3/2/2023 0 Comments List of barsoom airships![]() But it’s a license that I approach knowing virtually nothing about – I haven’t read the books (and I definitely haven’t seen the movie). John Carter of Mars is, obviously, a licensed science fiction roleplaying game (the books by Edgar Rice Burroughs I’m guessing not so much the flop of a feature film). I give that introduction because I’m writing about the John Carter of Mars roleplaying game, published this year by Modiphius Entertainment. Perhaps Starfinder will change that trend, but historically that’s how it’s been – you don’t sit down to play a “science fiction” RPG, you sit down to play an RPG about a show or book or movie you like. However, the biggest science fiction roleplaying games have used existing licenses, from longtime stalwarts Star Trek and Star Wars (each of which has existed in a variety of mechanical systems from a variety of publishers). On the science fiction side, there have always been science fiction roleplaying games that did not use an existing setting. The king of fantasy has, of course, almost always been Dungeons & Dragons (and when it wasn’t D&D, it was Pathfinder, part of the D&D family tree) – something that started as a system and a genre, but not a setting (unless you count the recent Guildmaster’s Guide to Ravnica, which uses a setting from Magic: the Gathering). All Rights Reserved.There has always been a dichotomy between fantasy and science fiction tabletop roleplaying games. ton - without terrestrial referrent, many airships and construction techniques are described in terms of tons.Ĭopyright © 1982, 1996-2003 by David Bruce Bozarth. pound - Apparently a Barsoomian pound is similiar in relation to an Earthly pound, but due to Mars reduced gravity no other comparisons are known. John Carter's observations of the Barsoomian methods of weight measurement have never been translated. pi - 1 cent teepi - 10 cents tanpi - 1 dollar WEIGHTS Precious gems and metals are commonly used as valuta, though expressed values is not described. ![]() If the payee is unable to fulfil his obligation, the government pays the debt and requires the debtor to serve time on a farm or in the military until the debt is paid. Paper currency - a form of check issued by the payee and redeemed twice a year. Hard coinage is oval shaped in bronze, silver and gold. ![]() Not included, though logically might be numbers (or multipliers/dividers), are "ha", "kar", "saf" and "sof" (see Linear Measures above). There appears to be little logic to the numbers listed in the books, though some aspects seem to hold together. 10 zodes daily martian day little over 24 1/2 earth hours (Princess 112) martian year 684 earth days Barsoomian Month = They remain on this duty for one month, which is equivalent to about seventy days of Earth time then they are relieved and return to Gathol city. (Synthetic) 25 xats past 8th zode is midnight (Swords). ERB occasionally offered exact conversions between Barsoomian and earth measures, for example: Martian time 8:25 is 12:13 AM Earth time. Circumference of Mars, 13,289 miles 1 mile - 2.709 haads Speed of fast fliers 166.1 earth miles per hour, or 450 haads per hour calculated from distance/time description in Thuvia and supported by Barsoom map reference (see Technological Developments, AIRSHIPS for more information) TIME Tal - 1 second Xat - 1 minute Zode - 1 hour 4 tals = 1 xat, or 200 tals to a zode 5 xats = 15 earth minutes 50 xats = three hours zode = 2.5 earth hours (listed as 2.462 earth hours, Fighting Man). (Synthetic) haad - 1,949.05 earth feet (listed as 1,949.0592 feet, Fighting Man) 10 sofads - 1 ad 200 ads - 1 haad 100 haads - 1 karad 1 karad - 1 degree of latitude (36.914 earth miles) 360 karads - circumference of Barsoom at the equator. ![]() 300 ads is described as approximately 3000 feet and 50 ads converts to 490 feet. Various conversions between Barsoomian and earth measure can be found. (On map 11.69 earth inches) safad - martian inch ad - 9.75 earth feet. Weights and Measures, things an ordinary society needs to communiate, build, or do trade and commerce, is well documented in the series, either in context with the story or as footnotes. An example of that detail, the rich texture of an imaginary world, is getting down to "nuts and bolts". For many Barsoom is the star character of the Martian Saga by Burroughs. Measure, Time, Currency, Numbers, and Weights are listed below.Įdgar Rice Burroughs was very thorough in his creation of Barsoom, the inhabitants and creatures, and society and technology as well. This section examines the minutia found in complex human Barsoomian cultures.
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