Pyramid: Pyramid Pick: Legions of the Empire (for Fading Suns)

Pyramid Pick

Legions of the Empire

Published by Holistic Design

Written by Bill Bridges, Andrew Greenberg, Christopher Howard, and Ken Lightner

128 pages, $19.95
Sometimes you just want to blow things up. How can you go about it in the Fading Suns setting? GMs and players have their choice of options with Legions of the Empire.
The introduction of the book, "Alustro's Journal," shows the maneuvering that takes place between nobles. The real meat, the History of War, focuses on the history of the Fading Suns, with war's influence showcased. GMs already familiar with the game universe's history may want to refresh themselves with the sections on the Symbiot War and the Emperor Wars as they have an impact on current campaigns.
The Ways of War covers how each of the noble houses fight and what they're known for. The Li Halan Faithful are known for their determination, the Hazat for having the best-trained soldiers. The Hawkwood cadres rely on experience and skill while the Decados depend on masses of serfs to overwhelm their enemies. The strokes painted here are broad, but do include examples that fall outside the norm. League Specialists, Krgans, and Vuldroks also get equal time.
The section on Barracks Culture includes the different types of military men. There are Lifers, people who join for life and seek out not only opportunities to shine, but also showcase their professional attitude in everyday live, to grunts that are basically enslaved and forced to fight. . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.

Article publication date: January 14, 2000

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