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3.5 as a war game

Started by Andreichekov, September 05, 2013, 03:21:54 AM

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Andreichekov

September 05, 2013, 03:21:54 AM
Recently I've been invited to play in a 3.5 game where there is no role playing. Its just 4 party members pit themselves against challenges set up by the dungeon master.
I was wondering if anyone has tried that, and if it worked out for them?

Ravenswing

#1
September 05, 2013, 02:14:33 PM Last Edit: September 05, 2013, 02:18:05 PM by Ravenswing
Many D&D campaigns do work on that premise: cities are only save points between dungeons, character backgrounds don't exist, and the PCs have names only so that people will know which character's being talked to.

Nothing wrong with that at all -- it certainly fits the image of the wargaming roots of the hobby -- and it's no different from Squad Leader or any other small-unit tactical wargame.  If you think you'd have fun at that, why not?
This was a cool site, until it became an echo chamber for whiners screeching about how the "Evul SJWs are TAKING OVAH!!!" every time any RPG book included a non-"traditional" NPC or concept, or their MAGA peeners got in a twist. You're in luck, drama queens: the Taliban is hiring.

RPGPundit

#2
September 07, 2013, 03:11:41 AM
3.5 is actually fairly well set up for this kind of thing, what with its whole emphasis on movement in squares, grids, attacks of opportunity,etc.

Even so, I find it gets dull after a while.
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Philotomy Jurament

#3
September 07, 2013, 04:47:46 AM Last Edit: September 07, 2013, 04:49:55 AM by Philotomy Jurament
Wasn't there a 3E variant using minis for just this kind of thing?  Miniatures Handbook or something like that?  I never read/played it, but I was under the impression that it was skirmish miniatures rules using the d20/3e system as its basis.
The problem is not that power corrupts, but that the corruptible are irresistibly drawn to the pursuit of power. Tu ne cede malis, sed contra audentior ito.

Rincewind1

#4
September 07, 2013, 11:35:55 AM
I'd just grab Descent, personally.
Furthermore, I consider that  This is Why We Don\'t Like You thread should be closed

Old One Eye

#5
September 07, 2013, 11:43:45 AM
A friend and I spent a while where we would each make 20 characters with various rules as to levels and such and battle on a game map.  Each battle would take hours and was a heck of a lot of fun.  3.x works fine as skirmish rules.

1989

#6
September 07, 2013, 01:59:25 PM
Quote from: Andreichekov;688746Recently I've been invited to play in a 3.5 game where there is no role playing. Its just 4 party members pit themselves against challenges set up by the dungeon master.
I was wondering if anyone has tried that, and if it worked out for them?

3.5 IS a war game.

No adjustments needed.

jeff37923

#7
September 07, 2013, 06:39:03 PM
Quote from: Philotomy Jurament;689267Wasn't there a 3E variant using minis for just this kind of thing?  Miniatures Handbook or something like that?  I never read/played it, but I was under the impression that it was skirmish miniatures rules using the d20/3e system as its basis.

Yes, that is a campaign style from the 3.x Miniatures Handbook. It worked pretty well for a continual series of scratch games (like when you have only an hour or less to play), but would seem to get a bit dull if done without the role-playing.
"Meh."

Sacrificial Lamb

#8
September 08, 2013, 04:19:39 PM
Quote from: 1989;6893333.5 IS a war game.

No adjustments needed.

So I've been doing it wrong all these years by treating it like a roleplaying game? Good to know. :cool:

Rincewind1

#9
September 08, 2013, 04:34:20 PM
Quote from: Sacrificial Lamb;689575So I've been doing it wrong all these years by treating it like a roleplaying game? Good to know. :cool:

Go and sin no more.
Furthermore, I consider that  This is Why We Don\'t Like You thread should be closed

Bill

#10
September 09, 2013, 01:23:51 PM
I can see playing a star trek rpg and pulling out star fleet battles for ship combat.

Or Advanced squad leader for combat in a ww2 rpg.

I did run a mechwarrior rpg once using the battletech rules for mech combat.

The trick is that all the players need to enjoy both the rpg and wargame elements.

Ravenswing

#11
September 09, 2013, 07:09:57 PM
Quote from: Bill;689784I can see playing a star trek rpg and pulling out star fleet battles for ship combat.
Yep, been in one of those campaigns.

Heck, I decided for my Champions runs that the vehicle combat rules sucked, but that Car Wars looked like it'd port very elegantly into the mix.  This was a couple years before Steve Jackson and Hero Games came to the same conclusion, and came out with Autoduel Champions ...
This was a cool site, until it became an echo chamber for whiners screeching about how the "Evul SJWs are TAKING OVAH!!!" every time any RPG book included a non-"traditional" NPC or concept, or their MAGA peeners got in a twist. You're in luck, drama queens: the Taliban is hiring.

Rincewind1

#12
September 09, 2013, 07:48:34 PM
Quote from: Bill;689784I can see playing a star trek rpg and pulling out star fleet battles for ship combat.

Or Advanced squad leader for combat in a ww2 rpg.

I did run a mechwarrior rpg once using the battletech rules for mech combat.

The trick is that all the players need to enjoy both the rpg and wargame elements.

There's a world of difference between that and just playing the game without any RP, story etc etc, just "you enter the dungeon and take turns moving".

Just grab Descent, it's a better game for that.
Furthermore, I consider that  This is Why We Don\'t Like You thread should be closed

jeff37923

#13
September 10, 2013, 12:32:18 AM
Quote from: Bill;689784I can see playing a star trek rpg and pulling out star fleet battles for ship combat.

Or Advanced squad leader for combat in a ww2 rpg.

I did run a mechwarrior rpg once using the battletech rules for mech combat.

The trick is that all the players need to enjoy both the rpg and wargame elements.

Um, the trick is compatability. Mechwarrior is a RPG subset of Battletech wargame. Prime Directive (a Star Trek RPG) is a subset of Star Fleet Battles, FASA Star Trek RPG has the Star Trek Starship Combat Simulator as a subset.
"Meh."
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