Where will you go?

We know several houses have agents on Arrakis before and during the first three novels. Count Fenring is Corrino. We can expect most great houses have agents on Arrakis in an attempt to keep the Harkonnen honest.

So, there’s a lot of room for pendragon-style timeflows on Arrakis itself.

But, especially given the prequels after the “house _” series, we have a view of the bigger universe… Richesse/IX, Tleilax, Ginaz, Geidi prime…

And there’s plenty of room for houses major or houses minor and their fiefs… and perhaps, a few surviving mechanicals out on the fringes, in a different direction from the Honored Matres…

Which brings up an intriguing campaign idea - several houses minor take flight in proscribed computer navigated ships… the campaign is their growing pains, long term plots, and such. And how their spice gets rationed…

There was an interesting discussion on the beta forum and I was thinking about a new system with its own established rulers, that had been out of interstellar contact. Melding the opium wars and the concessions of Shanghai, with the various Imperium power blocs operating behind the scenes to try and seize control. If anyone is interested I’ll chase up my notes on it.

Noble House Atreides agents, your assignment is to infiltrate the ranks of Harkonnen intelligence in Harko, and wherever your mission may lead, and report back on Harkonnen plans and intentions.

Your training is sufficient, your cover deeply backstopped. Your contact awaits in a safehouse in an Ixian technology manufacturing enclave in Harko. Best of luck.

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TIMELINE

During the reign of Leto I, shortly after the death of Paulus Atreides. Such a fertile field to harvest from in terms of story options. The political machinations of the Landsraad are still in full swing, and the Jihad has not yet turned the Imperium into a warzone. The Kanly between House Ecaz and House Moritani, or the war for Ix between the Bene Tleilax and House Vernius. The Bene Gesserit have their fingers in the doings of everyone from Arrakis to Kaitan. Merc wars, corporate espionage, technological sabotage, smuggling runs, it’s all there and ripe for the picking.

SETTING

Some of my players might wind up on these forums, so I’m loathe to disclose too much. It’ll will definitely be a traveling game where Arrakis will be, at best, a sideshow. I recall one of the game designers mentioning that Arrakis was the primary setting because it’s where the “action is,” and have to admit I was profoundly disappointed by that assertion. The majority of the damn near 20 books I have read in this setting have concerned Arrakis in one way or another. I understand the central role Arrakis plays in the lore, but I want a chance to see the different corners of the Imperium for myself. I want to broaden the horizon beyond the sand dunes and sietches that characterized so much of the written work that is already available. I want to paint with more colors than sand brown and grey morality. Here’s hoping there is enough leeway in Modiphius’ design to accommodate that.

My biggest disappointment with the Beta Test was that it did not include character generation and forced us to use pregenerated, Atreides house staff. I wanted to do an interstellar adventure about spice smugglers getting caught up in Landsraad politics.

I did not run the provided module during the Beta, but a story that set up the existence of a ■■■■■■■ daughter of Rabban Harkonnen, and my players started looking for her because she could be an asset against the Baron if she was in Atreides hands. We did not finish before the Beta ended and the pandemic complicated the game.

But if I were to run Dune 2d20, I’d pick that story up with those privateers.