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Jackals: Bronze Age Fantasy Roleplaying

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The Zaharets, the land between the Vori Wastes and the Plains of Aeco, is well-known as the Land of Risings. Dominated by the rising city-states of Ameena Noani and Sentem, facing each other along the great War Road, the Zaharets has always been home to powerful civilizations. Beastmen ruins dot the landscape, a constant reminder of the Kingdom of Sin and the fragility of the Law of Men. Even older are the great ruins of the Hulathi, the legendary sea peoples, and the Hannic mansions sealed beneath the mountains, awaiting those who would seek out the Lost Folk. Scars abound from the wars between ruined Keta in the north and Gerwa in the south. And, far to the east, the legends of Muadah still beckon occultists and Jackals who seek to plunder its corrupted ruins.

Inspired by the myths, cultures, and history of the Ancient Near East, and by such ancient texts as the Iliad, the Epic of Gilgamesh, and the Old Testament, Jackals is a Sword & Sorcery roleplaying game set in a Fantasy Bronze Age. With mechanics based on the popular OpenQuest system, the game places players in the role of Jackals – adventurers, explorers, sellswords, and scavengers – and sends them out into the peril-filled land of the Zaharets to make their fortune… or perhaps fulfill a greater destiny…


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Discussions (12)
Customer avatar
August 15, 2023 9:40 am UTC
PURCHASER
I bought this couple of months ago as a pdf and there was this curious problem when reading it on an iPad. When reading it straight from files, it reads just fine but when I choose to use Adobe Acrobat app, it clips some parts of a page away.

I hope you will have a chance to take a look at it and I certainly can provide further information if needed. I can of course read the document without Acrobat but it is much better overall as it saves the location where I was left.
Customer avatar
William B February 24, 2023 3:24 pm UTC
From those of you that already own this game, how are the three adventure scenarios included in the book? I am interested in using some of the source material but to use with the Crypts and Things system.
Customer avatar
William H February 02, 2023 8:27 am UTC
PURCHASER
I've noticed a small but important omission... it says that the defender may use an "appropriate combat skill"... but fails to define what that is. It's implied strongly that defense is used vs ranged, via the reference in sword and shield style on page 66...

(Having run enough other games, I'm assuming Unarmed can be defended with unarmed, melee, or dodge, melee by melee or dodge, and ranged with dodge.)
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Customer avatar
Osprey G February 06, 2023 2:13 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi William,

The reference to using an "appropriate Martial skill" on p.65 is referring to ATTACKERS making a skill check using the appropriate Martial skill (i.e. Ranged Combat for a ranged attack, Unarmed Combat if fist-fighting, etc.). If they succeed on this roll, they hit their target.

The target/defender does not roll for defence by default - attacks are unopposed unless the target spends Clash Points to give themselves a chance and - as p.65 - "If an opponent has no remaining Clash Points, the character taking the action is the only one who makes attack rolls. The defender is hit on a successful check." At range, they may spend a Clash Point to attempt to Dodge (p.70 - or, if using a shield, to attempt to block, p.66); in melee, they may spend a Clash Point to fight back (p.70).

I hope that helps!
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Customer avatar
William H February 08, 2023 11:19 pm UTC
PURCHASER
It helps NOTHING at all - it's clear the person answering is not looking at the book, - see page 65 §Attack Action ¶1 "When attacked, the target can declare they are fighting back and spending 1 Clash Point and turning the attack into a Clash between the characters. Both characters roll their appropriate combat skills, and the winner inflicts damage on the loser."
its also dead apparent that the answerer did not understand the question being posed (and not explicit in the rules)...
The appropriate one for the attack is specified in the equipment. Not an issue. Again, the question is, bluntly: what weapons is the defender allowed to use vs Melee, vs Unarmed, and vs range, when they spend the clash points.
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Customer avatar
wade G February 15, 2023 5:14 am UTC
Chill
Customer avatar
ANDRZEJ W September 07, 2022 10:28 pm UTC
PURCHASER
... are you absolutely sure the normal Guards are supposed to have whole 30 Wounds? The amounts of Wounds on humanoids is quite ridiculous, even if we consider that they do not have Valour. Such combats would really drag on, if enemies had any numerical advantage. Generally the "hp" amounts in this game seem too high.
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Customer avatar
Osprey G February 06, 2023 2:17 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Andrzej. Thanks for playing Jackals.

