Cadre Concepts?

[Angelman]

This is a topic I often come back to when discussing or thinking about RPGing, and I wonder what kind of ideas and experiences the community has with cadre concepts (or “adventurer parties” in general)? I suspect that many gaming groups start games with no concept in mind other than “a random bunch of would-be heroes meets in a bar”, but I will argue that the best games tend to be those for which there exist coherent group dynamics, consistent background, and defined intentions, and that these typically revolves around a boss with hangerons. At least, that’s how it has been in my games over the last decade or so.

Do you guys find having a concept behind the cadre benefits the game? If so, why/why not? And, if you do use cadre concepts, do you employ them in any interesting ways? It needs not be specifically for Fading Suns. (For instance, I remember reading that Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd edition form FFG has a party concept wherein the party becomes its own thing, with a separate character sheet and mechanics and all).

For Fading Suns I can think of, off the top of my head, the following general cadre concepts, although I am sure you guys can think of more or problematize the list in interesting ways. The lists are intended to be general, so “Noble with retinue” could just as well mean “Thane with warband” or “Vorox chieftain with angerak” etc. Likewise, "Priest with flock" could be "Missionary with pilgrims" or whatever.

Noble with retinue
Questing Knight with cohort
Priest with flock
Guilder with employees
Officer with squad
Crime boss with gang
Parent/older relative with family
Travelling adventurers (possibly without a group structure)

If you add to the list, please repost it with the suggestions already given so that we can create a list that evolves over time

(Finally, if this list can help inspire GMs and gaming groups, then all the better ).

[Madmage]

The current cadre I am paying in are part of a Third Era cell. We are pursing both personal goals, those of our respective factions, and the ideals of a third republic. If you are fluent in French (or wiling to trust google translate), the details of our campaign can be found:

https://fadingsunsoye.obsidianportal.com/

Personally, I think forming a cadre or party ahead of time helps create ties to explain why the group is currently together. Certainly, the tried and tested method of "you are all at a bar" can allow a first encounter, but it foments little loyalty from the start. Unless of course the GM has the theme of trust as part of the campaign. Nevertheless, there is still room to allow for internal friction or conflicting motives or goals to spice things up on occasion.

One thing that could be interesting is some form of pooled resources where a cadre can spend points together towards say a business or fief, in order to create ties. For example, a charioteer and Reeve acting as business partners might want to own a business together. The charioteer spends 5 points at character creation towards an asset. The Reeve, more of an investor chooses to spend only 2 points however. In total the asset is a value of 7, and thus greater than the assets taken separately. The Game of Thrones and Ars Magica rpgs have rules for noble fiefs and covenants respectively which allow players and GMs to customize the group's "home" domain and could act as a model.

[Bogie]

I may have to read the Game of Thrones RPG. That is a great idea for getting a cadre to all be invested in the same thing at the start of the game.

[Madmage]

Basically, the system involved both a randomized element and a point buy system to customize your noble house. Some of the elements you could roll determined your liege lord, how old your House was, how it rose to nobility, important events, etc. These results would modify 10 categories such as "power" (political influence and prestige), domain (the size of your domain and what kind of holdings you might have), population, military, etc. The number of points you had could then be used to purchase perks.

For example, you could use points in population to have a village or even a city under your dominion. Military points were usually fortifications but also troops (further customized by their level of training, number and outfitting).

Another aspect of the process involved characters available for the gaming group. If you wanted to play the heir of the house (the head of the house was always supposed to be an NPC at first), you had to spend points for there to be an heir (or heirs if other players wanted to pay siblings). Some of the more unique character affiliations were also purchased through this: priests, maesters (essentially court sages/doctors), knights, etc.

[Angelman]

Sounds very interesting. I wonder, does the GoT RPG also have information on fief management and such?

[Holz]

Last time I saw, it had a nice fief management system. Although I never played it...

[Bogie]

I wanted (and still may have time) to do something like that for businesses, loans, and other holdings in the Merchant League book but a complete fancy fief management system would be a great addition for the eventual book on Nobility.

[Bertjammin]

I'm going to have to dig out my son's copy of The Song of Ice & Fire RPG now, aren't I?

(Also I have WHFRP 3ed and the "party card" idea is a really useful one. Mechanically it usually has a "team ability" depending on the nature of the party but it also allows characters to share abilities with each other (the type and number dependent on the type of group. What (as a GM) is particularly fun is the "tension meter" - if the group is not getting on, facing stress, the revelation of secrets etc the tension goes up and at certain points unique effects/disadvantages are triggered, based on the type of group. It's a nice tangible measure of the "social health" of the group and I've found it encourages some great roleplay)

When I outlined my campaign to the players it was a typical "Noble and Retinue" idea with an NPC Noble that they all needed to have a reason to know or work for. However little did they know it was intended as a "bait & switch". She (Dame Arcadia Justinian) was simply going to be the reason to draw them all together - I had a number of plot points which would cause a schism between her and the retinue including her arrest and later her decent into madness and death (in actuality at the hands of two of the players). The story has then continued following the "cadre", as their situations are a direct result of their association with Arcadia and each other (she was the catalyst if you like) but they are now fractured into three separate groups/storylines. It's a bit of a logistical nightmare for me but it's made for an organic and very memorable epic.

I think it's key for a GM to lay out a concept for the cadre from the get go though - simply because there is so much scope in the characters you can create and the stories you can tell. The cadre concept goes a long way to help guide players and the GM in creating a unified feel to the game.

[Bogie]

I definitely think that for any game a little bit of concept ideas for the players to collaborate on can go a long way, but in a game like Fading Suns (or really most SciFi games) there are so many different factions, organizations, planets, and game possibilities that the GM really should set a basic guideline of what type of game they plan to run so that players can plan accordingly.

I know if I give my group free reign I'd end up with a Duke, an Engineer, an assassin, and some other thing, all with wildly different ideas on what type of game they want to play.

[Holz]

When I am going to GM any game, I present the premise of the campaign and story.
According to what the player wants to be, I try to make it possible to fit in the story. Otherwise, he receives the GM's veto. No point a Kalinthi join a guild operation mission on Leagueheim.