Strategy Campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

Strategy Campaign [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
therationalpi
08-21-07, 05:04 PM As opposed to a standard dungeon crawl campaign, I wanted to do more of a military strategy based campaign. The PCs would start of as commanders in an army, given troops they can control as henchmen, and work their way up the ranks. Assuming they continue on the military path and reach a suitably high rank, I was thinking they could even plot out troop movements for the armies.

I can work out much of the mechanics myself, but I was wondering what story, setting, and character ideas you all had to make the game pop.

Currently, I'm thinking a low/no magic setting, because even the most rudimentary magic changes the entire mood of combat. Also, I want the campaign to be an evil campaign, tending to Lawful Evil characters best. Essentially, the PCs would be fighting on behalf of an iron-fisted imperialist nation. Dark fantasy may be the best way to describe the setting I'm looking for.

One of the things that I want to include are the tactical feats from complete warrior, and the like. All the henchmen would have some tactical feats to make them work better with similar henchman. For example, shield bearers would know how to form a phalanx, and bowman come pre-trained in how to fire volleys. The players get to pick their own henchmen, but I want to edge them towards homogenized groups.
yellowdingo
08-22-07, 06:45 AM MAURE CASTLE

Employed by a very wealthy merchant to (1)survey then (2)capture the above ground castle (if there is any left) and (3)secure the area so that a small stone quarrying town could be established. With the Party holding the fort, patrolling the trail etc. They would then establish a Quarry with a labour camp.
IT takes about 10 years to quarry stone and build a new castle (while exploring the ruins beneath).
Once they build the castle, they begin work on the stone causeway linking City of Greyhawkto the The Guild Town of Maure and eventually Leukish City (Duchy of Urnst).

Fortify your position while you build a HUge Castle

resource requirements:
QUANTITY OF STONE=85,000 tons (76 ton/1000 cubic feet)
WORKERS=100 quarry workers
TIME=5.5 years to quarry

let them secure a quarry and work camp for 5.5 years while they build a castle that covers three acres...
Holy_Beholder
08-22-07, 08:42 PM Read complete warrior, they have an entire chapter dedicated to warfare. Also, they start at Commander and work up? Commander is pretty high.
therationalpi
08-23-07, 06:43 PM I want to start them in a position where they have a real effect on the story. Having them start as soldiers, or even very low ranking officers, makes them too much like grunts. Perhaps I should start them off lower on the chain of command, but I want people to answer to them more than the other way around.
Aneutralshadeofblack
08-23-07, 07:34 PM Currently, I'm thinking a low/no magic setting, because even the most rudimentary magic changes the entire mood of combat. Also, I want the campaign to be an evil campaign, tending to Lawful Evil characters best. Essentially, the PCs would be fighting on behalf of an iron-fisted imperialist nation. Dark fantasy may be the best way to describe the setting I'm looking for.

The whole thing sounds quite a bit similar to what I'm currently building; good on you. D&D needs more mature, gritty, realistic, strategic and military fantasy.

Here's what I did to make mine work: first of all, I've got a politically realistic (pun intended, for those of us who studied IR) world where war is a reality and more or less the best way of accomplishing anything. This world started out very much as the world of Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen world (read them; seriously, the whole series is awesome - even better than George R. R. Martin's ASoIaF; reading them will provide you with a lot of ideas. Also recommended is Glen Cook's Black Company series), but has evolved a lot, to the point where, whilst it still bears a lot of similarities, it's now original, my own and somewhat science-fantasy.

The real problem with military campaigns as I see it is basically the juggling between the PCs' "we're the only ones that matter" attitude and the reality of warfare and ensuing obedience required of soldiers. I had a couple of solutions in mind:
- have the PCs start out as Privates, but immediately (after an in media res introduction in the middle of a battle where their army routs) get lost behind enemy lines without a CO. Everyone is of equal rank, there's no one to give the party orders, and the squad has to make it back to their lines alive - causing as much damage to the enemy as they want to on the way. When they make it back, they can be decorated and made officers - which is where tactics and politics come in (incidentally, here's a tie-in for the creation of the first ever black ops squads in your setting);
- have the PCs be part of some paramilitary organisation that doesn't use ranks or where they matter and have troops under them. Guild hired by the state, mercenaries, rebels, whatever (this works especially well if they start above first level - something like fifth, for example, in which case they can be experience adventurers hired for their combat expertise, or just retired adventurers who formed their own organisation).

I personally picked the latter, because Free Companies (shamelessly borrowed from the Black Company novels at first) fit well within the confines of my setting, and made it original.

As far as story is concerned, since you're already designing the game to be mature, I'd advise you to force your players to think by confronting them with ideas they're morally uncomfortable with (slavery, ritual murder, legitimised rape; the list goes on; you know the drill, I'm sure). Be sure to make sure neither side is entirely good or evil (again, play on your players' likes and dislikes) so you don't just end up replaying the Star Wars trilogy in a fantasy universe.

