History and Politics
Roma invasions South did not cross the Bosphorus, they never conquered Greece (though they absorbed a lot of its culture) and they never destroyed Carthage. North was a much greater success, and for a while they held much of the lands of the Franks and Albion, before being driven out by the Celts and other tribes, who held on to much of Roman culture.
Roma has gone backwards and forwards between being an autocracy and a republic several times over its history, and has now settled into a system where the emperor rules for life, but has quite clearly defined powers, effectively being responsible to the Senate, the Assemblies and the people. In theory impeachment of the emperor is possible.
In practice one of the things which problably helped save Rome was the reversal of the dilution of the Senate (by (Julius Caesar)). The Assemblies are the Centuriante Assembly, The Tribal Assembly, and the Plebeian Council, who deal with most domestic matters, and actually enact new legislation.
Politically Roma is split between the conservative and reform factions, with a third small 'independent' faction, who quite often hold the balance of power.
The reform faction, for example, want to move the national capital to Neapolis, the Spelljamming port. They say there is a need for political power and fast decision making there, as that is where new risks to Roma are likely to be first known about. They also say that is where much of the new wealth of the empire flows through, with a need for careful taxation.
The conservative faction point to past failures of reform policy, and are pushing instead for reinforcement of the imperial spelljamming commission, which they have firmly under their control.
Organisations
There is a group using conjuration and binding magic to prevent Vesuvius from erupting, and another devoted to maintaining the wards that contain the ancient ghosts of those killed when Pompeii and Heracleum were destroyed. Obviously, both groups need supplies of special materials, and there are those who attempt to sabotage their efforts. Then there are the worshippers of the various aspects of Vulcan (Hephaestus)...
International Relations
Roma still tends to refer to almost all other peoples as either savage, or decandent and corrupt, 'barbarians'. Any 'civilization' is obviously due to Roma influence.
Magic
For a long time Roma tried to deny that magic had any significant effect on imperial policy. However, the tribal spellcasters of the Celts and Gauls were a major factor in forcing Roma to withdraw, and even though the histories firmly deny it, scholarly Romans are quite sure that magic is a significant reason that Carthage, Persia and Greece held them off.
Added to the classical Roma legions are Adeptus Mil, military spellcasters originally trained by Gaulish adepts hired with Roma gold. These are followers but not true clerics of Mercurius Adeptus (use the class below). Their classic role is to be driven at speed around the battle field in a Light Chariot (enchanted with permanent Shield spells), making sure that enemy spellcasters interfere as little as possible with the legions. They also help in gathering military intelligence. While a Wizard, probably assisted by a Cleric, might be more useful in this role, this position is now fixed in Roma military doctrine. Their healing abilities should not be ignored, either.
Roma has always been rather suspicious of non-divine spellcasters, but in the last two centuries academies which train Wizards have been established, and they are almost acceptable now in general society. Barbarian (i.e. foreign) bards are tolerated, for their novelty value if nothing else, but any other spellcaster who does not have a religion, even a foreign one, to back them, is looked on at least with suspicion, and if there has been a recent mysterious illness or death, there may be a lynch mob to worry about.
Native Roma Sorcerers rarely get the opportunity to grow up in the empire, even if their familes are rich, and may be sent (effectively exiled) abroad for their own safety. A few may end up joining the military, and be trained as Adeptus Mil (with an initial level as Sorcerer).
Religion
Roma has a variety of imperial cult (i.e. worship of the Emperor). The way this works is that the Senate votes to deify the Emperor after death.
Romans still worship their Roman (Greek) Gods, and use the Roma and Greek names for them pretty interchangeably.
One of the changes that occured as a result of Roma withdrawal from their Northern conquests was a rise in the religion of Mercurius Adeptus, who has replaced Juptiter/Zeus as the chief god worshipped. Some claim that he was 'inspired' by the Celtic 'Lugh of the Long Hand', but conventional Roma theologians strongly deny this. The military are particularly fond of him.
Spelljamming
Roma has quite a thriving city-state, 'Nova Roma', on Selene.
The SJ port is Neapolis (Naples).
Adeptus Mil (Military Adept)
Alignment: May not be chaotic, as this would not suit Mercurius Adeptus, and does not suit military discipline.
Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills
The adeptus mil's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Most adeptus mil will have 'Profession (charioteer)', as that is where they will have served their apprenticeship, as the driver for a more senior adeptus mil. It should be noted that the feat Craft Magic Arms and Armor is used to make and repair the magically-protected battle chariots that adeptus mil almost always use (see Light Chariot, below).
