Custom narrative campaign scenarios [Warzone Exelia]

[Berzul]

Hi everyone.

 

I made a post on this in the Amicus Aedes, and it was suggested I post here.

 

So, I am running a 6 month long, online managed, narrative campaign, for a group of about 50 players in my country. It starts on march the 1st, and I have worked out the rules I will put in place.

 

The campaign itself will take place in the custom created planet of Exelia. A garden world from the Eldar, once taken over by the Necrons, then abandoned for thousands upon thousands of years after the diaspora of the Aeldari. Claimed by the Imperium as a paradise planet for dignitaries, then lost in the Imperium NIhilus after the 13th Black Crusade. Claimed by the T'au from within the 5th Sphere Expansion, after venturing beyond the Startide Nexus, but soon besieged by a Tyranid Swarm brought forth by the summoning prayer of the cultists that live in the neighboring industrial world that supports this one. Then targeted by the Death Guard, on the warpath after the T'au forces, and finally, engaged by the Imperium during a reclamation crusade for the world and the system itself.

 

Yeah, it's convoluted, but the narrative got constructed through a day long narrative tournament, which set this results as the groundwork for the whole thing. It does give me good reasons to have many factions warring for one specific planet, though.

 

In any case, the campaign needs custom rules and scenarios, which is the focus of this post. TO share my plans, and get any comments or criticism that could be constructive and useful. So, please, feel free to comment.

 

So, how does the campaign work?

 

Well, I made up a website from which players will be able to download the scenarios and rules for each stage of the campaign, then play whenever they want, and report the results back to me through an online tool. Each stage they decide to fight either for the attackers of the defenders of a specific warfront of the Warzone, corresponding to the stage the campaign is at.

 

This stages are divided as follows:

 

First stage, the war front is on the outer area of the system, where Nurgle has brought forth from the immaterium a series of smaller plague worlds, from which to launch an invasion against the T'au. This stage will see them pitted against the Imperium, as it shows up on a reclamation crusade. The demons must fend off the Imperium, and try to push past the null fields deployed by necron forces on the planet of Exelia, in order to reach it. The imperium must break the demons and move on to the planet.

 

Second stage, the war front is the industrial planet near Exelia. This world holds a webway gate unknown to imperial records, and which the Eldar have been planning for centuries and even millennia to use, to reclaim Exelia. But, they have arrived through it only to find this smaller world full of humans, turned genestealer cultists, that are now harboring the Tyranid Fleet that already tried to conquer Exelia first, and got pushed back by the T'au. The Eldar must engage in guerrilla warfare against the overwhelming Tyranid Forces, while the Tyranids must regroup against such opposition, to try a second attack on Exelia.

 

Third and final stage, the war front is Exelia itself, where the human forces and the Planetary Defense Force have been converted to the Greater Good, brought forth from the 5th Sphere Expansion, and after having been abandoned to their fate by cause of the appearance of the great rift. The T'au and their Gue'Vesa auxiliaries were first able to repel the Tyranids, but they are closely followed by the Death Guard. Lucky for them (in a way) the war against the Tyranids woke up the Necrons that lie beneath the surface of the planet from back when they first took it from the Aeldari. The Necrons have managed to push the T'au on the defensive, and have ignited null fields to deny the forces of Chaos and the Aeldari the use of psychic powers to siege the planet. This is keeping the demons at bay (while the Aeldari are busy with the Tyranids), but only for so long. Each side must manage to break the other, in order to be ready to defend against the other invading forces.

 

So, how about the scenarios?

 

Well, each stage will consist of three sets of scenarios, lasting for two weeks each, with one week of downtime in between.

 

Each set of scenarios sees two sides (attackers and defenders) fighting, to complete three strategic objectives. Exploring the battle zone, assaulting the enemy forces, and consolidating their positions. This creates a 9 cell matrix by cross reference, that gives me the scenarios. So, if one side decides to assault, and the other to explore, that leads to one scenario. If one side decides to consolidate, and the other to assault, that leads to another scenario. And so forth.

 

The scenarios themselves I am going to be basing them on Eternal War Scenarios from all the various books, but the twist exists in two sets of rules: Protagonist advantage, and Battle Zone rules.

 

So, the battle zone is simple. I will make 3 battle zones for each stage of the campaign, with their rules increasing (getting worse or better, whichever the case may be, for the players), as the scenarios advance. So, first two weeks, the battle zones will be at their tamest. Then, at the second two weeks, they will have more rules, and at the last two weeks, they will be having devastating effects on the battles that take place.

