how these heresies work. Impediments have a couple of examples of people whose presence threatens the Order. Overall, these are very brief descriptions of the enemies of the Order and should have been expanded on.

The Occult - This describes the Occult as seen from the Order's perspective. It covers Lore (Occult), Lore (Alchemy), Witchcraft, Grimoires, New Sorcery Spells, Horrors and Magical Items. Lore (Occult) describes how to cast minor spells. Lore (Alchemy) describes nothing but has a table of alchemical compounds. Witchcraft briefly covers how witches work and what magic they can use. Grimoires lists a number of sorcerous tomes with the spells and skills they contain. New Sorcery Spells gives some new spells, which seem reasonable. Horrors describes supernatural overspill that causes horros in the world. These are pretty good and could be used in any campaign. Magical items contains a few items that could be used as loot items. These are all pretty good, standard occult things.

Bestiary - These describe those creatures that oppose or help the Order. It is split into Servitors and Making Monsters. These are not very well organised, I'd have thought that it should have been split into Servitors, Demons, NPCs and Making Monsters, but hey-ho, I didn't write it. Servitors has descriptions of Ghouls, Goblyns, Hellhounds, Lesser Spirits, Genii Loci, Shades, Wraiths, Melusines, Nightfolk, Werewolves, Woodwoses and Worm-Men. These are pretty good and would make good monstrous opponents. Making Monsters describes how to create new Monsters, covering Concept, Characteristikcs, Drawbacks and Traits. Then follows a number of other individual monsters - The Beast of Gubbio, Naberius Demon of Wise Counsel, Balash, Tiews God of Justice, The Shade of Archbishop Adalberon, The Ogre Heretic and the Linton Worm. These are reasonably good and usable.

Secrets of the Order - This includes Doom of the Order, The Prior of the Crypts, The Eastern Order, Does God Exist, Ex Malum Bono and the Divine Path. These are Secrets with a large amount of potential mystery and scenario hooks. Standings describes how members of the Order can fall from grace, either through Impurity or Impiety, and gives each a series of levels measuring how impure or impious a character is. This is a nice idea and could be very useful.

Running Deus Vult - The role of the Deus Vult Gamesmaster is: To Create missions to challenge the Adventurers; Throw fiendish puzzles, horrific foes and moral dilemmas in their path; Roleplay the various members of the Order, cultists, nobles, priests and commoners. The World of Deus Vult basically says that any real world event of the time could have a magical/occult explanation. The Order contains different ways to use the Order in games. Mission framework is a template of each mission, how it should be broken down, but if every Mission used this it would be incredibly boring. Campaigns gives some sketchy ideas of using campaigns, with Order Agents, A Preceptry of our Own, The Tide of History, Renegades and the End of the World. These are interesting ideas, but hardly groundbreaking. Finally, there are tables to generate random plots and missions for those Gamesmasters too lazy to think up their own.

Overall, what can I say about Deus Vult? It is a good supplement and captures the flavour of the setting very well indeed. What is done well is done very well indeed. However, what is sketchy is also very sketchy. There are a lot of things which could have been expanded on and a lot of things that have been glossed over. There is also no scenario and precious few scenario hooks and it could have done with a short mission to give it flavour. I'd give it an A-, if it had a scenario it would have got an A and if it had fleshed out some of the sketchy areas it would have got an A+. But it didn’t so it gets an A-. I'd recommend anyone interested in the era to go out and buy this, though.

[danbuter]

Nice review. I know I want this book.

I suspect the sketchy parts were cut due to page count, which kinda sucks. Then again, I'm sure there will be supplements.

[rust]

Very nice review, thank you very much.

I'd recommend anyone interested in the era to go out and buy this, though.

This is the one point I did not quite understand: What exactly is the era ?

[danbuter]

Middle Ages during the Crusades, specifically during the time Saladin reconquered Jerusalem.

[soltakss]

Yes, 1190 or thereabouts.

Just before the time of Stupor Mundi, about the time of Crusaders of the Amber Coast and slap bang in the middle of Merrie England.

[rust]

Thank you.

[Verderer]

So is this available someplace?

[rust]

So is this available someplace?

Any FLGS that has Mongoose's products should have it, or be able to order it, and the PDF is

available through DTRPG.

[Atgxtg]

Triff should probably start a section for reviews so they don't get buried on the discussion posts.

[Verderer]

Oh, right. Thanks. The review didn't mention the publisher, I know where I can get Mongoose locally.

Incidently, it seems that the 'Order' is not Templars? Or are the Templars their cover (bit like thePriory of Sion?)

Edited May 22, 2010 by Verderer

[Mugen]

Oh, right. Thanks. The review didn't mention the publisher, I know where I can get Mongoose locally.

Incidently, it seems that the 'Order' is not Templars? Or are the Templars their cover (bit like thePriory of Sion?)

No, Templars are a different order of warrior-monks.

[soltakss]

Triff should probably start a section for reviews so they don't get buried on the discussion posts.

There used to be one but I could never work out how to add a new product.

[soltakss]

Oh, right. Thanks. The review didn't mention the publisher, I know where I can get Mongoose locally.

Sorry, I just assumed that everyone reading here would know about RuneQuest products. My mistake.

