Setting & System Suggestions: Modern Vietnam War + Fantasy?

[icemaster109]

So "Fantasy F*cking Vietnam" has always been an expression that has fascinated me. It's typical connontation is tied to old-skool dungeon crawling where PC's can expect to inch forth through trap filled dungeons. But I wanted to flip the expression a bit - what would a setting look like that was slightly more on the "Vietnam War" side of the equation, and a smidgen less fantasy? I'm talking about enchanted Flak jackets and M16's, Dwarf tunnel rats, Elven rainbow-streamed napalm dropped from above onto triple canopy jungles teeming with orcs. Whats going on here? How does it look? How should I combine these two elements? What is this universe? and what system should I use (OSR? something simple right?)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

HERO could do it. That's what I'd prefer to use.

GURPS- though it isn't my favorite system- could probably do it VERY well, since it handles low fantasy and "grim & gritty" soooo easily. Plus it has well-designed rules for a lot of real-world martial arts.

Godlike- the supers game set in WW2- might work.

D20 modern would work.

 

[edemaitre]

I've heard people talk favorably about Glen Cook's "Black Company" book series, which Green Ronin supported with its D20 "Mythic Vistas" line:

http://greenroninstore.com/products/the-black-company-campaign-setting-scratch-dent

Here are more tips: http://www.roleplayingtips.com/readissue.php?number=318#tips

 

[Morrus]

O.L.D. + N.O.W.!

 

[Dustin DePenning]

there's a video gamea bout this! Wizards fighting their way through Vietnam:

http://magicka.gamepedia.com/Magicka:_Vietnam

I like the idea of magic being used because of its massive damage potential. The idea that vietnam was a brutal war where any method to get a hand up on the enemy was used – so they even turn to the dark arts – very fun.

I'd personally keep it human and mostly historical, and make it about crazy wizards committing war crimes.

 

[Razjah]

Savage Worlds weird wars can provide a lot of ground to start using here. Basic soldier group, then add in all sorts of stuff. They take out a group of Viet-Cong, but they rise up as zombies (savage worlds zombies can run/shoot/fight; not slow shamblers from Romero films). Now what?

Or, just take the Hellboy approach. "I ain't heard of para-abnormal until two days ago!" "That's para-normal." Magically enhanced soldiers, spells, monsters, and more. But most people are gleefully unaware. PCs are spec ops to fight against the paranormal forces of their enemies. Whole platoon goes missing or turns up dead- vampire or werewolf enemy. Wolfenstein can provide some inspiration too, just up the years and change the enemies.

 

[Umbran]

Whats going on here? How does it look? How should I combine these two elements? What is this universe? and what system should I use (OSR? something simple right?)

Everyone else is talking about system. Let us consider the rest of these...

What is going on? How does it look? Well, it probably needs to look like the real world did at the time - two or more superpowers fighting out a conflict by proxy. This is kind of key - the fighting had some odd characteristics because the two superpowers had a great deal of weapons technology, much of which they could not use in the conflict for various reasons. Vietnam was not an unrestrained war, and that's important to its feel.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Everyone else is talking about system. Let us consider the rest of these...

What is going on? How does it look? Well, it probably needs to look like the real world did at the time - two or more superpowers fighting out a conflict by proxy. This is kind of key - the fighting had some odd characteristics because the two superpowers had a great deal of weapons technology, much of which they could not use in the conflict for various reasons. Vietnam was not an unrestrained war, and that's important to its feel.

This is the approach a Harry Turtledove took with his Darkness novels.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Darkness_Series

He deftly manages to echo the major tech, themes, twists and turns of WW2- the rise of fascism, villification & scapegoating of minorities, tanks, airpower...

And what he did with "The Final Solution" and the development of weapons of mass destruction in a fantasy context...just WOW.