 

Before a fight, players roll or choose a battle zone, and apply the rules. That is what adds a narrative to the otherwise balanced scenarios.

 

The protagonist advantage is different. Each stage of the campaign will feature two sides fighting as main protagonists (Imperium vs Nurgle, Death GUard, and Chaos Unaligned, then Aeldari versus Tyranids and Genestealer Cults, and finally Necrons versus T'au). If a player is registered int he campaign with one of the factions that coincide with the protagonist factions for the stage of the campaign, they gain a special rule in all their battles.

 

This special rules will affect how Victory Points are obtained, creating variant ways of scoring for them, reflecting an approach to war that makes sense in the narrative.

 

Then, what are the rules you have in mind? You might be asking.

 

Well, the battle zones are still WIP, but I will be heavily basing myself on the books available.

 

The protagonist advantages, will be made custom for each two-week period of battles. That is to say, I will be making new rules for a specific set of scenarios, throughout the campaign. These rules, will be three per protagonist side, corresponding to the strategic objective the players pursue in the campaign.

I have already made up the ones for the First Stage, First Scenarios, of the campaign. And this is something I would love to get comments on from anyone who wants to do so.

 

 

STAGE ONE, FIRST SCENARIOS

 

SPECIAL PROTAGONIST ADVANTAGES FOR NURGLE DAEMONS, CHAOS UNDIVIDED, DEATH GUARD

 

Exploring - Should the player decide to explore as his strategic objective, in the battle, the following special rule applies:

 

At the end of the players turn, if the player managed to invoke a psychic power with a model that is within 6" of the center of an objective marker, the player gains 1 victory point. If the player manages to invoke three or more powers in a turn, he instead gets D3 victory points.

 

Assaulting - Should the player decide to assault, as his strategic objective, in the battle, the following special rule applies:

 

At the end of any phase in which an enemy units has been completely destroyed, the player then may roll one D6 for each enemy unit still on the board, that was within 6" of the destroyed unit at the beginning of the phase. On a 3+ (or a 5+ if the unit rolled for is a character), the player may put a plague marker on the corresponding unit rolled for. At the end of the battle round, the player gets one victory point for very plague marker on the board, and then removes all plague markers. If a unit is destroyed, all markers for said unit are removed as well.

 

Consolidating - Should the player decide to consolidate, as his strategic objective, in the battle, the following special rule applies

 

As long as one of the players models from a Troop type unit is within 3" of the center of an objective marker, said objective marker cannot be controlled by the opposing player.

 

SPECIAL PROTAGONIST ADVANTAGES FOR THE IMPERIUM

 

Exploring - Should the player decide to explore as his strategic objective, int he battle, the following special rule applies:

 

At the end of the players turn, he scores one victory point for every objective marker he controls that has no enemy models within 9" of its center.

 

Assaulting - Should the player decide to assault as his strategic objective, in the battle, the following special rule applies:

 

Slay the Warlord, Line Breaker, and First Strike, grant 2 victory points to this player, instead of 1.

 

Consolidating - Should the player decide to consolidate as his strategic objective, in the battle, the following special rule applies

 

At the end of each battle round, if the opposing player has no models wholly within the players deployment zone, the player gains one victory point.

 

+++

 

My idea is to create a new set of three advantages for each protagonist side, for each set of scenarios as I go through the campaign. This would just be the first, and they would only apply for the first two weeks of battle.

Edited February 5, 2020 by Berzul

[Ilgoth]

Interesting, will pass on to my local scene.

[Berzul]

Thanks! Please, if you have, or get, any comments on this campaign structure, and the rules I have so far developed, would be very appreciated.

[Berzul]

BTW, if anyone actually wants to play this campaign, I can totally upload the lore and scenarios here.

 

Might be a fun thing to do, within the community here.

 

I have been running online narrative campaigns for players in my country for about three years now, and I enjoy it immensely

[Berzul]

Ok, so I have finished planning for the Protagonist Advantages, and the Battle Zones, for the first phase of the first stage of this Narrative Campaign.

 

I'll present them here. If anyone has any comments, please, feel free to let me know! It would be great to get feedback.

 

In any case.

 

 

++++

 

PROTAGONIST ADVANTAGES

 

++NURGLE DAEMONS, CHAOS UNDIVIDED, DEATH GUARD++

 

Exploring - At the end of the players turn, if the player managed to invoke a psychic power with a model that is within 6" of the center of an objective marker, the player gains 1 victory point. If the player manages to invoke three or more powers in a turn, he instead gets D3 victory points.

