7th lake
| 7th Sea (7th Sea) |
|
|---|---|
| publication | |
| Author (s) | John Wick, Jennifer Wick, Kevin Wilson |
| Original publisher | Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG) |
| Original publication | 1999 |
| original language | English |
| German publisher | Games-In, world of games |
| German publication | 2000 |
| World and system | |
| genre | Cloak & sword , fantasy |
| Game world | Théah |
| Basic system | Roll-and-Keep, since 2004 also d20 |
| Ascent | dynamic |
| cube | W10, since 2004 also W20 |
7te See is a pen and paper role-playing game in the style of a coat-and-epee movie . The role-playing game was originally published in English in 1999 under the title 7th Sea by the Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG) and depicts the action-packed film genre in the game. In addition, the genre is expanded to include various fantastic elements, resulting in a crossover with fantasy , which is referred to in the game as cloak, sword and sorcery .
publication
7te See came onto the German market in 2000, the rights to this were owned by Welt der Spiele from Lich and Games-In Verlag in Munich . Games-In has had sole rights since WdS ceased to exist.
system
7th lake is originally based on a mechanism called roll-and-keep , in which a number of ten-sided dice are rolled based on the character's abilities and attributes. However, only as many of these dice are kept as the relevant attribute indicates, and the result is then added together in order to exceed a certain difficulty value. The details of the system are very much designed to support the dramatic and action-packed vibe of the coat-and-epee genre. There is a value called Panache , which reflects the quick-wittedness of the character, reputation points , which show his fame and so-called drama dice , which allow various cinematic effects and can be won through spectacular or dramatic actions.
In 2004 a version of 7th Sea based on the d20 system was released, but there is no German edition for it.
Game world
7te See takes up the motif of the classic coat-and-sword film and supplements it with some very dark, magical elements. At the center of the dramatic adventures are usually aware of exaggerated hero in a world that to the Europe of the 17th century is based. Pirates , musketeers and secret societies are just as much leitmotifs as the struggle between scientific progress and religious fanaticism.
The mood and the genre of the 7th Sea corresponds, for example, to the films Pirates of the Caribbean , Pact of the Wolves , Zorro or Dangerous Liaisons .
Theah
The main focus of the plot is on the fictional continent Theah , which largely resembles Europe but is not the same. The continent is surrounded by six seas , a seventh, the legendary Seventh Sea, is said to be somewhere in the world called Terra , but it does not appear to be easily accessible.
The most widespread religion is the Vatican faith. It is similar to Catholic Christianity in its customs, but is a lot more Gnostic . Faith revolves around the god called Theus and his four prophets (the three who have already been and the one who is yet to come). For some time now, one of the most powerful instruments of the Church has been the Holy Inquisition , which primarily fights against magic and witchcraft, but also against scientific progress, and stages cruel executions in the name of Theus and the third prophet.
What distinguishes Theah most from Europe is the magic. There are various forms, all of which are hereditary and strongly associated with the nobility, as they have been passed down from the ruling families since ancient times. Most of the nations of Theahs have their very own magic, which is mostly widespread among the high nobility and therefore gives the Theahnic rulers tangible more power than the people of the lower classes. The Church usually regards sorcery as a sin, but this rarely prevents sorcerers from exercising their skills.
history
Theah's history is also largely similar to that of Europe, but also differs greatly from it in some points:
Early history
Scientists know that long before humans there was an intelligent, nonhuman species (called Syrneth) who once populated Theah. Everywhere on the continent and on some offshore islands there are ruins and artifacts that suggest that the Syrneth must have had a high-tech culture.
Antiquity
Similar to the Roman Empire , a huge world empire also existed on Theah. The Numic Empire had its origin in the Vodaccian city of Numa and had developed (also analogous to Rome ) from a republic to an empire. The story goes that the senators of this empire entered into a trade with dark powers in order to create a counterweight against the overpowering emperor. With the help of Syriac artifacts, they gave themselves and their families magical powers. This magic factor soon became hereditary and spread among noble families of most nations.
