Dune RPG - Quest for Arrakis: The Game

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The Dune RPG - Quest for Arrakis a text-based role playing game with multimedia enhancements. The game is based on the 6 science fiction books written by Frank Herbert known as the Dune Chronicles, the prequels to the chronicles written by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson, the 2 SciFi TV channel miniseries, the many Dune CCG card games, the Dune RP games such as Dune 2000, and other Dune text-based RPGs on the Internet. The game is played by creating a character and writing about him/her/it on a message board known as The Great Shigawire Imprint. There is a multitude of multimedia enhancements to increase the fun of the game and elevate it from a static writing exercise to an immersive journey into the World of Dune.

It is the year 8725 A.G. (After Guild). The Imperium is comprised of nearly a million planets. The Great House names of the Imperium are in play - Atreides, Harkonnen and Corrino as well as other houses like Ginaz known in the books. The population of the Imperium has not forgotten the fateful lessons of the Butlerian Jihad but have become lax in their adherence to the principles of the Orange Catholic Bible. Technology is on the rise as well as exploration. There are planetologists, technicians, explorers, etc. Melange or spice is still the most valuable commodity in the universe and is the basis for all finance (think about the gold at Fort Knox on which the current rate of currency is based on Earth). It can be found in one place only - Arrakis or Dune. There are attempts being made by certain houses and factions to reproduce this valuable commodity either through theft or through experimentation.

At the beginning of Quest for Arrakis, Dune is being is controlled by the nonplayable House Lankiveil. The responsibilities are immense because House Lankiveil must insure that the spice flows. Keeping the spice quota at normal or above normal is key for House Lankiveil. The governorship of Arrakis is evaluated periodically. If the spice quotas have dropped or House Lankiveil has not been able to maintain control, another Great House can petition CHOAM and the Landsraad Council to take over Arrakis.

Although obtaining and keeping the governorship of Arrakis is one of the key strategies of the game, it is not the only avenue for wealth and power. Our game is not about death and murder but more about political intrigue and role playing. There are many other things to try to control in the Imperium - the discovery of a new source of spice, the development and control of a new type of heighliner for space travel, new meks and thinking machines to do menial tasks, the discovery of new planets and resources, etc.

The game is text-based which means you are role playing through character development and interaction with other players through your writings on our message board - The Great Shigawire Imprint. But that is not all to the game. There are numerous banquets, meetings, duels, competitions, etc. which convene in either of 2 chat rooms - a text-based/voice-based chat room and/or a virtual chatroom where you can dress in character and physically interact with other players.

Having played in numerous RPGs, with a number of Gamemasters, the Managers of this game have decided to govern game play by committee. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. We have seen too many RPGs either implode or be unduly influenced by the ebb and flow of a Gamemaster's whims. To safeguard The Quest for Arrakis from unexpected dissolution, decisions concerning the game will be made by The Directorate as we call ourselves. The Directorate members are playing the game for the pure enjoyment of role playing. We had to find a way to make the game fair and honest for all players so random generators for die rolls and card and event distribution have been instituted into the site to reduce the urge to influence the game in a player's favor. Decisions concerning bad behavior by a player will be decided by all the players in a Landsraad Council and votes will be polled. The Directorate will take into consideration all views before any action against a player is taken. We believe in democracy and fair play. And above all, The Directorate holds nobility and honesty in the highest regard although some of our characters in the game can and will not be typified as such. We truly do know the difference between OOC (out of character) and IC (in character) issues and will regard every post or action taken by a player with this in mind.

The Quest for Arrakis Website is using art, graphics and information as well as our own contributions in those categories from the multitude of Dune-related sites on the Internet. Please visit the Credits and Links pages and take time to visit these wondrous sites. Your enjoyment of Dune will be enhanced by them for they hold a wealth of information, opinion and interaction. We would like to thank all of the sites we have listed for any information we obtained from them to enhance our enjoyment of Dune.

A player can begin the game as a Great House, Minor House, Faction or Persona. As would be expected, a Great House player has more responsibility, power and wealth. A Minor House or Persona can act as its own entity or can make an alliance with a Great House. Factions have a great deal of power also. The Factions in play are The Spacing Guild, CHOAM, Tleilaxu, and Ix. The Bene Gesserits are non-playable and will only influence gameplay through cards. As is the Emperor. They may come into play later in the game.

Each period of play is 1 week in length unless denoted by the Directorate. The periods of play are called Rounds. Each round starts on Friday and ends the following Thursday.

The Quest for Arrakis RPG is using cards from the Dune CCG card game. Cards are awarded at the beginning of each round. As you can imagine some of the cards cannot be modified to fit a text-based RPG, but there are upwards of 200 cards available for play. The Directorate decided to use cards to promote gameplay and to keep the game from becoming static.

As a Great House, Minor House or Faction, you have a planet to maintain, people on your planet who work for you and that you have to feed and pay. This is your workforce. What's so great about having a workforce is that you can assign them with special skills such as producing major parts for heighliners or special technicians who make holorecorders.

There are Events that occur periodically that effect each player in the game. These events are in the guise of increased riches or devastating consequences. Again the use of Events keeps gameplay continual and spurs interaction amongst the players.

The Quest for Arrakis RPG is open-ended. The acquisition of Arrakis is one goal, but as mentioned above, it is not the only goal nor source for wealth and power. Using the cards and the resources you acquire through purchase and acquisition, legally and illegally, will determine your success in the game. Character development, however, is key for you and all of the personnel you acquire. Alliances with others is desired but not necessary. You will bring to the game what you want to get out of it. Purchase wisely, plot introspectively, interact actively, and you will succeed.

You must protect your planet and your resources, so it is inevitable that you will need a military to help guard against attack. Buy your military personnel and equipment wisely. Remember, the house or faction with the most wealth usually has the most power.

When you click on the Join button you will be taken to a form page where you can fill out a profile of the character (Great House, Minor House, Faction or Persona) you wish to play. Your successfully submitted form will be e-mailed to The Directorate who will review and approve your membership. You must join to play. You will not be able to review the Player's Area or use any of the interactive media on the website if you are not playing. We are a role playing game not a message board for posts not related to the game. We have, however, created a way station called The Dune Outpost where you may post Dune-related reflections. Although the players at Quest for Arrakis are playing the game, we all expressed a desire to share our thoughts and reflections about the books we have come to admire. We hope you join the game. You will find it, we believe, to be a fun, stimulating, and enriching diversion.