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14:06, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

IC: Napoleonic Era RPG.

Posted by CaptainHellrazor
CaptainHellrazor
member, 287 posts
Wed 28 Dec 2022
at 10:35
  • msg #1

IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

  Just checking to see if anyone is interested in a Napoleonic Era game, something along the lines of Sharpe, Hornblower, perhaps Master and Commander type adventures?

  Depending on what the gaming group wants, the game could be land based during the Napoleonic wars.  The Peninsular War would be a setting allowing characters a wide mix of backgrounds or alternately a ship based game setting would also work and allow a wide variety of backgrounds.

  Characters would all be regular sailors (not officers) in a ship based game or civilians/soldiers (not officers) for a land based game.

  I use a Home Brewed percentile system that relies on characters attributes and a skills system of various skills, some that can be improved or learned by spending X Points.
Alyse
member, 807 posts
Pretty, witty, and gay
[married since 2011!]
Wed 28 Dec 2022
at 18:33
  • msg #2

IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

Neil Gow's Beat To Quarters and Duty And Honour are what I use for stuff set in this period, but am happy to learn a new system as long as it's laid out clearly and doesn't demand a lot of math.
azzuri
member, 703 posts
Wed 28 Dec 2022
at 19:05
  • msg #3

IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

I have copies of both Beat to Quarters and Duty and Honour .  Both have much to recommend them. They are more about character creation and characters than game mechanics, have a mostly friendly readability, and facilitate personality into RPGs which most rules systems lack.

I am familiar with at least one of your games on RPoL, and would like to know more about your take on Napoleonics. I've read much fiction, seen movies and such, have read history on the time period, and know some of technical matters.
Davy Jones
member, 107 posts
Consulting Theologian
Veteran
Thu 29 Dec 2022
at 07:32
  • msg #4

IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

Big fan of BtQ and D&H. Ran a Peninsula War game many moons ago with D&H, and was part of the short-lived Death or Glory campaign here on RPOL. I'd love to get back into the system if a game gets started.
CaptainHellrazor
member, 289 posts
Thu 29 Dec 2022
at 09:30
  • msg #5

IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

As I said in my original post, I have my own Home Brewed system which I have now tested in three different games.  I still do some tweaking but by and large it is a workable system.  If people are looking for Beat to Quarters or Duty and Honour then I am not your guy.

I was thinking more along the lines of a pirate/privateer type of adventure set in the Caribbean so many European nations as well as locals, pirates even Americans could be involved (Hornblower, Master & Commander and all the old pirate movies for inspiration) but if the playing group prefers, I could run a more land based campaign in Europe that would be more like a Sharpe novel.

Or would you prefer Pride and Prejudice and Zombies?  lol
azzuri
member, 704 posts
Tue 3 Jan 2023
at 06:51
  • msg #6

Re: IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

CaptainHellrazor:
... but if the playing group prefers, I could run a more land based campaign in Europe that would be more like a Sharpe novel.

Or would you prefer Pride and Prejudice and Zombies?  lol

I haven't read PP&Z. I would prefer the land based campaign in the Peninsula. I like female characters, but maybe something could be worked out.

Have you seen the Duty and Honour rules? You could propose your own system, but extract some of the character background features in D&H.
CaptainHellrazor
member, 291 posts
Tue 3 Jan 2023
at 13:44
  • msg #7

Re: IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

I have the BTQ rules, but that us not the game I am proposing to run.  It seems there is not much interest in this kind of game so I will give it a pass.  Thanks for the feedback folks.
deadtotheworld22
member, 196 posts
Tue 3 Jan 2023
at 13:53
  • msg #8

Re: IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

Pity, I'd certainly be interested in something of this ilk, and I don't have the systems that other people had mentioned so I'd be happy to work with homebrewed.
CaptainHellrazor
member, 292 posts
Tue 3 Jan 2023
at 14:20
  • msg #9

Re: IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

To run the kind if game I have in mind would probably need at least 4 player characters (maximum of 7 or 8) so if others respond to this thread then I will register a game.  Definitely leaning toward a Naval based game, the pop culture of that era provides so many potential story lines and gives lots of options for characters of a wide variety of back grounds.
Anachronist
member, 71 posts
Tue 3 Jan 2023
at 14:27
  • msg #10

