TEXT:  
   
   
   
  Bronze Age Rules Sourcebook 
   
  1.0 Version (2005 AD) 
   
   
  Compendium of rules from my RuneQuest campaign set in the Ancient Middle East. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  By   Eduardo Chamón 
  
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  Cover image: Standard of Ur, scenes of war c.2700 BC 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Please note RuneQuest and Warhamer Ancient  Battles are copyright of The Avalon Hill 
  Game Company and Games Workshop. All rights reserved. All images taken without 
  formal permission from the Web, they belong to their respective authors. This text is 
  purely done for fun and personal use with no intention to earn money or offend the 
  owners of the images and rulebooks copyrights. Feel free to have fun with it. 
  
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  1. Introduction 
   
   
   
  This file is just a compilation of house rules of my own to set my RQ games in the times 
  of bronze weapons and chariot warfare. It is my intention to cover all Bronze Age 
  period,  but here  I only provide rules from 3000 to 1300 BC. This age includes the 
  Sumerian and Akkadian Empires, Old and Medium Egyptian Kingdoms and the 
  Hammurabic Babylonian Empire. 
   
  As this work is just some new rules I haven’t written a full description of every culture 
  and important day-life information to run a roleplaying campaign. This is not a full 
  sourcebook like “Vikings” or “Land of ninja” (although I would like to have the 
  knowledge and time to write it), just some useful rules that I hope will help you. 
   
  The Cults in the religion chapter are not really in depth developed, but for quick 
  character creation will give a reasonable guide.  
   
  This rules assume the use of RuneQuest III system, the phalanx combat rules appeared 
  in “Sun County” and the chariot rules of “Monster Coliseum”, that even include 
  sumerian, egyptian and hitite chariots! 
   
  Much of the information and inspiration come from the Warhammer Ancient Battles  
  book “Chariot Wars” and of course “RuneQuest”.  
   
  This work is dedicated to that  rulebooks and to their designers.  
   
  Enjoy! 
   
   
      Eduardo Chamón 
  nexus6e@yahoo.es 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
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  Victory stele of Naram-Sim c. 2300 BC 
   
  
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  2. Peoples and cultures. 
   
   
  3000 BC – 1300 BC 
   
   
  PRIMITIVE 
  1- Kush 
  2- Nubia 
   
  NOMAD 
  1- Amorites 
  2- Kassites 
  3- Lybia 
   
  BARBARIAN 
  1- Gutium 
  2- Hattic States 
  3- Makkan 
  4- Minoans 
  5- Syria 
  6- Subartu 
   
  CIVILISED 
  1- Akkad 
  2- Elam 
  3- Egypt 
  4- Hammurabic Babylonia 
  5- Sumer 
  6- Empire of Ur 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
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  3. Character creation 
   
   
  Characters may access to the profession “Chariot driver” of Monster Coliseum if they 
  belong previously to the profession  “Soldier”.  
   
  No horse or camel riding until circa 900BC. Nobles, soldiers and suitable professions 
  will have “Drive chariot” instead. Nomad professions will change their hability points 
  of “Ride” to “Hide” or “Sneak”. 
   
  No Iniciate of any cult learn to “Read/Write” except priests and nobles, instead PC get 
  points in one additional language or “Human lore”. Scribes of course gain points as 
  described in their profession, but no through Iniciate experience. 
   
   
   
   
  Sargon of Akkad 
   
   
   
   
  Sumerian soldiers from Lagash bearing shields, spears and copper helmets 
  
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  4. Cultural weapons 
   
  These are the weapons and starting percentages most used by each culture, and that will 
  be worn by a typical soldier with his appropiate armor. In civilised armies there will be 
  warriors with less armor (slingers, skirmishers), and in any army nobles and officials 
  will often wear better armor. 
   
  Note that some cultures lose points compared to RQIII rules, you can balance PC 
  creation letting Amorites characters to have points in shield for example, but  it won’t 
  be listed as initial equipment. 
   
  KUSH / NUBIA 
  Spear 1H 
  25 
  Mace 1H 
  25 
  Short bow 
  25 
  Small shield 20 
   
  Armor: None 
   
  Notes: Chieftains wear animal skins 
  capes of 1 armor point in chest, 
  abdomen and arms. 
   
