Rome, 60 AD. The Reign of Nero.
Step into the sandals of individuals navigating the grandeur and peril of the Roman Empire at its most volatile. Whether you are a Senator in the Curia, a Legionary on the Germanic frontier, a Gladiator fighting for freedom in the arena, or an Umbrasilus lurking in Rome's underbelly — your story unfolds against the backdrop of an empire that is both magnificent and rotten.
Imperium Roma is a sandbox TTRPG built on the Year Zero Engine, filling the gap for tabletop role-playing in the ancient world. It is a game of ambition and survival, of honor and betrayal, where the Pax Romana is a thin veneer over a world of shifting allegiances, frontier wars, mystery cults, and the ever-present shadow of an emperor who may be losing his mind.
126 pages · 12 chapters · 6 cultures · 6 archetypes · Full sandbox toolkit
2–5 Players
1 GM + 1–4 citizens of Rome
Year Zero Engine
D6 dice pool, push mechanic, Numina as meta-resource
Sandbox Campaign
Open-world play from Britannia to Judea
Four Pillars of Play
Tactical Combat
Command formations on a hex-based battlefield. Flanking, terrain, morale, and unit composition all matter. Fight as a legionary, a gladiator, or a shadow-dwelling Umbrasilus.
Camp & Legion Life
Your legion is a mobile city. Manage supplies, discipline, fortifications, and the ever-present threat of mutiny while stationed on distant frontiers.
Political Intrigue
Navigate the treacherous currents of the Curia, manage Senatorial favor, and survive the unpredictable whims of Emperor Nero. Every patron demands loyalty.
Sandbox Exploration
Rome stretches from Britannia to Judea. Scout hostile territory, encounter foreign cultures, and decide: conquer, coexist, or exploit.
Four Attributes, Two Thresholds
Roll your Attribute + Skill dice. Every 6 is a success. Push for a second chance — but pushing costs you. Health and Morale track your body and mind.
Physique
Strength, endurance, physical power
Agility
Speed, reflexes, coordination
Intellect
Reason, knowledge, perception
Presence
Charisma, leadership, willpower
Six Cultures of the Empire
The Roman world is a mosaic of peoples. Your culture shapes your worldview, talents, and starting position.
Italic Roman
Citizens of the Eternal City and the Italian heartland. Pride, ambition, and the weight of tradition.
Hellenic Greek
Heirs to a rich intellectual and artistic legacy. Philosophy, rhetoric, and cultural pride that chafes under Roman rule.
Judean
Centered around monotheistic worship and the laws of Torah. The Temple in Jerusalem still stands.
Dacian & Thracian
Renowned for martial spirit and fierce independence. Skilled miners, metalworkers, and warriors.
Celtic & Germanic
Tribal peoples of the northern frontiers. Druids, warriors, and oral traditions that Rome cannot fully tame.
Egyptian
Ancient civilization now under Roman rule. Mystery cults, sacred rites, and the wealth of the Nile.
Six Archetypes
Who are you in the Empire?
A political powerhouse navigating the treacherous corridors of the Curia. Influence, rhetoric, and hidden daggers.
The disciplined backbone of the Empire. Trained in formation fighting, camp construction, and frontier survival.
A warrior of the arena, fighting for freedom and glory. The crowd is your weapon as much as your blade.
A savvy trader building a commercial empire across the Mediterranean. Gold opens doors that swords cannot.
An interpreter of divine will. Read the omens, perform the rites, and wield the power of Numina.
A shadow-dweller — spy, investigator, or thief. Master of the hidden paths beneath Rome's gleaming surface.
The Social Arena
In Rome, politics is as deadly as the battlefield. Imperium Roma models the social machinery of the Empire.
Favor & Patronage
The patron-client system drives Roman life. Your patron demands loyalty — and rewards it with access, resources, and protection.
Gravitas
Your personal authority and reputation. High Gravitas opens doors; low Gravitas invites contempt. Earned through deeds, lost through disgrace.
Numina
Divine favor and spiritual currency. Spend it for intervention, power rituals, or activate your most potent Talents when the gods are watching.
What's Inside
12 chapters across 126 pages.
Introduction
Setting the stage — Rome under Nero, 60 AD
Character Creation
Cultures, Archetypes, Attributes, Skills, and Dark Secrets
Core Mechanics
Year Zero Engine — dice pools, pushing, Banes, and breaking
Talents
Cultural, Archetype, and General Talents across three tiers
Combat
Initiative, zones, actions, armor, Critical Injuries
The Social Arena
Favor, Gravitas, Patronage, Bloodlines, and civic duty
The Supernatural
Numina, Mystery Cults, omens, and divine intervention
Gear & Economy
Weapons, armor, provisions, and the Denarius economy
The World of Rome
Government, society, religion, daily life under the Empire
Beasts & Adversaries
Lions, crocodiles, barbarians, and political enemies
Campaign Tools
Sandbox hooks, encounter tables, and patron-client adventures
Notable NPCs
Seneca, Nero, the Senate, and historical figures of 60 AD
Forging the Legion
Imperium Roma is an indie TTRPG in active development — filling the gap for tabletop role-playing set in the ancient world. The 126-page core rulebook is being playtested and refined. No release date yet.
Built on the Year Zero Engine. Set during the reign of Nero, 60 AD.