Comments on: The Setting Less Traveled: The American Civil War http://www.dungeonmastering.com/campaigns-adventures/the-setting-less-traveled-the-american-civil-war The D&D Blog Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:54:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Ian Winterbottom http://www.dungeonmastering.com/campaigns-adventures/the-setting-less-traveled-the-american-civil-war#comment-7110 Ian Winterbottom Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:05:50 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=1011#comment-7110 I own, but have never played, Deadlands, I would love to try it out. Have played a lot of skirmish, semi-rpg, Westerns too, my own character was a diehard Confederate ex-cavalryman and one of my buddies was an ex-Kansas Guerilla, Josey Wales with the serial filed off. We had a gambler-gunman, Bat Dolphin, a "Deadly Dentist", "Doc" Crashley etc., all in fact played by real people! People really took to the idea. There is also a lot of material on the subject and everyone has their favourite character type. I'd love sometime to do a Supernatural campaign based on Westerns and/or the Civil War, perhaps using CoC if not Deadlands; the idea of Werewolves and masked men with silver bullets appeals! The Civil War also leaves many opportunities for motives and rivalry, whichever side you espouse. Another good set of books about it are Bernard Cornwell's historical novels, about a Northerner fighting on the southern side, starting IIRC with "Rebel". What is Aces and Eights like? It sounds good? Talking of Civil Wars, of course, we Brits had one too, well before you Americans, and it was just as partisan and bitterly fought, many scores were settled and the fighting was localised yet widespread as each small community took one side or the other. My own little town of Westhoughton was Parliamentary, Roundhead, as was the neighbouring larger town of Bolton, which was beseiged and sacked by the Royalists or Cavaliers. Earlier than that you could very much do the same thing with the Wars of the Roses? The idea of doing a "local" game like that very much interests me. I own, but have never played, Deadlands, I would love to try it out. Have played a lot of skirmish, semi-rpg, Westerns too, my own character was a diehard Confederate ex-cavalryman and one of my buddies was an ex-Kansas Guerilla, Josey Wales with the serial filed off. We had a gambler-gunman, Bat Dolphin, a “Deadly Dentist”, “Doc” Crashley etc., all in fact played by real people! People really took to the idea. There is also a lot of material on the subject and everyone has their favourite character type. I’d love sometime to do a Supernatural campaign based on Westerns and/or the Civil War, perhaps using CoC if not Deadlands; the idea of Werewolves and masked men with silver bullets appeals! The Civil War also leaves many opportunities for motives and rivalry, whichever side you espouse.
Another good set of books about it are Bernard Cornwell’s historical novels, about a Northerner fighting on the southern side, starting IIRC with “Rebel”. What is Aces and Eights like? It sounds good?
Talking of Civil Wars, of course, we Brits had one too, well before you Americans, and it was just as partisan and bitterly fought, many scores were settled and the fighting was localised yet widespread as each small community took one side or the other. My own little town of Westhoughton was Parliamentary, Roundhead, as was the neighbouring larger town of Bolton, which was beseiged and sacked by the Royalists or Cavaliers. Earlier than that you could very much do the same thing with the Wars of the Roses? The idea of doing a “local” game like that very much interests me.

]]> By: Nicholas http://www.dungeonmastering.com/campaigns-adventures/the-setting-less-traveled-the-american-civil-war#comment-7059 Nicholas Thu, 05 Mar 2009 02:22:33 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=1011#comment-7059 @ScottM: I picked up Aces and Eights really cheap on clearance but never actually looked at it beyond the neat targeting system. Is it worth checking it out? @ScottM: I picked up Aces and Eights really cheap on clearance but never actually looked at it beyond the neat targeting system. Is it worth checking it out?

]]> By: ScottM http://www.dungeonmastering.com/campaigns-adventures/the-setting-less-traveled-the-american-civil-war#comment-7058 ScottM Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:51:03 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=1011#comment-7058 Aces and Eights alters the civil war, but leaves the continent divided into several powers-- CSA, Texas, the US, and more. Many westerns do a good job of drawing the civil war in tangentially, but their emphasis is (appropriately) elsewhere. Lots of characters have the civil war in their backstory... and a good GM will bring up conflicts based on it. Aces and Eights alters the civil war, but leaves the continent divided into several powers– CSA, Texas, the US, and more. Many westerns do a good job of drawing the civil war in tangentially, but their emphasis is (appropriately) elsewhere. Lots of characters have the civil war in their backstory… and a good GM will bring up conflicts based on it.

