''Birthright Campaign Setting'' is an accessory for the 2nd edition of the ''

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Several different editions of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game have been produced since 1974. The current publisher of ''D&D'', Wizards of the Coast, produces new materials only for the most current edition of the ga ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...

, published in 1995. This product introduced the

Birthright Birthright is the concept of things being due to a person upon or by fact of their birth, or due to the order of their birth. These may include rights of citizenship based on the place where the person was born or the citizenship of their paren ...

campaign setting.

The ''Birthright Campaign Setting'' contains three books, a

gamemaster's screen A gamemaster's screen, also called a GM's screen, is a gaming accessory, usually made out of either cardboard or card stock, and is used by the gamemaster to hide all the relevant data related to a tabletop role-playing game session from the playe ...

, two maps, over 100 cards to use for resolving large battles, and 12 reference cards, all of which are in full color. The set includes a new combat system for large fantasy army battles, where cards represent regiments and a position sheet indicate which side is holding the line and which is on the flank. The set includes the concept of bloodlines, magical powers gained from a family line which tie them a domain, and in which strong bloodlines produce natural leaders; these powerful characters have the awnsheghlien as powerful foes, champions coming from the world's evil bloodlines. Also described are "domain turns", three month periods of time for a domain during which background events occur. The campaign was later recognised as the first setting to support player characters as rulers, providing players with a game based on "diplomacy, politics, trade, construction and (of course) war". The set also includes ''Ruins of Empire'', a sourcebook outlining domains and key characters in the region of Anuire. Anuire is influenced by medieval England and France.

Publication history

The ''Birthright Campaign Setting'' was designed by Rich Baker and

Colin McComb Colin McComb (born May 1970) is an American writer and game designer, who is best known for his work designing the Planescape setting for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game, and as the creative lead for the role-playing video game '' Torm ...

Reception

The ''Birthright Campaign Setting'' set won the

Origins Award The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so (for example) the 1979 aw ...

for New Role-Playing Supplement in 1995.

Scott Haring Scott D. Haring is a game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games. Career Scott Haring began working in the adventure gaming industry in 1982. Haring had a long career with Steve Jackson Games, having worked at the company five d ...

reviewed the ''Birthright Campaign Setting'' for ''

Pyramid A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilat ...

'' #16 (November/December 1995). Haring, Scott. (December 1, 1995).
Birthright
, ''

'', Series 1.

Steve Jackson Games Steve Jackson Games (SJGames) is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and (until 2019) the gaming magazine ''Pyramid''. History Founded in 1980, six years after the cr ...

. 1:16. Retrieved September 8, 2013. Haring thought that Birthright presented a new take on

power gaming Powergaming (or power gaming or optimization) is a style of interacting with games or game-like systems, particularly video games, boardgames, and, role-playing games, with the aim of maximizing progress towards a specific goal. Other players may c ...

: "The trick in power gaming is to make the players feel the responsibilities that accompany great power, but to keep it fun. And that's where ''Birthright'' comes in. Other games have tried to do fantasy roleplaying on a kingdom-wide scale; ''Birthright'' is the first to succeed." He felt that the setting was a "fairly typical high fantasy world (though not without its twists)", but that the concept of bloodlines made for an important difference. He felt that the domain turns keep things moving in the game, making the ''Birthright'' world more realistic. Haring concluded that the set was "an outstanding addition to the ''AD&D'' line" and its take on power gaming "will have you taking a second look at the concept. Highly recommended."

Reviews

*Preview: ''Shadis'' #21 *''Dragon'' #224 *''Shadis'' #24 *''Rollespilsmagasinet Fønix'' (Danish) (Issue 12 - Mar/Apr 1996)

References

{{D&D topics Birthright (campaign setting) supplements Origins Award winners Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1995

Contents

Publication history

Reception

Reviews

References