Yes, something developed along those lines would have been a lot more interesting than just a blank assertion that all affluent PCs start with a can of healing draught. Which is why I don't like that particular RAW.
Setting Drift
Aladaab said:
This is interesting. I'm not too familiar with 1e. The 'feel' that you describe; is it explicit in the rulebook? Or is it, perhaps, made possible because of an absence of high fantasy elements (and juvenile artwork)? How much is in the actual rulebook, and how much is "corrupting influence" (e.g. Warpstone)?
Just as an aside, I plan to make the Griffon Rider the official view of Karl-Franz in the Empire. Quite simply, it is in the interest of the powers behind the throne to glorify battles, armies and great leaders. There is a steady demand for new cannon fodder, and people might not as willingly die for their emperor if they considered him weak. Of course, it is seldom in people's best interest to die anyway, and motives in high places may not always be all that heroic.
Reiklanders are described as good imperialists in the rulebook (p. 23), "heroically" defending their borders, and fighting the good fight against "fractious and distrustful" provinces (clearly the provinces don't know what's good for them!). The "heroic" description of the emperor, then, is just part of how Rieklanders view themselves, much as phrases such as "treacherous elves" reveal not the truth about elves but the dwarfs' point of view (p. 24).
Anyway, is seems simple enough to tweak the setting. The only part of the actual rules that I don't like so far is the idea that affluent characters begin play with a "healing draught".
Aladåb
Hard to tell really... but TEW did set a setting that was in no way "herioc or epic". The chars were not really wanted, and stuck their nose in business people would rather just forget about. But the drawings also gave an image of "normal" people, no huge muscles etc... I do know though, that the "Arnold" type pictures might be something that has come within the last 10 years, so that could be the reason for it not being part of the 1st edition.
Think it's TEW that people refer to when thinking of 1st edition setting.
I like your idea of viewing Karl Franz 
Spivo said:
I like your idea of viewing Karl Franz
Thanks. I forget where it suggests that the electors actually prefer a weak emperor who won't meddle, while they themselves run the Empire from behind the throne. Is it in TEW? In my view though Karl-Franz is not just a puppet -- he's a decent enough politician -- but he's not the heroic Griffon Rider of military propaganda, either. He does ride a griffon sometimes at parades, to cement his own myth. The griffon is an oldish, drugged, toothless creature from the zoo, but it looks imposing enough when you're not up close to it (and of course, the Emperor's bodyguards ensure that people keep a respectful distance).
So when it says "Only the emperor has the power to maintain unity, and despite its power, the Empire is only one dagger-thrust away from anarchy", it's mostly propaganda. The emperor might be stabbed tomorrow, but since much of the power rests with the electors anyway, they would just elect another. No anarchy. [Edit: Civil war might well be brewing in the Empire, but there would be a multitude of reasons behind that, including religious and provincial tension. An assassination of the emperor might set things in motion, but not cause them.] The setting as described in the rulebook and the outline of Empire in Chaos are not mutually exclusive.
BTW, in post #21 above, part of my reply got formatted as if macd21 had said it. Sorry about that, I managed to mangle my post when editing it.