GURPS 4th Campaign Types

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Chromemagnus

Honestly, I just want some other Campaign ideas for A medieval fantasy (TL4) setting, before i use my own

Ah. I didn't get that you meant "medieval fantasy."

Strictly speaking, TL4 is postmedieval; it has deep sea navigation with compasses, gunpowder and firearms, the printing press, and the birth of the scientific method. The main weapons are pike and shot or primitive bayonets, with rapiers or smallswords being used in personal duels; castles and knights are obsolete (as Don Quixote spelled out). Is what you want to run musketeers and pirates with magic, and do you want to send your adventurers to exotic lands over the sea—which is what TL4 really was? Or do you really mean "medieval," which is TL3?

Bill Stoddard

[Chromemagnus]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Ah. I didn't get that you meant "medieval fantasy."

Strictly speaking, TL4 is postmedieval; it has deep sea navigation with compasses, gunpowder and firearms, the printing press, and the birth of the scientific method. The main weapons are pike and shot or primitive bayonets, with rapiers or smallswords being used in personal duels; castles and knights are obsolete (as Don Quixote spelled out). Is what you want to run musketeers and pirates with magic, and do you want to send your adventurers to exotic lands over the sea—which is what TL4 really was? Or do you really mean "medieval," which is TL3?

Bill Stoddard

Well, I'm still going to use the TL4 setting, but I'm not going to include firearms at all, just because calculating out the distance, and all that stuff.

I've checked with the PCs and they would like to try a TL4 setting, mostly because of some of the equipment. So thats really the only reason we're choosing TL4.

I'll still try and bend the storyline into a medieval fantasy setting though.

Cheers,

Chromemagnus

[trooper6]

I would love to give you some ideas. But as a GM, I do one of two things:

1) Come up with a concept, and then make sure the players create PCs that fit with that concept (e.g. Everyone is going to be a member of the Hellfire Club, a secret society full of young nobles or other movers and shakers).

or

2) If the PCs are already made, I look at the character sheets and craft something based on the details of the sheet.

So, I can't give you any ideas unless you post the PC character sheets. Could you type up the 3 PC sheets and post them to this thread? And any character background your players have come up with?

Because I could throw out lots of ideas...but that might not be appropriate for the characters you have. For example, all the players are members of a street gang in a big medieval city...the goal to gain power and influence and take over the crime world! I think that would be really fun...but that wouldn't work with your players because one of them has high Status, correct?

So, it is really hard to come up with ideas in absence of the PC sheets.

[Chromemagnus]

Originally Posted by trooper6

I would love to give you some ideas. But as a GM, I do one of two things:

1) Come up with a concept, and then make sure the players create PCs that fit with that concept (e.g. Everyone is going to be a member of the Hellfire Club, a secret society full of young nobles or other movers and shakers).

or

2) If the PCs are already made, I look at the character sheets and craft something based on the details of the sheet.

So, I can't give you any ideas unless you post the PC character sheets. Could you type up the 3 PC sheets and post them to this thread? And any character background your players have come up with?

Because I could throw out lots of ideas...but that might not be appropriate for the characters you have. For example, all the players are members of a street gang in a big medieval city...the goal to gain power and influence and take over the crime world! I think that would be really fun...but that wouldn't work with your players because one of them has high Status, correct?

So, it is really hard to come up with ideas in absence of the PC sheets.

Actually, me and the PCs are spread out communications wise, but the gist of the characters is pretty standard, I'll try to explain.

Paladin - Has most of the skills for his kind, such as Law, Riding (Horse), Broadsword skill (Of course) Stuff like that, also Ambidexterity

Ranger - Area knowledge (Bremond) **the Country/State we will start out in, Naturalist, Bow, Camouflage, Climbing, Stealth, Survival, Ambidexterity.

Mage - Magery 2 (I believe), possibly acute vision or something like that. I really dont know the mage that well anymore, he was the first character we created.

Thats really all I remember, standard setup.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Chromemagnus

Well, I'm still going to use the TL4 setting, but I'm not going to include firearms at all, just because calculating out the distance, and all that stuff.

I've checked with the PCs and they would like to try a TL4 setting, mostly because of some of the equipment. So thats really the only reason we're choosing TL4.

I'll still try and bend the storyline into a medieval fantasy setting though.

So they want what from TL 4 exactly, fencing weapons? It might be a lot easier to find an excuse to add that gear to TL 3, rather than to start with all of the huge, society-changing things Bill mentioned and then prune until it looks medeival again...

Originally Posted by Chromemagnus

Actually, me and the PCs are spread out communications wise, but the gist of the characters is pretty standard, I'll try to explain.

[snip] Thats really all I remember, standard setup.

You're going to want to proofread their stats for accurate math, genre compliance, and that sort of thing before you GM the first game, and keep a copy in front of you while you GM. This will save many tears later.

