A new set of thoughts on how to bring Midgard back

[Dark Shadows]

Hmmm...  Well, let me think on that some more.  An all-NPC faction wouldn't be terribly hard for me to GM because they don't need to be "smart".  Most of what they do is just designed to provoke conflicts and that can be easily automated.  But I'll grant you that some players might want to play in that arena.  It's just that it makes my job a lot harder (both up-front and in-game), rather than easier.

And if I have NPC clans/groups (in either kind of faction), how do I get them to play in concert with the players without hand-running every one of them (which, of course, I don't have time for).  Aren't NPC clans also responsible for their activities to their seniors and the factional goals?

Harassment by NPCs, BTW, will probably require political arrangements/negotiations to get others to help find or deal with them.  If you're a city and the bandits are disrupting your construction work and you can't continue with them present, have you really got the resources to stop them yourself?

Ok, let's explore Independents from the Midgard Rulebook:




So let's look at the Bandit (I have played one very successfully within the game of the past):

So most of the time the clan lived and traveled the world appearing as an Independent clan but when I went into Bandit Mode, I had a clan Allias (which I would show up as a declared Bandit clan, the clan number would be different, and the clan name would also be changed to what I set it to.

That was the main bonus, along with the "Ambush Bonus" perk they got. This perk bonus allows Bandit declared clans to get the surprise jump first attack on a "target" clan they set up to attack. I was very good at this and would first scout out a good ambush location to start with. Then plan out what I would do in the way of a battle plan.  Then sit and wait for my target to fall into my trap.

For me after the attack, was the fun later when I would send a 3x5 note to the victim clan from the bogus alias clan number. My note usually was something like this:

" Catch me if you can...' Savoir-Faire (Sabwafare) is everywhere'. Thank you for the cheese, please bring more next time. See you in the Midgard Times funny papers. <wave>,<wave> ,<kiss>,<kiss> "

I would usually attack a clan killing some retainers, raid their baggage trains(stealing their stuff like crowns, resources and etc) and getaway. Then follow up with a taunting 3x5 card just to rub it in. Now that was fun and then return back to my old clan's real name and number appearing as an Independent clan.

There is a lot of work that goes into playing a declared bandit clan. There was also constant work with special actions looking for contacts and new marks. It helps to get a benefactor or sponsor to work with.  So mostly I was working alone but sometimes I was connected to others mostly NPCs.  Yes certain factions like the SOA would work with you as well too, plus other factions would also work out deals to work for them against others. Isn't that term a "Freebooter" or "Merc"?

So as I said I was a declared Bandit but just appeared to be an Independent clan. The same is true for a "Pirate" declared clan too. Allowing players to play these was both fun and exciting. Now the Heretic declared clan was a slightly different focus but also fun as well too.

 Note: As it is now if we had access to all factions I would most likely play (3) Seeker clans to begin with, but then I would consider playing clans in SOA, Bandits, Pirates, Buccaneers and even the Cult.  Normally I would say Cymru, but they are the People's Defenders and they would be against Bandits, Pirates at the least.