Suggestions for narrative campaign rules, game agnostic or generic to adapt

[Mammoth miniatures]

You could give planet 28 second edition a go! Although sci fi by default, the rules are designed to be messed with (and there is a fantasy reskin in the form of Brutal Quest.) The new edition adds troop rules so you could run anything from a single character roleplay session to a small army game. Narrative integration is as simple or complex as you want - you can play a straight up battle or play with a game master and off table roleplay sessions inbetween games.

Also it's free and published on an open license so you could create and distribute your own homebrew rules.

https://www.wargamevault.com/product/409696/Planet-28--second-edition

[Dubbya]

I'd recommend Nightwatch https://stalker7.com/2020/08/06/now-available-nightwatch/. Can be played solo or cooperatively and your characters grow as you advance or die as we had happen to us.

Got some write ups of our campaign on the blog http://nozzawargaming.blogspot.com/search/label/Nightwatch.

Thanks, I've thought Nightwatch looked good in a Five Leagues/Rangers/Sellswords/few others kind of way, but not what I'm asking here!

[Dubbya]

You could give planet 28 second edition a go!

Hi, been following for a few years, I've paid/donated for each set and expansion. 2nd edition I really wanted to enjoy more... skirmish, up to squads with vehicles and light solo/progression in the one set. I'll have to try again.

(Again not really what I was asking for here 💁)

[Dubbya]

Something I've been aware of for several months, but initially dismissed, is Forbidden Psalm.

https://www.forbiddenpsalm.com/forbidden-psalm

This is a fantasy skirmish game set in the dying world of the Mörk Borg RPG.

The base game, and the expansion called In the Footsteps of the Mad Wizard, have between them a narrative campaign which takes place across 17 scenarios, and all entirely "solo-able".

I said I initially dismissed the game, but having studied the rules carefully over the last few days I've decided to make this my major 2023 project; it looks like A LOT of fun.

Followed them for a while, read the rules and expansion but not played. If anything, I'd probably go for the weird WW1 or cyberpunk variants.

The campaign system in the new edition of Lion Rampant looks interesting.
Dux Britanniarum also has a campaign system that could be adapted.

Dux Britanniarum I must admit I haven't read, thanks.

[zemjw]

A subject I struggle with a lot, so watching with interest

A links from my research - https://www.soa.org.uk/joomla/publications/126-simple-campaigning. I don't own it, so have no idea if it's any use

Also - http://wargamingmiscellany.blogspot.com/2019/08/a-simple-campaign-system-part-1.html, but again, just something I found out on the web

Lone Warrior is worth a look, as I'm sure the question has cropped up over the years

It may be worth looking at some of the Mythic books, although they're designed for solo RPG. Mythic Games Master Emulator is on drivethru, along with location crafter and the other supplements, and are being actively developed.

[Desert Scribe]

The WH Fifth Edition Siege book has nine or 10 scenarios that can be played as a narrative campaign, with the outcome of a battle resulting in different scenarios depending on the victor. And this book provides a variety of situations, not all of which are assault the castle walls-type scenarios.

[Dubbya]

A subject I struggle with a lot, so watching with interest

Thanks for the suggestions!

The WH Fifth Edition Siege book has nine or 10 scenarios that can be played as a narrative campaign, with the outcome of a battle resulting in different scenarios depending on the victor. And this book provides a variety of situations, not all of which are assault the castle walls-type scenarios.

Good example, I found my old version a year ago. I wish at the time I just made my own castle instead of wishing I had the cash for GW's plastic!

Siege of Gondor is similar, might be worth trying to play through.

[Warren Abox]

Get yourself a copy of William Silvester's "Solo Wargaming Guide".  He walks you through the set up of a map based campaign, complete with army sizes, movement rates, weather, and so on.  Having it all laid out in one place helps.

It provides useful guidance on how to act as a neutral arbitrator for the belligerents.  The fantasy suggestions are pretty light, but you probably don't need much in that department.

I've run three or four campaigns using it - for both fantasy and black powder eras - and had a great time shoving troops around until they clash.

[eilif]

Oops, my previous suggestions were all for small warband games.   Something you might want to take a look at is classic "Warhammer Skirmish" scenarios.  They were for slightly larger groups of figures and might be more easily adaptable to larger forces.  There were alot of them published over the years and they have been collected various places on the interwebs.
This fellow has a unified document with 210 pages of Warhammer Skirmish Scenarios...
https://www.reddit.com/r/WarhammerFantasy/comments/ciwtg5/warhammer_skirmish_scenarios/

[Major_Gilbear]

Have you looked at One Page Rules' "Age of Fantasy Regiments" at all?

