What is it? A Napoleonic RPG?
It's a straight historical RPG (i.e. no fantasy or dragons... though you probably could include them if you wanted to runa Temeraire-style campaign) focussing on the naval battles of the French Revolutionnary and Napoleonic wars.
It's meticulously researched but nonetheless keeps its feet on the ground thanks to the heavy influence of the Hornblower novels thereby placing the onus on naval battles and daring land and boarding actions.
It's set up so that you can play characters from any navy of the period so you could also run anti-Pirate campaigns in the carribean and things like that.
In truth one of its strengths is its flexibility because the game allows for loads of different campaign designs and it gives you the detail to allow all of them. You can run it troupe style with a pool of characters of different ranks or run it traditionally where everyone starts off as midshipmen and have to clazw their way up the ranks or you could even run a game where each player commands a different vessel.
It's also got some lovely detailing like having rules for how much it would cost you to join a gentleman's club or if you wanted to build an observatory onto the stately home you had built with the money you made from capturing french ships.
Ah, so you could play palace & social intrigues too?
There are a number of social skills available to officers that can be applied to palace intrigues and diplomacy - after all, diplomacy and intrigue are in the literature it's based on, the Hornblower, Aubrey, Lambdin, Drinkwater, etc. novels the game is designed to emulate.
I've only read the first of the Temeraire novels - which I really liked, btw - but I don't think it would be a problem to adapt the game to that setting.
-clash
Absolutely. The bulk of the game is about playing naval officers but if you look at things like the basic skills they vary for social class and as a lieutenant you can take templates such as "the charmer" or "the socialite" and the source material generally features quite a bit of socialising.
I mean, it's not all about political intrigue (it's all about being a naval officer) but it should be more than capable of handling such a game should your officers have to impress a senior officer or charm their way into someone's bed chamber.
For example - in one of my current IHW campaigns, the players are all commanding their own ships in a small American flotilla in 1803 during the First Barbary War - two ship-sloops, two brig-sloops, a captured cutter and a schooner. At the end of 1802, they siezed a small Algerian port by storm, and installed a puppet ruler - the action that gave them their commands. While they were away in the USA, the British engineered a palace coup in which they installed their own puppet, and the old puppet was strangled - the traditional death for supernumerary rulers in those parts.
The new puppet kicked the American consul and traders out. The PCs then engineered a popular uprising backed by the merchants who were trading with the Americans. Along the way, they swooped into the harbor at night after blowing the walls of the central battery with black powder, and deliberately destroyed a British frigate - which was hove-down on the beach, repairing it's hull - with a borrowed Spanish mortar vessel, claiming they thought it was an Algerian frigate.
A diplomatic firestorm ensues, with the British demanding a frigate from the Americans in compensation, the British frigate captain claiming the abandoned fortification as a British colony and moving his almost 400 men into it, the PCs claiming the town and surrounding area as an American colony, appointing the proper merchant as pro-tem governor, PCs getting chewed out for destroying the frigate and not occupying the fortification before the British, and getting praised for gaining a vital supply port, working out a livable arrangement with the British while simultaneously each tries outmaneuvering the other - PCs building tunnels under the agreed upon border and cutting the Brits off from getting supplies from the town, Brits reinforcing with what the PCs suspect are Algerian troops in Brit uniforms and resupplying by sea from Gibraltar, tensions build, etc.
Wild stuff!
-clash
Looks like fun. Think it can do the mid-17th and 18th centuries too?
Quote from: JongWKLooks like fun. Think it can do the mid-17th and 18th centuries too?
If you are familiar with the histories and naval technology, sure. The ships would be slower and less nimble, and certainly smaller. The ordinace would be more complex and simpler at the same time - you might be dealing with match-fired culverin instead of flintlock-fired 18 pounders, along with cannon and demi-cannon and demi-culverin, and your mizzen course might be a lateen sail instead of a gaff-rigged spanker.
Back to the mid-18th century would be a breeze - like the War of Jenkin's Ear or the Spanish Succession or the American War of Independence. It would get harder to do as you went back in time from that, as technology and cultures changed, though if you know the period, you cna make adjustments. Although just past the time period in the game, the Latin American Wars of Independence would be a treat to do, and a sorely under-played period.