]]> By: The_Gun_Nut http://www.dungeonmastering.com/campaigns-adventures/the-setting-less-traveled-the-american-civil-war#comment-6969 The_Gun_Nut Sat, 28 Feb 2009 05:17:20 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=1011#comment-6969 Also, for anyone who might be interested, the proclamation didn't free slaves in the north (there weren't many, but there were some). It only freed the slaves in states that were in open secession from the Union. While the north eventually did free all of their slaves, many northern generals kept theirs for up to four years after the civil war ended. Back to topic, a civil war game can lead nicely into the Reconstructio era that the old west movies made famous. Thus, you can have a cool backstory already played out for your WWW (Wild Wild West) hero. Also, for anyone who might be interested, the proclamation didn’t free slaves in the north (there weren’t many, but there were some). It only freed the slaves in states that were in open secession from the Union. While the north eventually did free all of their slaves, many northern generals kept theirs for up to four years after the civil war ended.

Back to topic, a civil war game can lead nicely into the Reconstructio era that the old west movies made famous. Thus, you can have a cool backstory already played out for your WWW (Wild Wild West) hero.

]]> By: DaScho http://www.dungeonmastering.com/campaigns-adventures/the-setting-less-traveled-the-american-civil-war#comment-6966 DaScho Sat, 28 Feb 2009 01:29:42 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=1011#comment-6966 @The_Gun_Nut, I really appreciate the fact that someone mentioned this incredibly important point, that the war was never originally over slavery, it was a political battle, first and foremost. The south wanted to make their own laws, print their own currency (because the union was pushing to stop the south's rapidly inflating dollar to stabilize the country's economy as a whole, and the south knew they didn't have enough in their stores to cover all the paper they wanted to print) and because the south was largely farming and agriculture, whereas the north was more industrial. How many yanks accuse the southerners of being hicks or not well mannered or poorly groomed or illiterate? How many southerners call yanks stuck up or prissy? These aren't new insults. These people were from differing cultures. And also, the north didn't develop all their goods themselves. The south grew cotton, the north made sweaters, is kinda how it went. The south wanted to cut the north out as middlemen for their economic goods sent overseas and keep more money themselves, and the north was dependent on the south for lots of their raw materials and farmed goods. They needed the south to stay united with them, the south wanted to split for their own interests. Slavery only became the blame card when Lincoln realized france was leaning toward supporting the south, and england even offered to provide them some ships, and the north needed to keep the war centralized, and they also knew that if they told all the southerners' slaves they were free, but the south would keep them slaves for the rest of their lives, lots would try to escape to fight their masters, and that's exactly what happened. Slavery was a trump card saved for the last few rounds of the game, it was never a starting issue for the war @The_Gun_Nut, I really appreciate the fact that someone mentioned this incredibly important point, that the war was never originally over slavery, it was a political battle, first and foremost. The south wanted to make their own laws, print their own currency (because the union was pushing to stop the south’s rapidly inflating dollar to stabilize the country’s economy as a whole, and the south knew they didn’t have enough in their stores to cover all the paper they wanted to print) and because the south was largely farming and agriculture, whereas the north was more industrial. How many yanks accuse the southerners of being hicks or not well mannered or poorly groomed or illiterate? How many southerners call yanks stuck up or prissy? These aren’t new insults. These people were from differing cultures. And also, the north didn’t develop all their goods themselves. The south grew cotton, the north made sweaters, is kinda how it went. The south wanted to cut the north out as middlemen for their economic goods sent overseas and keep more money themselves, and the north was dependent on the south for lots of their raw materials and farmed goods. They needed the south to stay united with them, the south wanted to split for their own interests. Slavery only became the blame card when Lincoln realized france was leaning toward supporting the south, and england even offered to provide them some ships, and the north needed to keep the war centralized, and they also knew that if they told all the southerners’ slaves they were free, but the south would keep them slaves for the rest of their lives, lots would try to escape to fight their masters, and that’s exactly what happened. Slavery was a trump card saved for the last few rounds of the game, it was never a starting issue for the war

]]>