The Imperium Romanum is designed to allow multiple DMs in a single campaign setting. All players are encouraged to choose and develop a region, although one DM is sufficient. This will allow less experienced players a chance to DM, as well as allow regular DMs a chance to adventure.

The PCs are adventurers in the Roman Empire, perhaps the greatest civilization of the ancient world. The Empire included lands as diverse as Britain and Egypt, and encompassed hundreds of languages and religions. Because of this extreme diversity, DM overlap is practically nonexistent; several DMs can run adventures in their own regions of this vast Empire. The PCs will travel freely — along the famous Roman roads or with heavily-guarded trade ships — from one end of the Empire to another, adventuring under different DMs and collecting fantastic treasures and experiences.

PCs, then, can be natives of any of the Roman provinces, or perhaps even "barbarians" from outside the Empire. Nonhumans are plentiful in the campaign; this is not a problem (after all, this is not the real Roman Empire).

Experience has shown that the background of the campaign is a tremendous aid to role-playing. If you know, for example, that your character is a Gaul, you have some images of national characteristics (or stereotypes) and customs to fall back on as you develop your personality. You are strongly encouraged to look into the background of your character — find out all you can about your homeland during the Roman period (the first century, c. A.D. 50). This will provide an enormous depth of background for your character that will make the game immeasurably more fun to play. Not only that, but your DM will recognize your improved role-playing and give you experience point bonuses.

See the "Region information" stack for a rundown of the known world. It's up to you to work on building your character's background within this incredible civilization, and (if you're DMing) to develop your chosen territory as well. Have fun with it!

A final note: The campaign works well as a "politically correct" one, with most if not all PCs representing provincial peoples who do not possess wealth and status in the Roman world (and therefore have a reason to adventure). Remember that most people in conquered Roman territory were anti-Rome, so if you develop a campaign with mainly middle- or upper-class Roman and Greek PCs, parties will encounter resentment (at the least!) wherever they travel.