Grignotage | 29 Jul 2015 10:29 a.m. PST |
Basically, H.P. Lovecraft meets French and Indian War meets Salem Witch Trials. Thinking games of 30-50 troops a side, individually based---not necessarily skirmish, but at most "small unit". It would have historical aspects, but also include zombies, mutants, monsters, magic, etc. The fluff behind the idea below. New England, 1764. The ashes of the French and Indian War still glow as the North American colonies recover from the savage fighting along the frontier. British-allied Indian tribes seize lands and captives from the defeated French-allied tribes. Colonists vie for control of disrupted territories. British officials struggle to keep the Americans in check and prevent another Indian war. In the New Hampshire, a British outpost is found brutally slaughtered, their remains ritually displayed. American colonists accuse the nearest Indian tribe and descend upon it, finding it weakened by small pox. A warparty responds in kind, attacking a convoy of settlers pushing west, killing them all. War threatens New England again. The British demand the colonists cease and deploy troops to the area. A colonial village is sacked, annihilated in the same way as the British garrison weeks before. A band of militia march out to find and destroy the Indian tribe they believe responsible, but as they march, they are intercepted by a company of British regulars who demand they return to their farms. In the woods, as the militia and the British argue and nearly come to blows, darkness falls in the middle of the afternoon and, despite the mild fall weather, harsh, cold winds blow through the trees. Ghastly odors come with the wind and, out of the surreal darkness, foul creatures--mutated, twisted men and animals--attack. The redcoats and militiamen rank up and pour volleys into the abominations, but they are too many. Huge beasts, bigger than bears, lead their assault, tearing into the English. As the men waver and threaten to break, hoots and cries come out of the forest, preceding a wave of Indian warriors, decorated in warpaint and brandishing edged weapons, bows, and muskets. Their surprise attack crushes the monstrous horde and scatters them. The English and colonists rally and meet the Indians who have saved them. One Indian speaks French; another, Latin; together, they can communicate with like-educated Colonists. A great evil stalks the land, and if the white men will not work with the tribe to defeat this evil, the slaughtered British garrison, the wiped out village, and the destruction of Indian bands up and down the forest will only be the beginning of an apocalyptic war that will destroy humanity. The three groups--redcoats, militia, and Indians, all suspicious of one another--unit in their efforts, and follow the Indians into the forest, where the evil waits… |
Saber6 | 29 Jul 2015 10:38 a.m. PST |
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John the OFM | 29 Jul 2015 10:38 a.m. PST |
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boy wundyr x | 29 Jul 2015 10:44 a.m. PST |
One nice thing about the Ganesha line of games is that they can be meshed together. It might mess up the points system, but if you can live with that, their Song of Muskets and Tomahawks (think I got that right) + Fear and Faith, would give you all the players. 35-50 figures per side is a bit big for their games, but not far off. Two Hour Wargames can probably be similarly mashed together. John's suggestion of GASLIGHT is probably good straight out of the box. |
MH Dee | 29 Jul 2015 11:31 a.m. PST |
I picked up the Colonial Gothic rpg recently. It might be a useful purchase. |
Gone Fishing | 29 Jul 2015 11:31 a.m. PST |
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Bushy Run Battlefield | 29 Jul 2015 12:04 p.m. PST |
It sounds like you could use LotOW or actually combine that with LotR for the magic, orcs (or similar) and ghost like things. |
skippy0001 | 29 Jul 2015 1:22 p.m. PST |
Colonial Gothic is perfect as a rpg for this as MH Dee states. |
Black Cavalier | 29 Jul 2015 2:31 p.m. PST |
Anatoli made a 18th century modification for the Strange Aeons skirmish set link |
Grignotage | 29 Jul 2015 2:44 p.m. PST |
Thanks for the suggestions! Question about Gaslight---it can handle bigger games? Is the system still interesting without having any VSF steam vehicles clanking around? (So many years of going to historicon and never once played a Gaslight game…for shame.) |
Gone Fishing | 29 Jul 2015 3:49 p.m. PST |
GASLIGHT, like most other rules, really relies on the scenario. So if you have an intriguing story (which the above makes me think you will) and good players GASLIGHT can give a superb game. It is very easily customizable--one of the easiest out there, in fact--and so you can add special rules and skills and events to your heart's content and they will still work just fine. You shouldn't have any problem with running games with several dozen figures on each side. Hope this helps, and good luck with your project! |
Gone Fishing | 29 Jul 2015 3:52 p.m. PST |
One further point: if you go the GASLIGHT route, you would probably want the basic rules and the excellent To Be Continued… expansion. If you wanted to play REALLY big games, then I'd recommend you get Battles By GASLIGHT as well. Or you could simply get the Compendium. It's a little pricey, but in my opinion well worth it. |
MajorB | 29 Jul 2015 6:00 p.m. PST |
I'd suggest Muskets & Tomahawks with a few tweaks |
Black Cavalier | 29 Jul 2015 8:57 p.m. PST |
I know the general gaslight system has been used for lots of different genre of games. I believe one of the authors use it to run a doctor who game a few years ago. the pretty generic stats of Shoot, Scuffle and Save can be ported to many different settings. |
Citizen Kenau | 29 Jul 2015 9:28 p.m. PST |
Witchfinder General was tailor-made for this. I love GASLIGHT, played it to bits, but WFG fits this theme like a glove. Actually I am painting Indians for it right now. |
daler240D | 30 Jul 2015 2:24 a.m. PST |
at the risk of sounding like a complete dunderhead, where can one get the Gaslight rules? My Google-fu has failed me terribly. : ( |
Gone Fishing | 30 Jul 2015 4:50 a.m. PST |
On Military Matters has them in the US. link He provides excellent service and I'm sure would ship to the Netherlands. I don't know who stocks them in Europe/the UK; perhaps Caliver Books? Edit: Just checked. It looks like Caliver has them: link |
Grignotage | 30 Jul 2015 6:14 a.m. PST |
I will definitely give Gaslight a look, as well as the Ganesha variant. @Citizen, can Witchfinder handle bigger games, 30-50 minis a side? I've never heard of the rules, thanks for making me aware of them. |
daler240D | 30 Jul 2015 7:00 a.m. PST |
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boy wundyr x | 30 Jul 2015 8:49 a.m. PST |
Gaslight is also available as a pdf purchase – link |
daler240D | 31 Jul 2015 3:06 a.m. PST |
Thanks boy windyr. That is more what I was looking for. |
boy wundyr x | 31 Jul 2015 6:54 a.m. PST |
You're welcome! I tend to prefer the instant gratification of pdf too. |
demiurgex | 31 Jul 2015 10:19 a.m. PST |
Sounds very fun. This something you are looking at for a con game, or just for your group? Good luck! |