[Stoob]

How about this for your intrepid TL3/TL4 adventuring party:

The PCs are on a mission to prevent a war by exposing groups on each side of the potential conflict as saboteurs and traitors who have been inciting violence and stirring up hatred amongst the populace of each country in an effort to spark war.

Investigations, combat and diplomacy will ensue.

The twist comes when the PCs realize the unthinkable, that the PC's father, the King, has personally authorized and equipped some of the saboteurs.

Why? To start a war and gain more territory? Maybe. Or perhaps it's a setup -- squash the saboteurs he himself financed and then the King appears hero to the people?

Do the PCs confront the King or remain silent? Will the truth tear apart the adventuring party as their loyalties are tested? (cure suspenseful music here!!!!!)

[Anders]

Originally Posted by Chromemagnus

Well, I'm still going to use the TL4 setting, but I'm not going to include firearms at all, just because calculating out the distance, and all that stuff.

How is calculating the distances for firearms more difficult than calculating it for bows and crossbows?

Remember, firearms are badass.

[Phantasm]

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

How is calculating the distances for firearms more difficult than calculating it for bows and crossbows?

Remember, firearms are badass.

If I might chime in...

Perhaps the PCs don't want to deal with the high loading times of early firearms? They want to be able to fire their guns once every second or third combat round, like a bow or light crossbow, instead of once or twice every minute, like reality.

In which case, that should be a personal preference of the characters to not use the new-fangled fighting machines, not a setting fiat.

Remember that gunpowder artillery was used in the Hundred Years War. Joan of Arc, one of the late medieval times' greatest generals, used and fought against them against England... and that was in the 1200s, IIRC. TL4 didn't officially start until 1450.

What I think the PCs want is something akin to D&D: a pseudo-Renaissance-era setting with Crusades-era combat. Might I suggest that the OP use a either a High Medieval, mature TL3 (circa 1000-1200 AD) setting, or a fully-TL4 Renaissance (1450-1600) setting, complete with firearms and cannon. Either will work.

If the OP wants a mature TL4 Renaissance-era setting, I'd be glad to send him my world setting.

[trooper6]

Originally Posted by Chromemagnus

Actually, me and the PCs are spread out communications wise, but the gist of the characters is pretty standard, I'll try to explain.

Paladin - Has most of the skills for his kind, such as Law, Riding (Horse), Broadsword skill (Of course) Stuff like that, also Ambidexterity

Ranger - Area knowledge (Bremond) **the Country/State we will start out in, Naturalist, Bow, Camouflage, Climbing, Stealth, Survival, Ambidexterity.

Mage - Magery 2 (I believe), possibly acute vision or something like that. I really dont know the mage that well anymore, he was the first character we created.

Thats really all I remember, standard setup.

I'm with Golden Apple. You really need to have a copy of the character sheets. You need to check the math, you need to make sure everything is properly well rounded. Also, you say "standard setup"--but I don't know what that means. In your description of the Mage, you didn't mention Status...but earlier you said he had Status. Things like that make a big difference. You didn't mention any of their disads. Disads are often really great adventure hooks. You don't mention if they have hobby skills.

In short, in order for you to be able to plan (or for us to help you), you need to really know those PCs.

Here's an example.

My very first GURPS campaign that I GM'd was, like yours, a medieval Fantasy game--though mine was TL3. Also, no magic.

Who were the 3 PCs? A Rogue, A Bard, A Fighter.

Except, me telling you that tells you nothing about those three characters. Let me do it again:

Who were the 3 PCs?
A barmaid. She had great people skills, and was pretty good at combat because she had to deal with drunk adventurers trying to put her hands all over her. She knew how to be stealthy and she new how to steal things. She longs for a life of adventure and all she wants is to live the exciting tales that the adventurers in her bar would talk about.

A travelling minstrel (really more like a cleric). Part of a Carnival. He was very much a leader sort. Could entertain...but he was also the first born son of the leader of the neighboring evil country...a repressive theocracy. He realized how corrupt and evil his father was and so he split to the neighboring country where he figured no one would know him...and his father wouldn't be able to find him. He wants to find some way to take down his father. So he's looking for allies.

A washed up, alcoholic ex-gambler in a lot of debt with his old gladiator owner. He was a great fighter once and needs a lot of money to pay off his debts. He is a bit amoral.

Those three characters are really different than rogue, cleric/bard, warrior. And the kind of adventures you make for them would be very different.

[Chromemagnus]

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

How is calculating the distances for firearms more difficult than calculating it for bows and crossbows?

Remember, firearms are badass.

Eh, I guess it's not, I just think it may be weird somehow...I don't know, I'm just not using firearms for my first campaign for some reason, I will most likely use them in my first Steampunk or Wild West campaign setting.