As for Wounds/damage - yes, that's the intent. Weapon damage and characters' melee damage bonuses aren't immense, but there are plenty of ways to augment them, notably dealing maximum damage on criticals (which occur on all successful doubles - made more likely with an appropriate trait that allows you to roll additional 1s dice - pp.47-49), power attacks/overdraws on successful hits (decided after the roll - so a 2 Clash Point spend on a critical would deal another 6 Wounds immediately), superior equipment (pp.196-196), etc.

However, Wounds are not intended to necessarily define the duration of an encounter - as noted in 'Encounter Building' on p.197: "Very few creatures in the world are willing to fight to the death". The morale rules (p.63) model this for NPCs (each group starts testing once it loses half its number - so a group of 4 guards has a 50% chance of breaking once 2 of them fall). Retreating, fleeing, etc. is intended to...See more
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Customer avatar
ANDRZEJ W January 16, 2024 11:37 am UTC
PURCHASER
Fair points, but they don't really change the fact that, frankly, a low-tech d100 game where even most normal enemies can expectedly take 3 hits and keep going as usual, might feel a bit silly. And while battles can be shortened by having enemies be more willing to retreat, that would mostly end in fights where, mostly, no one dies, which would also feel a bit unrealistic.

Especially if even the game rules kinda try to indicate that combat-oriented Jackals should be able to handle numerically-superior enemy.

I'll try to read into this a bit more.
Customer avatar
Craig A May 10, 2022 2:14 am UTC
I absolutely love this game. My group had a blast and completed the Children of Bronze campaign. My question is whether it is possible to independently write and publish adventures for it?
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Customer avatar
John-Matthew D May 10, 2022 1:14 pm UTC
Craig,

Awesome! I am so glad to hear that. Who did they side with?

As for independent publishing, while I am wildly happy that you would want to, that is not something that is available at this time.

J-M
Customer avatar
Tim P November 24, 2021 4:28 pm UTC
First of all, I bought the hardback version (NOT at all regretting - quality is fantastic!), with the digital copy somewhere down the road for quick reference. LOVE the take on OpenQuest, staying simple, making the system more streamlined, but still flavorful and heroic.

I DO have a question that probably should be obvious, but I can't see it no matter how many times I read through the Clash system rules:

Does an attack cost a clash point, or does it only cost a clash point for the defender to turn it into a clash?

On the one hand, it seems logical for me to spend an "action point" when taking an action, but I only see a reference to using one to turn an attack "into a clash" when the defender wants to/is able to.

I'd love to hear thoughts on this - am I just a sloppy reader and missed it?
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Customer avatar
John-Matthew D November 24, 2021 5:27 pm UTC
Tim,

Thanks for the kind words! I am glad you like the game. As for your question, it does not take a clash point to attack. The technical answer is on pages 64 and 65. You get a move and an action on your turn, with attack being one of the actions you may take. It is only the defender who has to spend a clash point, and if they do not, the attack is unopposed.

I hope this helps clarify and if you have any other questions, please let me know.

J-M
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Customer avatar
Tim P November 26, 2021 4:08 am UTC
Thanks so much for your answer! I'm listening to a play session on YouTube on my commutes; the amount of detail you've poured into this book is just wonderful in evoking that sword-and-sandals feel!
Customer avatar
Georgi Y October 06, 2021 1:49 pm UTC
The book is generally nice, I really like the clash system. What I can ignore is the lack of any social-combat and barter rules. I dislike a little the Greko- and Judeo-centrism - (as these are the main playable cultures along with Egyptians) for example i'd love to be able to play a Maudah (Sumerian) or something more exotic like an Indian or even Chinese inspired culture. What I dislike a lot is that I did not find any benefit of owning and fighting from a chariot. Combined with the lack of mounted combat rules this infuriates me. Such a wasted opportunity as the bronze age was the golden age of the charioteers both in the Fertile Crescent and in Ancient China.

But what i dislike immensely is the level of abstraction of some rules. One example are the long lists of traits that are basically the same trait, but working with a different skill. It would have been nice to include some nice additional special effect of each trait, even if traits were to be reduced by half. Now we have just a line in...See more
Customer avatar
Wayne R September 08, 2021 3:44 pm UTC
Hi, not sure where to ask this, so I'll try here!

I bought the HC of this from Amazon and want to run it asap, but I was wondering if you can DL (legally) the maps (either paid for or for free) to use at the table and in VTT's?

