[RPG]: Slaine: The Roleplaying Game of Celtic Heroes, reviewed by NPC Jeremy (5/5)

http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9347.phtml

Jeremy Reaban's Summary:

Want to play a grittier form of D&D? Or want to roleplay Celtic Mythology? This should fit the bill...

Go to the full review for more information.

Post originally by Spawn at 2003-05-26 00:35:35
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Great review, I was wondering what this would be like, I guess I should have just bought it straight away as I loved the Judge Dredd RPG Mongoose did (and im never going to play it, it was just a fantastic read) and ill pick up Slaine now (And maybe the Mek game Mongoose just released to...)

Post originally by Ross at 2003-05-26 02:54:46
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I'm not a fan of Slaine but I know a bit about Irish mythology/history from which most of it is plundered - certainly much more Gaelic than Celtic anyway.

A Cumal - not sure where the 'r' came from - was a young female slave and was the standard unit of value. Each man's honour price (determining his ransom or the compensation paid to his family if he was slain). One Cumal = 6 milk cows.

As a side note Sláine is actually an old Irish womans name meaning 'Good Health'. Someone like the comic book Sláine might be better off with something like Art ('Bear') or Cahan ('Battle or Warrior').

Do chuid

Post originally by Mytholder at 2003-05-26 06:37:57
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A lot of the Slaine store is concerned with the health of the land and the king's bond with nature, so "Health" is a perfectly good name for him...

Post originally by Rob Brennan at 2003-05-26 06:55:24
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Hi

thanks for the review. To answer your question, yes Celts did sometimes fight naked although this practice seems to have waned over time. Forex some entire tribes still fought naked at the battle of Telamon in 225 B.C.

Imagine how intimidating it is to meet a bunch of guys who not only want to rip your head off but have so much disdain for you and faith in their own abilities that they'll do it naked! Many would also have their bodies covered in tattoos/woad to increase the spectacle.

Of course ancient athletes also competed naked at the original Olympic games (in all the events AFAIK). No cups for them!

rgds
rob

Post originally by Ross at 2003-05-26 10:33:43
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Where he a woman perhaps. For that matter there is some dispute over the strength of the 'married to the kingdom' concept. Irish kings ruled men not lands.

Do chuid

Post originally by Terone at 2003-05-26 12:30:59
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also check out Celtic Age by Avalon Press.
Its one of the best sourcebooks i have ever bought, and worth every cent i paid for it. Has alot of information on celtic live, habits, history, religion... And of course new rules, classes, prestigeclasses, skills and feats. IMHO a must read if you are even remotely interested in this area.

http://www.avalanchepress.com/gameCelticAge.php

Post originally by Kaemaril at 2003-05-26 13:37:55
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Of course, for a slightly more up to date example of fighting in the less than fully clothed, one need only think of the infamous "Devils In Skirts" from "Carry On Up The Khyber" (check out http://www.dvdreview.net/classicscene/details.shtml?classic.REF=46 for further details...)

Post originally by Dr. Strangemonkey at 2003-05-26 18:37:10
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Though it is very clear that that concept is in play in medieval literature, where kings still ruled men more than they did lands with borders.

Post originally by Simon Hibbs at 2003-05-27 03:36:43
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>Irish kings ruled men not lands.

Did celts ever practice sacrificial kingship? I vaguely remember accounts of bloody 'king for a day' rites and such being practiced in southern britain. This implies that there was a percieved connection between kingship and the fertility of the land.


Simon Hibbs