"Weird WWI-anyone tried it?" Topic

Has anyone ever considered gaming a Weird World War I setting? Have any general elements been worked out? (ie, zombies, Nazi occultists, and super science seem to be staples of WWWII). If not, any ideas?

My own thoughts:

*Use things like giant triplanes and zeppelins, bizarre gas weapons(mutants anyone?), and possibly looted alien technologies found in the aftermath of War of the Worlds type scenarios.

*Have classic fantasy style device magic, like Seven-league Boots (and their tactical counterpart, Seven-yard Boots), Invisibility Cloaks, and semi-tamed monsters such as Manticores and Chimeras. Maybe even include some Fullmetal Alchemist style magic-users.

*Use some staples of WWWII, such as Tesla Guns and primitive Powered Armor, but in a clunkier, more prototypical form.

Discuss

Isn't that called Pulp or VSF?

My own Dr. Hermann von Evil is busy trying to secrets for the design of the USNs aerial dreadnought/airship.

Not Pulp or VSF as it should be grinding, dark and futile.

If you want it like WWI, that is. I had this idea about the Wright Brothers not getting heavier then air flight to work. Instead, there was an accident in an early attempt, crushing the legs of one or other brother. Instead of fight they started working on walking aids that evolved into full-blown walking machines. These replaced most cav. in the war…

Basically, WWI, but no romantic air war, but even more dehumanizing machines and tactics. See the movie Fräulein Doktor" imdb.com/title/tt0064350
Throw another company into the meat grinder.

P.S. No "Nazi occultists" because no Nazis.

DyeHard

I've been considering it, or something like it, in 1/72.

It would give me an excuse to use all the "pulpy-robot" things I've collected over the years.

Fraulein Doktor sounds interesting… but it's not on Netflix.

I recall a WWI convention game concerning the catcombs under a church and the things that were distrubed, but that's more of a straight horror scenario with WWI soldiers as the protagonists. Warzone has always been WWI-style sci-fi/sci-fantasy with magic elements, so there may be ideas there to mine. Agree that it should be grim.

Is that basically what the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is about?

link
YouTube link

Dan

It's more Wierd Boer War, at least time-wise. :)

Dunadan, did youever see the film Death Watch? it's a horror movie set in WW1, with a lost squad of tommies, featuring Andy Serkis of Gollum fame as an ear-collecting private.

I was going to mention Death Watch, too, and also the opening scenes of the Mutant Chronicles film. That's Sci Fi, I suppose, but has trench scenes and uniforms based on WW1. The Warzone plastic figures available from Prince August might be of use in this setting.

there is a board game with miniatures that I almost bought last year, and I cant think of the name of it to save my life. When I saw Incursion from Grindhouse I was reminded of the game.

*Use some staples of WWWII, such as Tesla Guns and primitive Powered Armor, but in a clunkier, more prototypical form.
Discuss

Not -exactly- WWWI, but a very Similar Impetus:
(Admittedly more VSF, or possibly 'Full Metal Occultic pseudo-History'?)

I have been working on 'Weird Russian Revolution': It's A -lot- of territory to Mine, and I haven't yet completed a completely Viable timeline…
(mostly due to my admitted Ignorance of the era,
which I am slowly working on correcting…)

It started (in my mind) w/ a straight Weird Russian Revolution of 1917:
Russian White Party vs. the Bolsheviks.
(Inspired in no small Part by my existing Collection of
WarMachine Khador (Red) & Menoth (White).

A cursory review of historical documents led to the (preliminary)
Causitive Factors & Factions:
Rutenburg successfully unites Electric Tech w/ Kabbalistic principles,
and Creates Electric Golems.

This act of thaumaturgy (through the Influence of Father Georgi Capo)
is given tacit approval by the Orthodox church, and a limited number of
"Zhizn' Oklad Belovode " ("Living Icon Bearers of the Kingdom of the White Waters" i.e. Menoth WarMachines) are commisioned.

Meanwhile; Rasputin ('cause you just Gotta have him!) & the Khlysty sect,
(Jealous of the Rise to prominence Rutenburg & Capo in the popular immagination) use Tsaritsa Alexandra's connections to secure
certain obscure German & Bavarian clockwork & steam Tech .

