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Using Books On Ancient Warfare In Your Campaigns!

Started by SHARK, September 14, 2023, 06:23:21 AM

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SHARK

Greetings!

Do you use books in your campaigns on ancient warfare? Books like the Roman Vegetius wrote, or the ancient Greeks, or the Strategicon, by the Byzantines. Or The Art of War, by Tzun Zhu. Such historical books on ancient warfare were very important, and had tremendous influence, both then as well as now.

Of course, in my Thandor campaign, I have a good selection of ancient books on warfare that player characters or NPC's can sometimes acquire. Such books provide various bonuses and advantages to Tactics and Strategy rolls, as well as efforts to organize, train, and lead military units of warriors.

Do you use such inspiration in your campaigns?

I also think that having such books potentially available to player characters serves as an interesting kind of treasure item as well. ;D

Of course, having such books on ancient warfare can serve as center-pieces for adventure scenarios as well. I also have specialized books on engineering, war machines, and siegecraft, and such books can be used as focal points for espionage, diplomatic manuevers, all kinds of interesting encounters. I use crazy engineers, wild-haired inventors--to interact socially with the Players at various events, whether political meetings, or dances and salon meetups, where all kinds of weird characters and personalities can be encountered. Right there you have a box bursting with adventure seeds and potential! Gaining an interview, doing them favours, sponsoring them, promoting their ideas, books, or philosophies, protecting them from assassins, or enemy governments and agents. So much potential with these kinds of characters for Players to interact with, and also to provide plot and dynamic movement within a campaign.

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK
"It is the Marine Corps that will strip away the façade so easily confused with self. It is the Corps that will offer the pain needed to buy the truth. And at last, each will own the privilege of looking inside himself  to discover what truly resides there. Comfort is an illusion. A false security b

I

Yes, my favorite being John Warry's Warfare in the Classical World.  Those Osprey books are great for this sort of thing as well.

Persimmon

All the time, but I'm a professional historian, so it's basically just bringing in my day job.  In fact, just yesterday in my class on Heian Japan, we read a tale about the hero Raiko slaying the demon Shuten Doji.  I vaguely knew of the story but hadn't read it before.  Now I'm going to integrate it into a campaign I'm working on.  And incidentally, Raiko appears in the original AD&D Deities & Demigods book in the Japanese Mythos section.

Thorn Drumheller

Quote from: Persimmon on September 14, 2023, 08:58:04 AM
.....And incidentally, Raiko appears in the original AD&D Deities & Demigods book in the Japanese Mythos section.

Huh, gasp! I wonder if TSR sent that through sensitivity readers.....and the asians represent podcast......years before they were born LOL
Member in good standing of COSM.

Thorn Drumheller

But seriously, to answer the question, my personal library is lacking in such books...but I'm slowly building up. And I bought one of Persimmon's books, that I've heavily relied on to inspire me for my "Oriental Adventures" "Kara-Tur" game.

Cause...you know....they're human....and yeah...we can understand human....I hope
Member in good standing of COSM.

Persimmon

Quote from: Thorn Drumheller on September 14, 2023, 01:51:52 PM
But seriously, to answer the question, my personal library is lacking in such books...but I'm slowly building up. And I bought one of Persimmon's books, that I've heavily relied on to inspire me for my "Oriental Adventures" "Kara-Tur" game.

Cause...you know....they're human....and yeah...we can understand human....I hope

Thanks for the plug!  As I noted, my own research inspires some of my gaming and hopefully it can inspire others.  I do include lots of specialized combat and battle details that I'm sure Gary would have loved.

Greentongue

Must Read for the Players?
While it is great to know and I like the topic, do your Players actually care?

Svenhelgrim

I am currently working on a game set in the 1600's.  I will allow books to grant abilities and experience points to players who take the time to study them. 

Books on fencing, geography, warfare, philosophy, and politics would grant bonuses to certain skills, provided the character can make a study check.