I concentrated on the French Revolution-to-Napoleonic period because if I didn't, I'd have a game three times the size of In Harm's Way.
-clash
Hell, here I was thinking it was a John Wayne WWII naval warfare movie.
Quote from: ColonelHardissonHell, here I was thinking it was a John Wayne WWII naval warfare movie.
Hehe! That one causes me no end of pain when I try googling for references to the game! Even adding RPG to the search criteria doesn't help because of Rocket Propelled Grenades... :D
-clash
Jong, you might get a chance to check out the game yourself, and maybe even play in a playtest of it... assuming that someone who's promised me a review copy sends it my way. ;)
RPGPundit
Quote from: RPGPunditJong, you might get a chance to check out the game yourself, and maybe even play in a playtest of it... assuming that someone who's promised me a review copy sends it my way. ;)
RPGPundit
It went out in record time! Tracking it by the ultramodern tools used by the USPS, I find it is currently strapped to the back of Juan Valdez' burro as he wends his way across the Columbian cordillera, picking only the choicest coffee beans for the discerning American consumer, for whom he has only deep and abiding affection. At the Columbian border, it will be strapped to the back of a highly trained and dedicated howler monkey, who will brachiate it swiftly across the Amazon basin, up the Rio Roosevelt, and into Paraguay. There, it is to be sealed in a rubberized canvas bag, marked with a brightly painted cork float, and tossed into the headwaters of the Plata, eventually to make it's way to the good postal fishermen of Montevideo! I am assured this is the absolute truth by anonymous people I trust uncritically, as is proper for the net.
Enjoy!
-clash
What I like about IHW is that it can be played as a straight action game - ship to ship battles, boarding actions etc - but it's more interesting facet IMHO is it's ability to generate roleplaying moments without the GM having to do much work :D
With it's Honor & Practicality rules, players are thrust into situations in which (at least in my games) they have to balance ambition with personal ethics. When you add cool stuff like Giving Notice it's a convenient method of adding the old frisson to situations involving superior offcers and their sometimes objective or personal views depending on the characters involved.
What I have done, is to reenact the cliche, treat the ship as a small world. A world were class politics, professional ambition, petty rivalry and personality conflicts are simmering under the thrill of kick ass missions or adventures.
Regards,
David R
Quote from: David RWhat I like about IHW is that it can be played as a straight action game - ship to ship battles, boarding actions etc - but it's more interesting facet IMHO is it's ability to generate roleplaying moments without the GM having to do much work :D
I'm a terribly lazy GM. :p
Quote from: David RWith it's Honor & Practicality rules, players are thrust into situations in which (at least in my games) they have to balance ambition with personal ethics. When you add cool stuff like Giving Notice it's a convenient method of adding the old frisson to situations involving superior offcers and their sometimes objective or personal views depending on the characters involved.
Yes! I hate coercion, so I designed the Honor & Practicality rules to reward PCs no matter which way they choose, but they are rewarded in different ways. What they choose to do has an impact on their reputation. Giving Notice makes career advancement personal between the PC and his superior officer.
Quote from: David RWhat I have done, is to reenact the cliche, treat the ship as a small world. A world were class politics, professional ambition, petty rivalry and personality conflicts are simmering under the thrill of kick ass missions or adventures.
Regards,
David R
I'd say you understand the game exactly, David! :D
I've never heard of this game. I'll be looking forward to the review.
The book has already arrived, I have it in my hands as we speak. Looks very nice, too!
I look forward to reading this and writing up the review.
RPGPundit
Quote from: RPGPunditThe book has already arrived, I have it in my hands as we speak. Looks very nice, too!
I look forward to reading this and writing up the review.
RPGPundit
That howler monkey must have left a blazing trail across the Amazon! :D
Thanks, Pundit! I'm looking forward to your review!
-clash
In Harm's Way sounds very, very cool.
Any plans towards a land war expansion? I only ask because I just picked up the BBC's 'Sharpe' series of tv movies, and I've been looking for a system to run a 95th Rifles campaign ever since.