The prophets
The first prophet appeared in Numa and declared that the god Theus had sent him. He proclaimed that sorcery was a sin and that people should turn away from this unnatural power. He also announced the arrival of three more prophets.
The second prophet instituted a strict code of conduct and was captured and executed in the realm of the crescent moon.
The third prophet founded the inquisition and called the crusades against the kingdom of the crescent to avenge the death of the second prophet.
The prophecy about the fourth prophet is commonly understood as the announcement of the apocalypse . According to popular belief, his appearance heralds the end of the world.
Nations
Avalon
Avalon is primarily based on Elizabethan Great Britain , but also has allusions to the Arthurian legend . As with Great Britain, it is an island kingdom consisting of several islands, namely Avalon (based on England ), Innesmore ( Ireland ) and the highland marshes ( Scotland ). The ruler is Queen Elaine , who above all strives for the unity of the three islands.
Eisenlande
The iron lands correspond to the Holy Roman Empire . The War of the Cross ( Thirty Years War ) has just ended with the Emperor's suicide, and the country is devastated. The nation is divided into several lands, each of which is ruled by regional rulers, the so-called iron princes.
Castile
Castile is very similar to the Iberian Peninsula ( Spain , Portugal ) but also borrows from nineteenth-century California. A folk hero known as El Vago (the vagabond) appears again and again (analogous to Zorro), who protects the life of the still very young King Sandoval and represents a counterweight to the overpowering Inquisition.
Montaigne
Montaigne is very similar to absolutist France at the time of the Sun King . The ruler, Léon Alexandre du Montaigne , is one of the most powerful men in the world and an open practitioner of witchcraft. His public commitment to sorcery made its use socially acceptable in Montaigne and drew the disgust of the Church to the entire nation.
Ussura
Ussura corresponds predominantly to Russia but also in parts to other Eastern European countries, such as Romania . It is still very much like the Middle Ages, but Gaius Ilya the Terrible strives for renewal. A legendary figure called Matuschka is supposed to watch over the whole country. She is worshiped almost like god and is the personification of the forces of nature in Ussura. (compare Baba Jaga and Father Frost )
Vendel / Vesten
These islands in the far north are home to two cultures: the one living here the Vestenmannavnjar that the Vikings are based, on the other hand to Dutch reminiscent Vendel . These come from the same roots, but have decided to live a modern and business-oriented life. The Vendel Trade League now has economic influence in almost every corner of the continent.
Vodacce
Vodacce is roughly equivalent to Italy in terms of location and history , but the mood is specifically aimed at Italian city-states such as Florence or, even more so, Venice . The whole country is ruled by a few families who are constantly at odds with one another. Similar to the Medici or the Savoy, they continually forge intrigues against one another, and poison attacks are the order of the day. The seat of power are the islands in the south of the country, which, like the Venice lagoon, are full of canals and bridges.
There are also two other areas that are not the focus of the game:
The realm of the crescent
The spell of the Church lies on the realm of the crescent. Since it is populated by pagans who murdered the second prophet, very few people are officially allowed to travel to this land. Nevertheless, goods from this area, which is reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire, are very popular among nobles.
Kathay
By Kathay the Theahners mean a legendary country that is located in the far east behind a seemingly impenetrable wall of flames. Almost no facts are known about this area, and yet merchants occasionally come through the flames to trade with the continent (compare Cathay ).
Magic in Théah
The magic of Theah is fundamentally different from the usual fantasy sorcery. It's much darker and much more tied to the history of the world. Popular belief says that magic comes from the pact of the Numic Senators with the Legion (demonic powers). Since each senator was given his own power, sorcery is divided into so-called legacies. In 1668 the nations (with a few exceptions) each claim a specific magical legacy for themselves. In addition, the gifts are hereditary, but are lost from generation to generation if both parents do not have sufficiently strong potential. For this reason, magic is also strongly associated with the nobility and is only rarely, or in a weakened form, practiced by the common people. Indeed, this belief does not apply to all forms of magic, but it is the generally accepted view and dogma of the Church which vigorously opposes magic.