  AMORITES 
  Spear 1H 
   
  20 
  Javelin or Short bow 20 
   
  Armor: None 
   
  KASSITES 
  Mace 1H 
   
  20 
  Composite bow 
  20 
   
  Armor: None 
   
  LYBIA 
  Short sword  
  20 
  Javelin or Short bow 20 
   
  Armor: animal hide cloack (1 AP in 
  chest, abdomen and one leg.) 
   
  GUTIUM 
  Spear 1M 
   
   
  25 
  Javelin  
   
   
  25 
  Axe 2H 
   
   
  15 
  Bow or throwing stick 
  25 
   
  Armor: 1AP animal hide on chest, 
  abdomen and one leg. 
  HATTIC STATES 
  Spear 1H 
  25 
  Axe 1H 
  25 
  Axe 2H 
  15 
  Comet shield 25 
   
  Armor: None 
   
  Notes: They used large shields, use the 
  norman/comet shield stats. 
   
  MAKKAN 
  Spear 1H 
  25 
  Short sword 25 
  Javelin  
  25 
  Dagger  
  25 
   
  Armor: None 
   
  MINOANS 
  Spear 1H or 2H 
  25 
  Short sword  
  25 
  Short bow or Javelin 25 
  Comet shield  
  25 
   
  Armor: Helmet made or boars’ tusks (3 
  AP) 
   
  Notes: They used huge bull-hide 
  ‘tower’ shields or ‘figure of eight’ 
  shields, use the norman/comet shield 
  stats. 
   
  SYRIA 
  Spear 1H 
  25 
  Bow or Javelin25 
  Dagger  
  25 
   
  Armor: None 
  
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  SUBARTU 
  Spear 1H 
  25 
  Mace 1H 
  25 
  Short bow 
  25 
   
  Armor: None 
   
  AKKAD / SUMER / EMPIRE OF UR 
  Short sword, axe or mace 1H 25 
  Spear 1H or 2H 
   
  20 
  Composite bow (Akkadians) 25 
  Javelin or stick (Sumer, Ur) 25 
  Great rectangle shield  
  25 
   
  Armor: 
   
  Akkad: Copper helmet (4 AP), leather or 
  felt cross straps in chest and abdomen 
  (1AP) 
  Lagash: Copper helmet (4 AP), leather 
  or felt cross straps in chest and 
  abdomen (1AP) 
  Ur: Copper helmet (4AP), thick felt or 
  leather cape reinforced with copper 
  discs   
  (2AP 
  in 
  every 
  Hit 
  location except head) 
  Other cities: Copper helmet (4 AP), 
  thick felt or leather cape (1AP in every 
  Hit location except head) 
   
   
   
  ELAM 
  Short sword  
  25 
  Spear 1H 
   
  20 
  Composite bow 
  25 
   
  Armor: Copper helmet (4 AP) 
   
  EGYPT 
  Axe, mace or khepesh 
  25 
  Spear 1H 
   
   
  20 
  Composite bow 
   
  25 
  Comet shield  
   
  25 
   
  Armor: None 
   
   
  HAMMURABIC BABYLONIA 
  Short sword, sickle sword or axe 1H 25 
  Spear 1H 
   
   
   
  20 
  Javelin or throwing stick 
   
  25 
  Herald shield  
   
   
  25 
   
  Armor: Copper helmet (4AP), felt cross 
  straps supporting a bronze or leather 
  breastplate 
  (3 
  AP 
  on 
  chest 
  and 
  abdomen) 
   
  Notes: Babylonians used medium size 
  hide shields with a vague shape of 
  diamond, use the herald shield stats. 
  Use the Khepesh stats for the sickle 
  sword. Axes were more common. 
   
   
  
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  5. Weapons 
   
   
  In Ancient Times men only worked one metal to make tools, the copper; but copper is 
  too soft to make solid weapons, so for many centuries men fought each other using 
  weapons made of stone, bone and wood. No doubt that battles were violent, but 
  weapons were not very powerful.  
   
