SRP, anyone?

Hello. I have browsed a bit around here, and the concept of SRPs seems incredibly interesting to me. There doesn't seem to be anyone offering an SRP anywhere, so I thought that maybe anyone else who was looking to start an SRP could join in the disscussion to discuss ideas and the like?

If you are interested, then please post here.

Not too sure on ideas, except that I'd really like to play an SRP, even if it was short. Not sure if we have to use Imperial Guard or if we can use other races.

Again, if you have any ideas or are interested in joining (or GMing if you want to) then post here.

Ok, listen.

If you want to be a GM, you need to be clear on things. You have to be clear on what you want to create, and say so. You want to leave certain things up to the players? Ok. But races in SRPs is one of those things that you, and only you, can decide on. Since you are going to be the GM, you have to create a system that accounts for the huge differences between them, and if you have to "wing it" in something as complex as this, well... thatīs just not a good start.

We have had a game of PC Orks vs NPC IG, if I remember correctly, so yes. Different races are fine, as long as you can make a fair enough system of combat resolutions. Although we have had GMs go full-narrative on this, and think for themselves what the result of the combats would be (Jen Burdoo, if I remember right, was among them... or perhaps the only one who did it this way).

To sum things up, if you can create a system for IG vs Orks, Tyranids, Orks, anything... then go ahead, and say "this game is going to be this vs that". I strongly suggest you do not try to have the players tell you what race they want, and then work out by yourself what system they would use. Then again, the players can help with this too.

I'm somewhat of a different persuasion. Too often on this board we have GMs telling players what they should want. But players won't play in a game unless they feel some connection. Asking people for their opinions isn't breaking some cardinal sin.

As I've said elsewhere, you have to realise that an SRP is an extreme amount of work. You can make it entirely narrative, but it opens the GM up to accusations of unfairness or the like. (People will be convinced that their super-awesome-plan-of-doom would've worked if the GM wasn't standing in their way.)

But then coming up with mathematical "systems" for GMing is the opposite approach, and that works for some players and not others.

Ultimately you'll have to decide where among those two extremes you imagine yourself sitting.

I would looooove to play an SRP. As long as someone else was GMing.

THe Orks vs. IG SRP Drakkar is referring to was Waaagh! Skaggritz, which I GMed. It was fun, but also a crushing amount of work, and it died when I lost interest in GMing. Still, it was a lot of fun while it ran. If you think you're up to it, I would encourage you to play in/GM an SRP.

Well, I had an idea for playing as Chaos instead of the Imperium (not sure how that would sit with some of you ).

I was thinking that the participants could play as something other than the Imperium for a change, maybe Iron Warriors Chas Space Marines (because they actually have tactics, not just "kill them all!"), or something else.

I'd imagine I would create a mathematical system for the battles (with a slight narrative feel), but follow a narrative sort of way with everything else. For my first SRP I think it would be easier to have players versing NPC's.

I'll write up soem more stuff for this for anyone interested.

If you havenīt decided on a system to figure out casualties and/or write your posts, look up the threads I linked you to. Not only Solar Wind, but those like Samhain, Beltane, Jaen, should give you a good idea of what some of the oldest members did and enjoyed. And if the old guys liked it... I donīt see why the new ones wouldnīt.

The disadvantages of 'systems' used in the SRPs is that the players will attempt to manipulate the result. For example, if X units of artillery provide Y modifier, the players will do everything in their power to get whatever advantage they can.

I have to advise that the smaller your first SRP, the better. If you can get it working, you'll be well-placed to continue with another game. Perhaps more importantly, your players will start to trust you - will start to develop faith in your abilities as a GM. That's the best thing that can happen for you.

So yes, I'd advise you to start with something small. Develop relationships on the board and in the game! There'll always be a time for another game.

I think I remember an srp that had the players playing the part of chaos badies when first I came aboard, But I cant remember for sure. However Moly Is right, keep your first attempt small and easy. Build up your confidence, and your players confidence in you. Its the best way to go about it. Mind you, I might be interested in an srp, always did have like the idea of a Dark Apostle commanding his foul minions to take over an imperial planet just to make a wacky huge cathedral to the dark powers that be hehe.

Okay so the basic outline of the story of this SRP is that an Iron Warriors Warsmith (as of yet un-named) and his Grand Company were battling in the Eye of terror in the name of Peturabo--their Primarch--to capture another world for the Iron Warriors Legion. Eventually, the Warsmith came to the realisation that it would be far easier to attack a world in a war-torn sector of the Imperium, as he would have no other Chaos Legions interfering with his plans. The Warsmith and his Great Company set off in their fleet to attack an Imperial world his intelligence gatherers had found to be ripe for the taking.

Calling upon his allies in the Legio Mortis Titan Legion, the Warsmith soon entered the system of this world. Attacking with brutal force and in the usual way the Iron Warriors landed on a world, the Warsmith initially made great progress. What he didn't expect was to find a warband of the renegade Death Mongers chapter.

