Idea Players as Invaders

[MrThe]

So I got this idea of having the players act as the invaders in a conquest scenario. I was kind of inspired by the 300 Companions in Skyrim and other invasions of the real world like the Conquistadors of America. There is also a bit of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table going on too. I kind of want to have a good group dynamic while also making the invasion story interesting. So what do you guys think of the premise and how do you think it might work?

 

[Crayons]

I guess the big question here is: Are the PCs evil, or are you portraying them as the heroes in the situation? Because I think the moral dynamic here will be the most important thing to address. I think there are some serious issues with an invasion story if the invaders are supposed to be good guys - you'd have to give them a really good motivation for the invasion. However if you are going with evil/morally grey characters you can get away with a lot more, but it's going to make a lot of players uncomfortable. So there's quite a balance to be struck.

 

[MrThe]

I guess the big question here is: Are the PCs evil, or are you portraying them as the heroes in the situation? Because I think the moral dynamic here will be the most important thing to address. I think there are some serious issues with an invasion story if the invaders are supposed to be good guys - you'd have to give them a really good motivation for the invasion. However if you are going with evil/morally grey characters you can get away with a lot more, but it's going to make a lot of players uncomfortable. So there's quite a balance to be struck.

I'm thinking of having them be morally gray. Not evil but not good either.

 

[Crayons]

I'm thinking of having them be morally gray. Not evil but not good either.

As long as the characters can justify it to themselves and the players aren't too sensitive about colonialism you'll probably be ok.

 

[MrThe]

As long as the characters can justify it to themselves and the players aren't too sensitive about colonialism you'll probably be ok.

Well if the premise is them being Invaders I doubt that they will be too sensitive. Or if they are, they just won't join. But I mostly posted this to get more help with the format of the RP.

 

[Crayons]

Well if the premise is them being Invaders I doubt that they will be too sensitive. Or if they are, they just won't join. But I mostly posted this to get more help with the format of the RP.

If you're more specific you'll probably get better help. As it stands I'm not sure what you want help with?

 

[MrThe]

If you're more specific you'll probably get better help. As it stands I'm not sure what you want help with?

Well I'm kind of struggling with coming up with a setting. Do you think that Vinland would be a good one?

 

[Crenando]

If you're more specific you'll probably get better help. As it stands I'm not sure what you want help with?

I think it might just be a matter of gauging interest before actually putting up an interest check.

 

[MrThe]

I think it might just be a matter of gauging interest before actually putting up an interest check.

That too

 

[Crayons]

Well I'm kind of struggling with coming up with a setting. Do you think that Vinland would be a good one?

You mean Vikings in North America? Could be fun, depends on the vibe you want. If it has a kind of exploring vibe rather than a slaughtering vibe it sounds like a fun choice. Imo its best to stay away from the slaughtering vibe XD

 

[MrThe]

You mean Vikings in North America? Could be fun, depends on the vibe you want. If it has a kind of exploring vibe rather than a slaughtering vibe it sounds like a fun choice. Imo its best to stay away from the slaughtering vibe XD

Well I was thinking more of a conquest vibe. Not Genocide, just Conquest. Kind of a mix I guess.

 

[Crenando]

Well I was thinking more of a conquest vibe. Not Genocide, just Conquest.

People are fine with the slaughtering/conquering vibe with vikings in a way that they aren't with other historical invasions compared to other historical invaders. It's weird.

 

[MrThe]

People are fine with the slaughtering/conquering vibe with vikings in a way that they aren't with other historical invasions compared to other historical invaders. It's weird.

My other thing I was thinking of was the Anglo Saxon Invasion.

 

[Chordling]

Invading enemy territory can be a lot of fun. There are a couple of ways you could go about the invasion itself. It depends on whether this is going to be a written roleplay or something similar to a DnD campaign. In a written roleplay, I would advise my players to plan out their invasion in OCC before executing it. As the GM, I might consider some elements that could result in their success or failure. Or, you may just decide from the beginning that this invasion attempt is not the one that they will win regardless of what happens. I think that this structure would give you a lot of liberty. DnD campaigns could rely on how well your players roll and how well the opposing NPCs roll. Most DMs will make roles preemptive to the session so they can use notes to call whether a player was successful. It also helps keep pacing consistent.

As far as setting is concerned, you could literally do anything.

 

[MrThe]

Invading enemy territory can be a lot of fun. There are a couple of ways you could go about the invasion itself. It depends on whether this is going to be a written roleplay or something similar to a DnD campaign. In a written roleplay, I would advise my players to plan out their invasion in OCC before executing it. As the GM, I might consider some elements that could result in their success or failure. Or, you may just decide from the beginning that this invasion attempt is not the one that they will win regardless of what happens. I think that this structure would give you a lot of liberty. DnD campaigns could rely on how well your players roll and how well the opposing NPCs roll. Most DMs will make roles preemptive to the session so they can use notes to call whether a player was successful. It also helps keep pacing consistent.