  When men discovered that alloying copper and tin they could obtein bronze, they could 
  make more resistant tools and weapons, giving more militar adventages to the cultures 
  with access to that tecnology. That cultures were mainly the ones in the Mesopotamian 
  state-cities, being able to defeat the threats of the nomad peoples of the  Two Rivers 
  peripheria. Egypt for example was an isolated culture in the times of the Old Kingdom, 
  settled in the Nile and with a relative state of peace and natural resources. 
  Mesopotamian regions on the other way had been fighting invasors and each other for 
  centuries, so when the Hyksos invaded Egypt wearing bronze weapons and chariots it 
  was an easy conquest. Egypt lands up the Nile had to learn these new technics to fight 
  for a hard and long time to recover their old Kingdom.  
   
  This advance also started the use of some kind of body armor, a technic that will be 
  hand to hand with the weapons improvements until our days. 
   
  The next step was the use of iron, discovered by the Hititites, but used for first time in 
  great armies by the Assyrians, because of the destruction of the Hitities in the Sea 
  Peoples invasions. These new iron weapons matched no rivals against the bronze 
  armors and weapons, and the Assysians had a way to ensure their own reign of terror 
  (even in the Bible they are the “bad guys”). 
   
  Eventually the forge of better steel was able, and by the times of the Peloponnesian 
  Wars we can use the weapons stats given in RQIII rulebook. 
   
  Forge of weapons is in deed more complex and techniques vary in the following 
  centuries, but is not my intention to enter in so much detail. 
   
   
   
  Mycenaean bronze sword and spear point. 
  
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  5.1. Weapons Rules 
   
   
   
  When I read RQIII for my first time I understood that the weapons stats were given for 
  use in some medieval enviroment (Cormac Saga still fascinates me), being able to be 
  used from Antiquity (a RPG with gladius and pilum !!) to Reinascense (halberds, 
  double handed swords, warhammers), and I assumed that those stats were based upon 
  steel weapons. 
   
  Then I discovered Glorantha, just to find that in Glorantha weapons are made mainly of 
  Bronze using the above stats. In “Gods of Glorantha” are some rules to introduce 
  iron/steel weapons, increasing Armor points in 50% and increasing damage to some 
  non-human creatures. 
   
  But in Alternate Earth supplements (Vikings, Land of Ninja and Monster Coliseum) is 
  obvious that the RQIII weapons stats are based upon steel, so I have used them as steel 
  weapons as I play usually in Alternate Earth. 
   
   
  In this campaign I wanted bronze weapons different from the RQIII “steel” weapons: 
   
  Less damage: Bronze lose its sharp edge more easily, although is easy to resharp. 
   
  Less armor: Bronze is softer than steel. 
   
  Same Encumbrance points:  These points are calculated based on the weight and the 
  encumbrace due of the size. A short sword of bronze is of the same size that one of 
  steel. 
   
   
  
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  HAND TO HAND WEAPONS 
   
  NAME  
  DAMAGE 
  BRONZE 
  IRON  
  STONE 
   
  Axe, combat 1D8+1  
  7 
   
  7 
   
  - 
  Axe, hand 
  1D6 
   
  5 
   
  5 
   
  - 
  Dagger  
  1D4 
   
  4 
   
  - 
   
  - 
  Dagger  
  1D4+1  
  - 
   
  5 
   
  - 
  Knife  
  1D3 
   
  - 
   
  - 
   
  3 
  Mace, heavy  1D10  
  8 
   
  9 
   
  - 
  Mace, light 
  1D8 
   
  5 
   
  5 
   
  - 
  Sword  
  1D6 
   
  8 
   
  9 
   
  - 
  Khepesh 
  1D6+1  
  8 
   
  9 
   
  - 
  Javelin  
  1D8 
   
  7 
   
  7 
   
  - 
  Spear, short 
  1D8 
   
  9 
   
  9 
   
  8 
  Spear, long 
  1D10  
  9 
   
  9 
   
  - 
  Pike 
   
  2D6+1  
  11 
   
  11 
   
  - 
   
   
  Notes: 
   
  The table above gives damage and armor points stats. 
  As metal weapons were expensive stone tools were still used for long time before 
  metals were common. I have assumed that knifes, spear and arrows points were made 
  also of stone. 
  Weapons made mainly of wood have more similar armor points to steel weapons. 
  Swords were small, broadswords and “long” swords didn’t exist. So all swords are RQ 
  short swords. In fact you can assume the use of daggers and call it also “swords” in the 
  game. The metalsmith from that ages were not sophisticated to make broadswords, so it 
  was very common to use daggers or short blades as main weapon. 
  A Khepesh is a sickle-sword used by mainly by egyptians. 
  Pikes were used in primitive phalanxs by Sumerians, Akkadian and Mycenians. 
   