Quote from: laffingboyIn Harm's Way sounds very, very cool.
Any plans towards a land war expansion? I only ask because I just picked up the BBC's 'Sharpe' series of tv movies, and I've been looking for a system to run a 95th Rifles campaign ever since.
It's been requested several times, and I'd love to do it. The system itself would be easily adaptable, it's the depth of knowledge required to do the background properly that has me hesitating. I know my ships fairly well, but I'd have to do a lot of reading to catch up on land warfare of the times.
-clash
Edit: And thanks, laffingboy! :D
Quote from: flyingmiceIt's been requested several times, and I'd love to do it. The system itself would be easily adaptable, it's the depth of knowledge required to do the background properly that has me hesitating. I know my ships fairly well, but I'd have to do a lot of reading to catch up on land warfare of the times.
That's okay. Once I get a copy of the game, it and my copy of
The Sharpe Companion should be all I'll need. I'll just palm off any inconsistencies as an intricately conceived 'alternate history'. ;)
Quote from: flyingmiceIt's been requested several times, and I'd love to do it. The system itself would be easily adaptable, it's the depth of knowledge required to do the background properly that has me hesitating. I know my ships fairly well, but I'd have to do a lot of reading to catch up on land warfare of the times.
Dellbruck and Clausewitz would give you most of the interesting stuff and there are hundreds of militaria books about the different regiments and a somewhat critical reading of Sharpe for the flavour (Sharpe relies more on stereotypes than Hornblower and is dramatically far less complex given that essentially every single episode boils down to: post person makes fun of Sharpe, Sharpe meets attractive female aristocrat, Sharpe excels in battle, Sharpe shags female aristocrat, Sharpe proves posh person wrong).
As far as supplements go, even I could write this one.
Quote from: Mr. Analytical...essentially every single episode boils down to: post person makes fun of Sharpe, Sharpe meets attractive female aristocrat, Sharpe excels in battle, Sharpe shags female aristocrat, Sharpe proves posh person wrong).
Excellent. This outline will make make writing adventures a snap.
Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalDellbruck and Clausewitz would give you most of the interesting stuff and there are hundreds of militaria books about the different regiments and a somewhat critical reading of Sharpe for the flavour (Sharpe relies more on stereotypes than Hornblower and is dramatically far less complex given that essentially every single episode boils down to: post person makes fun of Sharpe, Sharpe meets attractive female aristocrat, Sharpe excels in battle, Sharpe shags female aristocrat, Sharpe proves posh person wrong).
As far as supplements go, even I could write this one.
Well, I'm not interested in writing a Sharpe supplement per se - I'm much more interested in writing a supplement about land warfare which could be used to play a Sharpe type game is one was so minded.
That said, I've only read three or four Shape novels, but about half of them have non-aristocratic women whom he shags. Either I picked out atypical samples, or you're talking about the TV series, which I haven't seen. Aside from that, I think you are spot on. :D
I've heard of both Clausewitz and Dellbruck, and will have to read them. Thanks!
-clash
I think In Harms Way will be an important game going forward. It does something I haven't seen done well elsewhere. It's got a solid traditional framework--it'll have broad appeal in its target demographic.
I think this will be one to watch.
-Marco
Quote from: MarcoI think In Harms Way will be an important game going forward. It does something I haven't seen done well elsewhere. It's got a solid traditional framework--it'll have broad appeal in its target demographic.
I think this will be one to watch.
-Marco
Thanks, Marco! It certainly was an important watershed for me. Anything I do from now on will bear the marks of IHW.
-clash
Purely out of interest, how is IHW doing compared to your other games?
Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalPurely out of interest, how is IHW doing compared to your other games?
I initially assumed I would have very few sales at all, ever, being a niche of a niche type product. It has instead sold extremely well to this date, my second fastest selling title in the first two months after release - only Cold Space sold faster. I was caught flat-footed, having not even
thought about supplements.