Table: The Adeptus Mil
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special
1st +0 +2 +0 +2
2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Summon familiar
3rd +2 +3 +1 +3
4th +3 +4 +1 +4
5th +3 +4 +1 +4
6th +4 +5 +2 +5
7th +5 +5 +2 +5
8th +6/+1 +6 +2 +6
9th +6/+1 +6 +3 +6
10th +7/+2 +7 +3 +7
11th +8/+3 +7 +3 +7
12th +9/+4 +8 +4 +8
13th +9/+4 +8 +4 +8
14th +10/+5 +9 +4 +9
15th +11/ +6/+1 +9 +5 +9
16th +12/ +7/+2 +10 +5 +10
17th +12/ +7/+2 +10 +5 +10
18th +13 /+8/+3 +11 +6 +11
19th +14/ +9/+4 +11 +6 +11
20th +15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +12
--- Spells per Day ----
Level 0 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1st 3 1 - - - -
2nd 3 1 - - - -
3rd 3 2 - - - -
4th 3 2 0 - - -
5th 3 2 1 - - -
6th 3 2 1 - - -
7th 3 3 2 - - -
8th 3 3 2 0 - -
9th 3 3 2 1 - -
10th 3 3 2 1 - -
11th 3 3 3 2 - -
12th 3 3 3 2 0 -
13th 3 3 3 2 1 -
14th 3 3 3 2 1 -
15th 3 3 3 3 2 -
16th 3 3 3 3 2 0
17th 3 3 3 3 2 1
18th 3 3 3 3 2 1
19th 3 3 3 3 3 2
20th 3 3 3 3 3 2
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the adeptus mil.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Adeptus mil are proficient with all simple weapons, with light and medium armor, with shields (in particular the scutum), and with two (Roma military) martial weapons (such as gladius and pilum).
Spells: An adeptus mil casts divine spells which are drawn from the adeptus mil spell list (see below). Like a cleric, an adeptus mil must choose and prepare her spells in advance. Unlike a cleric, an adeptus mil cannot spontaneously cast cure or inflict spells.
To prepare or cast a spell, an adeptus mil must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an adeptus mil's spell is 10 + the spell level + the adeptus mil's Wisdom modifier.
Adeptus mil, unlike wizards, do not acquire their spells from books or scrolls, nor do they prepare them through study. Instead, they meditate or pray for their spells, receiving them as divine inspiration or through their own strength of faith. Each adeptus mil must choose a time each day at which she must spend an hour in quiet contemplation or supplication to regain her daily allotment of spells. Time spent resting has no effect on whether an adeptus mil can prepare spells.
Like other spellcasters, an adeptus mil can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on "Table: The Adeptus Mil". In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Wisdom score.
When "Table: The Adeptus Mil" indicates that the adeptus mil gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, she gains only the bonus spells she would be entitled to based on her Wisdom score for that spell level.
Each adeptus mil has a holy symbol of Mercurius Adeptus (as a divine focus) as that is the adeptus mil magical tradition.
Summon Familiar: At 2nd level, an adeptus mil can call a familiar, just as a sorcerer or wizard can; this will typically be some creature of use in a military setting.
Adeptus Mil Spell List
Adeptus mil choose their spells from the following list.
0 Level: create water, cure minor wounds, detect magic, ghost sound, guidance, light, mending, purify food and drink, read magic, touch of fatigue.
1st Level: bless, burning hands, cause fear, command, comprehend languages, create air, cure light wounds, detect chaos, detect evil, detect good, detect law, endure elements, obscuring mist, protection from chaos, protection from evil, protection from good, protection from law, sleep.
2nd Level: aid, animal trance, bear's endurance, bull's strength, cat's grace, cure moderate wounds, darkness, delay poison, invisibility, mirror image, resist energy, scorching ray, see invisibility, web.
3rd Level: animate dead, bestow curse, contagion, continual flame, cure serious wounds, daylight, deeper darkness, lightning bolt, neutralize poison, remove curse, remove disease, tongues.
4th Level: cure critical wounds, minor creation, polymorph, restoration, stoneskin, wall of fire.
5th Level: baleful polymorph, break enchantment, commune, create minor helm, heal, major creation, raise dead, true seeing, wall of stone.
Light Chariots are the means by which Adeptus Mil move rapidly around battlefields, so as to support legions against enemy spellcasters. Typically these are drawn by two light warhorses, bred and trained for the task, and carry a driver and one or two passengers. Two horses are used so that if one is disabled or killed the chariot, once the downed horse has been released, can still be used. Two passenger Adeptus Mil is a tactic used when the enemy spellcasters are expected to be particularly numerous. The driver is usually a more junior Adeptus Mil, or in emergencies a suitably trained Warrior, and their job is to get their passenger(s) where they want to be, and get them off the battlefield if they are felled.
The chariots are wickerwork with two reinforced wheels, and the harness for the horses is arranged so that only a few rounds work is needed to release either of the horses so as to continue with just one. Assume that a chariot carrying two and drawn by two horses can move at the same speed as the horses could, and more load or less horses slows things down.
A chariot costs 185 gp for the basic masterwork chariot, has a Caster Level of 7th for the permanent twin Shield spells (providing 360 degree protection for chariot, horses, driver and passengers), a Prerequisite of Craft Magic Arms and Armor, and a Market Price of 4,000 gp.
The chariot has Hardness 5, Hit Points 20, and save bonuses of +6.
(c) Dreamer Publications, 1980 - August 2006
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