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2011-09-27, 11:15 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2008
War RPGs? Roleplaying as Commanders?
I've been reading through Erfworld again, as well as playing Ogre Battle (and I've always had a thing for SRPGs, anyway.) Got a few ideas for a little campaign involving massive war, but my only real experience with tabletop games is DND and Exalted. So, since I don't know where to look, I've decided to ask for any advice here.
Basically, what I'm looking for is a game where all the players would play either commanders on the same side of a conflict, each one having their own unit of troops under their command with simple-ish rules for troop movement and stats, or the same thing but where each player is a ruler of a side in an alliance (potentially tenuous.) What I want to do is have each player's main character be the commander while their troops are mostly generics (like the units in Starcraft, they're just Marine, Zealot, whatever) giving them chances to roleplay with each other and with allied/neutral/enemy commanders. A better comparison might be SRPGs like Final Fantasy Tactics or Ogre Battle, where you field your party with generics and have more or less full control of them.
For more specifics on the system, I'd prefer something with simple rules so combat between groups of units could be resolved quickly (looking for an emphasis on positioning and long-term strategy rather than in-battle tactics.) I'd also like it if it had simple rules for unit-creation or some sort of template system, in the event one of my players wanted to field a side where all their characters were, say, vampires. Neither of these things is strictly necessary; I'm just looking for any system and know next to nothing about where to start looking. I'm considering building my own system anyway, but I'd at least like to know if there are similar systems I could either use as a guideline or just for brainstorming. Additionally, if there are any house rules or third party supplements for roleplaying in any tabletop wargame, that could be enlightening to look at as well.
Thanks in advance!
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2011-09-27, 11:23 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2008
- Location
- Seattle
- Gender
Re: War RPGs? Roleplaying as Commanders?
the 3.5 Miniatures Handbook has rules for large battles that are simpler than normal DnD. If that doesn't fit your idea then a tabletop wargame, like Warmachine or Warhammer might be usable depending on how high level you want to be.
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2011-09-28, 04:46 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2006
- Location
- England
- Gender
Re: War RPGs? Roleplaying as Commanders?
I did a war in a game recently.
I told the players that we'd do a scene of the party going into the battle and then we'd roll the PC's Strategy skill vs the opponents Strategy skill with a list of things that'd give advantage to each side.
The players had the bigger army so +1D
The players in the scene took out the spearmen behind the wall +1D
The players opened the drawbridge +1D
The players wasted the enemies time with a decoy attack at no cost to themselves. +1D
The player making the roll was away from his army so he had to communicate the strategy to his general before participating in the war himself. +1 automatic success to the enemies.
The enemies had a castle +2D (I told them a castle was +2D rather than 1D)
The enemies brought trolls into the battle +1D
The enemies managed to sound the Brazen Horn of Despair +1D
The player stated his intent to win the war. I told him that if he failed his army would be routed and he'd be stranded in the castle (which is where the scene had brought us) with the victorious side.
Then we rolled. It was really close.
The player won and as we narrated victory he headed off to the tallest tower to do battle with his nemesis.
The players really enjoyed this as the skills used and the dice that were awarded for the objectives were all about them. The Brazen Horn of Despair, for example, was something that they encountered but were unable to stop the enemies from sounding it. It wasn't particularly in depth tactically, just one roll.Mannerism RPG An RPG in which your descriptions resolve your actions and sculpts your growth.
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2011-09-28, 06:57 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2008
- Location
- Israel
- Gender
Re: War RPGs? Roleplaying as Commanders?
i haven't played it, but Warhammer is a tactical wargame, and i heard it also has an RPG attachment, though i don't know where. i don't think it should be that hard to combine war gaming (including wargaming campaigns) with interludes of roleplaying as commanders.
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2011-09-28, 07:05 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2008
Re: War RPGs? Roleplaying as Commanders?
Warhammer Fantasy RPG is party based, just like D&D. Though there is apparently similarities, especially in first edition of the review in Dragon is any judge, between it and the war game, in many ways you might as well play two separate systems, you are actually, as Warhammer FRPG has you playing the dregs of society mostly, very "Dung Ages", and is geared towards that I believe, not elite commanders who lead armies. Someone more familiar than I, please correct me if I am mistaken.
You would also have to homebrew your own Lords and make a fair system for doing so, unless such already exists.
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2011-09-28, 07:26 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2008
Re: War RPGs? Roleplaying as Commanders?
Take a look at Reign. It is specifically built for both character and large group interactions, and can handle everything from skirmishes to wars between nations - and social and political equivalents. It is a bit rules heavy, but because the conflict resolution for large groups isn't just having all individuals square off or something stupid like that, this is a non issue. It has rules for the creation of organizations, it favors long term planning and such, and it is, in general, exactly what you are looking for. It is also a brilliant system.
I would really like to see a game made by Obryn, Kurald Galain, and Knaight from these forums.
I'm not joking one bit. I would buy the hell out of that. -- ChubbyRain
Current Design Project: Legacy, a game of masters and apprentices for two players and a GM.
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2011-09-28, 11:56 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2008
Re: War RPGs? Roleplaying as Commanders?
I'll take a look at Warhammer but I think it isn't really what I want without some heavy modification. It might be good for when individual squads encounter each other, but I imagine it takes longer to resolve then I want, since I've seen people playing it at the local store, and, well, it looks like it takes forever. Same for DND miniatures, though I imagine that's quicker.
Totally Guy's system looks cool but I think it wouldn't work for a game where the main emphasis was war due to repetition, mainly.
As for Reign, that DOES sound like exactly what I want; I'll check it out. Thanks! (Link if anyone else is interested)
If anyone else has suggestions, I'd still like to hear them.
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2011-09-28, 01:57 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2004
- Location
- Tempe, Arizona
- Gender
Re: War RPGs? Roleplaying as Commanders?
I find the most interactive, interesting and roleplay-ey side of being a general is not actually the combat, but the raising an army, outfitting them, training them, restoring the castle or fortress you're bunkered in, feeding them and keeping them supplied.
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2011-09-28, 01:57 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2011
Re: War RPGs? Roleplaying as Commanders?
Well, bear in mind there are many factors to a war, especially in the classic medieval-fantasy sense where the commanders are also usually the leaders of the nation-state or what have you:
Raising and training of forces: How professional are the armies? How can they be kept in the field? Which social castes contribute what? How do you get more forces, and what are the relative impacts on your society - at least in terms of economics, resources, and discontent, if you don't want to deal with the long standing social ramifications of potential means of drawing forces.
Resources, resources, resources: Raising and keeping an army in the field is expensive. Where are they coming from? Food, weapons, armor, animals, means to appease and amuse your supernatural allies, and of course vast, vast expenditures of money.
Politics: Within the warcamp, between domestic factions, and between external factions. In a time of war, plenty of ambitious folks are looking to get ahead.And if your not fighting a battle of annihilation (which can be near impossible depending on the magic/tech) this is really just as much a part of it as the fighting.
Strategy: The big army movements. Communications. Handling multiple forces. Integration of allies. Ends and means.
Operations: How many days you need to march to get to wherever, where to try and fight; the pre-battle maneuvering of forces for days, weeks, or months before an actual pitched battle.
Tactics: Where the archers and the Calvary go, why you put the spearmen in the middle, etc.
So, there's a whole range of activities to think of. And it depends on what level you want your commanders to be. Also, staffwork...no staff equals lots of work.