As far as setting is concerned, you could literally do anything.

I am doing a written roleplay thanks a ton for the advice.

 

[Chordling]

For something like this, I like to think about the conflict of the story. Why are my players invading enemy forces? Sometimes answering that question first helps me connect more ideas together. Then I consider some other factors. How do the characters learn about this conflict? Why does this conflict matter to the world that this takes place in? What exactly is the cause of the conflict? Is it a group of people? A single person? An entire race? What are some possible solutions? This process helps be build a basic foundation for everything else that I might want in my roleplay.

Of course, you and I probably do not write the same way. Your process can look entirely different from mine. But I do recommend a substantial amount of planning if you want to GM something like this.

 

[MrThe]

For something like this, I like to think about the conflict of the story. Why are my players invading enemy forces? Sometimes answering that question first helps me connect more ideas together. Then I consider some other factors. How do the characters learn about this conflict? Why does this conflict matter to the world that this takes place in? What exactly is the cause of the conflict? Is it a group of people? A single person? An entire race? What are some possible solutions? This process helps be build a basic foundation for everything else that I might want in my roleplay.

Of course, you and I probably do not write the same way. Your process can look entirely different from mine. But I do recommend a substantial amount of planning if you want to GM something like this.

Definitely. I am thinking they'll be sort of like the Rohirrim in Lord of the Rings. At least Culturally and Aesthetically. I tend to do things where I build a world and then find out how my players fit into this. Mostly the reason they are fighting is the tale as old as time, resources. The Invaders want the lands and loot of the people they are invading.

 

[Chordling]

I always find film inspirational. If you're a fan of the movies, you could always watch the LotR clip and take notes about what you enjoyed or what sticks out the most.

> Mostly the reason they are fighting is the tale as old as time, resources. The Invaders want the lands and loot of the people they are invading.
You could take this even further! Why do they want those resources? Are they running out of their own resources? Are they just mean and have no respect for the people who live in the land that they are invading? Many other questions come to mind.

 

[Macintot]

I agree with Crayons , your characters would need a really good reason to invade in order to not be seen as 100% the villains. Perhaps they're attempting to retake the throne from another conqueror, usurper, or a legitimate king they don't like. Basically, make it an internal affair instead of them being outsiders. It could make for some interesting dynamics between characters, as they try to agree on who will rule once they've taken over and what lines they won't cross in trying to retake their homeland.

 

[MrThe]

I agree with Crayons , your characters would need a really good reason to invade in order to not be seen as 100% the villains. Perhaps they're attempting to retake the throne from another conqueror, usurper, or a legitimate king they don't like. Basically, make it an internal affair instead of them being outsiders. It could make for some interesting dynamics between characters, as they try to agree on who will rule once they've taken over and what lines they won't cross in trying to retake their homeland.

What is with this newfangled conception that invasions are wrong? But then again, having the players backing a rival claimant could be nice, it'd be like William the Conqueror.

 

[MrThe]

I always find film inspirational. If you're a fan of the movies, you could always watch the LotR clip and take notes about what you enjoyed or what sticks out the most.

> Mostly the reason they are fighting is the tale as old as time, resources. The Invaders want the lands and loot of the people they are invading.
You could take this even further! Why do they want those resources? Are they running out of their own resources? Are they just mean and have no respect for the people who live in the land that they are invading? Many other questions come to mind.

I was thinking that they'd be invading because they were promised the land by their allies. Only problem is the people who currently live there. Kind of like the Anglo-Saxons who were promised land in exchange for working as mercenaries or like Rohan when they came to help Gondor.

 

[Chordling]

Nice, sounds like you're gearing up for a traditional fantasy setting!

 

[Crayons]

What is with this newfangled conception that invasions are wrong? But then again, having the players backing a rival claimant could be nice, it'd be like William the Conqueror.

Irl I wouldn't recommend an invasion but it's a good plot scenario in an rp. XD

Good advice there from Chordling

 

[Chordling]

Invasions can most certainly be from "the good guys". One example is The Day of the Black Sun episode from Avatar: The Last Airbender. The Avatar and his friends enlist the help of members from a water tribe to infiltrate the Fire Nation palace. The success of their plan relies on their timing with the solar eclipse, which is a time when Firebending powers and techniques are irrelevant.

 

[Crayons]

Invasions can most certainly be from "the good guys". One example is The Day of the Black Sun episode from Avatar: The Last Airbender. The Avatar and his friends enlist the help of members from a water tribe to infiltrate the Fire Nation palace. The success of their plan relies on their timing with the solar eclipse, which is a time when Firebending powers and techniques are irrelevant.

Ohhhh that is a great example!