Et tu Brutus is a political Matrix Game set in ancient Rome at the time of the Civil wars. The players represent one of six factions that are vying for power. The purpose of the game is simple ...become emperor of Rome!
LIST OF FACTION LEADERS
Pompey: Caesar's old ally. He starts the game in control of Rome.
Caesar: Julius. He starts the game in Gaul with an army!
Mark Anthony: A young senator who starts the game in Rome.
Octavius: Caesar's great nephew. He starts in Rome.
Cassius: He has a lean and hungry look and starts in Rome.
Brutus: Caesar's bastard son (some say). He starts in Rome.
This map is used in the same way all my strategic military maps are. Forces are moved by area movement. One area a turn for a normal march, two areas for a forced march. All the factions have access to ships. The sea counts as one area. This is not meant to be a military game as much as political, thus the very simple map. There is no place to run, so sides have to get along or kill one another.
HISTORICAL SITUATION
Caesar has just completed his governorship of Cisalpine Gaul. For the last several years he has been thrashing the Gauls of what we call France, and in so doing added large amounts of land to the "Republic". Now Pompey, the most powerful politician in Rome, has ordered him to disband his army and return to Rome. Caesar now has his army sitting at the very edge of the Gallic provence, the river Rubicon. If he crosses the Rubicon, then the civil constitution is broken and its civil war. If he disbands his army then he can legally return to Rome to fight Pompey the old fashion way - in Politics!
The various other major players are Just getting started in the game of politics. Cassius and Brutus are staunch republicans. While Anthony and Octavius are supporters of Caesar (and themselves). Each man is a senator, and as such entitled to rule The time has come to carve up the world!
POLITICAL AGENDA/VICTORY CONDITIONS
All the players have the same over all political objectives. Accomplishing these agendas is what makes a person a winner. They are...
CONTROL LAND: The faction must control Rome and one of the following, Greece or Egypt.
BE ELECTED CONSUL: The faction leader must have the most votes in the senate to be elected. He remains consul for four turns then his term expires. If a player is elected any time during the game this goal is met, but to become emperor, one must be emperor at the end of the game!
GOVERN ROME WELL: The faction in charge of the consulship must solve the problems that arise inside the Republic. Non governing players get a black mark against themselves if their are problems in provinces they control, or there are more than five problems out standing at the end of the game. (ie everyone loses if Rome is on the verge of collapse)!
PERSONAL VICTORY CONDITIONS
If a player has no chance of winning a political victory then he can always try for a personal victory. By doing the actions listed the player can say he won, since he did what was expected of him by William Shakespeare!
Pompey: Defeat Caesar (dream on!) Be murdered by Egyptians!
Caesar: Defeat Pompey. Be assassinated!
Cassius: Get Brutus to assassinate Caesar. Prevent anyone from becoming Emperor.
Brutus: Assassinate Caesar. Commit suicide if you lose a battle!
Mark Anthony: Defeat Cassius. Defeat Brutus. Commit suicide if Octavius defeats you!
Octavius: Defeat everyone! Out live all the other players!
SUICIDE - THE ROMAN WAY
If ever you feel that your faction leaders honor has been impugned then it is your right, nay your duty to fall on your sword! The first player to do this wins an automatic personal victory and a free visit to a Psychiatrist!
THE POLITICAL FORUM
Unlike in other MGs Et tu limits the realms in which arguments occur in. The political forum lists out the places where the matrix arguments are made. There are limited numbers of "slots" in each forum, so players are more likely to conflict when trying to do things.
- THE PROVINCES: one slot for all the provinces
THE ARMY: one slot per army
THE SENATE: one slot only useable by people in Rome
ROME: One slot
THE CONSUL: one slot per faction leader consul.
PERSONAL ACTION: one slot only
The Provinces: Any action that one wants to do in any of the provinces goes into this forum. Obviously it is difficult to get things done in this way. It is more efficient to sent a faction leader out to the provence to use a personal action to get things done.
Rome: This is the forum of the people (ie the Roman Mob). It is important to control this forum since that is how one wins the game.
The Senate: Only players who have faction leaders or senators in Rome may make arguments in this forum. There are no teleconferences in ancient Rome.
The Consul: Only the player who is the Consul can make arguments in this slot. This is the perk he gets to help him in making the executive actions that are needed to rule Rome well.
The Army: Each army gets its own slot. In a military game this boils down to moving and fighting. In a political game, armies can be the instruments the consul chooses to use to carry our his executive whim!
Personal Action: The faction leaders of each player may make personal actions in the provence they are in. Remember these are senators of Rome. People listen to them!
