Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium

Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium tabletop RPG cover (2000), art by Mark Zug

The Dune Role Playing Game (Dune RPG), official name Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium, was a role-playing game based on Frank Herbert's original Dune novels, released in 2001. It was developed by Last Unicorn Games and used LUG's Icon game-system.

The production of the game was ceased after LUG was sold to Wizards of the Coast. An originally planned d20 version was advertised but has so far not been released.

Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium was the first official Dune tabletop roleplaying game and remained the only such title until 2020's Dune: Adventures in the Imperium, released by Modiphius Entertainment.

Gameplay

The Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium RPG was focused primarily on roleplaying for a retainer of a Great House of the Imperium. Some of the pre-made houses available in the published core book included House Atreides, House Harkonnen, House Moritani, House Wallach. Players could also create their own made-up houses, including minor vassal houses of the Great Houses from the game or from elsewhere in Dune lore.

Player characters could choose the specialisation and training background of their retainers (comparable in function to character classes or professions of other tabletop RPGs) and had an array of stats and skills. Aside from physical, mental, technical and diplomatic skills, the RPG also accounted for melee fighting with knives, swords and personal shields, as well as for the more espionage-style military action in the Dune universe (necessitated by the principles of the War of Assassins).

The RPG was relatively open-ended in terms of scenario creation, offering a variety of possible scenario and mission types, with some instructions and tips on setting up a scenario. The core book, the title's sole published product, offered only a few smaller sample scenarios, and did not focus much on adventure or espionage scenarios set on Arrakis itself.

More TBA.

Gallery

Lady Jessica

Members of House Moritani

Maula pistol illustration

Stunner illustration

Gun illustration

Sardaukar in rare powered armour

Ornithopter

Mentat

See also

• Unique Names and terms from the Dune Role Playing Game
• Images from Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium

External links

• Wizards of the Coast announcement on the RPG line's discontinuation (January 2001)
• Capsule review (text-only) of Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium at RPG.net, by Derek Guder (April 2001, errata August 2017)
• Mr. Welch's retrospective video review of Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium (November 2020)

Dune tabletop games
Board games	Dune • Dune: A Parker Brothers Adventure Game • Dune: Imperium • Dune: War for Arrakis
Card games	Dune: Eye of the Storm • Dune: Betrayal
Tabletop roleplaying games	Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium • Dune: Adventures in the Imperium