Dark Ages Strange Aeons?

[northtroll]

So how would you do a dark ages Strange Aeons game? Obviously no guns! I think the rest of the game would work fairly well depicting the struggles of a band of Vikings, or Saxons, or Normans against the unspeakable horrors. Chainmail would probably be equal to a heavy armoured vest, and leather equal to a light armoured vest. Or not, as you could argue it might only be equal to a light armoured vest. But shields would definitely give you some protection like that of a light armoured vest without the movement penalty. I'm not sure about bows, but thrown spears are there in the rules. I'd treat swords and two handed axes like cavalry sabres, and smaller axes or a large scramasaex as a meat cleaver. What do you think?

[Mason]

I think it will work just fine as you suggest.

I have always thought that the SA game engine would work well in all eras/genres with a little thought.
I fully intend to use it for Star Wars in future.

Cthulhu Dark Ages has been around for a while in the RPG world.
Maybe one of the sourcebooks will give you some good ideas...

[Comsquare]

Thats also an idea I#m playing around with.
You know that there are stats for Shortbows, Longbows, Swords an dBattleaxes allready?

As Mason said, Strange Aeons works for a lot of periods, was planning to do some "Judge Dredd" with these rules

[northtroll]

My copy of the rules doesn't seem to have those rules for bows and swords. Is that from one of the supplements or scenario books?

[Comsquare]

The Stats are included in "Shocking Tales No.2" and "Morbid Adventures".
There's also a 2-handed Sword included

If you have problems to get those stats send me an PM and I#ll write them down for you.

[northtroll]

Thanks for the offer Comsquare, but I had planned on getting those pretty soon! I read this really awesome collection of Cthulhu/deep one/Dagon short stories, who's title I can't remember but it had a pronounced effect on me regarding doing dark age/cthulu games. I have a copy of Cthulhu Dark Ages, and it is excellent source material.  I'll tell ya, one thing that has always bugged me about all the Viking figs out there: They NEVER do VBiking type undead, or trolls! Red Box is about the closest so far....

[Mathyoo]

Oh, that idea comes up every now and then!
What I like about Strange Aeons apart from very nice 1920s settings is just that usability. The core system is just perfect for skirmish games and I was thinking (but just thinking for now ) about pirates, dark ages, sci-fi, moderns and after someone else has mentioned it - star wars themed games  . Just imagine, all the lightsabres..ah...

Anyways, yes, there are rules for nice pile of different weapons that could be used as medieval.

There was a thread open on various shield ideas that would give you save for shooting and constitution bonus and so on. Personally, the more I think about it, I would only give shield parry for 0.5BP as a common weapon. Perhaps parry and 5+ save on shooting attacks for 1-2BP - perhaps instead of .45 as a basic kit? I wouldn't add any constitution bonuses as it could quickly go out of hand, besides - armor gives that to you.

If you will go into this, I am most interested in seeing AARs!

[superflytnt]

I would posit that any adventure where Cthulhu is returning is the epitome of a Dark Age...

And now I know precisely what I'm going to be doing with the million Reaper Bones models I have incoming...

[Mr. Peabody]

Vikings & Strange Aeons? Brilliant idea. Run with it!

[forcedperfect]

awesome!  i always loved the concept of "mythos through the ages".  it'd be great fun to try out any scenarios you come up with, make sure to keep us all informed!

[northtroll]

How about Black Brodir's Saga, for a title? I have a very cool Fantasy Viking from Rafm with a two handed sword, that I use as my Viking warlord/captain/leader named Brodir the Black. Lots of black clothing and he is a rather brooding looking fellow. Brodir and his crew are caught up in a sudden, violent storm on their way to the Hebrides, to meet up with other raiding parties. They are lost in a fog bound sea, adrift among strange ice floes for days, when suddenly a dark line of land appears on the horizon....

Well that's one start I could use. Another would be at Brodir's hall at Yule. All were enjoying the feasting an mead in Brodi'r Hall. Skalds sang songs of the ancestors, and of their lord's exploits on the field of battle. The smells of roasting boar, and venison mingled with the sweetness of mead and beer, baked bread and other delights. Suddenly the halls great door was flung open and in staggered Bjarki Ulfsson. From head to foot he was covered in his own blood! He fell before his jarl and said but one word "...trollsss...", and died upon the spot!

"Only cowards and nithlings stay in their homes tonight!" Brodir fetched up his massive sword and holding it aloft he shouted, "To Arms! Tonight we hunt the slayers of men!"

