> What we're trying to do is start a campaign on the loose premise
of "we
> all retired from the army together and got given this land grant
> together". (And it's next to the Upland Marsh - someone didn't like
> us!). So we're all from the same loose "unit" (size unspecified).
The
> idea is to play with the ILH homelands, but in a setting that we
know
> enough about to run in. It's 1619. .........
>
> But we're *not* all cut-out identical characters from the same
homeland.
<characters snipped>
>
May I suggest that rather than the usual "your regiment has been
given this land to colonize" thing, that this is more of a special
case? Perhaps someone felt the need for settlers there, but realized
settling any significant group in such a terrible spot would cause
patron problems back home. So instead they offered some special
deal...maybe something like "five years off your enlistment and a
piece of land of your own--what an offer eh? The catch? No catch,
brother. Well, the land isn't currently under plough, and you will
be subject to reserve call up as a local militia--but we'll even pay
you when that happens! How can you resist a deal like this?" Of
course, the soldiers that the officers wanted to keep got the quiet
tip off that they should not take this offer...
This would explain the heterogeneous nature of the band, and also allow for all sorts of colorful empire-backgrounded NPCs from the settlement too.
> Are we saying this obvious campaign premise isn't actually possible?
I don't think it is impossible, but much like being on the swamp edge means you can't ignore the undead issue or assume that travel is always easy, being remote from your home religions means you can't assume that meeting worship requirements is easy.
I think each hero will either:
-need some sort of priest contact/follower/ally/patron, or -be a devotee (who can pretty much do their own services, or -needs to use a background word or piece of 100 word write up tospecify being part of a worship community (relationship: swamp-edge temple of X), thereby proving that there is enough of those worshippers to support a religious practice, or - be ready for big problems trying to keep their religious commitments, with expectations that either they move to one of the above solutions or change religions eventually.
I think any of those solutions are pretty playable. The narrator and players just have to be willing to agree that religious issues won't just be automatic, and may show up in plot.
-Bryan
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