This is then infused w/dark Occultic power (in no small part derived from the work of Vladimir Solviev) to create a Dark counterpart to Rutenburgs accomplishments:
" Upir' Krasny Riza Kitezh "
("Unliving Beautiful Icon Bearers of the Radiant City" i.e. Khador WarMachines)

Germany & Bavaria develop something similair…
(Cygnar models, no doubt…)

I haven't finished the TimeLine,
but I presume the Tsar is still overthrown, and the Bolsheviks acquire Rasputin's collection of Upir' Krasny Riza Kitezh.
The White's control of the Zhizn' Oklad Belovode is more problematic…

Thus: The Stage is Set for a Weird War One.

But: I find myself working Backward through the history,
rather than Forward:Trying to Brainstorm the details of
Weird Sino-Japanese War, Weird Boxer Rebellion, and Weird Russo-Japanese War, whilst keeping the existing 'tech timeline….(which I kinda Like).

Having the Chinese, Japanese (& Koreans!) battle w/ waidan animated Armour, Fu Dogs & Lung vs InCarne Oni & Kami, (respectively) borders on the realm of Pure Fantasy & Mythology…. BUT: Having an Imbalance in Occult 'Tech' would add a level to the Russian embarrassments of 1905 and 1910, and serve as added Impetus for (above)…

(Plus:\
It lets me add in my Collection of Hordes Skorne & HellDorado Immortals (China] and Possibly WarMachine Scyrah (as Japanese KaMi in Occult Armour…).
(This would be so much easier if
I just liked WarMachine the Game as much as I like the Models….)

Tannhauser is the name of that boardgame I saw

Well, WW1 would also be good for Martian invasion with tripods etc.

Nope…haven't tried it, and nope…won't try it. There's plenty of interest in the "real WW2" for me that I don't need to "weird" it up. Different strokes for different folks.

Sorry – I meant "realy WW1". Its too early….

PKay Inc->

I think of it as a way to put the Underlying Core Philosophies
endemic to each faction as a visceral element of gameplay,
rather than as a numinous psychological effect or (worse Yet!)
leaving the philosophical underpinnings completely off the Table.

As you Say:
Different Strokes.

So Anyway->

It looks like Vladimir Soloviev would have been more likely to influence
Rutenburg & Capo, rather than Rasputin…~>
link

Rasputin is instead (no doubt) directly initiated into Goethic Theurgy & 'science' through direct exploration of the Klippoth…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goetia
link

Hurm->
So-> I could Possibly use WarMachine Cryx for Rasputin's 'toys'
(they needs a Name though… Hurmmmm-> Rough Idea [bad translation!]
Svarožič tachanka Zmey
(~>Hephaustus' Serpent-Drawn Weapons ? Close?
[If Svarozic = Hephausts, does 'Zmey' = midgard serpent?])
link

So-> emblematic of the the revulsion of the People to the Tsar?
(The fact that Svarozic's Symbol is a swastika
has some …interesting… story-potential)
Also: That does free Khador to be exclusively 'Lennin-esque'…

Additional:
link

Soooo->

"Zhizn' Matryoshka Oklad Belovode " ('White')
" Krasny Upir' Matryoshka Riza Kitezh " ('Red')
& ('Black' i.e Rasputin's Faction)
Svarožič tachanka Matryoshka Zmey

Can Anybody Fluent enough in Russian help make those Names Better…?
(and Where in The History of the World do I put 'Pavlov's Fighting Apes..?
link )

If you want to include aviation in your Weird War One scenarios there's plenty of ideas in the "G-8 and his Battle Aces" pulp magazine.

link

link

link

Are you familiar with the Arrowsmith comics, by genius Kurt Busiek?:
link

Isn't that 40K?

Hmm, no Weird War 1, but I did put together a game set during the Mexican Revolution invlolving Dracula, Banditos, Mexican Army troops, peasants and a Star Spwan of Cthulhu.

I've also been tempted to run a game where the Germans land Graf Von Orlock in Ireland by U-Boat, rather than Roger Casement, and much hilarity ensues.

If you want Weird War One than you may want to read "Leviathan," a Steampunk/Alt WW1 novel by Scott Westerfield. In this AltWorld the Brits have made stunning breakthroughs in biotech and have massive airships based on Bio-engineered hybrids (crossing whale DNA with hydrogen gas producing jelly fish, for example), and other odd bio-critters while the Central Powers went big on steam walkers and other war machines. The first book in the series starts with the assassination of Ferdinand. It is aimed at teens, but its a fun read:

YouTube link

link

Wessex Games Panzerfauste is a Wierd WW1/WW2 hybrid. Fantasy races in a pseudo historical environment. Some of the troops are pure WW1 while others are WW2 based. Is for WW1/WW2 what Flintloque is for Napoleonics.

tankisti that book sounds really interesting, something i might look into. as far as gaming is concerned why not have had something else invented to stop the futility of trench warfare other than tanks? i like the idea of mixing in some lovecraft style pulp horror.

