Blue Rose (role-playing game)

Blue Rose (role-playing game)

Infobox RPG
title= Blue Rose


caption=Blue Rose
designer= Jeremy Crawford, Dawn Elliot, Stephen Kenson, John Snead
publisher= Green Ronin Publishing
date= 2005
genre= Romantic Fantasy
system= True20
footnotes=

Blue Rose is a fantasy role-playing game published by Green Ronin Publishing in 2005. The game is described as being in the romantic fantasy genre — it is inspired by fantasy fiction such as that of Mercedes Lackey and Diane Duane as opposed to Robert E. Howard–style of swords and sorcery. In romantic fantasy the emphasis is on role-playing and character interaction rather than on combat. This makes for a more social game than is typical for fantasy RPGs. The game uses a lightened version of the D20 system, called True 20. Blue Rose won the Gen Con ENWorld Roleplaying Silver Medal for Best Rules in 2005 [cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | title = 2005 ENnie Awards Archives | work = | publisher = ENWorld | date = | url = http://www.ennieawards.com/2005.html | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2008-04-11] . Green Ronin subsequently released True20 as a separate system without a setting and genre neutral. [cite web | last = Gray | first = Tim | authorlink = | title = REVIEW OF TRUE20 ADVENTURE ROLEPLAYING | work = | publisher = RPGNet | date = 2005-07-11| url = http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/11/11392.phtml | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2008-04-11]

Setting

Blue Rose is set in a world called "Aldea", and most campaigns center around the "Kingdom of Aldis". Aldis is a monarchy whose ruler is chosen by divine intervention rather than inheritance. The current ruler is Queen Jaellin, who earned the throne when "the Golden Hart", a being symbolizing rightful rulership, chose her over rival contenders. Populations of sentient telepathic animals are prevalent in Aldis (talking animals are a common theme in fantasy literature, but far less so in role-playing) and are considered equal citizens on par with humans. A significant percentage of the population of Aldis is openly homosexual or bisexual (again, this is unusual by comparison with other fantasy role-playing settings).

By fantasy standards Aldis supports a strongly progressive worldview. Feminism, environmentalism and acceptance of homosexual-transgender lifestyles are strongly implied to be objectively correct. The setting is clearly meant to be the sort of idealized state that players with such sensibilities would choose to defend. However, Aldis is not free of internal strife, including a Mafia-like criminal organization known as The Silence, corrupted nobles and various dark-magic cults.

Aldis endures tense relations with Jarzon, a neighboring realm of intolerant fanatically religious ultra-conservatives fashioned after an extreme version of Evangelical Fundamentalism. Both nations are threatened by Kern, an evil kingdom of necromancers, and have occasionally operated as uneasy allies aganst the common aggressor.

Controversies

Upon initial release, Blue Rose was met with general approval and even some acclaim by the gaming hobby. The greatest attention was directed at the rules system, which was praised as a skillful slimming down of the comparatively more cumbersome d20 rules. However, though it had its fans, the setting generally received only passing interest, and a very vocal minority decried it. The mildest complaints alleged the setting was too modern or politically correct in its attitudes for a fantasy setting, while the harshest critics accused the game of promoting a radically liberal agenda, or simply being adolescently moon-eyed and recklessly naive. In many online discussions, Blue Rose was derisively referred to as a "gay role-playing game", even though mention of the homosexual segment of Aldea's population only composes a very small fraction of the book, and does not have a substantial effect on play.

Representatives of Green Ronin have made comments to the effect that the game was originally intended to be targeted at female readers of romantic fantasy, but complications led to it being distributed through traditional gaming distributors instead.

Critics have pointed out that while the setting encourages violence as a solution less than most fantasy games, nonetheless the greater part of the rules govern combat, and there is no detailed social conflict resolution system.

Despite these issues, Blue Rose still debuted largely to acclaim. Three supplemental books were published (in addition to the original core rulebook). [http://www.greenronin.com/bluerose]

Green Ronin later released True20 as a separate game, without any default setting. The company now treats Blue Rose as one setting for True20 [cite web | last = Baichtal | first = John | authorlink = | title = True20: D&D With a Twist | work = Review | publisher = Wired | date = 2008-06-09| url = http://blog.wired.com/geekdad/2008/06/true20-dd-with.html| format = | doi = | accessdate = 2008-06-10] - for example, the Blue Rose forum was abandoned and replaced with a section in the True20 forum. [http://www.true20.com/forum]

References

External links

* [http://true20.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=5 The New Noble Assembly: The Official Forum for Blue Rose]
* [http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/11/11354.phtml A critical review of Blue Rose from RPG.net] and [http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/11/11365.phtml a more favorable one] , both linked to extensive discussion.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Blue Rose (disambiguation) — Blue Rose can refer to:* Blue rose, the colored flower. * Blue Rose, a Symbolist artist association in Moscow from 1906 to 1908. * Blue Rose (band), an all female bluegrass music band. * Blue Rose (role playing game), a role playing game. *The… …   Wikipedia

  • 7th Sea (role-playing game) — Infobox RPG title= 7th Sea caption= Cover for 7th Sea Game Master s Guide Polish edition created by Jennifer Wick and John Wick designer= Jennifer Wick, John Wick, Kevin Wilson publisher= Alderac Entertainment Group date= 1999 genre=… …   Wikipedia

  • Rifts (role-playing game) — Rifts Cover of Rifts Ultimate Edition: a Splugorth emerges from a rift behind a ley line walker. Designer(s) Kevin Siembieda Publisher(s) Palladium Books …   Wikipedia

  • Role-playing video game — Part of a series on …   Wikipedia

  • List of role-playing video games: 2002 to 2003 — Part of a series on …   Wikipedia

  • List of role-playing games by name — This is a list of role playing games (RPGs) by name. For a list subdivided by genre, see list of role playing games by genre.This list does not include computer role playing games, MMORPGs, or any other video games with RPG elements.Most of these …   Wikipedia

  • List of role-playing games by genre — This is a list of role playing games, subdivided by genre (although many games do not fit clearly into one genre or another). It does not include computer role playing games, MMORPGs, or any other video games with RPG elements. Most of these… …   Wikipedia

  • Chronology of tactical role-playing video games: 2000 to 2004 — Part of a series on …   Wikipedia

  • List of Japanese role-playing games by genre — This is a list of role playing games made in Japan. It does not include computer role playing games or any other video games with RPG elements. Fantasy * Alshard [http://www.fear.co.jp/alshard/index.htm official site] , fantasy with mecha like… …   Wikipedia

  • Rose Bowl Game — Granddaddy of Them All redirects here. For the pay per view wrestling event, see WrestleMania. Rose Bowl Game The Granddaddy of Them All 2011 Rose Bowl game logo Stadium Rose Bowl Location Pasadena, California …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”