At first, the rampaging Warmongers were hostile and the Warsmith prepared to destroy the upstarts before they became a threat, but while he was grappling with the PDF and the Warmongers, several Imperial forces made planetfall to stop the Chaos invaders. The Warmonger leader and the Warsmith came to a temporary compromise, agreeing to destroy the Imperials before splitting the spoils between them. Of course, such an alliance would not last.

The Warmongers main force attacked the from the South along with a detachment of iron Warriors lead by the Warsmith's Lietenant Sa'Angra, while the majority of the remaining troops engaged the Imperium in a massive sweeping campaign along an extended front to the east. Small covert forces of Iron Warriors hunted enemies in the northen forests, whilst Warmongers Raptors made hit-and-run attacks against enemy settlements in the surrounding area.

The Chaos forces were about to turn the tide of the stalmate until an unexpected adversary appeared. Three Companies of White Consuls space marines, and an enemy Titan Legion came to the aid of the Imperials. This was a war that would not soon end...

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The SRP that we will be playing will focus on the smaller struggle on the Southern Front of the campaign, that will include an Iron Warriors detachment, most of the Warmonger warband, and several Traitor Guard units in the employ of the Iron Warriors. The Chaos forces objectives is to secure the Southern area and any places of importance, most of which will be well defended by Imperial forces. The Imperials are making a counter-attack, and the rumours sre that Loyalist marines are taking part.

So how is that for an initial story? I know I need to flesh it out more, but I jsut made this so we know the basic outline of what happened. If you are wondering how the Chaos Titan Legion allied with the Iron Warriors so easily, it is because the IWs have always had very good ties with the Titan Legios of Chaos.


Now then, the organisation of forces in this SRP. There are 4 possible positions in this campaign, that of the Iron Warriors Lietenant Sa'Angra, the Warmongers commander Lord Kauron the Destroyer, the Iron Warriors Seigemaster, and the First Captain of the Iron Warriors.

IRON WARRIORS DETACHMENT:
Commander: Lietenant Sa'Angra

Iron Warriors 5th Company (Chaos Space Marines) Excellent Morale.
120 Iron Warriors, 15 Chaos Rhino Transports, 10 Preadator Tanks.

Iron Warriors 6th Company (Chaos Space Marines) Excellent Morale.
120 Iron Warriors, 15 Chaos Rhino Transports, 10 Preadator Tanks.

Iron Warriors 8th Company (Chaos Space Marines) Excellent Morale.
120 Iron Warriors, 15 Chaos Rhino Transports, 10 SP Artillery Guns.

"Peturabo's Fist" (Super-Heavy Tank) Excellent Morale.
1 Fellblade Super-heavy Tank.

"Wings of Death" Hellblade Squadron (Fighter Squadron) Excellent Morale.
3 Hellblade Fighter Jets

Iron Warriors Detachment Support Elements:

Iron Warriors Seige Engineers (Space Marine Combat Engineers) Excellent Morale
30 Iron Warriors Combat Engineers

Iron Warriors Surplus Units

30 Chaos Terminators, 10 Chaos Rhinos


WARMONGERS WARBAND:
Commander: Lord Kauron the Destroyer

Warmongers Flaming Skulls (Chaos Space Marines) Excellent Morale
100 Warmongers Chosen (equipped with lots of flamers!), 13 Chaos Rhino Transports

Warmongers Jetscreamers (Chaos Space Marines) Excellent Morale
100 Raptors (Chaos marines with jump packs)

Warmongers Defiler Assault Force (Walkers) Fearless, Bloodthirsty (they are hard to control if kept out of combat for a long time)
30 Chaos Defilers

Warmongers Skulleaters (Chaos Space Marines) Excellent Morale
100 Warmongers, 12 Chaos Rhino Transports

Warmongers Desecrators (Chaos SPace Marines) Excellent Morale
100 Warmongers, 10 Preadator Tanks

Warmongers Support Elements

Warmongers Demagogues (Chaos Space Marines) Fearless
10 Warmonger Demagogues (they can convert Imperial civilians to Chas, and even raise cultist units if doing so for a while!)

Warmongers Surpuls Units:

13 Chaos Rhino Transports, 20 Chaos Terminators


If you don't know what something looks like search it in google images. They should be there.


Thats all I have for now. I'llo be back tommorow with the other 2 forces. Comments and criticism welcome.

Wrong. You do not need a rock solid concrete system to run a game. Yes, if you of the persuasion that prefers or needs systems, you SHOULD have one, but it's not an immutable law of the universe. As you said yourself, Jenn did several games without any system whatsoever, and I know for a fact that Lith and Medic determined the likely result of any given clash without a system at all in their later games. That result was then subjected to a system to determine the specifics and any shock alterations.

