Monastyr
Encyclopedia
Monastyr is a Polish
role-playing game
set in a dark fantasy
world of Dominium.
Its setting
features a fantastic equivalent of the Age of Enlightenment
. Most often, the game plays in a cloak and dagger
mood and involves plotting, intrigue, but also struggle in the name of honour
. The game has been inspired by such authors as Alexandre Dumas, père
, Michael Moorcock
and H. P. Lovecraft
. It is published by Wydawnictwo Portal (Portal Publishing House) and it is currently available only in Polish.
The game does not shy from dealing with serious issues such as religion
or race. The players have to play human
s, and they are all followers of a certain monotheistic religion, known as Karianizm. The religion is based on Christian faith in one god mixed with reincarnation and the cycle of life known from Hinduism. The human countries, tied together with that religion, are involved in a long struggle against all other races (elves, dwarves, orcs, etc.); their religion dictates that all of those races are doomed and are beyond salvation, therefore must be exterminated as a minions of evil god Kusiciel (from polish Tempter.) Magic is also considered a sign of a devil or demons, so there are no (overt) mage characters.
The corebook, Monastyr, does not describe the lands of non-humans, instead it concentrates on the human empire, which, while united by a single faith and church, and is composed of over fifty separate countries, each involved in various struggles, political or military, with others.
Monastyr mechanics are based around the 3d20 system
.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
set in a dark fantasy
Dark fantasy
Dark fantasy is a term used to describe a fantasy story with a pronounced horror element.-Overview:A strict definition for dark fantasy is difficult to pin down. Gertrude Barrows Bennett has been called "the woman who invented dark fantasy". Both Charles L...
world of Dominium.
Its setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
features a fantastic equivalent of the Age of Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
. Most often, the game plays in a cloak and dagger
Cloak and dagger
Cloak and dagger is a term sometimes used to refer to situations involving intrigue, secrecy, espionage, or mystery.Cloak and dagger may refer to:-Music:* Cloak & Dagger * Cloak & Dagger , 1992...
mood and involves plotting, intrigue, but also struggle in the name of honour
Honour
Honour or honor is an abstract concept entailing a perceived quality of worthiness and respectability that affects both the social standing and the self-evaluation of an individual or corporate body such as a family, school, regiment or nation...
. The game has been inspired by such authors as Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, , born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was a French writer, best known for his historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world...
, Michael Moorcock
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....
and H. P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft
Howard Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
. It is published by Wydawnictwo Portal (Portal Publishing House) and it is currently available only in Polish.
The game does not shy from dealing with serious issues such as religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
or race. The players have to play human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s, and they are all followers of a certain monotheistic religion, known as Karianizm. The religion is based on Christian faith in one god mixed with reincarnation and the cycle of life known from Hinduism. The human countries, tied together with that religion, are involved in a long struggle against all other races (elves, dwarves, orcs, etc.); their religion dictates that all of those races are doomed and are beyond salvation, therefore must be exterminated as a minions of evil god Kusiciel (from polish Tempter.) Magic is also considered a sign of a devil or demons, so there are no (overt) mage characters.
The corebook, Monastyr, does not describe the lands of non-humans, instead it concentrates on the human empire, which, while united by a single faith and church, and is composed of over fifty separate countries, each involved in various struggles, political or military, with others.
Monastyr mechanics are based around the 3d20 system
3d20 system
The 3d20 system is the role-playing game system used in Neuroshima and Monastyr. Like the d20 System, it uses twenty-sided dice, but unlike that system it most typically uses three.-Core mechanic:#name the skill to be tested and the difficulty level...
.