   
   
  
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  MISSILE WEAPONS 
   
  NAME  
   
  DAMAGE 
   
  Bow, short 
   
  1D6 
  Bow, composite 
  1D8  
  Javelin  
   
  1D8 
  Sling  
   
  1D8 
  Stone, hand thrown 1D3 
  Throw stick 
   
  1D6 
  Whip  
   
  1D4 
   
  Notes: 
   
  Arrow points were made of stone, bronze or iron. 
  Sling and hand thrown stones do not impale. 
  Throw sticks were a traditional amorite weapon similar to a boomerang. They were used 
  as a throwing club before enganging in hand to hand combat. Use the War boomerang 
  stats, obviously it doesn’t returns to the thrower’s hand. 
   
   
   
   
  Hammurbi stands before Shamash 
   
   
  
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  6. Cults in ancient Middle East 
   
   
  In the beggining of the cities, each city had its own protector deity of the city. With the 
  birth of the first empires several cities were under one ruler but the local gods were 
  added to the rulers cult. Soon there was overpopulation of gods, so they started some 
  kind of specialization making one god ruler of the air, other god of the water, etc. That 
  was the birth of the pantheons in the religions. When an empire fell down, the new 
  rulers carried their new gods, inserting them in the conquested pantheon usually as the 
  new main god. Priests had then to ‘rewrite’ old legends and beliefs to include the new 
  gods, usually through familiar bonds like son, daughter, wife, etc 
   
  This a rough guide to the Meseopotamian pantheons; just use the description, magic and 
  religion skills of its equivalent RQIII rulebook or Gods of Glorantha cult. 
   
  The column ‘city’ refers to the city in wich that god was originally worshipped so it is 
  the place with more influence for his religion. In that city is usually the Main Temple of 
  the cult.  
   
   
   
  SUMERIAN PANTHEON 
   
  NAME 
  DESCRIPTION 
  CITY 
  RQ III CULT 
  Anu 
  God of the sky, 
  main god 
  Uruk 
  Main god 
  Enlil 
  God of the earth 
  Nippur 
  God of the 
  agriculture 
  Ea 
  God of the water, 
  giver  of life 
  Eridu 
  Goddess of the 
  earth 
  Tiamat 
  Goddess of chaos 
  and dark seas 
   
  Krarsht 
   
   
   
   
  AKKADIAN PANTHEON 
   
  NAME 
  DESCRIPTION 
  CITY 
  RQ III CULT 
  Sin 
  God of the moon 
  Ur 
  Goddess of the 
  moon 
  Shamash 
  God of the sun 
  Sippar 
  God of the sun 
  Ishtar 
  Goddess of love 
  and beauty. 
  Daughter of Anu 
  Uruk 
  Uleria 
  Ada 
  God of the storms 
   
  God of the storms 
   
   
   
   
  
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  HAMMURABIC BABYLONIAN (AMORITE) PANTHEON 
   
  NAME 
  DESCRIPTION 
  CITY 
  RQ III CULT 
  Amurru 
  Old main god 
   
  God of the hunt 
  Marduk 
  God of the sun, 
  main god. 
  Babylon 
  Main god 
  Nabu 
  Son of Marduk 
  Borsippa 
  God of the sun 
  Asur 
  God of war 
  Asur 
  God of war 
   
   
   
   
   
  Marduk killing Tiamat 
  
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  7. MAIN REFERENCES AND OTHER RELATED WORKS I LIKE : 
   
   
  - “RuneQuest deluxe” by Greg Stafford, published by The Avalon Hill game company 
   
  The Game, a nice RPG masterwork. 
   
