World War in DnD

[ToranIronfinder]

So if I wanted to start a world war in a realms or greyhawk campaign as an ongoing background plot, where new nations get sucked into two sides of an ongoing conflict, how, where and when would I set it up?

Specifically are their any alliance systems that would suck everyone into a conflict after an event such as happened with the assassination of the Archdale Ferdinand? If none exist, what alliance could be started, ie, would the enemies of Thay come to some type of pact that would require Thay to look for allies etc.

*What would the the two sides be, and which nations would be allied with which?

* Where would battle lines be drawn?

[the_david]

You're describing the Last War from the Eberron campaign setting. If I remember correctly, the king died and his 5 heirs started a war among themselves. I can't tell you which book would give you the best info on the Last War, though.

[ToranIronfinder]

You're describing the Last War from the Eberron campaign setting. If I remember correctly, the king died and his 5 heirs started a war among themselves. I can't tell you which book would give you the best info on the Last War, though.

Thanks, I am not familiar with that setting. I'll look it up.

[the_david]

Oh and obviously, Birthright would be an even better setting for this as it's all about politics.

[Mechalich]

This sort of thing depends heavily on system. In traditional unrestricted D&D personal power > state power and therefore "war" is actually a struggle between small groups of extremely powerful individuals - mostly high-level spellcasters but also including dragons and some other monsters - who drag nations and armies along with them mostly as cannon fodder. Several wars in FR have been written up this way, such as the Return of the Archwizards trilogy and the War of the Spider Queen. FR actually does have a system of alliances that can drag nations into wars: the Chosen of Mystra and their buddies are all close friends and anyone who seriously makes a move against one of them is going to get the whole squad coming at them in retaliation.

[Ashtagon]

|Are you familiar with the 2e product Greyhawk Wars?