WWI falls into an interesting time in history with a whole lot going on. Making a Weird version would be fun for many reasons.

The images of trench warfare, mustard gas, etc. was filled with enough horror from a strictly reality basis that if you added an additional science fiction or horror element that it would be quite a thing to see…and play.

Zombies would be the easy choice due to the chemical warfare.

Diesel Punk…a gritty version of Steam Punk, with diesel powered everything…planes, trains, automobiles, robots, etc…would be a good tie in if the WWWI continues for a handful of years.

Even most of your in between war stuff and pulp would fit nicely.

It seems like a wealthy time period that would lend itself well to gaming as a whole.

dieselpunks.org (diesel punk site)

>Zombies would be the easy choice due to the chemical warfare.<

Why?

Mystri Island is basically colonial Weird WWI.

@Tankisti: I just requested that book from the library; thanks for the suggestion.

@DyeHard: very cool idea, walkers would definitely help to break up trench warfare.

Ideas for magic stuff:
-Make Harry Potter/Fantasy style wizardry common? Squads of shapeshifters or magical artillery?
-Seven-yard Boots that allow soldiers to cross no-man's land very quickly.
-Magical automatons used as moving shields.

More radical wizards could resort to things like Lovecraftian abominations and such.

This contains some cool ideas for vehicles and magic (though the plains are more WWII looking)
YouTube link

@The Shadow

Why are zombies an easy stretch because of chemical warfare?

Hmm because it is chemical warfare. Mustard gas laced with Voodoo powder, chlorine gas that has been treated with radiation from a meteorite, ancient gas recipe from China, gas treated with the resonator, etc..

IMO it seems a simple extension of early chemical warfare to the horror potential.

Why ask why?

Both airpower and tanks were in their infancy plenty of oppertunity for alt-hist tech weirdness based on real weirdness the Tsar tank for example.

HG Wells is probably worth a look at for alt-hist ideas on that era.

i like the idea of mixing in some lovecraft style pulp horror.

Then I have JUST what the Doctor ordered. Here's a link to a Cthulhu RPG adventure called "No Man's Land" set in WWI on the Western Front.

link

>>Hmm because it is chemical warfare. Mustard gas laced with Voodoo powder, chlorine gas that has been treated with radiation from a meteorite, ancient gas recipe from China, gas treated with the resonator, etc..<<

Oh.

>>Why ask why?<<

Why not ask why?

It was not meant to offend any of the fine pulp purists out there, or anyone for that matter…just talking historical flavored science fiction/fantasy.

:)

>>It was not meant to offend any of the fine pulp purists out there, or anyone for that matter…just talking historical flavored science fiction/fantasy.<<

Couple of things. First, If you're referring to our discourse, don't worry about offending me. I'm pretty thick skinned and I can usually take care of myself fairly well. (-:

Second, there is no such thing as a "pulp purist". There are only people who know where the term "pulp" comes from and enjoy that sort of fiction and those who don't.

BarmyBob 27 Jan 2010 4:08 a.m. PST:

Tannhauser is the name of that boardgame I saw

Yep, Tannhäuser is rather close to the thing AFAIK, tho according to the back story the Great War has been going on for rather longer than it really did so it's not precisely the WWI world any more.

link

The game itself has gotten a bit of mixed reviews (doesn't everyhting, tho?) but in any event it has a few rather suitable minis that you can also buy in separate sets.

I've played Tannhauser and I'm one of the guys who don't like it much. That's because of the way it plays, not because of it backstory which captured mine and my friends imaginations and is quite nice.

I must rectify my above post to say that I'm not sure if you can actually by the separate minis packs anymore, anywhere. The original manufacturer site appears to be rather dead and Fantasy Flight doesn't seem to have them available.

I bought "Leviathan" yesterday and while it is a young adult book, I am really enjoying it. I want miniatures for this game! The story is good, the artwork is great, and the ideas that are swimming around in my head are giving me fits.

I have just finished reading Leviathan, and it was a great romping adventure! all the way through I was thinking this would be great to game!
I keep eyeing up great war miniatures site, and looking at kit bashing some robogear plastics for the "clankers". Green stuff and some large plastic beasties for the "Darwinists".

The art work by Kieth Thompson is very inspirational and his site has lots of good ideas for WWW1. well worth a look!

keiththompsonart.com

glad to know Im not the only one who got the bug for gaming it when he read it =)