Roleplaying in A Game of Thrones

[Nebulous]

My deluxe edition should be arriving this week and i'm very excited. I really like the GoT, especially Book 3, which would be my primary source of adventure material. My personal favorite bit of the series is Jon and the Icewall, Samwell Tarly, and Bran's adventures. Too bad Book 4 doesn't have much to do with them (sigh...until book 5 i guess)

Anyway, where would you like to plant your campaign? For me, it would at or around Winterfell and the Frozen North, combating Wildlings and worse.

Court intrigue in King's Landing doesn't particularly toot my whistle, but that may be because i'm more of an action oriented DM. Or maybe i've just never seen it done right.

What would others choose? And don't feel confined to just Book 1. If slinking with witches in Asshai is your cup of tea, put it down. That sounds great too, or teaming up with the Unsullied.

 

[Maester Luwin]

Hey Nebulous! I also like the North & have set my campaign there. My campaign is set in the year 195 (about a hundred years before the books). This is during the time of the invasion by Raymun Redbeard & the Blackfrye Rebellion. We have played 6 sessions so far & it has been a blast! Thanks Maester Luwin

 

[Rykion]

If I ever get around to a campaign, I will also probably set it before the books' storyline. I will probably start the characters as Hedge Knights and their companions. There are plenty of opportunities for both combat and roleplaying as they cross Westeros. Encounters could easily include outlaws/pirates, petty wizards, border wars, tournaments, mythical monsters, etc. It will be fun to see players have to deal with the politics of a border war between 2 Lords that leaves the party outlaws after the Lord they support concedes and leaves them hanging, possibly literally. It would also be much in character of the setting to allow the party to choose their destiny as they grow into important knights dealing with intrigue at Kings Landing, or become leaders of an outlaw band, or start their own company of sell swords, or end up dishonored and dead.

 

[Nebulous]

I like the idea, Maester Luwin. I followed some of your threads on the GoO board. Sounds good. I 'm also a Midnight fan, and i've always thought that Midnight and Got have ALOT in common. Especially when you factor in the undead, the evil in the north, the long winter, and all that cool stuff.

Hopefully my book will arrive today. Can't wait.

 

[MummyKitty]

I've never read the books but the new GoT book looks awesome! Makes me want to add this to my Xmas list, and read the original books.... But first, gotta re-read the Thieves' World books (thanks to the Thieves' World PHB).

 

[Imperialus]

If you want to run a game prior to the books I would heartally recommend tracking down a copy of "The Hedge Knight" which was set about 100 years before the events of the first book. Actually I'd recommend it for any SoIaF fan.

And Mummy Kitty: Did you know that there is a new Thieves World book out with stories from Ramond E. Fist Marcedies Lacky and a few others?

 

[MummyKitty]

Yes, I got the new TW PHB book, and learned there was a new Thieves' World series out. So far I've read Sanctuary and have some of the other ones on the way from eBay. I'm also re-reading the classic ones.

I've always liked George RR Martin's short stories but never read Game of Thrones. Next time I see them at Half Price books I may pick them up. Hedge Knight will be added to my search list. Thanks!

 

[Skyman]

I love both the courtly intrigue of King's Landing and the danger and powerful history of the north.

One thing I want to capture about the books when I DM, though, is how most of the main characters are really important people. They don't just start adventuring at level 1 and work their way up to 20, becoming more prominent as they go. They are really an essential part of the setting, and the world would be different without them. This doesn't work too well for me in a game set during the time of the books, since all the major characters are 'taken'.

Thus I have an alternate timeline setting where Daemon Blackfyre won his rebellion 100 years ago, and I feel free to have the PCs determine the fate of Westeros (I'll likely make the setting available online at some point). Playing in the past could also work as well, though it's not quite as freeform.

 

[Theron]

I had an idea, before I started my M&M campaign, for something set in the Reach, about 50 years before the overthrow of the Targaryens. The characters would be associated with the (non-canon) House Hawley of Thornwell, bannermen to the Florents. Lots of tournaments to show off the beauty of chivalry and intrigues to show of its ugly underside. It'll come to fruition at some point, but I can't do supers and fantasy games at the same time.

 

[Nebulous]

A friend of mine (who has DM very little) actually wants to start the campaign in the north, 8000 years ago with Brandon the Builder! yep, when it first went up, and dragons were alive, and all kinds of things were different in Westeros. Sounds great to me, as i like a more fantastical slant to my adventures. Although after looking over the combat rules, i REALLY don't want to fight a giant. It's suicide. Hell, fighting anyone is suicide with the Shock rules. Very gritty and well done though. It mirrors the books perfectly from what i've seen (not playtested yet)