Thanks!
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Customer avatar
John-Matthew D September 08, 2021 4:27 pm UTC
Awesome! I appreciate it. I have a free GM's resource coming out, but it is not yet available. They will have maps in there. Sorry there is nothing as of yet. If you need something for your game in the meantime, let me know.
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Customer avatar
Wayne R September 08, 2021 5:53 pm UTC
Thank you for the fast response! Honestly, I'm just after jpg or png of the maps in the book so I can use them in my VTT to run games. I'm happy to pay for a map pack though, not looking freebies, just also not keen to have to buy the pdf just for them.
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Customer avatar
John-Matthew D September 08, 2021 6:23 pm UTC
Well, I can share what I have for now. I realize that this is not a great format for sharing contact info. Do you have a place I can share it?
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Customer avatar
Wayne R September 09, 2021 7:04 pm UTC
Do you have a company email you can share? Or is it safe to share discord id's on here?
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Customer avatar
John-Matthew D September 09, 2021 7:36 pm UTC
Shoot me an email at - iconicpodcast@gmail.com

I will hook you up.
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Customer avatar
james A April 10, 2022 12:38 pm UTC
Did you ever release this? I would definitely be interested in it if you did! Also, am I allowed to share a google sheets character sheet I made for the game?
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Customer avatar
John-Matthew D April 10, 2022 6:04 pm UTC
James,

I will check on the google sheets, I would love to see them. If you want to send me an email at jm.iconicproduction@gmail.com I will send you my map!
Customer avatar
John-Paul S July 03, 2021 3:42 am UTC
PURCHASER
This game has one of the richest settings I've ever seen, but my ADHD brain has a hard time remembering all the names. Is there a glossary or lexicon that is available to help me keep them straight?
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Customer avatar
John-Matthew D July 06, 2021 1:21 pm UTC
Thank you! We have a resource guide coming out for free on Osprey's blog. I will look at getting a lexicon placed in there.
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Customer avatar
John-Paul S July 05, 2022 4:26 am UTC
PURCHASER
Heyas! I never did see that lexicon posted. Did you guys post one and I just missed it?
Reply
Customer avatar
John-Matthew D July 05, 2022 12:14 pm UTC
Hey, John-Paul,

You know I have not heard and could not find it. I will check with Osprey.
Customer avatar
Robert N June 08, 2021 5:40 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I love this game!
I did have a question though in regards to clashing ranged attacks. It’s exceedingly probable that I misread or misheard something. However I was watching the Iconic productions Cult of Ceenon play through over on YouTube. During one of the parts there was a reference made to two ranged combatants that choose to clash, and if they choose to clash and both succeed, both take damage? I didn’t see anything related to this in the rulebook. The clash chart only references spending clash points to dodge a ranged attack, not to actually clash/damage roll against someone else’s ranged attack. Is there a place for that, that I’m just managing to not find? Or did I hear that incorrectly? Either one are exceedingly likely in all honesty. Not really sure this is the appropriate place for this question, but wasn’t too sure where else to put it honestly.
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Customer avatar
John-Matthew D June 08, 2021 7:41 pm UTC
Robert,

I am so glad to hear that! I hope you enjoying it.

So that was a ruling I made at the table, the ranged attack clash if the responder has a readied range weapon. It was my intent, and I plan on expanding on it with errata and additional framing for the rules in the next books.

If you have any more questions, I am always willing to answer them!
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Customer avatar
Robert N June 08, 2021 9:55 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Ah, okay! That makes perfect sense to me! I thought it might have been something like a house rule, or table ruling. But thought the man himself might know better. I think I will steal that until it gets added to errata or subsequent books in the future!

Of which I am vey eagerly to see this more stuff in the pipeline for Jackals!

Thank you JM!
Customer avatar
Colm O March 05, 2021 1:18 am UTC
PURCHASER
Really impressed with this book so far, the rules and setting are very thematic and just heavy enough to keep things interesting without bogging play down.

Two questions though:

- Will there be supplements to this game at all? I know Osprey tend to leave their RPGs as standalone products but in this case it would be a real shame! There aren't a massive amount of Bronze Age games out there and this is probably the best I've seen.

- Rule question, are rite advancements taken as active advancements? The rites chapter suggests this, but in the general advancements section it's not one of the options listed.
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Customer avatar
John-Matthew D March 05, 2021 1:24 am UTC
Colm,

Thank you for your kind words. There will be support for Jackals. There is a campaign coming in May, and more on the way!

As for rites, you nailed it. You can use active advancements on rites.

J-M
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Product Information
Electrum seller
Rule System(s)
Pages
272
ISBN
9781472837400
File Size:
105.66 MB
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File Last Updated:
September 28, 2021
This title was added to our catalog on January 28, 2021.