I was perfectly willing to lose money on it. IHW was purely a labor of love, and I really didn't care how much I sold of it. It was a success in my mind whether or not it sold, because I knew when I was writing it that it was the best game I'd ever done, and because I had always wanted to write a game about this subject. There hasn't been a Napoleonic Naval RPG since Privateers and Gentlemen, and P&G has been unavailable for decades, and, dammit, I wanted to run a game!
By the time I actually got my hands on P&G - it's awesome! Thanks Balbinus! - it was too late, I was already hip deep in writing the game. In any case, P&G is a historical game set in the proper time period, while IHW is based on historical novels, with the attendant shift of emphasis.
-clash
Quote from: flyingmiceIt's been requested several times, and I'd love to do it. The system itself would be easily adaptable, it's the depth of knowledge required to do the background properly that has me hesitating. I know my ships fairly well, but I'd have to do a lot of reading to catch up on land warfare of the times.
-clash
Edit: And thanks, laffingboy! :D
I really dig this idea. Also, as a consumer I would really like to see you create a game about
The Great Game and other areas, perhaps based on the non-fiction writings of Peter Hopkirk -
The Great Game,
The Search for Kim (I think he wrote this),
Tresspassers on the Roof of the World,
Setting the East Ablaze and
Foreign Devils on the Silk Road. Of course you may have no interest in this era, but after reading and playing IHW, I think you've got a feel for these kinds of setting.
Also, what kind of supplements does
Cold Space have? I 've got the basic idea of the game - well at least my players have been telling me about it - but I was wondering is there any support for the game. I'm not too good with sci fi, so any additional support material is always wellcomed.
Regards,
David R
Quote from: David RI really dig this idea. Also, as a consumer I would really like to see you create a game about The Great Game and other areas, perhaps based on the non-fiction writings of Peter Hopkirk - The Great Game, The Search for Kim (I think he wrote this),Tresspassers on the Roof of the World, Setting the East Ablaze and Foreign Devils on the Silk Road. Of course you may have no interest in this era, but after reading and playing IHW, I think you've got a feel for these kinds of setting.
Hi David!
I've been fascinated by this era since I read Kipling's Kim as a child. If I can squeeze it in, I'd love to do it!
Quote from: David RAlso, what kind of supplements does Cold Space have? I 've got the basic idea of the game - well at least my players have been telling me about it - but I was wondering is there any support for the game. I'm not too good with sci fi, so any additional support material is always wellcomed.
Regards,
David R
Cold Space has the sequel game - FTL Now, set in 1990-2006, and the Cold Space Vehicle Design Guide. Also, The StarCluster 2 Guide to Martial Arts supplement is designed to work with CS as well as SC. I'm also working on The Cold Space Starship Design Guide. Planned supplements are Soviet Space and Commonwealth Space, which focus on the former Soviet and CCA Colonies respectively.
Problem is, I need to be 5 people about now. I'm working on Glorianna for StarCluster, and need to revamp StarCluster, Sweet Chariot, and Blood Games to the level of Cold Space/FTL Now and In Harm's Way.
-clash
Quote from: flyingmiceHi David!
Cold Space has the sequel game - FTL Now, set in 1990-2006, and the Cold Space Vehicle Design Guide. Also, The StarCluster 2 Guide to Martial Arts supplement is designed to work with CS as well as SC. I'm also working on The Cold Space Starship Design Guide. Planned supplements are Soviet Space and Commonwealth Space, which focus on the former Soviet and CCA Colonies respectively.
-clash
Thanks. I'm sure we (my group) will be getting some of these supplements - if we do not have them already - I have no idea what are the
new stuff the group has obtained recently.
Regards,
David R
I've run a Great Game game, it went very well, I would love to see a ruleset dedicated to it.
Out of interest, I agree with the decision but why were aliens not included in Cold Space? Was it because it would, IMO, have distracted from the game's premise?
Napoleonic land war, are there any better books than Sharpe out there does anyone know? The Naval fiction is a far more developed genre.
I think that's because there's far more money in sailboat porn than there is in musket porn.
Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalI think that's because there's far more money in sailboat porn than there is in musket porn.
Nah, it's because of Thomas Cochrane, the man who inspired (literally) the entire genre.