POLITICAL PAWNS
Each game has its playing pieces, in the game of politics they are people. Each of the following groups has a control card. Whoever holds the card, controls the group and gains the benefit there by.
SENATORS: Each faction leader is a senator in his own right, which gives him one vote in senate elections. There are also other non aligned senators who can bring additional votes to a faction.
ARMIES: One army can be raised from each of the provinces. To raise an army one must control the provence by another army, being governor there or by being personally present. Armies can switch loyalties by another faction making them their "Friend".
THE ROMAN MOB: The mob controls Rome if there are no armies present or if the consul is not in town. The mob can be used as an army in Rome but will not leave the city. Why should they? They have all the bread and circuses they want right where they are! The mob is very fickle and switches sides often.
PROVINCES: Each provence can be controlled by being made governor of the provence (9 turn term), or by having an army sitting in it.
THE CONSULSHIP: This office makes the faction leader the leader of Rome. That brings a lot of responsibility. The consul get to make arguments unopposed in the consular slot but beyond that he just gets blamed for everything that is going wrong!
POLITICAL PROBLEMS - THE STUFF OF POLITICS
At the start of the game Rome has no political crises going. The players may use their arguments to start problems up. The benefit of problems to those who are not in office is that they tie up the acting consul's actions in running the government! The trouble is that problems begin to gunk up the wheels of government so that there are fewer forums for action.
Problems are placed on the political forum in one of the slots. Problems start off being mild (ie one matrix argument can create a mild problem). Another matrix argument can make a mild problem a severe one.
Two mild problems or one severe problem "block" out a slot so that it can not be used to make arguments in. This is a big penalty since it increases the competition for the remaining slots. Below are a list of problems which I think fit the period, but players are free to make up their own problems if the so choose.
CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS: This effects the senate. It means they don't know who is in charge or what to do next.
RIOT: This effects Rome. The mob is getting out of control. Some one needs to sent in the army to put the rabble down!
SLAVE REVOLT: This effects Rome. Sparticus is back! The consul had better beat him this time or Kurt Douglas will have to make a new movie!
MAJOR REVOLT: This effects a single provence, but blocks out the whole provence action slot. The consul had better send an army to crush them. Can he trust one of his "loyal" fellow players with the job?
FAMINE: This effects any provence, but usually Rome. The people are starving. This looks bad for the Consul and makes the mob even more dangerous than before. The consul had better get hold of Greece or Egypt, where the wheat is grown!
BAD OMENS: This can effect any slot. Remember this is ancient Rome where people believe in soothsayers, and astrology. If the Gods do not favor your actions you had better start placating them fast or its ZOT for you!
POLITICAL MATRIX
Talk/Bargain
Heroic Action
Work/Prepare
Cowardly Action
Do Business
Wicked Action
Move
Fight
Have Fun
Love/Hate
Sad/Happy
Fear/Fearless
Shame
Envy
Make a Friend/Enemy
Advantage
Reputation
Kill
Victory/Defeat
Political Agenda
Natural Disaster
Religion
Social Class
Politics
Justice
Tradition
Wealth/Power
Motivation
Loyalty/Honor
Personality
Beyond your abilities
Knowledge
Logic
"Magic"
"Miracle"
"Monster"
"Adventure"
Wild Card
Wild Card
Wild Card
A LIST OF COMPONENTS NEEDED TO PLAY THE GAME
a strategic map
a political forum map
six figures or tokens to represent the faction leaders
six figures or tokens to represent the armies one per provence
figures to fight out military battles (maybe DBA armies?)
six senator control cards (Cicero, Publius, Casca, Cinna, Lucilius, and Cato)
a roman mob control card
six provence control cards
one consul office card
six problem cards (have the flip side say severe problem)
1d6 per player
one referee who is willing to try out something new
six players likewise oriented
about four hours to play
MATRIX RULES
This game uses the standard MG rules. Players make one argument a turn from elements in the matrix. Arguments consist of an action, a result and three reasons why it should happen.
Normal arguments happen on a roll of three or less. Better or worse arguments happen on the following rolls: very strong 5, strong 4, weak 2, very weak 1. When two or more players argue in the same slot of the political forum only one argument can happen. The players do a roll off. Each turn they roll to see if their argument is ruled out (so a roll off between a very strong argument and a weak argument wouldn't last long since the weak roller is likely to roll over one on the first roll). If both rollers rule themselves out in the same turn then start to roll off over again. This keeps up until one and only one argument is successful.
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© Copyright 1993 by Chris Engle
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