  -“Warhammer ancient battles” by Jervis Johnson, Rick Priestly, Alan & Michael Perry, 
  published by Games Worksop and Warhammer Historical wargames. 
   
  A very good game, with lots of History and fun. It includes nice artwork. I use 
  plastic 1/72 historical miniatures for playing the battles. 
   
  - “Chariot Wars” by Nigel Stillman,  published by Games Worksop and Warhammer 
  Historical wargames. 
   
   
  A supplement book for Warhammer ancient battles, it gave me the idea and 
  inspiration to run a campaign in Bronze Age with RQ system. Really impressive. 
   
  -“Mythic Egypt, roleplaying in the Land of the Pharaohs” by Earl Wajenburg, published 
  by Iron Crown Enterprises. 
   
  A Rolemaster sourcebook in the Campaign classics series. The historical 
  Rolemaster books are very good, and this one is historic accurate and full of 
  information.  
   
  -“The Near East” and “The Land of Canaan” by Isaac Asimov. 
   
  Who said History was boring? Fun, easy to read and well explained events and 
  facts. Maybe too general for people with great knowledge, but ideal for learners 
  and all kind of  readers. 
   
  -“La Pharaonne de Thèbes” (The she-Pharaoh of Tebes) by Francis Fèvre. 
   
  An historical novel/essay. Shows the way of life in the begginig of the New 
  Kingdom Egypt, through the history of Hatsepsut, the only woman who became 
  Pharaoh. 
   
  -“ The Holy Bible, Genesis”  Various authors 
   
  Chronicles directly from Antiquity, full of references to Mesopotamia, Canaan 
  and Egypt. Umberto Eco said: “I can read the Bible, Homer or Dylan Dog for 
  days and days without being bored” 
   
  -“Age of Bronze” (Comic book serie) by Eric Shanower, published by Image Comics. 
   
  The Iliad made comic through an Historical point of view. RuneQuest flavior in 
  every page. A real good work. 
   
   
  
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  -“Slaine” (Comic book series) by Pat Mills and Simon Bisley. 
   
  Celtic fantasy Bronze Age in Europe, a bronze setting not related to the Middle 
  East, but worth to read and enjoy. 
   
  -“King David” (movie) by Bruce Beresford. 
   
  Featuring Richard Gere, is about David  king of Israel. Very nice to see the 
  costumes and  places, and the movie works for me. 
  I discovered this movie recently, and it is an example why I like a lot cinema of 
  the ’80. Well balanced movie between old Peplums (roman, Jesuschrist movies) 
  and actual historical-lots-of-action-poor-screenplay-and-acting movies. 
   
  -“A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum” (movie) by Richard Lester. 
   
   
  Ok, no bronze, but fun, fun and fun. And there are chariots! 
  Apart from “Spartacus”, the RuneQuest adventure I would have like to be able 
  to run as GM... 
   
   
  I would like to thank my brother Jorge for his help and support, over all in the Bronze 
  weapons and metals info, and for playing RQ with me all these years. 
   
  Of course lots of thanks to my usual (wild) bunch of RQ players and usual pacient 
  playtesters of my every new campaign project!! 
   
  Alvaro (the Jarl), Javi (JAG), Jorge (Persians are invencibles!!), Pablo (Ridley rules!) 
  and Raul (Keep the unit’s ranks in good order!!!) 
   
   
   
   
   
  “I am very pleased with RuneQuest, for its flexible system, full of realism and 
  appropiate to recreate these times in any campaign. It is my will that one copy of that 
  rules shall be written on stone, so every one of my vassals can use them, and endure 
  until the End of the Times” 
   
   Hammurabi. King, Emperor and satisfied customer. 
   
  Translation of the Hammurabi’s games code, written on diorite stele, found in Sippar. 
   
  Source: Miskatonic University, Ancient Studies department. 
  
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  Now you’re one step closer to run a RQ  campaign in ancient Mesopotamia,... it’s 
  Sumer time!! 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/D100 [multi]/Runequest and Glorantha/HeroQuest HeroWars (Issaries)/Unofficial Background/RuneQuest Bronze Age Rules Sourcebook.pdf