Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - [Discworld] What scenarios are we all planning?

Kelly Pedersen · 11-01-2016, 11:07 AM

An idea for a Discworld campaign that I've had for a while, but will probably never get the chance to run, is a war comedy game. For the setup, I would draw Monstrous Regiment, as one of the only three "war" stories in the Discworld (the other two being Jingo and Interesting Times), and the only one that has the setting element I want - namely, an ongoing military unit.

I would establish that, after the Borogravians made some kind of peace with their neighbors (probably enforced by Ankh-Morpork), the high command didn't really know what to do with the new wave of soldiers. Many of them had dangerously independent ideas, having signed up, not under the old recruitment system based on propaganda and outright lies, but freely, based on honest patriotism but also with a clear idea of the flaws as well as the good points of Borogravia. And, of course, many of whom were openly women, with Polly Oliver's example setting the standard. So, after the peace was secured, Borogravian high command dealt with the new problem by making it go far away - they established the Borogravian Legion Abroad, a force of Borogravian soldiers who the leadership of Borogravia would offer to "lend" to other nations needing some military muscle, and hoping to take advantage of Borogravia's tradition of, if not military genius, then at least dogged stubbornness.

The PCs would be members of the Legion Abroad, sent all over the Disc to fight in small brushfire wars that are eternally threatening to blow up into big wars. The Legion is officially all Borogravian, but when you're a thousand miles from home, and suffering 50% casualties from wounds, disease, desertion, and the bad batch of bootheel gin that the quartermaster's junior adjutant distributed, well, Borogravian citizenship can be extended remarkably quickly to likely lads, lasses, or others who want to sign up. Which is to say, characters could come from all over the Disc, as long as they're willing to serve in the military.

Adventures would be military themed, but, this being Discworld, would focus on the absurdity of military life, and have a humanist element - opposing forces would be people just like the PCs, not faceless hordes to be cut down without remorse, and the human cost of war would be on display. "M.A.S.H. on the Discworld" would probably be a passable description.

11-01-2016, 11:07 AM	#8
Kelly Pedersen Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Saskatoon, SK, Canada	Re: [Discworld] What scenarios are we all planning? An idea for a Discworld campaign that I've had for a while, but will probably never get the chance to run, is a war comedy game. For the setup, I would draw Monstrous Regiment, as one of the only three "war" stories in the Discworld (the other two being Jingo and Interesting Times), and the only one that has the setting element I want - namely, an ongoing military unit. I would establish that, after the Borogravians made some kind of peace with their neighbors (probably enforced by Ankh-Morpork), the high command didn't really know what to do with the new wave of soldiers. Many of them had dangerously independent ideas, having signed up, not under the old recruitment system based on propaganda and outright lies, but freely, based on honest patriotism but also with a clear idea of the flaws as well as the good points of Borogravia. And, of course, many of whom were openly women, with Polly Oliver's example setting the standard. So, after the peace was secured, Borogravian high command dealt with the new problem by making it go far away - they established the Borogravian Legion Abroad, a force of Borogravian soldiers who the leadership of Borogravia would offer to "lend" to other nations needing some military muscle, and hoping to take advantage of Borogravia's tradition of, if not military genius, then at least dogged stubbornness. The PCs would be members of the Legion Abroad, sent all over the Disc to fight in small brushfire wars that are eternally threatening to blow up into big wars. The Legion is officially all Borogravian, but when you're a thousand miles from home, and suffering 50% casualties from wounds, disease, desertion, and the bad batch of bootheel gin that the quartermaster's junior adjutant distributed, well, Borogravian citizenship can be extended remarkably quickly to likely lads, lasses, or others who want to sign up. Which is to say, characters could come from all over the Disc, as long as they're willing to serve in the military. Adventures would be military themed, but, this being Discworld, would focus on the absurdity of military life, and have a humanist element - opposing forces would be people just like the PCs, not faceless hordes to be cut down without remorse, and the human cost of war would be on display. "M.A.S.H. on the Discworld" would probably be a passable description.