It's pretty good in terms of providing framework for you to add your own story narrative to, and whilst the rules are streamlined they still produce challenging games with interesting decisions. This is good if you're paying solo, as it means less for you to hold in your head or need to refer to when playing. And virtually everything you need to get started is free... Link. There is also a skirmish version "Age of Fantasy Skirmish", which would allow you to intersperse bigger battle battle games with small commando-style missions: Link. 

[snip]

Finally, there is a WW2 supplement published by Too Fat Lardies called "Platoon Forward" that might interest you from a structural point of view (link to chat-through here). In this publication, units and their leaders all have different personalties, abilities, quirks, etc. This all affect their interaction with you, and with how likely they are to do what you want them to in game. Post-game results gradually change/add to these characteristics, and the system as whole in intended to be played solo. I don't see why the system can't be adapted to whatever setting you wish.

Since you responded to everyone in the thread but me, and mine was the last post of the page, I'm summarising just the recommendations in the above in case you missed them.

[Dubbya]

Since you responded to everyone in the thread but me, and mine was the last post of the page, I'm summarising just the recommendations in the above in case you missed them.

Thanks! I actually wrote a lengthy reply but lost it accidentally refreshing - I hate trying to quote and reply on the phone!

One page rules, I've followed and played since they were simply called "one page 40k" and then when the fantasy version started and was in playtest with one list for everyone! It's "close enough" to WHFB to scratch the itch. The full version of the rulebook was worth buying.

I might have a look at the too fat lardies suggestion, thank you.

Out of interest to anyone who replied, this is an example of what I was hoping for, a setting and set of linked scenarios not tied to a set of rules. Not quite as in-depth a "world" as I hoped, and of course skirmish, but worth sending a couple of dollars to. He had a fantasy and an ice world one on the way.

[blacksmith]

Warrior Heroes Adventures in Talomir by Two Hour Wargames is a 111 pages rulebook for solo Fantasy skirmish which gives you all the tools to build your own story. Its world is Talomir but it can be easily ignored and use any other universe. The rules has got a great traveling engine with minimum bookeeping through the lands and visiting cities as well as missions and interaction with NPCs. Everything is rather agnostic and open to let you do whatever you want it.
https://www.twohourwargames.com/waheadinta.html



I've played two full campaigns so far, first one with first edition and second with second and last one. You can read them at my blog: http://javieratwar.blogspot.com/search/label/Campaign%20Warrior%20Heroes%20Adventures%20in%20Talomir?updated-max=2021-11-06T21:59:00Z&max-results=20&start=10&by-date=false

Cheers,

[blacksmith]

Warrior Heroes Adventures in Talomir by Two Hour Wargames is a 111 pages rulebook for solo Fantasy skirmish which gives you all the tools to build your own story. Its world is Talomir but it can be easily ignored and use any other universe. The rules has got a great traveling engine with minimum bookeeping through the lands and visiting cities as well as missions and interaction with NPCs. Everything is rather agnostic and open to let you do whatever you want with it.
https://www.twohourwargames.com/waheadinta.html



I've played two full campaigns so far, first one with first edition and second with second and last one. You can read them at my blog: http://javieratwar.blogspot.com/search/label/Campaign%20Warrior%20Heroes%20Adventures%20in%20Talomir?updated-max=2021-11-06T21:59:00Z&max-results=20&start=10&by-date=false

Cheers,

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

Hi Dubbya.
I have been giving this some thought.  I have an interest in having a workable campaign - mainly for solo play.  This is to help make battles less predictable and give them some wider meaning.

From your posts I am assuming you want a campaign for larger battles (or at least not just skirmishes).
In terms of narrative, are you wanting something that fills in the the detail of an individual military campaign for the armies involved: a defeat for army A leads to certain events and manoeuvres affecting the next battle etc.
Or are you wanting something a bit wider: the events in the main commanders lives; the wider political and social context - rebellions, betrayals etc which might affect resources for the campaign? 

I am possibly after something that does a bit of both.  I might lok at a board game to give me some ideas.
This one looks quite good.  You may want to look at some of trhe videos for this game to give you some ideas:
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/314672/stilicho-last-romans

[Dentatus]

Not a campaign system but an example - A number of years ago, I borrowed the 'Band of Blades' RPG setting - remnants of an army retreating across a kingdom to the safety of a mountain fortress - and used Song of Blades and Heroes for simple combat rules. The map, potential routes, locations and resources are all laid out in the book.

Each session, players controlled their characters plus units of troops for that evening's skirmish. But they also were aide-de-camps for the retreating army's vital branches (intelligence, recruits, logistics, lore, etc) At they conclusion of each session, the players had tally the army's supplies and agree on the next move location. As the GM, I simply controlled the enemy forces in pursuit and tried to throw a wrench in their plans. All things considered, it was very easy and enjoyable. Simple enough to modify for solo game. 

Unfortunately, we didn't finish the campaign, but everyone still talks about it, all this time later.

https://www.amazon.com/Band-Blades-RPG-Dark-System/dp/1613171730