A Bit of History
First, a few notes on things mentioned in earlier columns. World War Two greatly affected every person on the planet, either directly or indirectly. Some people still feel these affects and may not find the concept a fun and engaging evening's entertainment. Also, even for the Allies this was a time of gross racial, religious, and gender discrimination. Before setting off on a campaign set in the Second World War, talk to your players. For running said game, I highly recommend GURPS WWII series, still available on pdf from Steve Jackson Games or at used bookstores. I have used this game for several campaigns and have been very pleased with the results, plus the GURPS WWII core book comes with a scaled down set of 3rd Edition GURPS rules. Another bonus is the supplement Weird War II written by Brian Underhill. Other systems that may be a good choice, depending on your style of play, are Savage Worlds (pulp), d20 Modern (less gritty), World of Darkness (more gritty), and Call of Cthulhu/ Basic Roleplaying (investigative). As usual, a word of warning concerning my recommendations: I write for Steve Jackson Games and Chaosium, so take your salt with my advice.
Band of Heroes
This is your standard war movie setting, you take a group of assorted regular Joes, send them through boot camp, and then off to the meat grinder. Maybe one of the squad/ platoon/ company is a grizzled veteran, but that's not necessary. One defining factor is that they come from divergent walks of life (or all from different neighborhoods in New York City). This style of campaign focuses on the combat and its aftermath, which can be gritty or heroic depending on the type of story you are telling.
Lets take this genre and turn it sideways, and ad a little historicalness while we are at it. Not that the Band of Heroes template never happened, just that some parts can be tweaked. In the U.S. most of these type of stories (be they print, film, or RPG) focus on the war from D-Day until the end of the war in Europe. Occasionally there is one that looks at the Pacific War, but that is a rarity. Instead, try the Band of Heroes style with another nation's involvement in the war. How about following a mixed group of Commonwealth soldiers from Dunkirk to Holland, Soviets from Stalingrad to Kursk, or even Germans from Poland back to Berlin? Don't forget the pacific War either, Marines have long been the standard of telling that story, but why not go beyond and sample a little aviator or naval action?
To go further, just take your campaign to the less well known theatres of operation. North Africa jumps to mind right away, especially as the whole tone of the conflict there was very different than in Europe or the Pacific. One account I read (written by a German Officer) spoke often of "ceasefires" being called towards evening, thus allowing everyone to safely navigate back to their camps before nightfall (night in the desert usually means lost, and thus dead). Additionally, other accounts have people sharing water across the lines, and even transferring each other's personal mail. As far as characters, you can have the usual mix of backgrounds, only this time its Brits, Aussies, New Zealanders (and Maori), Free French, South Africans, Indians, and after Operation Torch in 1942, Americans. On the Axis side of the fight you have Germans and Italians, which can provide an interesting clash of cultures story.
Nazi Zombies in Spaaace!
Wait, what, isn't this supposed to be history? Well, in a round about way it is. The setting is a period in history, and much of the theme is based on pulp literature (and thus based on a historical literary genre). So how do we get Nazi Zombies into space? I want to say one word to you, just one word. Rockets.
The Germans were ahead of everyone else in rocketry, as well as dabblers in various occult "sciences". Let's make a few assumptions here to create a good story. First, the Germans were farther ahead in their rocketry research than in our timeline. Second, there is some truth to the occult craziness of the Nazi Party leadership. The writing was on the wall in early 1945, and the German high command was looking for desperate solutions. Seeing that conventional warfare was leading to defeat, especially on the Eastern Front, the decision was made to pull out and continue the Third Reich from another place.
Over the past three years, a secret base was constructed in orbit, Himmel-Hammer. The labor for this was provided by a small breakthrough in occult research, namely a serum that reanimated dead tissue (no doubt looted from the ruins of Castle Frankenstein). This labor force cared little for the ravages of vacuum exposure, or intense the g-forces of lift off. They could work tirelessly, and once adapted to a weightless environment, perform adequately. The only problem was that they entirely lacked self-direction and needed to be managed by occult sensitive individuals. The perfect ratio was found to be one leader per twenty-two zombies. The leaders had to be adapted to space travel and zero-g conditions, of course. The cheapest and most effective way to do that was to remove the person's brain and place it in a mechanical suit. The brain, now protected, pressurized, and requiring very little in the way life support, could function beyond human tolerances.
As the Russians closed in from the east, and the combined American, British, French, and Free Polish forces came from the west, the die was cast. Adolph and Eva Hitler, their closest followers, and the rest of the loyal Nazi Party leaders were quickly transferred into their new steel bodies and launched into space.
The Allies captured a treasure trove of German research data and scientist in their push through to Berlin. After a crash job retro-engineering the space technology (and a sizable squabble between the Soviets and everyone else) two rushed together space programs got off the ground (literally). The United Democratic Nations (UDN) based their program out of the Arizona desert. From there the UDN Rocket Rangers have begun to take the fight to Hitler and his undead horde (who expanded their interplanetary reach to the moon, and beyond). Unwilling to use the brain in a box or zombie technologies, the Rocket Rangers rely on mundane space suits and high levels of skill and Žlan. Conversely, the Soviet program has copied much of the Nazi technology, and though they eschew the use of zombies, they are quite comfortable with putting a loyal son or daughter of Russia's brain in a metal body.
