Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group

[Thasmodious]

I'm starting a new campaign in a month or so with the novice PCs being grunts in a mercenary army fighting on various sides of a war torn land. This will be the first fantasy campaign for the group with SW and the first time I've run a military based campaign. At the beginning, the PCs are just one among many, grunts with low rank, no status, freshly trained unknowns.

The long term plan is that the PCs will slowly rise in the ranks and the company will face an external threat to the world at large that they uncover and work to unite various warring factions into a functioning army to face this threat. The game will have lots of mass battles, as well as a lot of smaller missions carried out by the PCs and their squadmates, controlled as allies.

I'm building the company now, from the PCs unit outward with less detail as it moves further away - so their CO is fully statted, their squadmates will be made by them at character creation, their platoon detailed with names, roles and personalities from the SWD table, etc.

I've never ran a military focused game like this, so I'd love some tips and advice from those who have. Any good conversions, SW products to steal ideas from? Any good homebrew rules from anyone? Is the SWD mass combat rules robust enough, with the PC actions, to keep the battles interesting? What are the pitfalls to watch out for and the advantages to really dig into?
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There's more than seventy earths spinning 'bout the galaxy and the meek have inherited not a one.

[PeteAtoms]

For sieges, I think the Fantasy Companion would be a good thing to check out. It details a few more options that PC's can take when they get involved with sieges/mass-battles.

Hellfrost also has a couple martial and mercenary groups in its setting that might provide some inspiration. The Glory system might also appeal to you.

[ValhallaGH]

Weird War 2, by PEG, is a good resource. There's some solid 3-4 pages of or GM advice that would apply.
TAG's Necropolis setting should have a few gems. The 2350 book puts all their good advice in the player section, which always throws me; you may want to look over their 2355 update.
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"Got a problem? I've got the solution: Rocket Launcher."
"Not against a Servitor."
"... We're all gonna die."

[kreider204]

You might steal a trick or two from Caladon Falls.
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"It only takes an extra second to be courteous."
- Constable Benton Fraser

[tigerguy786]

[Nathan]

As far as advice goes, you want to make sure that your characters don't lack agency. Playing within strict military ranks doesn't always give the characters a lot of freedom of choice, if the characters are going to stay within the confines of the original setup.

The smaller missions would help with that, obviously. I'd probably stay focused on those. Also, I wouldn't take the rise through the ranks too slowly.

[Thasmodious]

I've got the FC and am actually opening the game with a siege, should be fun. I'll definitely have to check out Caladon Falls, sounds like the overall game is the same (PC soldiers, world spanning threat) and the .pdf price is right. Probably some good stuff in there.

[Nathan]

Sorry, didn't mean to second guess your whole plot their.

I saw the word "military" and had a flashback to a truly horrible D20 modern game I was in. Suffice it to say that it takes some work to make guard duty on a military convoy any kind of fun.

[Thasmodious]

I didn't take it that way at all, dude. I appreciate the advice. Player agency is definitely something to make sure I don't overlook with this one.
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There's more than seventy earths spinning 'bout the galaxy and the meek have inherited not a one.

[Sadric]

I second the recommendation of Hellfrost (players guide).
It has some good Edges that works in Mass Battle or a edge to coordinate a Archer company that shoots at a giant or dragon.

[warrenss2]

This sounds a lot like Glen Cook's The Black Company. They are books about a merc company in a fantasy setting.

You might get some good ideas from those. Pretty darn good books too.
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[Snate56]

I got one too, Try checking out Demontech: Onslaught by David Sherman.
About fantasy mercenaries given modern day training by a modern day Marine drill instructor!
http://www.amazon.com/Onslaught-Demontech-Book-David-Sherman/dp/0345443748/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332932357&sr=8-1

SteveN
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"We've got a blind date with destiny... and it looks like she's ordered the lobster." <The Shoveller>

[warrenss2]

Some elements of ideas you might be able to use... (not all at once)

A mean NCO (non-commissioned officer) that hates the characters... he/she uses their position of authority to make life hard for the characters.

A well intended, but green, commanding officer that has to be shown how it really works by the characters... before his/her inexperience gets them all killed.

To get them in smallish combat situations have them make patrols and get ambushed.

There are some awesome military movies and books out there to steal ideas from too. They might not be "fantasy", but still great stuff.
One of my favorites - Zulu.
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[PeteAtoms]

Are their any good resources to draw inspiration for sieges from? The only things that pop into my mind are the LotR movies and Kingdom of Heaven.

Kingdom of Heaven does a better job of bringing the scope of the battle down to the soldier/grunt level, but not it's not perfect.

[warrenss2]

How about HERE for a starting place.

Then GOOGLE can help too.

Not too sure about siege movies... none spring to mind right away except the Alamo and the before mentioned Zulu. While they're not fantasy the elements of the movies can be used.
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[PeteAtoms]

[warrenss2]

[kaltorak]

I strongly recommend the Siege of Watchgap Keep (Hellfrost Adventure). Apart freaking awesome cardboard heroes also details a long siege (heroes being the defenders) which can give many good ideas on how to handle a similar situation.

[Snate56]

[warrenss2]