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Zenobia

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Average Rating (12 ratings)

Where Rome meets the desert -

Rome crumbles, and here in the Desert Kingdoms  there are tribes, cults, kings and queens that all want their piece.  It is a lawless frontier, a world where the deserts are home to fierce Saracen tribes, lost cities, sphinx and scorpion-men. And where the cities teem with scheming princes, bandit kings and sinister cults. Opportunity and adventure are everywhere!

ZENOBIA is the fantasy roleplaying game of adventure and magic in the ancient world.

A complete game using a fast and easy-to-use 2d6 mechanic. With rules for gladiatorial fights, sailing, traps, wilderness travel, combat, magic, cults and ancient religions. 

  • Quick-play character archetypes.
  • Gritty combat results that depend on player decision, not dice rolling.
  • Cults, temples and divine intervention
  • Monsters and magical items.
  • An adventure tool-kit - how to build your fantasy scenario.
  • Campaigns - gladiators, sailors, legionaries, mercenaries ... you choose!
  • Useful advice on scenario and campaign construction. 
  • Sailing, trading and sea combat rules.
  • Mass battle rules - fight the Battle of Gaugamela in 5 minutes!
  • Solo Zenobia - rules to support playing Zenobia campaigns completely on your own.
  • Detailed maps and copious colour and line art.
  • Expansive notes on the cultures and kingdoms of the Desert Kingdoms. 
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Reviews (4)
Discussions (15)
Customer avatar
Eric C M September 27, 2020 12:33 am UTC
Uh print on demand here?
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Customer avatar
Paul E January 08, 2023 12:23 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Check out Print on Demand details on the Zozer Games website, there's a link on the Zenobia product page, bottom right hand side.
Customer avatar
Anand P September 16, 2019 7:12 pm UTC
Is the Persia supplement still available for this? Is there a conversion sheet for your Warlords of Alexander sourcebook? (A great book, btw!)
Reply
Customer avatar
Paul E November 16, 2019 10:54 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Yes, John... the Persia supplement is available as a free download on the Zozer Games website. Just look for Zenobia! Saddly, Warlords of Alexander and Zenobia are incompatible - different eras, different rules ...
Customer avatar
Ayube A May 13, 2019 7:08 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Hey Paul just purchased and have to say it is quite amazing. I was wondering if you have any suggestions on converting TSR monsters to Zenobia. I was thinking Hit Dice to Might, and for Hits just roll HD using d6s, does that seem workable? Thanks
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Customer avatar
Paul E September 06, 2019 9:37 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Mmm, that might be complicated! My best advice, and what I would do, is to look at a D&D creature, eg. red dragon or stirge, then quickly scan the Zenobia monsters for something on that same scale. Once you've found something, alter the Hits up or down a bit as you prefer, same for MIGHT. For Armor, use the description and AC to decide how armoured it will be. If the creature has a spcial attack, like the dragon's fire breathing, that could be allocated to the 'roll double during a successful attack' rule). Its not a science, I'm afraid, but the D&D monster scale of AC, HD and abilities starts small with Kobolds and goes off the scale, making a simple formula impossible.
Customer avatar
Michael H December 24, 2018 11:31 am UTC
PURCHASER
This is a classic game. Classic in that it's a great game; classic in that it deals with historical fantasy and classic because it's been available for free, for years. From a quick glance at the full-size preview it looks exactly like the free PDF: two slender columns of text per page, great tracts of white space to boost the page count; essentially this is the kind of "layout" one expects from a free game from 15-or-so years ago. Is this exactly the same game with different art? If not, what are the changes between the original free PDF and this new release?
Cheers
Mike
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Customer avatar
Paul E December 25, 2018 10:16 am UTC
PUBLISHER
This version includes lots and lots of colour art, various full page, fully detailed A4 maps of all regions in the Desert Kingdoms, a dedicated sailing and sea trading section, with detailed double spread maps of the ports of the Mediterranean, a complete solo chapter that allows one player to run Zenobia, not just as one character, but as a group of characters, also a mass battle system that can handle tens of warriors up to a few hundred or many thousands, all with the quick roll of a dice. The free game is still available at Zozer Games' website as normal, however, but obviously it lacks these extra features. There is also a softback available on Lulul.com, where the PDF is offered as a free download. The price of the PDF here isn't dependant on page count, though, but on the art and content.
Customer avatar
December 21, 2018 11:57 am UTC
Is there a pod and pdf bundle available?
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Customer avatar
Paul E December 21, 2018 4:53 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
There is, but for various reasons the POD is available on Lulu Publishing's site. There are instructions on the Zenobia product page, there, to request a free copy of the PDF.
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Customer avatar
Graham S December 23, 2018 1:19 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I missed this and have already got the PDF. No worries, I'm off to Lulu to get my hard copy. Love this Paul, it is tub thumping fun! I'm running a game of this at 7hills.org.uk next year (may use Vagabonds of Dyfed as the engine riffing off your text).
Customer avatar
J.T. D December 14, 2018 3:22 am UTC
PURCHASER
Hi Paul! The latest update (December 13) doesn't provide much information on which if anyone of the files were updated. What exactly has changed?
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Customer avatar
Paul E December 15, 2018 6:46 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Three very minor typo edits - but I like to keep on top of them! Sorry for any confusion.
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Customer avatar
J.T. D December 15, 2018 6:10 pm UTC
PURCHASER
No worries, I was just curious. :)
Customer avatar
Eric C M December 07, 2018 1:09 am UTC
I have credits on DriveThruRPG, no softcover from here???
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Customer avatar
Paul E December 07, 2018 12:53 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
I'm afraid not. Differences between the way I publish and create layout and the DriveThru POD software means I use a different Print on Demand source.
Reply
Customer avatar
Brett P December 07, 2018 1:56 pm UTC
Scratch that I know which, im getting hostile from there :)
Customer avatar
Michal S December 02, 2018 9:41 pm UTC
Is there a chance to play the same epoque in Europe or later in Dark Ages or classical Medieval time? Are there any rules that cover it well?
Reply
Customer avatar
Paul E December 03, 2018 5:25 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
The rules would stand up extremely well, but you would need to change the names and descriptions of the Past Experience suggestions - no legionaries or gladiators in 13thC France, for example! For Christian kingdoms, prayer and the dedication of wealth to a monastery would replace setting up expensive stelae to the gods for increasing experience.
Customer avatar
Wayne R November 30, 2018 12:08 am UTC
Hi Paul.

