OTR - Dune RPG - Core Rules v.5

TTHHEEDDUUNNEERRPPGG..VVEERRSSIIOONN00..55

Welcome to the

DUNE RPG

. This is intended as a classic pen and paper Role-Play forexperienced gamers and fans of the original Dune Legend.This document probably violates several copyright laws, however, it is designed solely for thefans, as it was written by fans.

DDiissccllaaiimmeerrss::

This is a work of Fan-dom. I avoid the word Fiction because the aim of this project is toprovide something as close to Frank Herbert’s original vision as possible. Most of the detailswithin this document are from the “Dune Encyclopaedia” rather than the new preludes as itgives a better understanding of classic dune. Certain parts of the preludes have beenincluded however. I have marked the sections accordingly.This work is based on the “Legend of the Five Rings” Role-Play due to its simplicity and easeof modification. Fans of that system should find this document quite straightforward. Othersmay need a little time to get used to the idea but all information needed is included within thisdocument. Further supplements detailing the “Ways” of the major factions can be found onthe Dune RPG Website.Obviously, this beta document is NOT for reproduction or amending in anyway by these whodownload this. This is considered my property and as such, may not be altered orredistributed without my permission.

IINNTTRROODDUUCCTTIIOONN..

WWhhaattiissaaRRoollee--PPllaayy??WWhhaatt’’ssDDuunneeaallllaabboouutt??

“A Beginning is a very Delicate Time”

– Irulan Corrino

What is Dune? What is a Roleplay? A Roleplay is a game where the players take on apersona and play through a scenario in their own way. A Roleplay game can be great fun forall. A typical game has a number of players and a Games Master. The Games Master isresponsible for the organising and running of the game. All the decisions and rule making aremade by the GM.There are many famous Role-Play games that you may have heard of, both on a Console orComputer and in books. Some people may not have heard of the latter. Book or, morecommonly, Pen and Paper, Role-Plays are the most common, and have been around forsome time. The Dune Role-Play is such a game. It uses a similar rule system to Legend ofthe Five Rings™ due to simplicity and in-built similarities.Dune is the first in a set of books by Frank Herbert. There are 6 original books and 3 preludeswritten by Brian Herbert. There is also a semi-official companion that covers the first 4 originalbooks. In addition to the literature, 4 games exist for the PC, including one role-play based onthe 1

st

book, and several “Real Time Strategy” games. A 5

th

adventure game is also plannedalong with a 6

th

Internet Battle Game.

LLeeggeennddoof f tthheeFFiivveeRRiinnggss™™

As this is version 1.0 of the Dune Role-Play, it was decided to base the game around an easyand simple system. That system is the Legend of Five Rings™ system. The reasons for thisare twofold. One , its easy and I know how to use it. Two, the ideas in place can be fitted wellto the Dune Universe.This document isn’t complete in itself to run a complete game. Knowledge of the rules (suchas how skills are dealt with) within the Legend System will be needed. This may be reviewedat a later time.

TThheeDDuunneeRRPPGGUUnniivveerrssee

The Dune universe should be fairly familiar to the players to begin with. It is recommendedthat all players and GM’s read at least the original book “Dune” before venturing into the DuneUniverse. This small document could never cover all the wonder of the Dune legend. OnlyFrank Herbert can do that.The game is set for the year 10100, 91 years before the events of the First Dune book. This isa tense period, only 100 years or so before the Atreides coup and the Fremen Jihad. It is agood year for “Classic” Dune adventures.Dune covers an amazing universe set several thousand years into mankind’s future. Humancivilization is extremely advanced both mentally and technologically. The world we know isbut a distant, ancient legend. Humanity covers several galaxies, thousands upon thousandsof worlds, and millions of different sects, religions and races.The whole empire is governed by the Padishar Emperors. They have ruled from the PlanetKaitain for thousands of years. The form of government is essentially Feudal with the Lords,Barons and other nobles governing imperial granted fiefs. The whole empire rests on a tripodstructure. The CHOAM company represents the landsraad; the amalgamation of all thehouses minor and major, the Spacingguild with their monopoly on bankingand interstellar transport, and theGolden Lion throne, upon which sits theemperor.Wars are common, but they are foughtwith intrigue. The artillery are theCourtiers, poison and words theirammunition. There are many powers inthe universe, all vying and jockeying forpositions of power. But there is oneniche in the armour. One thing thatcontrols all else. The spice melange.The spice melange is the most important substance in the universe. Discovered after thegreat war against the machines, spice became the one thing in the universe capable ofreuniting humanity. With spice, guild ships can be guided through the void. With spice, theReverend Mothers can transcend space and time. With spice, people live 2 to 4 times as long.With spice, one becomes powerful. Oh, did I mention that the spice can only be found on oneplanet. Arrakis. Also known as Dune.

FFaaccttiioonnss

The current emperor is Fredhrick XIX. He directs his empire from the Planet Kaitain. He hastrillions of souls to govern, over a vast distance. He maintains his control through the fiercesardaukar legions; trained killers, the most peerless fighting force in the galaxy.An Empire can’t exist without transport, commerce and trade. The spacing guild fills this role.They hold the monopoly on all communication and travel. They are the wings of the imperium.Without the guild, there is no empire.The vast reaches of space are too massive to be governed by one man. The last leg of thetripod is the Landsraad. The Landsraad consists of the great and minor houses. They arerepresented financially by the Combine Honnete Ober Advancer Mercantiles, known asCHOAM. This board controls stocks, shares and trading and is linked to the guild.Religion is a powerful force in the empire, often overlooked. The Bene Gesserit Sisterhoodoverseas the religion of the empire and much, much more. The sisterhood has its own goalsand motives but wields large amounts of power, greater than almost all the great houses.They are akin to an unseen hand. They prefer to work behind the scenes to further their owngoal. The creation of the Kwisatz Haderach.IX. The name of the planet that spawned the Butlerian Jihad (Known as Komos* at the time ofthe Jihad) is the one remaining home of advanced technology. They are purveyors to thegreat houses and the empire. IX is a special force in its own right. Like the Bene Gesserit, IXis an overlooked force, full of potential.The Dirty Tleilaxu cannot be forgotten. The Tleilaxu are similar to the Ixians but concentrateon the “Soft Sciences” such as biology, pharmacology and such. They are the supremeamoralists of their time. They provide a much needed, if not often mentioned, service to therich and powerful. Everything is either a tool or product to the Tleilaxu.The Fremen control Dune, but no-one knows this. One of the best kept secrets in the universe,mainly because the universe doesn’t care about anything but the Spice as far as dune isconcerned. The Fremen were once known as the Zensunni Wanderers. They were one of themost persecuted sects in the history of mankind, and they will not forget.In a universe where “thinking machines” are considered “blasphemous” and “evil” the Order ofMentats fill a very large and important void. Some of the most valuable people in theImperium are Mentats. Capable of amazing feats of cognitive ability, their mental functionsare second to none.