New campaign idea, some help needed

[Sir Hackalot]

Hi all,

I have recently been interested in running a new Conan RPG campaign. In order to ensure that everyone has a reason to be together instead of just 'there' I have decided to start a mercenary type game.

The concept is that the players will all be soldiers in the Nemedian Adventurers. They will start out at 2nd level with one level of soldier being mandatory. They will then have missions given to them and as they succeed they will raise in rank and prestige. I have also considered giving them exotic weapon proficiency:Greatsword for free to reflect their training.

Hopefully this will enable to P.C.'s to work together as a unit and eventually when or if they do decide to quit the military they will stay together.

One thing however that gives me concern is that two of the players are women and will probably want to play women characters. Do you think this could be problem in a mercenary group or should I really bother making a fuss about it?

Also could some of you give me some tips on how to run a military/mercenary type campaign?

 

[Vortigern]

A lot depends on the size of their unit, who commands it, whether it is a PC or NPC lead group, and if they are a free-ranging group or a group with some steady employers.

A small unit could be comprised mostly of the PCs and have the story/history of that small unit be very much focused on them. A larger unit makes that a bit more difficult, especially at low levels. With characters at lvl 2 I'd suggest focusing the action on the tale of a smaller unit of whatever types of troops they can all agree to play. Either, another suggestion, start them at level three and have them take a level of noble as well. Then you can assume they are all officers due to their family connections, and give them each a unit to command. Either work well imo.

Overall command of their actions is an important issue to consider. While many GMs seem tempted to put a high lvl NPC general or some such in charge, players like self determination. The small unit approach gives people the most freedom I think. Then a low level PC can feasibly be in charge of it and they can take jobs or leave them at their will. Bigger groups, even if a PC is in charge of a unit, will have such larger/more accomplished NPCs at the ultimate helm.

As for women... It 'is' possible for a woman to be there among the soldiery and make it. But they should know/expect that it won't be easy. They will/would have been harassed if not attacked (killed and/or raped) at the outset just for being a woman. Not many are going to think women belong in such units in that day and age. So... while possible, and certainly an entertaining story, it may hit upon some theme elements that your lady players may not wish to explore... such as the possibility of ther characters being raped or assaulted just because they are women. Which I certainly wouldn't blame them for.

They do however have lots of other options for characters in a mercenary game that wouldn't attract the same kind of negative attention. Don't forget the immense ammount of 'camp followers' that typically accompanied any/all armies... including mercenary groups. A physician/healer, temptress, prostitute... even certain persuasions of scholars/priests could all easily be camp followers that can be viable characters.

As for actually running the game... the mercenary mindset is something some people have trouble emulating. Basically ... it is a corporate accounting from on high bottom line approach to this whole violence thing. Violence as a business. You do what you have been paid to do, no more, no less. No less because obviously you want to get paid. No more because that is something else you can demand money to be paid for... as long as it isn't already done. Heroics tend to get people killed and lose the group money. So... it can be something of a shift. Or not if you prefer to play heroic mercenaries.

 

[Benedict]

As GM it is entirely up to you how much of a problem it would be being a woman in a mercenary group. My feeling is that a day and age that includes Valeria and Bêlit has pretty low barriers for women.

You should have little trouble running a mercenary campaign; adventures should just write themselves. I assume you have The Free Companies, which has enough adventure seeds to get you started. Once bit of advice I would give is that you should ensure you have periods where the characters do not feel so tied to their company that they can't follow side adventures. Nothing will blunt an adventure hook more than the characters thinking "We can't do that – our sergeant will kill us."

 

[therion666]

There are a couple of options:-
You could make the unit in a SHARP style as in the Books and the series. Making the backgrounds with the players to give a reason for them signing up.
The unit could be under a wealthy lord.
One could be the lords Noble son
Another a second cousin and wastral who is placed into the unit to 'toughen him up' by his father.
Another could have been a thief given the option took soldiery over losing a hand.
Another could be a desperate family member
Another desperate merchant trying to get enough money to improve the family business.
Another a young man with a head full of idea's of the glory of war.
The women issue should probably be dealt with. One women could have entered the army to find her husband\son who was lost\kidnapped by the enemy.
Another option is a tough amazon type women.
Well bred women who's trying to prove herself as tough as her brothers\father.

