The Imperial Purple Campaign 2024 January-May.

Back in January, while driving away from New York City I got into a phone-call with two friends and presented them with a vision for a wargaming campaign set in an alternate A.D. 69 where five contenders go for the Roman Throne, destroying their rivals and seizing the Purple.  

They were both excited and we made a list of unique relics and artifacts and the hype was real. 

An example of some of the funner relics.

Rules were incomplete as the ruleset used for the INCA-Moon campaign needed to be reworked substantially and we had real life commitments. The actual play for the campaign needed a map, new quest list and reworking to the combat rules. Monetary issues plagues us and in hindsight we should have just stolen more aggressively from ACKs (Adventurer, Conqueror, King) as that exact campaign type is what that system was designed for. So the first turn ended up starting in March.

As can be seen, the five players were rather scattered. Starting locations were determined by best luck rolls choosing a preferred starting locations, in command of either a legion at that starting location or the Praetorians (purple). 

Due to bad weather and distance the first few turns were comparatively conflict free, even if the players all took (sometimes very heavy) losses from the quest list.   

There were then skirmishes between Orange and Green for a turn before things heated up. Orange made a multi-front attack.

Three battles between Orange and Green. Three times in rapid succession, Green was crushed and his two heirs were forced to relinquish their claims to save their lives.  One the same turn, the comparatively inactive Praetorian player was hit with a massive assault of White assassins, before coincidently being hit by one of Green's navel squadrons. This was decisive and the two remaining contestants were not as numerous, wealthy or well positioned as Green. White had suffered horrible defeats in quests and would accidentally nuke Rome, lose his starting city to locusts, rebels and monsters before embracing his role as an agent of chaos. Red was hampered by the weather and unable to fully maneuver. by the time the weather had turned favorable, Green forces controlled almost everything of value in the West. 

There were still valiant attempts. Waves of assassins, valiant plotting and dark rituals feasting performed (by result if not intent), but Green's position proved decisive. Purple's forces were defeated after further ruining the countryside and sea areas near Venice, while having extremely strange quest events and Red tired to restore their position, before being overwhelmed by numbers.  

In the end, the Red were defeated in one of the most classical sounding of the battles, having fought a massive sea-battle before trying in vain to hold back the Green tide on the Sicilian fortress's walls.  

What should be learned.

1. Hype is a fleeting resource; if we somehow could have started back in January, Green probably would have been matched in mental energy by the other players, which would likely have made for a more appropriate match.  

2. ACKs already does that! I should have just used a simplified ACKs ruleset for as much as possible, rather and ad-lib an economy for ancient Rome. This would have resulted in a system with greater verisimilitude and greater player agency.  

Player AARs.

Since the document containing four out of five the players accounts is over 10 pages long, I will not be including the whole text here, but I do have a short highlight to include here.

(From the Green-Winning player)

"January, A.D. 69

When Titus first threw his hat in the ring and declared Imperial Landing his base of operations for his campaign to win a crown, he was surrounded by 8 men in his inner ring of leaders. Many more would come to lead his armies and fleets and patrols, but these original faithful would be forever bonded to their leader, despite their many short-comings.

...

First among them was old Senator Festus, well above the average leader in Gravitas and Discipline, and personal Constitution. He quickly came to command the great pleasure vessel "Imperial Fortune" and employ it in his early Diplomatic outreach. He took command of the fleet of 300 when they joined, and then took a smaller portion of 50 with him when it broke up. He lead the successful assault on resistive Lutetia, bringing it into submission, and then served as 2nd in command under Leo and the 3rd Legion in the victorious battle of Condate. He sailed a force to North Africa and (temporarily) took Ceuta. He finished his campaign at the battle of Umbria, surviving the nearly disastrous naval battle in the harbor, and then commanding a mixed force of mercenaries,  new recruits, and large segments of the 3rd and 15th Legions. There was great slaughter on both sides, but he was eventually victorious, he himself falling with an arrow in his eye at the end. He was born off the field by his faithful butler, who had accompanied him throughout the entire war, and only his desperate efforts preserved Festus alive, though his eyesight would be permanently lost. A great man. Besides him there were:

...

Commoner Romulus was perhaps the strangest commander in the force. No one in all of Titus' service was more Loyal, un-buyable even. None but Senator Clovis and Commoner Felix had a better way with words. He was even good at Discipline along the march. His one flaw, save a generally low aptitude for personal martial skill, was a Gravitas of (to use official terms) a 1. He would fly into hysterical fits of weeping and cowardice at the slightest noise of battle. It is assumed that he suffered some dreadful trauma as a child, and was forever scarred by the experience, so that an otherwise promising leader was made far less than useless on the battlefield. He was, however, a favorite of Titus, and so was put in command of a body of Horse that occupied Terraco in Spain. He went with Lucio to Pompey Minorus, but remained in his tent during the bloody night battle, plugging his ears and wearying himself with anxiety and pacing. Stouter hearts than he would have blanched at the slaughter wrought in those streets. He was then given a far more favorable task, and traveled with 4 Diplomats to the city of Saguntum, where his skills were put to good use in converting both the city and the fleet in its harbor to whole-hearted faith in Titus. He finished out the war in the company of the good Senors and Senoras of the city council..."

If you would like that in its native context and to see the other accounts and their varying styles, behold the link.

Thank you for reading.