Completely true, and always overlooked. Updates for the old Beltane games could easily run four hours or more of intensive work, and updates for Solar Wind, Brakea or (shudder) Op: Imperator could easily break eight or twelve. SRPs are NOT for the faint of hearted, and if you try to run one you're either a glutton for punishment or a sadomasochist.

Absolutely. The less you have to oversee and manage and keep tabs on at all times, the longer it will take for you to reach the point where it's driven you so batty that you want to eat a bullet. I haven't even run a proper SRP, and I wanted to kill myself once I'd figured out what I was in for.

Make or Brakea, if you can find it in the Archives, is the only Chaos vs. Imperial SRP that springs to mind. It had a number of glaring flaws (one-sided orbital bombardment, huge arse map, Lith playing for the Imperials, never to be sufficiently damned M*%&^&%*&^ IMPERIAL NAVY BOMBING MY TRUCKS(!!!!)) but it was an arseload of fun to play. My only regret is not playing like a psychopath from day one.

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All that aside, are you sure you want to include Titans? Even a single Reaver could turn the entire Warmongers detachment into so much anchovy paste without breaking a sweat, and a Warlord would be just...obscene. The only things that can threaten a Titan so far are the Hellblades (depending on ordnance), the Fellblade, the Warmongers' Defilers, and maaaaaybe the Arty or Raptors. Anything else would just cop a Gatling blaster salvo to the face or a heavy rocket barrage from a couple klicks away. If the players stuff up their plans and an (W)Impie Titan turns up where they don't expect it they're gonna get pasted, and if your players do something clever they could take out your entire battleplan for the week.

Edit: Um, only one other point I should make. Space Marines engage in surgical strikes and, as a rule, avoid trench warfare like the plague. Dunno what you had planned for your White Consuls, but I thought I'd throw that out there. Iron Warriors and (to a much lesser degree) Imperial Fists are the only Marines who really bother with that sort of thing anymore.

Well... the list you made doesnīt look too bad... and what reticence I might show is probably owed to them being Space Marines. Still, in case you havenīt seen it yet, have a look at how we used to organize our SRPs. Should be helpful, in case you want to add human troops.

Which I suggest you do. Thatīs a lot of Chaos Space Marines. Now, this is my personal preference, so be free to skip it, but Iīd rather have a lot of human troops (whose workings most of us should be familiar with) and some Chaos Space Marines and looted/Chaos vehicles (Leman Russes, Chimeras, Defilers, Basilisks, etc...).

That is, something less "Chaos Space Marines" and more "Lost and the Damned".




(By the way, I think the old Chaos game you might refer to could be Make or Brakea... or Arrothīs Wrath, although Iī m not sure thatīs the correct title for the game. It involved Iron Warriors, and the strange occurrence of Black Templars turning out to be women).

See, I think your proposed storyline isn't the best for you. Space Marines break SRPs. They are completely beyond anything we know. They don't need sleep, they don't need food - they don't need to rest when marching. They are a step beyond anything else on the battlefield. I know you came from the B+C, but there are other forces in the galaxy.

I really do advise you to start with something small. Please, please take a look at the Terullian Military Academy games. Players had two or three platoons, and they got really involved in the fortunes of their men. You want people to have a connection with their troops, not to just send squads and titans into the fray, not caring if they die.

You can read the TMC here. Now I'm not saying "run TMC 4" or the like. I'm not saying you have to have a similar format. But that game worked; people played three TMC games, because they enjoyed the premise.

If I were the GM, Iīd say a Space Marine squad is equivalent to a !Quality, EMorale Armour battalion, and they donīt need a logistics chain to support them...

See, I'd disagree. I'd do horrible, horrible things to a Marine force that went out of supply. Something about running out of bolts in a hurry. Marines aren't armour either, although were I to run up against them I would dearly love to see them represented as such. So, so much easier to school...

...plus, you're forgetting. Lith and Medic had a separate quality for Marines. Look back at *shudder* Beltane II and the Castigators.


Edit: And, wait. I just read "Space Marine Squad equivalent to armored battalion". Uh, no. No no no no no. I don't know what the hell you're smoking, but no. A mere Company of Armor can flatten half a company in open terrain, let alone a measly squad.

To my mind, the Space Marines were completely mis-used by Company Medic in Beltane. Space Marines don't fight open battles - they deploy rapidly, overwhelm their targets and evacuate. The Castigators involved were massacred - rightly so - but it's not how the Castigators should've been used.

Say what you like about the Imperial Guard armoured companies - Space Marines don't let themselves get into those sorts of situations unless something's gone terribly wrong. They wouldn't fight IG armour in open terrain.

Drakkar, if you insist on using Medic's classification, I'd say that Space Marines would have to exist somewhere above !Q. They are quite simply above the peak of human physical fitness. They have the best weaponry and equipment in the Imperium, they're trained far in excess of the Imperial Guard.