The unit like SHARP could be a skirmish troop used for behind enemy lines probes, treasure hunts, taking out enemy implacements, Fortress's etc.
To be honest there countless options I can think of with a unit like sharp. I'd watch the BBC series for idea's and just adjust them to match the feel of the setting. If you want any other adventure prompts I will happily give them.

 

[Sir Hackalot]

Are you talking about the Sharp series set in India during the Napoleanic era?

 

[therion666]

Well sort if, the Sharp series in , Portugal,Spain, france and yes I think there was a further book set in India.

An excellent series to base this style of campaign on. It gives a lot of adventure idea's.
Taking forts, dealing with backward bloodthirsty cults. Dubious political activities of commanders.

For obvious reasons the adventure options will need to be expanded on but this should be easy enough. I have thought of numerous posibilities myself whilst writing this.

 

[Halfbat]

Well sort if, the Sharp series in , Portugal,Spain, france and yes I think there was a further book set in India.

iirc, the whole "before he was an officer" _sub-series_ of books were set in India. Sharpe even saved Wellington's life, the act that gave him a commission, much against his wishes.

imho women are easily justified in or fitted into a mercenary unit in the Hyborian Age. They can join as heroic warriors, easily, but also in a variety of other roles even using a female Temptress as, or Sorcerer acting as, a camp-follower around which the group of PCs gather for R&R (Edit: no smut implied!). I would suggest you do not run with any of the adult themes mentioned or suggested as they really will just get in the way of a good game: assume the arguments were settled "firmly" as soon as they joined or that the Temptress/Sorcerer is respected for other skills.

Avoid the big unit if you can. Allow the characters to be part of a squad or even a scout unit attached to a larger force. That way they can be involved in the thick or on the periphery of any large battles, as you wish, but also be used at their most effective and enjoyable for PCs.

Scholars/Priests can easily be attached to the squad, as an overseer or 'observer', or may even be the reason for a small squad of bodyguards (the PCs).

 

[Vortigern]

I really think 'smoothing over' the issues around gender roles would be ... lightening the tone from what I consider swords & sorcery. YMMV of course, yet... even Valeria for example was only off on that trek through the wilderness to avoid the unwanted advances of a powerful man.

Howard's world 'does' have a place in it for strong women, it does not however remove the obstacles from their paths at the same time. Having a couple of women as fighting members of a mercenary company, as I previously mentioned, is very possible. It just wouldn't happen without having to definitively prove themselves, extra hazing, and still being the object of both some folks resentment and some folks jokes.

To me the issue isn't whether it is pleasant to go over such material... but the fact that the suspension of disbelief is ruined if it is glossed over in this context. That just wouldn't be Conan to me.

 

[therion666]

I'd say you don't smooth over the and make it easy. Make sure the players understand that female's are generally considered chattel by most men in the world and that they will probably have a difficult time.
During the campaign it would be unsurprising to find the female character having rape attempts made upon her in big cities by street scum. This will be particularly likely if they go wandering off on there own.

Inveriably the scum will probably get slaughtered but it should always be a reminder of how they're viewed by the lower end of the male world of Hyboria.

The player does need to have that in mind before taking on a female character.

 

[Hervé]

Also offers to buy them would probably be common as this goes on even today in places like Morocco, Egypt and other similar cultures.

Hmmm...This one reeks racism...

 

[therion666]

Get over it! As you are finding the statement offensive I have removed it.

I am not a racist and to even bring that kind of BS up on this forum is ridiculous.

 

[Krushnak]

For the Nemedian Adventurers i would say that no women can actually join the fighting force but could be attached scribes, cooks, washer women and doctors. If you want to have fighting women as part of the unit and include the Adventurers then i would suggest having the pc's belong to a Free Company that has been attached to the Adventurer unit as a reconnaissance force or something like that.

 

[Vortigern]

Ah, I hadn't actually looked at that aspect. Also quite true. The adventurers are, by definition, the non-inheriting sons of the nemedian nobility... or at least that was the original form. That would preclude women from actual membership. Free Company units are perhaps a better option. Or some members of the group could be adventurers and some part of an attached free company unit.

Now... I do remember something about thier membership being open to any able-bodied nemedian man who submits himself for service later on. I'm not certain at what point that occured. But that still would not 'typically' allow for women to join. Of course, YMMV, as with all other things.