I'll eventually get around to posting a design journal for my own setting...
yellowdingo
08-24-07, 07:45 AM [QUOTE=therationalpi;13498301]Currently, I'm thinking a low/no magic setting, because even the most rudimentary magic changes the entire mood of combat. Also, I want the campaign to be an evil campaign, tending to Lawful Evil characters best. Essentially, the PCs would be fighting on behalf of an iron-fisted imperialist nation. Dark fantasy may be the best way to describe the setting I'm looking for.QUOTE]

eep! This has 1066AD written all over it: I take it your NORMAN thugs will be doing nasty things to the populace:

1. Introduce Taxation and Property Records.
2. Speak a foreign Language and persecute people for not being bi-lingual.
3. Introduce Compulsory Church Attendance

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
therationalpi 08-21-07, 05:04 PM	As opposed to a standard dungeon crawl campaign, I wanted to do more of a military strategy based campaign. The PCs would start of as commanders in an army, given troops they can control as henchmen, and work their way up the ranks. Assuming they continue on the military path and reach a suitably high rank, I was thinking they could even plot out troop movements for the armies. I can work out much of the mechanics myself, but I was wondering what story, setting, and character ideas you all had to make the game pop. Currently, I'm thinking a low/no magic setting, because even the most rudimentary magic changes the entire mood of combat. Also, I want the campaign to be an evil campaign, tending to Lawful Evil characters best. Essentially, the PCs would be fighting on behalf of an iron-fisted imperialist nation. Dark fantasy may be the best way to describe the setting I'm looking for. One of the things that I want to include are the tactical feats from complete warrior, and the like. All the henchmen would have some tactical feats to make them work better with similar henchman. For example, shield bearers would know how to form a phalanx, and bowman come pre-trained in how to fire volleys. The players get to pick their own henchmen, but I want to edge them towards homogenized groups.
yellowdingo 08-22-07, 06:45 AM	MAURE CASTLE Employed by a very wealthy merchant to (1)survey then (2)capture the above ground castle (if there is any left) and (3)secure the area so that a small stone quarrying town could be established. With the Party holding the fort, patrolling the trail etc. They would then establish a Quarry with a labour camp. IT takes about 10 years to quarry stone and build a new castle (while exploring the ruins beneath). Once they build the castle, they begin work on the stone causeway linking City of Greyhawkto the The Guild Town of Maure and eventually Leukish City (Duchy of Urnst). Fortify your position while you build a HUge Castle resource requirements: QUANTITY OF STONE=85,000 tons (76 ton/1000 cubic feet) WORKERS=100 quarry workers TIME=5.5 years to quarry let them secure a quarry and work camp for 5.5 years while they build a castle that covers three acres...
Holy_Beholder 08-22-07, 08:42 PM	Read complete warrior, they have an entire chapter dedicated to warfare. Also, they start at Commander and work up? Commander is pretty high.
therationalpi 08-23-07, 06:43 PM	I want to start them in a position where they have a real effect on the story. Having them start as soldiers, or even very low ranking officers, makes them too much like grunts. Perhaps I should start them off lower on the chain of command, but I want people to answer to them more than the other way around.
Aneutralshadeofblack 08-23-07, 07:34 PM	Currently, I'm thinking a low/no magic setting, because even the most rudimentary magic changes the entire mood of combat. Also, I want the campaign to be an evil campaign, tending to Lawful Evil characters best. Essentially, the PCs would be fighting on behalf of an iron-fisted imperialist nation. Dark fantasy may be the best way to describe the setting I'm looking for. The whole thing sounds quite a bit similar to what I'm currently building; good on you. D&D needs more mature, gritty, realistic, strategic and military fantasy. Here's what I did to make mine work: first of all, I've got a politically realistic (pun intended, for those of us who studied IR) world where war is a reality and more or less the best way of accomplishing anything. This world started out very much as the world of Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen world (read them; seriously, the whole series is awesome - even better than George R. R. Martin's ASoIaF; reading them will provide you with a lot of ideas. Also recommended is Glen Cook's Black Company series), but has evolved a lot, to the point where, whilst it still bears a lot of similarities, it's now original, my own and somewhat science-fantasy. The real problem with military campaigns as I see it is basically the juggling between the PCs' "we're the only ones that matter" attitude and the reality of warfare and ensuing obedience required of soldiers. I had a couple of solutions in mind: - have the PCs start out as Privates, but immediately (after an in media res introduction in the middle of a battle where their army routs) get lost behind enemy lines without a CO. Everyone is of equal rank, there's no one to give the party orders, and the squad has to make it back to their lines alive - causing as much damage to the enemy as they want to on the way. When they make it back, they can be decorated and made officers - which is where tactics and politics come in (incidentally, here's a tie-in for the creation of the first ever black ops squads in your setting); - have the PCs be part of some paramilitary organisation that doesn't use ranks or where they matter and have troops under them. Guild hired by the state, mercenaries, rebels, whatever (this works especially well if they start above first level - something like fifth, for example, in which case they can be experience adventurers hired for their combat expertise, or just retired adventurers who formed their own organisation). I personally picked the latter, because Free Companies (shamelessly borrowed from the Black Company novels at first) fit well within the confines of my setting, and made it original. As far as story is concerned, since you're already designing the game to be mature, I'd advise you to force your players to think by confronting them with ideas they're morally uncomfortable with (slavery, ritual murder, legitimised rape; the list goes on; you know the drill, I'm sure). Be sure to make sure neither side is entirely good or evil (again, play on your players' likes and dislikes) so you don't just end up replaying the Star Wars trilogy in a fantasy universe. I'll eventually get around to posting a design journal for my own setting...
yellowdingo 08-24-07, 07:45 AM	[QUOTE=therationalpi;13498301]Currently, I'm thinking a low/no magic setting, because even the most rudimentary magic changes the entire mood of combat. Also, I want the campaign to be an evil campaign, tending to Lawful Evil characters best. Essentially, the PCs would be fighting on behalf of an iron-fisted imperialist nation. Dark fantasy may be the best way to describe the setting I'm looking for.QUOTE] eep! This has 1066AD written all over it: I take it your NORMAN thugs will be doing nasty things to the populace: 1. Introduce Taxation and Property Records. 2. Speak a foreign Language and persecute people for not being bi-lingual. 3. Introduce Compulsory Church Attendance