Incidently, it seems that the 'Order' is not Templars? Or are the Templars their cover (bit like thePriory of Sion?)

No. In fact, Deus Vult doesn't really mention the Templars. They wouldn't really overlap because the Templars are concerned with defending pilgrims, attacking Saracens, defending Christendom and stockpiling relics, whereas the Order works in different ways (apart from stockpiling relics, of course).

[Verderer]

Very mysterious, thanks for the tips! I think I might be able to use this material in my campaign, which does promise some surprises to my players in regard of the 'established' truths are concerned. Or maybe not, as we've played Conspiracy X for a long time.

I am using Val du Loup in my campaign, and I guess this book would fit in very nicely timewise etc. as my campaign starts around 1187.

Incidently, how different are Mongoose's RQ II rules from BRP ones? I was was thinking how useful any NPC stats/professions would be? DV seems to have one scenario out too, anyone checked it out?

Edited May 23, 2010 by Verderer

[rust]

Incidently, how different are Mongoose's RQ II rules from BRP ones?

Take a look at this thread:

http://basicroleplaying.com/showthread.php/1935-MRQ-II-compatability-with-BRP

[Mugen]

No. In fact, Deus Vult doesn't really mention the Templars. They wouldn't really overlap because the Templars are concerned with defending pilgrims, attacking Saracens, defending Christendom and stockpiling relics, whereas the Order works in different ways (apart from stockpiling relics, of course).

To be exact, there is one page about templars, which explains the differences and similarities between the Templars and the Order.

Incidently, how different are Mongoose's RQ II rules from BRP ones? I was was thinking how useful any NPC stats/professions would be? DV seems to have one scenario out too, anyone checked it out?

MRQ II uses the same stats than BRP, and % based skills, but uses base skill %age equal to the sum of two characteristics, which means it will be very different from BRP ones.

You major problem will be with magic. Some Hieromonks will use Divine magic, and their enemies will use Sorcery. So you'll have to find equivalents to MRQII spells in BRP.

[soltakss]

To be exact, there is one page about templars, which explains the differences and similarities between the Templars and the Order.

Thanks - I didn't have my copy available, so I missed that page.

MRQ II uses the same stats than BRP, and % based skills, but uses base skill %age equal to the sum of two characteristics, which means it will be very different from BRP ones.

You major problem will be with magic. Some Hieromonks will use Divine magic, and their enemies will use Sorcery. So you'll have to find equivalents to MRQII spells in BRP.

BRP does have a supplement that has some Divine Magic, so as long Deus Vult stocks to the normal Divine Magic then things should be fairly compatible.

If, however, they use strange and new spells then it might be best just to use the Deus Vult spell in BRP. Treat it as a new spell, it shouldn't do any harm.

[wbcreighton]

I know MRQ2 is not officially a direct descendant of BRP; I would think it could be considered a cousin to the system. Why not have a threads in the Supplements section of the forum to deal with Deus Vult, Elric, Lankhmar, Clockwork & Chilvary, etc

[Trifletraxor]

I know MRQ2 is not officially a direct descendant of BRP; I would think it could be considered a cousin to the system. Why not have a threads in the Supplements section of the forum to deal with Deus Vult, Elric, Lankhmar, Clockwork & Chilvary, etc

MRQ is certainly a related system, and together with Call of Cthulhu and OpenQuest, they have lots of supplements that can be used for BRP. There's also many good products for the older incarnations of BRP. The main reason that the supplements & monographs section only have "new" BRP products is that including all related products would just mean too much work. But all these products are open for discussion in the main forum, so just open the threads here.

SGL.

[soltakss]

I quite like the idea that it would be too much work to include all related supplements - that implies that there is a lot of material out there.

Which, of course, there is

[Jarulf]

Shouldn't The Laundry get a mention somewhere as well?

[soltakss]

I'm not sure. Isn't the Laundry sort of a modernday Cthulhu-style detective/investigatory/weirdo/thingy?

If so, it belongs with the other Cthulhu-style detective/investigatory/weirdo/thingies.

If not, it could be an Alternate Earthy sort of settings.

[RosenMcStern]

Yes, it is a horror/urban fantasy setting. Nothing to do with alternate earth.

However, we are all eager to read a review of it.

[Trifletraxor]

Book should appear next month if the last estimate is correct.

SGL.

[NickMiddleton]

I'm not sure. Isn't the Laundry sort of a modernday Cthulhu-style detective/investigatory/weirdo/thingy?

It's BRP powered stand alone game based on the Laundry novels by Charles Stross - so I'd say it deserves a separate thread at least - albeit I suspect that the "Supplements & Monographs" section should be renamed "Publications" and then sub-divided in to several sections: I'd suggest "Monographs" (content obvious), "Supplements" (non-mongraph books that require a core book - where Deus Vult, Clockwork & Chivalry and Crusaders of the Amber Coast would go) and "Compatible Games" (which is where threads on e.g. Call of Cthulhu, The laundry or Stormbringer should go).

If so, it belongs with the other Cthulhu-style detective/investigatory/weirdo/thingies.

If not, it could be an Alternate Earthy sort of settings.

Not really - it's neither a CoC supplement or add on, nor is it what most people would recognise as an "alternate Earth" setting book.

Cheers,

Nick