Quote from: BalbinusI've run a Great Game game, it went very well, I would love to see a ruleset dedicated to it.
Out of interest, I agree with the decision but why were aliens not included in Cold Space? Was it because it would, IMO, have distracted from the game's premise?
Napoleonic land war, are there any better books than Sharpe out there does anyone know? The Naval fiction is a far more developed genre.
Hi Balbinus!
Exactly. The game is about the Cold War in Space. Aliens would have detracted rather than added interest. They may also have been actively destructive, in that their existence would have been a force for uniting the humans, which would have destroyed the feel of the setting entirely.
-clash
Quote from: BalbinusNah, it's because of Thomas Cochrane, the man who inspired (literally) the entire genre.
Bingo again. Marryat, the first of the great napoleonic naval fiction writers, was an English Post Captain, having been a Midshipman under Cochrane in the Mediterranean, when he was at his most outrageous. Cochrane's exploits were also the direct inspiration - as well as indirectly through Marryat - for both Hornblower's and Aubrey's adventures. Right there you have perhaps seven eigths of all book sales for the genre. Marryat, Forester, and O'Brien were all immensely popular in their respective times. Marryat is forgotten now, but in his time he rivaled Dickens in sales.
-clash
Quote from: BalbinusI've run a Great Game game, it went very well, I would love to see a ruleset dedicated to it.
You wouldn't be interested in co-writing a Great Game supplement, would you? :D
-clash
Quote from: flyingmiceYou wouldn't be interested in co-writing a Great Game supplement, would you? :D
-clash
Absolutely, but we'd have to discuss time windows and stuff like that.
Quote from: BalbinusAbsolutely, but we'd have to discuss time windows and stuff like that.
I remember you posting about your Great Game campaign on RPGnet. I don't think it could be in better hands. I'll be in touch. :D
-clash
Quote from: BalbinusI've run a Great Game game, it went very well, I would love to see a ruleset dedicated to it.
If there is a link to an actual play thread I'd be mighty interested in reading it.
Regards,
David R
Quote from: David RIf there is a link to an actual play thread I'd be mighty interested in reading it.
Regards,
David R
Same here!
-clash
Quote from: flyingmiceSame here!
-clash
I'll see if I can find it, I don't think there was quite an actual play but I did describe it quite thoroughly, Hopefully I can find the old thread.
Thanks, Balbinus! I remember reading it when you were posting it, but it's been a while...
-clash
Pundit showed me IHW the other day. I haven't been able to give it a good read, but it looks promising. :)
Quote from: JongWKPundit showed me IHW the other day. I haven't been able to give it a good read, but it looks promising. :)
Thanks, Jong! Hopefully that ol' pipe-smoker lets it go long enough for you to get a real peek under the hood, or maybe a test drive. :D
-clash
Don't worry; Jong will undoubtedly end up reading the whole damn thing in his downtime between both of the campaigns of mine he plays in at my apartment.
Anyways, stay tuned in the next couple of days for the review.
RPGPundit
Quote from: RPGPunditDon't worry; Jong will undoubtedly end up reading the whole damn thing in his downtime between both of the campaigns of mine he plays in at my apartment.
Anyways, stay tuned in the next couple of days for the review.
RPGPundit
Awesome! I'm looking forward to it! :D
-clash
Quote from: flyingmiceAwesome! I'm looking forward to it! :D
-clash
Same here, the game sounds quite interesting indeed.
Review's up!
What Jong said. As I said in the review, I think there were some serious layout/editing issues with the book and how the rules were written, but this is so utterly overshadowed by how cool the game itself is, that it really doesn't matter.
RPGPundit
Quote from: RPGPunditWhat Jong said. As I said in the review, I think there were some serious layout/editing issues with the book and how the rules were written, but this is so utterly overshadowed by how cool the game itself is, that it really doesn't matter.
RPGPundit
Thanks, Pundit!
That was an excellent review - the next game will be better for it. Layout is admittedly my weak point - you should have seen my earlier games... on second thought you shouldn't! :D
I am getting better at it though!
-clash
Yes, you are! :) I think IHW was a 100% improvement over Cold Space, and I expect the trend to continue. :)