Re: IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

In that case you can count one more interested. Perfectly fine with a homebrew system.
deadtotheworld22
member, 197 posts
Tue 3 Jan 2023
at 14:33
  • msg #11

Re: IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

CaptainHellrazor:
To run the kind if game I have in mind would probably need at least 4 player characters (maximum of 7 or 8) so if others respond to this thread then I will register a game.  Definitely leaning toward a Naval based game, the pop culture of that era provides so many potential story lines and gives lots of options for characters of a wide variety of back grounds.


A naval game is good inasmuch as you have the ship as the central hub point for what's going on, but it might be worth at least starting the game in peacetime (or a less active theatre, such as the Carribbean, where there's a wealth of factions with different needs and desires), so there's a wealth of opportunities beyond broadsides nd trying to undermine/champion Napoleon ;)
CaptainHellrazor
member, 294 posts
Tue 3 Jan 2023
at 14:41
  • msg #12

Re: IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

Given that the technology available did not change a great deal for the best part of a couple hundred years then the start date can be quite flexible, I will likely set it well before the Napoleonic Wars so that should characters live long enough they would have quite experienced characters by the time those events take place.
deadtotheworld22
member, 198 posts
Tue 3 Jan 2023
at 14:44
  • msg #13

Re: IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

In reply to CaptainHellrazor (msg # 12):

Sounds good - I've recently been reading around the American Revolutionary War and the periods on either side, and while it might be a stretch to have someone active from 1770ish to 18:15, it's not impossible and certainly gives some room to play with :) Hopefully there's enough interest to push this forward, and if you needed any GMing support or admin I'd be happy to provide it.
CaptainHellrazor
member, 324 posts
Sat 29 Apr 2023
at 11:18
  • msg #14

Re: IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

  I've been doing a bit more background work on this concept, fleshing out a back story and character generation for a naval campaign "Pirates & Privateers" where the players would basically have three options for starting as cadets in the British Navy, volunteers or being press ganged.
  Each 'path' has different pros and cons, ideally the players would be part of a 'division' or gun crew if there were about half a dozen players with one cadet officer and the rest volunteers or press ganged characters but if there are multiple cadet officers I can probably use NPC's to fill out each gun crew.
  This is the starting point, the concept would be over the campaign players rise in rank/experience and could eventually run their own ship, not just a gun crew.  Starting work on ship vs ship combat now :)
  Just checking to see if there is still interest for this kind of game?
azzuri
member, 707 posts
Sat 29 Apr 2023
at 16:12
  • msg #15

Re: IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

CaptainHellrazor:
...players would basically have three options for starting as cadets in the British Navy, volunteers or being press ganged.

I would like to look at all three.
This message was last edited by the user at 16:12, Sat 29 Apr 2023.
thattripletguy
member, 105 posts
Just a guy, being a dude
Sat 29 Apr 2023
at 18:34
  • msg #16

Re: IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

Potentially interested!
Anachronist
member, 80 posts
Sat 29 Apr 2023
at 20:40
  • msg #17

Re: IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

Still interested here.
CaptainHellrazor
member, 334 posts
Mon 7 Aug 2023
at 07:23
  • msg #18

Re: IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

Slow progress but progress none the less :)

Just sorting out a basic ship-ship combat system which will definitely be needed at some stage in the game but the three basic career paths have been established and I will be ready to register a game soon.

I have an over arching campaign concept now and working on individual scenarios to start the game.  At this stage I am looking at an 'English' campaign inasmuch as the characters will start as cadets/volunteers/press ganged into an English crew before other options are presented later in the game.  Thus means characters would not be starting the game as French/Spanish/Dutch characters but could be from just about anywhere else on the continent.
Ice Raven
member, 185 posts
Tue 8 Aug 2023
at 10:15
  • msg #19

Re: IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

I'm interested
CaptainHellrazor
member, 341 posts
Sat 19 Aug 2023
at 13:22
  • msg #20

Re: IC: Napoleonic Era RPG

Game registered, character generation now up and running.
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