Campaign rules

[JSlade]

So maybe this isn't the best place for this, but it's my "home" on this board, so it's where I will ask.

 

I've got 7 players who want to start a campaign. We want to incorporate BFG, kill team, and different types of battles, and unit experience. What's a good rule set? Are there any that include varied types of missions etc?

[Bukimimaru]

It's something (I think) alot of people would like to do, but the idea is easier in my head than it is on paper.

I've often sat down with the intention of planing a fun narrative campaign for me and my buddies, but I've never devised or found an aproachable way of doing it.

 

I'll be watching this thread with eagle eyes in the hope that someone has some helpful ideas.

[Leonaides]

Have a look at necromunda for unit/model exoerience ideas... i think the old 4th? Ed rulebook had a scetched out campaign tree but its inspiration really. Win a bfg game gives you a planetary assault battle or lose might give the defenders the chance to board your ships- fight a zone mortalis game instead.

[TheSauce]

I'm a huge fan of this alternate version of kill team: http://heralds-of-ruin.blogspot.co.uk/p/kill-team-rules.html

 

It's got fan-made codices for most major armies, and makes a fun kill team game (lets you build more diverse armies than the GW kill team), and it has campaign and unit advancement rules built in.

 

It could be a starting point for your own campaign rules, with bonus's like +1W or WS for your unit leaders is a nice little buff for winning without being game-breaking.

[ElectricPaladin]

So, first of all, I recommend that you listen to this episode of the Independent Characters. I mean, for that matter, I also recommend that you just listen to the Independent Characters as a rule... they're pretty categorically awesome, probably the best Warhammer 40k podcast out there, if you're interested in a fluffy, play-the-game-like-you-mean-it-but-play-to-have-fun perspective, rather than the perspective of pretending this is still a fair, balanced, and tactically rigorous tournament game.

 

After you've listened to that excellent podcast, and subscribed to their feed, because they're awesome, I have a bunch of questions for you:

 

1. Do you plan on running the campaign like a GM, participating in the campaign as a player, or some combination of both?
2. How formal vs. informal do you want to be? Do you want there to be rules for everything, or should things like mission, terrain, and the consequences of failed/succeeded missions be decided on the fly or by consensus? Or somewhere in-between?
3. Will the players be part of teams representing the factions in the setting (ie. a Tau expeditionary force vs. an unlikely alliance of Imperials and Eldar vs. Chaos who has found a way to influence the 'Nids through sorcery)? Or will it be a free-for-all?
4. How do you want to handle victory conditions? Will wins accumulate points, and whoever has the most points wins? Or will each win give that player or team an advantage in the next game, culminating in a significant advantage in the final awesome blowout game?
5. How do you want to determine the missions, point size, and format? GM fiat? Consensus? Some kind of map or narrative diagram? Winner decides? Loser decides? Some kind of points bidding system?

 

My personal advice is to KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid - at least for your first campaign. Regardless, once you've answered those questions, you'll have a better idea of what you're trying to create.

[JSlade]

I appreciate the feedback from everyone. After a day of contemplation, I think the idea of starting with something digestible is paramount. This is an absolutely "fun" game among friends in our respective garages, living rooms, and kitchen tables. And setting a finite end point, is critical to its success. I read through a few books last night, and there are great systems everywhere. Particularity Badab and Massacre. But, I think i got to take an appetite suppressant and do something very simple. 

 

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/674/ZImwE8.jpg

 

Advancement to the next mission, is determined by victory per faction. Orks or Imperium.

Only special rules I think we'll implement are:

• Character wounds that carry over to the next battle (if they die). 
• Very limited amount of stratagems from Planet Strike (10 offensive/defensive)
• Maybe individual victory leads to an extra 150/200 pts during the apocalypse match. Maybe victory points carry over? If Orks got 15 total victory points, and Imperium got 4, thats how the next week starts off.. So while the Imperium can "win" the week, they are behind on total points still? 

I appreciate those questions, because it made me have to develop this chart. thank you.

 

Those Killteam rules make me want to build a kill team, and just play that. hah! they're some great rules. Makes me think of "Force on Force".

 

Any big holes in here, or recommendations? i appreciate the feedback very much.