Or something like that!
 

[Mr. Peabody]

Oho! I think you need to entangle both threads to weave a suitable 'Black Saga' to hand down over the ages.
I'm pretty sure my amma knew how it went... 

[ink the troll]

Oho! I think you need to entangle both threads to weave a suitable 'Black Saga' to hand down over the ages.

That should work.
One part could be Brodir and his men hunting the creatures, finding a cave relatively close to the sea. Located inside is some sort of old & evil looking idol and just some of the creatures. 
Not feeling that they have revenged their fallen properly, they decide to track down the remaining creatures.
Following the trolls' footprints they arrive at the shore just in time to witness those dastardly things hurling themselves into the sea. Feeling betrayed -again no chance to avenge and properly honour their dead- and reasoning the creatures will attempt to reach one of the uninhabited (and rumored to be cursed or something) islands nearish by, the Vikings decide to pursue them by ship.
No sooner have they reached the open sea when suddenly they find themselves lost in unnaturally thick fog...

[Mr. Peabody]

Já, já, já....

(To get the right effect you need to pronounce it 'yow, yow, yow' and nod, knowingly at each pause to encourage your amma or afi to keep telling the story. Oh, I feel just like a little kid all over again!)

[superflytnt]

Dark Ages Campaign:

Mission 1: Kill The Beast

Fishermen off the coastal village of Innesmuth are disappearing and the local Noble has commanded some of his serfs, commanded by his Captain, to find out what has happened to them. Nearing the coastline, several dismembered bodies are found near oddly-shaped footprints. These footprints look like oversized frogs or some unknown bipedal amphibian creatures. Camp is struck, and during the night, the sentry hears shuffling sounds from the water's edge. Upon investigation, a daemonic creature emerges! Destroy this unholy beast and earn the respect of your lord!

Threshold: Maximum of one Agent in addition to your character, with the remaining PCs being civilians.
Lurker: Maxiumum of one creature - must be daemonic, or a Deep One. (or whatever)

Victory Conditions: Threshold must destroy the creature. Lurkers must destroy or rout all Threshold PCs.


Mission 2: Recover the Book

The following morning, the body of the creature has gone missing, and more footprints lead to and from the water's edge, with a streak of blood leading back to the water from where the body was left. The party returns to the Noble, empty-handed, but determined to find the root of this unknown evil.

Upon describing the creature to the Noble, he commands his Captain and several of his most trusted guardsmen to head to the Hill of Black Death, a shunned place where the Black Death plague is rumored to have spawned. In a crypt marked "Price", there lies a book of dark power and ancient origin, which will reveal to the Noble whence this creature came and how to put down the evil menace for all time.

Upon reaching the lone mausoleum, the party finds a robed man standing, arms held aloft and spouting words of a tongue unknown to the party. His visage is twisted, and as he speaks the last word, several unholy creatures, surely spawned from the pits of hell itself, emerge from the ground and shamble towards the party. One of the party notes that he is holding the book in his hand, and it glows with eldritch power.

Special Rules:
A building must be present in the scenery, and a "Book" objective marker must be placed adjacent to the Cult Leader. Characters may pick up, drop, or transfer the book by declaring that they are doing so, and this costs no Actions.

Threshold: No limitations.
Lurker: A Cult Leader must be present, and all other creatures must be Undead.

Victory Conditions: Threshold must kill the Cult Leader, retrieve the book token, and take it off the board toward the Threshold starting side. Lurkers must kill all Threshold PCs.

3rd mission: Book must be taken to the Noble, but cultists attack them along the road.

Threshold starts in the middle of a relatively barren board, Cultists start along the edges. Threshhold must escape off the map with the book. Same rules for book handling apply.

4th mission: Noble reads the book, determines that the book is the source of the monsters, and that an old hermit is the only one who can destroy the book.

Board contains only one little house, Hermit inside. Cultists and a demon are waiting for the party when they get there. Threshold must kill them all and/or protect the hermit (NPC controlled by Threshold, treated with powers of a Civilian) and get him off the map from his house, which is surrounded by baddies.

5th mission: Hermit and the group travel to the Church, and the hermit must get to the altar and spend 3 uninterrupted turns speaking the incantations to end the campaign victoriously. Cultists and monsters stand between Threshold and the Church. Terrain must include a church or open-air altar (like Stonehenge, maybe?)