Five years later, a three way war of commando raids and sudden strikes has engulfed the solar system. Nations weary of war have been able to reap some benefits from space exploration, the least of which has been great gains in technology. Raw materials from the moon and other solar bodies have been collected and used to build ever larger fleets of rockets ships. The situation is tense, as the UDN and Soviets face off across the void, and somewhere out there the Third Reich coils to strike.
The Home Front
The war was not just fought in the deserts and jungles of the world, but also at home. Depending on your style of play, a home front story can take many forms. For some groups a campaign based around the trials and tribulations of trying to get Liberty Ships built and launched in the required forty-two days could be very engaging. Here you can skirt the gender and racial discrimination a little (though its still present), work in emotional angels, and for a little action there are always industrial accidents. Skill rolls to build a crucial part replace combat rolls, and the whole story of the war can be told without a single shot being fired. Another option on the home front is the cloak and dagger of counter espionage. Whichever nation you place your campaign in, civil and military authorities spent a large part of their war time efforts on pursuing real or imagined foreign spies and saboteurs. Add to this the unsettling fact that all the major powers actively spied on their own citizens (yes, even the Americans and British) and you have a powder keg of cross and double cross just waiting to be exploited.
In preparing a good home front counter-espionage game, don't let reality get in the way. Although there were plots and attempted sabotage operations in the US, they were several levels of threat down from the hype and hysteria. In this case, play the hype and hysteria. Nazi sympathizers abound, German spies are everywhere, and only the brave G-Men have what it takes to stop Hitler from detonating a bomb in the middle of Des Moines. Just keep in mind that the hype and hysteria actually did result in the interment of thousands of Japanese-Americans, so tread carefully here.
Hitler Wins
What we're talking about here (if you didn't guess from the title) is the victory of the twentieth century's greatest evil, Nazi Germany. This is the apocalyptic scenario to end all apocalyptic scenarios. Hitler wins in Europe and the rest of the world shudders in fear. His victory is not complete, and if the world ever needed heroes, the time is now.
To enable an axis win, we are first going to pull one of the major allied players out of the action. The USA stays out of the war entirely, even to the point of not embargoing the resources the Japanese need. Furthermore, there is no lend lease help for Britain. Adding to this the Americans freely trades with any nation, having learned its lessons from the economic fallout of the Napoleonic Wars (basically, the USA's initial response was to stop trade with all belligerents). Fearing a worsening of the Great Depression (or a return, depending on where you want to place its end), America gets in bed with anyone who can provide the cash.
Next, you need to remove some Axis blunders. Hitler doesn't invade the Soviet Union, but instead concentrates on winning in North Africa. Rommel succeeds and takes the Canal, thus blocking most of the flow of goods from Great Britain's eastern holdings. This, combined with submarine activity in the Atlantic, effectively blockades the British Isles. After a few catastrophic encounters, the USA arms its merchant marine and provides escorts, but only for ships flying the US flag. All others are fair game. This doesn't help Great Britain much, what are they to pay American merchants in, promises and IOU's?
Shortly after the fall of the Suez Canal, Japan makes its move for half of Asia. Ignoring American possessions in the Philippines and Hawaii, Imperial Japanese Forces quickly roll over most of Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Southern China, and push into Burma. British resistance is crippled by lack of supplies and poor morale. In less than a year, Japanese forces are at the borders of British India. The UK capitulates after three years, a time known as the The Starving Years. This opens the way for Native British fascists to take over on a wave of popular discontent, capturing the Royal Family and forcing them to become puppets.
In India the loss of Colonial government causes several native uprisings, old and new independent states form as the momentum of the Japanese is stalled due to the sheer size of the conquest. This opens the way for a whole slew of nationalist movements, many of which have religious motivations that stretch beyond India to the Middle East and East Indies. Flash-forward a decade, and the US has a political shift. Reinvigorated with the end of the depression and feelings of guilt the Americans join in a menage a quatre cold war. Balance is maintained by the possession of Atomics by all four major powers. India becomes the place for cloak and dagger work, as a new Great game is played out in the souks of Islamabad, the crowded streets of New Delhi, and across the Madhya Pradesh highlands.
Adding to this mix of Soviet, Japanese, German, and American agents (plus satellite powers of each) you have the Chinese (both Red and Nationalist), natives (the history of Hindu-Muslim intrigue and violence is huge). Other factions are possible, such as Australian, Brazilian, and even resistance fighters from across the world. Gaming options are endless, as the PCs could work for any faction, none, or all at the same time. This sets up a very dystopian future, complete with moral ambiguity in the name of a greater good. Shooting a fascist James Bond, stealing the microfilm, and jumping out the hotel window to be fished out of the Ganges by your waiting Hindu Nationalist allies, that's just good times, and a fine bit of history.
Next month we delve back into the golden age of sail with a look at life, adventure, and literature with England Expects Every Man to Do His Duty.