 

Assaulting - At the end of any phase in which an enemy units has been completely destroyed, the player then may roll one D6 for each enemy unit still on the board, that was within 6" of the destroyed unit at the beginning of the phase. On a 3+ (or a 5+ if the unit rolled for is a character), the player may put a plague marker on the corresponding unit rolled for. At the end of the battle round, the player gets one victory point for very plague marker on the board, and then removes all plague markers. If a unit is destroyed, all markers for said unit are removed as well.

 

Consolidating - As long as one of the players models from a Troop type unit is within 3" of the center of an objective marker, said objective marker cannot be controlled by the opposing player.

 

 

++IMPERIUM++

 

Exploring - At the end of the players turn, he scores one victory point for every objective marker he controls that has no enemy models within 9" of its center.

 

Assaulting - Slay the Warlord, Line Breaker, and First Strike, grant 2 victory points to this player, instead of 1.

 

Consolidating - At the end of each battle round, if the opposing player has no models wholly within the players deployment zone, the player gains one victory point.

 

 

++++

 

BATTLE ZONES

 

++PLAGUE STORM++

 

Storm front

Before the beginning of the first battle round, the player that has the first turn must roll for a table edge to be the entry point of the storm front. The player nominates one edge to be the North Side, then, clockwise, the following edges are the East Side, the South Side, and the West Side.

 

The player then rolls a D6. On a 1, the storm front is comming from the north side. On a 2 or 3, it is coming from the east side. On a 4 or 5 it is coming from the west side. On a 6, it is coming from the south side.

 

At the beginning of each battle round, starting with the first round, the players map out a 12" area from the storm front's table edge. Any unit wholly within the area is considered to be trapped in the plague storm. Starting on the beginning of the second battle round, at the beginning of each battle round, the first player rolls a D6. On a 3 or more, the storm expands 6 inches forward. On a 1 or a 2, the storm pulls back 6 inches. The plague storm may never be reduced to less than 6 inches.

 

Units trapped inside the plague storm are subject to the following rules:

 

Reduced Visibility: The units count as in cover. Units with the Nurgle Keyword are also at a -1 to be hit by any shooting attack.

 

Strong Winds: At the beginning of his movement phase, the active player must roll for D3 Mortal Wounds on each of his Vehicles that have the Fly Keyword. Units with the Nurgle Keyword are not affected.

 

Toxic Spores: At the end of his movement phase, the active player must roll a D6 for each Infantry or Monstruous Creature unit that is trapped inside the plague storm, which is not inside a transport or building. On a 5+ the unit counts as -1 Toughness until the end of the battle round. Units with the Nurgle Keyword are not affected.

 

 

++ORBITAL BOMBARDMENTS++

 

Attack coordinates

Before the first battle round the players, starting with the first player, must alternate in placing 6 ordnance strike markers on the board. These must be placed farther than 6 inches from any table edge, and farther than 12 inches of each other. They must be numbered 1 through to 6.

 

If the attacker's army is battleforged and all his units have the Imperium Keyword, then that player places the first two markers. Then the players alternate in placing the remaining four markers, starting with the first player.

 

Order to strike

At the end of the movement phase of the attacker, starting from the second battle round, each player (starting with the attacker) rolls a D6 to activate a ordnance strike marker. If both players roll the same number, that marker counts as twice active.

 

If the attacker's army is battleforged and all his units have the Imperium Keyword, and his Warlord did not move during the movement phase, then that player may modifiy the result of his roll by increasing it or reducing it by 1, after it has been made. The roll can never be less than 1, or more than 6.

 

Orbital bombardment

Once the order to strike has been given, the attacker proceeds to roll for 2D6 attacks at BS4+, S6, AP0, D1, against each unit within 9 inches of the active markers (or D3 attacks for Characters). If the marker is twice active, then these attacks hit automatically.

 

Stratagems

 

Special munitions (Attacker stratagem, 1 CP) - Use this stratagem after the order to strike has been given, and before the orbital bombardment commences. Each orbital strike can be made, not with the regular profile, but rather with one of the following profiles:

 

Heavy ordnance - 2D3 attacks at BS4+, S7, AP-1, D2 (1 attack against Characters)

Retroviral shells - 2D6 attacks at BS4+, S6, AP0, D1 (D3 attacks against Characters). Rolls for Disgustingly Resilient against wounds inflicted by this weapon are at a -1.

