The Senet Campaign game

The Ancient Egyptian board game Senet was a precursor of the game we know as ludo.  In Senet pawns had to travel a track of 30 squares, meeting the requirements of the hieroglyphic inscriptions in the square, and landing on each in the correct sequence to exit the board.  The symbol for “waters of chaos” for example meant that the pawn must return to the beginning, “house of the three truths” that a three must be rolled to leave that square, and so on.

A Senet gameboard and game pieces from tomb KV62

The game came to symbolise a journey, so much so that by the time of the New Kingdom it had come to represent the journey of the dead into the west, the underworld of Osiris, and examples have been found in the tombs of the the period.  The Senet track curled like a snake, perhaps originally representing the nile.  It was regarded as a difficult game to win, very much the chess of its time.

Using Senet to represent my Ancient Egyptian campaign world was something I was keen to try.  I adopted the 30 squares, and hieroglyphic symbols, for my campaign map, adding another Senet board across the first.   Egypt stands as the axis of these two tracks, the nile, running North South, and the Road of Kings running East West.   Each track consists of 30 squares, with 15 in each compass arm.  As in Senet the tracks “snake” around the board, and as in Senet landing on a square determines the course of action.  Squares may represent a skirmish to be resolved on tabletop, a supply problem, an eager commander who presses onward etc…  the final square on each compass point represents the victory square, but must be won in battle.

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Ancient Senet used an early cylinder type dice.  I recommend the traditional ludo d6.  It's less rolly.   Squares have a numerical value, representing the prestige that the Egyptian gods achieve during the campaign season.  If Ptah reaches square 9, then he gains 9 points for this turn, etc...  The first god to 300 points, or to conquer the entire board, wins the game.  


The campaigning forces return to their depots after the year represented by the move on the Senet track, although may leave a Garrison or vassal marker in situ, at captured locations.  At the end of the year the Prestige of the gods is compared, harvests are gathered and the new year declared.  

Method.

Each square has a campaign event and the turn represents a year.  Each city's god moves in turn along the track in its set direction, only continuing if the Senet board allows.  Re for example campaigns Westward against the Libyans, but can only continue to a second dice roll if it lands on a square that allows that.

Square one represents a poor march.  There are problems and the omens must be tested to proceed.  The god’s move could end there.  If it gets to square 6 it faces a skirmish against raiders, a Chariot Rampant level of game.  Larger sword and spear battles await our heroes further down the board.  Square 6 also allows the establishment of an Egyptian border fort that means the army can stage another move, a dice roll to go further down the ten remaining squares on the Senet track, or end the turn and begin next year's campaign from the fort.

Re, god of Helios, campaigns Westward into Libya, Ptah, god of Memphis, campaigns Eastward into Syria.  Amun, god of Thebes, campaigns south into Nubia.  This is roughly how the New Kingdom operated strategically, although the Pharaoh can lead one of his armies in person, spending Treasury points, to focus on attacking one area, and bypass some of the Senet square restrictions.  Similarly any non Egyptian army that wins three consecutive battled may declare a Great King, and add d6 x 100 shekels to their treasury.  The Great King will then operate as a Pharaoh but from their end of the Senet track.  It will be possible to subdue tribes, and make cities vassals so that movement through that part of the board has less restrictions.

A Pharaoh, or declared Great King, may pay 1000 shekels from the treasury to ignore the instruction in a Senet square, and re roll the dice to advance from the square he has bribed.  He may only do this once per campaign season

My Senet Campaign Map... it's a work in progress!

Technically it should be possible to conquer the board, but the Tribes and cities outside Egypt also have gods that move on the Senet board, and it is equally possible that they could conquer two cities in Egypt and set up a foreign dynasty to win the game.  Foreign dynasties of course become Egyptian almost immediately and the nile still flows.

Locations

A city must be won in battle against the cities forces. It is then declared a vassal and acts in the same way as a fort.

A tribal area can only be won in a battle against the tribe for the adjacent square.  The tribe become vassals and are out of the game unless the Tribal god occupies that square and frees them.

A fort counter can be placed by winning in squares 6 or 9.  The next year’s campaign can start at that at point.

Forts can be constructed on the tracks, or cities occupied.  The event recorded on the track will stand, but an enemy cannot move past a fort without first capturing it.  Cities are staging posts outside the squares of the track.  They bring in wealth and prestige if their gods are subdued and occupied or declared vassals.  Cities bring in d6 x 10 Shekels each year representing the harvest

Activation Table For The Gods

In strict order of Prestige.

Squares:

1.   The Ankh.  A poor march.  Test the omens.

2.   A problem with supply.  The omens must be tested.

3.   A Bountiful harvest 2D6 x 100 shekels are added to the treasury. D6 prestige

4.   The Commander presses forward d6 squares.

5.   A trade route bonus 1d6 x 100 shekels are added to the treasury.

6    A small force skirmish scenario, randomly generated. D6 prestige points are at stake. The winner may establish a fort or tribal village.

7    A raid on the borders.  The army must return to its base to fight a skirmish against desert raiders.  D6 prestige points are at stake  It may loan a unit to another tribe or city yet to campaign this season.

8.   A new character is noted by, and dedicated to god.  Generate for this city/tribe/force. Add d6 prestige points.

9.  Battle.  A larger scale fight occurs.  D6 x10 prestige points are at stake. The winner may establish a fort.

10.  The Reaping of souls.  A plague of the gods strikes a random city.  Dice for survival of all characters there. Deduct d6 x 10 prestige.

11.   The House of Rejuvenation.  The army is reinforced before its final push.
12.   The waters of chaos.  The campaign bogs down. The army returns to its base.

13.   The house of the three truths.   A siege begins, and can only be won on a roll of 3.

14.   The Eye of Horus.  A skirmish game involving the Generals of both sides.

15.   The Viper.  A victory and a betrayal.  You subdue the enemy, but rebellion may yet appear from these people.

Ptah is the king of the gods, with a starting prestige of 100

Amun is god of the sky, his prestige begins at 90

Re is god of the sun, and his prestige is 80

Baal is the Canaanite Storm god.  His prestige is 70

Neith or Athene, 7 the warrior goddess of the Libyans.  She has a prestige of 60

The Sisters are the goddesses of the Nubians, with a joint prestige of 50

The Sea Lord Poisedon is god of the Sea Peoples, with a Prestige of 40.  He may enter the Senet track into Libya or Canaan.

El, the old man, is the god of the desert peoples.  His prestige is only 30, and he cannot alter this unless the desert raiders win a skirmish.

A god who reaches zero prestige will eventually be replaced by another from the Pantheon,  as belief in them wanes, or combined with another god to maintain their believers, as in Amun-Re.  The new god begins on 10 prestige points, in the city of the previous god.  It's a god eat god world.