A Prison for Gods: A Narrative Campaign.

Ok, back to work.

Well recently me and 8 unfortunate victims friends started up a Warhammer 40,000 campaign, based off the foundations set by the Crusade of Fire set.  Using the Planetary Empires and Mighty Empires tiles, I copied the method regarding planets and strategic objectives.  But there the similarities ended.

Not only is the Crusade of Fire book sadly unfinished and obviously not proof read, its also mid 5th to 6th edition.  Now on my travels I did find the original work (I assume!):
https://thecrusadeoffire.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/crusade-of-fire-campaign-v-1c.pdf
Which helps, as well as a number of other campaigns, the Apophis campaign set:
http://www.miniwargaming.com/apothis
Always research before setting out.  Very often you can find a better way of doing things, or at the very least, have a plethora of bolt on bits and stuff which can be added in once the players are used to things.

Credit: AdamBurn

Anyway, what makes PfG (Prison for Gods) different?  Well I was sick to death of all the campaigns being focused on Imperium Vs Chaos oh and some Aliens.  Our gaming group does have a number of chaos players on the fringe (as in they are practically their own little Eye of Terror of a gaming group), but largely we play Xenos and Imperium.

And I play lots of Necrons, and some imperial guard!

Credit: Kurt Metz

The Aim?

Primarily though the campaign would aim to be:

•  Fun
•  Flexible
• Narrative

Fun? 40k isn't balanced.  It just isn't.  Deal with it and have fun or continue working the system.  Therefore I prefere to put Fun before Fair.  (Not instead of, before.  Big diff!).  So this campaign will have a lot of unbalanced but fun and unusual antics on the side.  At the end of each Turn/Phase (More later) or as Special Crisis Missions made available as the campaign burns on.

Flexible? Most campaigns burn out as a result of demands exceeding enthusiasm. Usually because things become a chore or life gets in the way.  To combat this I decided to have this campaign as a long burn campaign, going over 6 months.  2 months per phase.  More on what this means later but basically, so long as you can manage 1 game per freakin month, all will be well.

Narrative? The campaign aims to end with nothing short of a history to refer to in the future.  A background for each participant and grudges to last the next few years. Noble deaths, victories, last stands.  Anything goes.  So long as even the losers get awesome background and reasons for revenge, its all grim dark, right?

So why can't we all just get along? (This time...)

So.  What would a narrative campaign centred around Necrons look like?  Well they like loooong sleeps, obliterating the lesser races and generally not being too insane just yet as immortality apparently does that.

This really did have a lot to do with where the fluff (background) with my Necron Dynasty was going, so I tied it to that and swore NOT to play in the campaign.  Instead being the Games Master/Story Teller.

This would be about what would happen if an ancient entity gave you an offer you couldn't refuse.  A Faustian deal which didn't handle with chaos, but with something more devious.  Good old fashioned "end justifies the means" business.  With aliens!

"I will gift to you, Imperium of Man, the power to still the dimension you call the warp.  Long ago it was a weapon to our foes and we devised methods to disarm them.  You already enjoy the fruits of our labour in the gateway to the fallen empire of the Eldar, your beloved Cadia.  This technology I offer you, to accomplish that which even your seated god could not.  Join me, aid me in my quest and you shall have the bane of the Old Ones and more."

Repeated message handed to a series of Imperial commanders prior to the Faustian Schism.

What if.  What if the Overlord of my humble Trazian Dynasty offered the Imperium of a specific sector the chance to use Warp severing pylons like those found on Cadia?  Just up and offered them such a prize for one small service.  Like gold in El Dorado, such things mean nothing to him (Though it is an act which would annoy other Necrons, screw them, Trazian cares not because SPOILERS!!!).

What would this do to the Imperial commanders who could grasp at such a gift?  Would the cost occur to them?  What about the Adeptus Mechanicus?  The Imquisition?

And for the others, the Alien and the Renagade, why simple riches garned in the ensuing conflict.

Either way, now we have a very real, albeit unique, reason to cause a civil conflict between so called Battle Brothers which hasn't been seen since the Astral Claws incident.

The Faustian Schism, also known as the Prison for Gods Campaign had begun.

"What would become known as the Faustian Schism was caused by nothing more than negotiation and favour with the Xenos…"

Excerpt from the Journal of Colonel Rewitt, Warrick 3^rd.

What next?  Well I need Factions.  Crusade of Fire has enough for the two directly opposing Factions and a third for the Others.  Well this time it would be a little more based on the beliefs of the Players army commander.  Space Marine Vs Space Marine, Imperial Guard Regiment Vs Imperial Guard Regiment.

The Factions.

• The Sentinels of Fire “The enemy of my enemy is next.”

"Beware the machinations of the enemy. Their goals are not so noble. They seek to unleash something old and terrible. No price, not even the staying of the warp, is worth the cost."

Primarily made up of those hard line and incorruptible Imperial commanders, benign Eldar worried about developments, those who know of the Wars in Heaven: They aim to stop the invading factions from taking territory, or implementing their plans.

• The Bringers of Silence “The end justifies the means.”

"Accept the advances of a greater race. Carve out a sector free of the pervasions of the warp, take artefacts of great power and seize glory in war. Allow a new power, and be in it's favour."

An alliance of radical Inquisitors; jaded Imperial Commanders, wealth hungry Xenos and anyone their mysterious benefactor could coerce with bribes and promises.

• The Bearers of Change “All your bad Mondays at once.”

"They seek to parade their “Gods” and close the doors on what is ours by right. Chaos and change is eternal. A galaxy of fire was promised and must not be snuffed out before it has truly begun."

The Great Enemy of such insanity as peace in our time. Primarily Chaos, Orks and other creatures of constant violence and upheaval. They seek to both stop the Bringers of Silence and use the wars to take from the Sentinels of Fire.  Also, this slot works well with Tyranids, which do have an underlying and building role in the campaign.  Both forces operated as "bad weather" that while not directly involved in the plot can bring ruin to all if ignored!

Coming soon?

As we will be starting this campaign as of next week, I'm blogging in a catch up frenzy.  Next up will be more info regarding how we will go about the gaming mechanics.  While I'm not going to releasing access to the live rules set, I can give people the gist and why changes were made.  Planets and characters too.

Also, expect to see introductions to the Players and their forces, pre-campaign narrative developments (we have NEMESISESES!!) and shout outs to their own blogs where some of the players have already started writing their sides ahem, perspective on the incoming conflict.