 

Signal interference  (Defender stratagem, 1 CP) - Use this stratagem after the order to strike has been given, and after the attacker has decided to modify his roll, but before the orbital bombardment commences. Choose one of the two dice results rolled, and modify it, by either increasing it or reducing it by 1. If the end result goes below 1 or above 6, the attack is discarded for that attack and no marker is activated for that roll.

 

 

++UNHOLY PARADISE++

 

Wasteland of demonic horrors

At the beginning of each battle round, the first player must roll a D6 and consult the following table for his result, to dectermine what enviromental effect is in place for the battle round.

 

1) Appendages from the immaterium - Each time a unit other than a Flyer type unit advances or charges, the player must roll a D6. On a result of 1, that unit suffers a mortal wound.

 

2) Harrowing images - Players must add 1 to all Morale tests. Units with the Daemon Keyword are not affected.

 

3) Unstable terrain - Units other than those with the Fly Keyword suffer a -1 to their movement, advance rolls, and charge rolls.

 

4) Psychic surge - The difficulty for maniesting psychic powers is reduced by 1. Units that attempt a Daemonic Ritual may roll one extra D6, and must then discard the lowest dice rolled. If the ritual is used to summon units with the Nurgle Keyword, then the unit does not suffer any negative effects from rolling doubles or triples.

 

5) Miasmic eclipse - Shooting attacks cannot be made at enemies beyond 18 inches from the firing unit. Units that may fire without needing Line of Sight are not affected, but they suffer a -1 to hit for all shooting attacks at enemy units beyond 18 inches.

 

6) Illusionary whispers - At the end of their own movement phases, the players must roll one D6 for each unit of theirs on the battle field. On a result of 3+ the unit may act normally in the rest of the turn. On a result of 1 or 2, the unit may only shoot and/or charge the closest visible enemy unit, until the end of the beginning of his next movement phase. Units with the Daemon Keyword are not affected.

 

Stratagems

 

Sadic hunger (Attacker stratagem, 1 CP) - Use this stratagem immediately after the defender declares that he will be attempting to manifest a psychic power with one of his units. Until the end of the psychic phase that unit suffers from Perils of the Warp whenever it rolls natural doubles.

 

Favoured by the Plague God (Defender stratagem, 1 CP) - Use this stratagem after the enviromental effect has been determined, and before the battle round begins, and as long as you have one or more units in the battlefield with the Psyker Keyword. You may modify the result on the roll, either increasing it or reducing it by 1. A six that is increased by 1 becomes a one, and a one that is reduced by 1 becomes a six.

 

++++

 

 

 

My plan is for the rules for each battle zone be further developed (and their effects "improved" or expanded) on each phase of the stage. The plague storm becoming more powerful, the bombardments increasing in power and frequency, and the horrors of the landscape becoming more and more violent and creating more dangerous connections to the warp.

Edited February 6, 2020 by Berzul

[Brother Tyler]

This might be worth posting in the Downloads section.

[Berzul]

I have never actually done that. Can anyone simply upload a file into the forum? So could I just put all this info into a .pdf file and just upload it?

[Brother Tyler]

Absolutely. Once submitted, files have to be reviewed and approved before they will available. You look at the different types of files that are currently available. They range from background articles to rules templates to decals. You can even replace files if they are updated. Sometimes the format of a forum discussion makes it more difficult to really comprehend the information, and what you've presented seems like it might be very useful for other players, so the Downloads section is a great alternative.

[Berzul]

Great! I had no idea about it. Well, good opportunity as ever to see about uploads.

 

I think I'll take the chance to translate the scenarios as well, and up´load the whole thing as a sort of "campaign book" for anyone who might want to review it.

[Berzul]

Hey!

 

So, i finished prepping the campaign. I am now starting to translate it, to put the text in the forum in case someone wants to check it out later.

 

We launched last sunday, with 58 players signed on to it. We even set up a website for it, with my Admin Team for the event.

 

We will be running it from now to August 30th.

 

Im case anyone is interested, the website we made is http://warzone.cl Its all in spanish, as it is a chilean campaign (although run online, so as to allow people from all over the country to join in). But, maybe once I translate it then understanding the set might be easier.

 

In any case, thanks again for the feedback and advise.

 

P.S.: For anyone who actually checks out the site, its not yet optimized for.mobile devices. It still needa to be navigated through a browser on a wide enough resolution, saddly.... WIP and all that

Edited March 4, 2020 by Berzul