Faustus & Furious How to play Lex Arcana
Francesco Nepitello: One of the most surprising things we became aware of when rewriting Lex Arcana is that many games of the previous generation had complex rule sets (like Advanced D&D, MERP and Warhammer, which we played in Italy at the time) while they’re now trying to streamline. Lex Arcana already had that very directness in the first edition, so we are now following the opposite path: adding depth. The game was designed for absolute newbies from the very beginning, and this still serves it well when playing in conventions, tournaments, open table sessions and casual gaming. Today the difference between basic and advanced rules, together with the true simplicity of both, is a remarkable added value that we can further refine, without great effort. The hard work was already done!
Character Design Development Procedure
Instead, as I said, we will add a bit of complexity… What is happening beyond the Empire’s borders? Is it possible to play in other historical periods? What are the biggest threats to Rome? Are there any traitors inside the Empire and the Cohors itself? As their rank increases, what choices can the Custodes make? What adventures are there for the most experienced characters? How could a Lex Arcana hero’s career end? What will happen to the Empire, let’s say, after another twenty-five years? And so on…
Marco Maggi: We are changing the game by adding, rebalancing and deepening it. Right now we are planning a system of abilities (very simple and easy to learn) that adds depth to character advancement, without breaking the overall mechanics. With the occult magic available to the more experienced characters and the advancement by rank in the Cohors, the new abilities will improve campaigns and hero growth.
Players requested a more marked difference between Peritiae and Virtutes, and hand to hand combat. These changes have been already tested and added, along with the Sortes.
We have found it necessary to insert Fatigue, a parameter that sits alongside Life Points to increase realism and to partially balance the Dice Points system. I will not go on for too long as we are testing it right now, but it is a gear that was missing from the game’s engine and we are now oiling and adjusting it to make everything smoother and more solid.
Finally, how will this new Lex Arcanabe? We are working to give you the most intriguing, accurate and fun role-playing game set in the Roman Age you have ever played