Could you elaborate on what rules were clarified or changed since the original game? I just took a look at old version and it seems very cool but certain rules Eg. multiple opponents, 2 weapon fighting, were either unclear or seemed like "why wouldn't I do this?" situations.

Also could maybe elaborate on changes (additions or omissions) you made to this new addition which YOU were most pleased with?

Thanks!
Reply
Customer avatar
Paul E November 30, 2018 10:13 am UTC
PUBLISHER
The rules are left unchanged from the 2004 version, but new rules added only regarding Mass Battles, Sea Travel, Trading Ship combat and playing Zenobia solo.
Customer avatar
Elias R November 29, 2018 2:57 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Page 76:"Fighting From Advantage- Player characters can and should exploit advantages that exist within the gameworld to maximise their chances of victory. These advantages include the following manoeuvres: Ambush, High Ground, Cover, Opponent fallen, Blinding foe, Mounted versus standing, Retreating foe. All of these (and many others too numerous to mention) make attacks easier and often more effective. The ‘out-manoeuvred’ combatant must make an impromptu FATE roll to try to negate his opponent’s tactical manoeuvre. If failed, then the manoeuvring combatant gains a +1 on his attack roll for each advantage that has an influence on the fight that round. A particular advantage will only last 1 round and cannot be repeated during that combat encounter (unless it persists, such as being mounted). "

So what you have to make an extra roll of FATE on every round for everyone who is out-maneuvered when there is any sort of advantage/disadvantage in order to give a bonus to the next combat...See more
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Customer avatar
Darren K November 29, 2018 6:16 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I'd suggest just house-ruling that an advantage lasts as long as common sense says it does. The Fate roll I'd restrict to establishing a new advantage, or trying to get rid of an existing one that works against you.

This system has some great concepts in it, but I imagine any GM will need to tidy and tweak it with House Rules before play. Another way in which it resembles the Old School games...
Reply
Customer avatar
Paul E November 30, 2018 10:17 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Well, the idea is that using items or parts of the immediate environment will provide a +1 for one round, in an attempt to make combat more fluid and more dynamic, and less of 'standing still and hitting each other repeatedly'. So, jumping from stairs, throwing sand in the opponent's face, using a Combat Crippling Blow to knock an opponent to the ground, tipping up a burning brazier, etc are all single time effects. If mounted, or more persistent, I think the common sense approach is to for the opponent to roll FATE only once.
Customer avatar
Darren K November 28, 2018 10:37 pm UTC
PURCHASER
A great game, and one that I definitely don't regret buying! My only complaint is that there's not more of it.

But when I mentioned the game on a mailing list, someone replied saying they knew the game from years back and that it also had supplements- Ionia, Persia and Aegyptus. Is this true, and if so, when can we expect to see them available?
Reply
Customer avatar
Paul E November 30, 2018 10:19 am UTC
PUBLISHER
I'm planning to release the supplements: Ionia, Aegypt and Persia, as free Drivethru downloads with updated layouts.
Customer avatar
Dillard R November 26, 2018 10:18 pm UTC
I'm guessing this is an update of the "Zenobia" of 1999/2004?
Reply
Customer avatar
Paul E November 27, 2018 4:18 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Yes it is, but that free version is still available on the Zozer Games website.

Customer avatar
Joseph M November 26, 2018 11:39 am UTC
Any chance a print on demand version is coming?
Reply
Customer avatar
Paul E November 26, 2018 3:57 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
A softback edition will be released on LULU within around 10 days.
Reply
Customer avatar
Paul E December 04, 2018 8:28 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Joseph, Zenobia is now available as a 300 page softback with colour covers and b&w interior pages. Find it on Lulu.com with a quick search for 'zenobia'. I cannot put a link here due to Drivethru's fair and understandable publisher's conditions.
Customer avatar
David J November 25, 2018 10:52 pm UTC
Your preview tells me exactly nothing about this game, other than the table of contents and a few splash pages.

Your sales might improve if we could get a preview of some actual "meat" of the game. ;)
Reply
Customer avatar
Paul E November 26, 2018 8:02 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi David, good point! I've shifted the page numbers to include the introduction and part of the setting chapter. Thanks for your comment!
Customer avatar
November 25, 2018 10:15 pm UTC
Is this Cepheus Based, or Cepheus "adjacent"?
Reply
Customer avatar
Paul E November 26, 2018 4:52 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
No, the game is a stand-alone fantasy role playing game, using a 2d6 mechanic.
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Author(s)
Paul Elliott
Artist(s)
Dean Spence
Pages
304
File Size:
45.16 MB
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File Last Updated:
December 19, 2018
This title was added to our catalog on November 25, 2018.
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