Chaos in Carpathia - Witchfinder General - Rules

[Vagabond]

Hi Guys
I have just bought the CIC rule set, read them but not had a game yet.

My intention is initially to set the games in the UK Fens rather than Carpathia because that is the scenery I have.

I wondered if anyone has used Witchfinder General, Strange Aeons, and CIC and could give me any information on how they differ and how they are similar.

I don't quite get witches on broom sticks but I do get Werewolves, Vampires, and I like the West wind Pumpkin Heads, Asylum Inmates as well as some of the other wierd things they have.

I have had a couple of games with Strange Aeons set 1 and really like the mythos but so far can't get on with the shooting and fighting rules, so I also want to graft the mythos of a fishy culture in the Fens from SA to some other combat rules.

I was wondering if it would be feasable to use the CIC rule set with the SA mythos, but because I have some English Civil War figures I thought 17C East Anglia Witch Hunting/Monster Hunting in the scarry flat lands might suit and wondered if Witchfinder General might have been a better or at least alternative set of rules to have bought.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

PS if Jet ( GeekTactica) should read this, Thanks for your brilliant Blog, so sorry you stopped.

[n815e]

Check out Pulp Alley, to mish mash your miniatures.

[Vagabond]

I am on a bit if a budget and to buy pulp alley, solo cards and horror cards is in excess of £30:00 and I am not sure it gives me a Gothic horror game. Does anyone have links to show what might be achieved.

Played a trial game of Chaos in Carpathia today and the game mechanics seem to give a good result. A bit long winded in combat, which is probably ok for such a small number of figures, and it was my first game.

Would be nice if they did a play sheet, ended up doing my own. Does anyone know of synopsis of the rules available anywhere.

Still would like to know how witch finder general compares.

Thanks

[john Hollyoak]

Haven't played CinC for ages but I agree that combat can go on, but sometimes it is savagely quick. There are some resources out there geektactica blogspot has some excellent ideas and Tom Weiss website has some new gangs although they don't fit with your setting. Not aware of a playsheet but once you've played a few games you won't need one. I did an excel points calculator ages ago which I should still have somewhere but it is available on the Yahoo group. Don't forget Chaos in Cairo as well - all the same system so you can pinch stuff from it.
John

[Stavros]

If your on a tight budget mate why don't you write your own rules?
After all, the 'companies' that write this stuff are just like you and me, just normal guys, not God's...yes its nice to own a plush set of rules but the main reasoning behind that is so you feel you will be taken seriously at club games when after all most sets have been inspired by others. I've always written my own mainly because i do weird stuff and need a set to fit. I do have a set kicking about somewhere called Hexenjager set in central Europe but can easily be adapted by adding different stats as all class types have initiative points that dictate movement, firing, actions etc...stamina points ie how many rounds they can last in melee and fear points.
If your interested pm me. They are not a fussy set of rules, just fast and fun 

[DavyJones]

Pulp Alley is a great game. Why not downloading the quick rules and the fortune deck for free to give it a try?

[Stavros]

Check out Westwind Productions Piranha men of the Amazon, they look decidedly 'fishy' and would make good adversaries.

[dinohunterpoa]

Check out Westwind Productions Piranha men of the Amazon, they look decidedly 'fishy' and would make good adversaries.

Yesss!!!  

Vagabond, CiC is a great set of rules IMHO, and can be easily tuned to match your game scenario and expectations (specially with the Sleepy Hollow rules and ideas), so go for it!    

But Stavros touched a very true point: the rules you use must suit your requirements of a fun game, not the contrary, so go with what pleases you more, and don't be shy to try different systems and approaches! EotD, for example, have a very nice approach to solving combat situations in a mathematical sense (using D10 instead of D6), but its Victorian setting would have to be twisted a bit to match your ideas of a 17th C setting. Witchfinder General, on the other hand, was designed specifically as both a 17C light skirmish and witch/monster hunting game, but its math may not be your cup of tea... But its rulebook has GREAT scenarios easily converted to other systems!    

  

[Kommando_J]

What about Arkeo Obscura? it's tailor made for gothic horror.

[dinohunterpoa]

What about Arkeo Obscura? it's tailor made for gothic horror.

Yep, good point! There are a couple of really very nice scenarios in their English website! 

http://www.torrianimassimo.it/arkeo/html_eng/download.html

[Vagabond]

Hi Guy's
Thanks for your responses, appreciate it.  No internet for a few days so sorry for my delay responding to you.

JH - thanks for the pointers, I have just spent a couple of days going through geektactica blog, some brilliant stuff of there and this forum. Will check out the Yahoo group, never thought of that.

Stavros - those Pyranha Men are amazing, they are now on my list.

Davy Jones - I have already used the free Pulp Alley rules and will buy them someday but wanted something with a more Gothic Horror feel rather than Pulpy. Not quite sure what that means in reality.

dinohunterpoa - When I got back into gaming it was through the free 2 Hour Wargames Chain Reaction Rules, which for solo play are IMHO are brilliant. I adapted them for Zombie gaming and then bought ATZ, I think they give a very atmospheric game (we are not getting out of here alive style of thing) and I am looking to get that same atmosphere in Gothic Horror which for me is Hammer House of Horror, although that might be limiting it a bit.

I'm not sure the Leagues, Warbands, Gangs, Squads, approach is what I am after, it sound as though you have played Witchfinder General as well as CinC do they both follow a similar philosophy. ie WWII squad of Monster Hunters versus a WWII Squad of Monsters.

Kommando_J - I've not heard of Arkeo Obscura, will check them out, do you have any links to AAR's. Had a quick look at the web site and downloaded the scenarios dino recomended. thanks for this input.

Take Care - its dangerous out there - in the dark.

[Kommando_J]

Arkeo is just out so reports yet, it's on sale for one day on northstar(down to £20).

[Vagabond]

Thanks - I probably will wait to see how it is recieved before investing.

[dinohunterpoa]

Vagabond, you have a very good point! It's very difficult to really get a real and strong horror atmosphere in a wargame, because a game as such is by definition a conflict between two (or more) antagonistic "sides" - be them armies or squads or warbands or groups of individuals. All those "horror-oriented" rule systems attempt to do in this case is to bring to the wargaming table some of the trappings and tropes of the genera in an attempt to provide a more immersive experience.

But if you're really into the mood of gothic horror - and want to experience it on the tabletop with miniatures - I think that the best thing to do is to game a RPG heavy with miniatures and terrain! In this all the players are in the same side, each controlling a single individual, and the antagonists (being them monsters, evil humans or deadly puzzles to be solved) are all under the control of a GM who designs and referees the adventure to be lived (and maybe died) by the players characters. I know some groups that use the Savage Worlds ruleset as it is designed to be played both as a RPG with miniatures and a skirmish wargame.

I've only played ATZ a couple of times, but from what I could see in the great Vampifan site, it is cleverly designed to be played like a RPG with miniatures, with emphasis in individual characters, and its reaction system is perfect for solo play, as you said.

In the meanwhile, the long and hazardous quest for the perfect ruleset goes on...  

EDIT: My own game group is heavy into gothic horror RPG. With lots of well painted miniatures and a big table full of gorgeous and spooky terrain! 

[Vagabond]

It's a shame I can't find the enchanted forest on my map. Sounds like the perfect place to game Gothic horror

Take care