Get player buy-in, or surprise them?

[Spinachcat]

I am cool about dropping surprises that affect a single session or maybe two sessions, but you are talking about a Resistance Campaign and for something like that, I would definitely talk to the players up front. This way, they can build PCs who would work best for that setting.

 

[S'mon]

Given the premise, you need player buy in to "you are resistance fighters". If you're not going to railroad them then they are free to choose not to be resistance fighters. If you run it blind, well if I was a player I'd (my PC would) probably keep fighting the initial invading forces until I was killed.

I think if I were you, and I wanted to run a resistance campaign, I'd tell the players the premise, tell them the first 1-2 sessions would be prequels, quickly run through some vignettes with the invading forces overwhelming the city, committing atrocities etc, and give the PCs initial 'script immunity' - they can be KO'd but not killed. Think the start of Red Dawn. Then the main game would begin once the prequel finished.

Alternatively you can do a sandboxy game, not tell the PCs what will happen, but be ready for anything to happen, from them fleeing the area to them assassinating the enemy king to them winning the war in session 1...

 

[Merkuri]

I think if I were you, and I wanted to run a resistance campaign, I'd tell the players the premise, tell them the first 1-2 sessions would be prequels, quickly run through some vignettes with the invading forces overwhelming the city, committing atrocities etc, and give the PCs initial 'script immunity' - they can be KO'd but not killed. Think the start of Red Dawn. Then the main game would begin once the prequel finished.

If your players are okay with it, you can give them pre-genned characters for the prequel. That way you don't have to work hard to give them immunity. You may even WANT a TPK with this initial group, just to rub in the fact that the invading force is so powerful.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I have been in a stable group for a long time so we can throw curveballs at each other, and go with the flow, but not all groups would, so I would generally recommend player buy-in.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Only you know your players, I know a few of mine would head for the hills thinking the advenutre was the getting away!

 

[Asmor]

Thanks for the advice everyone. You convinced me to go ahead and let the players know ahead of time, and they're up for it.

 

[hopeless]

Resistance or head for the hills

There's a number of options you might want to consider.

Firstly have them start the game as normal and go up a few levels only throwing in little details about the invasion thats coming, nothing concrete only uneasiness and have them played down by some contacts they have in their homeland.

Have them find out the invasion has happened and if they do try to interfere reveal one or more of their contacts is actually working for the enemy and try to get them killed only they catch another of their friends perhaps they set up a meeting for al adventurers' and its an ambush but the PCs are late as they resolve a mission that involves them rescuing the daughter of a friend except the friend who went in their stead manages to escape warning them before the settlement they're currently locaed at is attacked and burned to the ground.

Now they could help the villagers to safety or leave them to their fate this would reveal where they think they want to go with heir characters.
Rather than reveal the true plot test the waters so to speak and then decide where you want the rest of the game to go.

You could have them being targetted because they're viewed as a threat but don't make their pursuers overwhelming after all it should only really get that tought when they're high enough in level to cope.

Secondly have them be in town when the invasion happens now they could just do a runner but they could also get involved with the local thieves guild who have a number of loyalists who help the Pcs take cover and eventually puts them in the role of leading the resistance but note the key here is not forcing them but using their backgrounds to give them a reason to want to fight back even if its just the thought of securing the treasure of both the town and invader alike!

Thirdly this is if they don't bother with supplying a background, make the fight personal, have them go on adventures as normal find their homeland invaded maybe even have them captured but manage to escape but without their gear so they have to start from scratch, then rather than have them hunted put them in the position where the enemy has a face a figure they associate with their imprisonment someone they really want to get back at and then see where they go with it!

I believe the key here is not to force but give them the reason and hopefully the means to deal with the adventure the way you hope they will, but avoid overwhelming odds after all if they're only novice characters they'd hardly become the no 1 on the invaders' hit list until they do something to make themselves targets after all?

Can you discuss whose invading, why and what characters your players are interested in running and more importantly have they give you any indications of their characters background story if any?

 

[hopeless]

Okay how about?

I kind of want to run a campaign where the players are in a city state that gets invaded, and the PCs become the cornerstone of the resistance.

My plan is to start it where the coming war is heavily implied, but it's still in the background and for the first few sessions the PCs just do their thing in city and its surroundings. Then the war starts, the other side overwhelms the city, and occupies it. I'd like for the players to be in the city and help fight in the battle, but ultimately the invaders will win.

If the Pcs get involved you need them to have someone in command who earns their trust maybe not all of them but a few key players perhaps they're their mentors for example.
Maybe even have on turn out to be a traitor and is directly responsible for insuring the invaders win and in the process kill one of the other PCs mentors perhaps even loved ones however it might be necessary to have the PCs lose some or all of their equipment nothing truly drastic but enough to make things personal even to the player who gave no background and is just a hack and slasher.

In the aftermath, the PCs start a little resistance, and it's up to them to hook up with other pockets of resistance and fight for their home in guerilla style.

So the question is this: do I tell the players about it or not? I'd like the success of savagery of the attack to be a bit shocking, but at the same time I don't want it to feel like a bait-and-switch where the players end up playing a style of game they weren't expecting.

Don't, the first few games you run should give you a better idea on how they handle it letting them know in advance might seem helpful but it might also ruin their fun as you can make this seem to be a potential climax for your campaign when they're ready after all Conan didn't get enslaved and then become a king now did he? It took him many years before he got to that level and the Pcs should follow a similar route even if ultimately they decide not to bother just because they refused to free their homeland doesn't mean they can't do the same in their new adopted homeland now does it? Especially if they get to be in charge of their new home!

One thing I'm considering is selling the game as something different, but similar enough; tell the players that they're an elite force being trained to go undercover into the enemy's own cities, and to do the same sort of guerilla stuff. The twist here being that instead of using their skills on the offense, they end up having to do it on the defense.
Any thoughts?

Go with what you fancy give Wraith Recon a look since that sounds more like your idea of a game, pardon mylanguage but what system will you be using?