Request for recommendations for games set in occupied territory

[Jeajea]

Hello, hello!

I'm running a campaign in a Pathfinder-adapted version of the Eberron setting, and things have... gotten out of hand. Khorvaire has been invaded by the Riedrans, and now I'm looking for recommendations for off the shelf written adventures that I can stea- adapt to the situation my players are now in to reduce the work I need to do to bring stories to the table. I've been looking around in various 3e+ (3.5e, Pathfinder etc.) adventures for something that will hit the spot for "how do we liberate this land" type things, or even for plots that take into account that you can't do the things you could normally do so easily (damned Thousand Eyes agents!), but I have yet to find something useful. After looking through a couple dozen or so, I thought to myself... why not ask a really big group of people to help me work this out? Hello people! Does anyone know of something that could be useful?

Many thanks, all!
~Jea

[Erulasto]

Are you just looking for pre-existing modules that can be adapted, or are open-ended, abstract plots welcome as well?

There's always the option of forming resistance cells, and it's likely that overall the activities of the players (if they're trying to liberate Khorvaire) may change to more skull-duggery than outright adventure.

Raiding supply lines. Assassinating particular leaders of note who are controlling enslaved population centers. Destroying infrastructure projects. Rescuing said enslaved populations. Recruitment.

[Jeajea]

Ooh, yes, thank you for the suggestions.

What I think I'm really struggling with is ways to build a bigger narrative that doesn't just feel like "do X, Y and then Z, and everything is liberated!". This whole occupied territory thing is (weirdly, perhaps) only an interlude before they have to square off against an Overlord anyway, so maybe I'll hand-waive / narrate a chunk of time skip instead of running missions? It's an option.

If I did want to play it out at the table, I guess I'd be looking for a coherent adventure or small set of adventures that link together and progress - think like the Pathfinder Adventure Paths, or the whole Emerald Claw series of adventures for 3e.

One of my relative strengths as a GM is taking a thread of a story in an adventure (along with characters) that someone else has built, and adapting it to the circumstances the players are currently in mapping some of the characters to known characters - but there are so few adventures that are centered around liberating a country, I find myself without anything that seems like a solid starting point. Maybe this just isn't a situation that game writers want to write adventures for? Dunno. Perhaps it's because it would end up being a very variable combination of intrigue, small skirmishes and raids and things (by the players), but might feel not very 'heroic' until right at the end? Hmm. I'm still holding out hope that someone's written at least one, otherwise I'll have to actually come up with something myself - which I tend to be far less good at. :(

[Reversefigure4]

In terms of Pathfinder Adventure Paths:

Book 5 of the Jade Regent, Tide of Honour, is about liberating an oppressed country from a tyrant rule. It's heavily Oriental focused, and is exactly "Do X,Y, and Z to liberate country".

Ironfang Invasion, the entire AP, is about your small town being conquered as a prelude, with the PCs attempting to ward off the oncoming war taking over the whole country (I can't be too specific, because I haven't read it).

I doubt either of them is strongly applicable enough to just be run changing the names to your situation, but might be worth a read to idea-mine.

[Erulasto]

Just a thought, you could look into modules or adventures for the Rebellion era of Star Wars too. I could see that - with refluffing - fitting well. Striking against tyrannical oppressors.

[Jeajea]

Ooh, yes, I like these suggestions. Thank you! I'll look into Jade Regent and Ironfang Invasion both.

For the Star Wars one, forgive me my ignorance - this is Star Wars: Age of Rebellion you're suggesting? It sounds appropriate, so I'll look into that too.

Thanks both!

[Knaight]

How much are you willing to adapt? Because if it's fairly far afield, there's two things you should look at.
Spire is literally a game about resisting an occupation. It's a bit bleak, but it's a fantasy game which should be adapted pretty easily - and it's a lot less bleak than the second suggestion.
Grey Ranks is a game about resisting an occupation. Specifically you're playing teenage soldiers in Nazi occupied Warsaw. It's a historical game, and even by the standards of WWII media is unusually depressing.

[Erulasto]

Ooh, yes, I like these suggestions. Thank you! I'll look into Jade Regent and Ironfang Invasion both.

For the Star Wars one, forgive me my ignorance - this is Star Wars: Age of Rebellion you're suggesting? It sounds appropriate, so I'll look into that too.

Thanks both!

You could look into Star Wars: Saga edition as - probably - the easiest conversion of material, since it's a D20-based game as well. It has a supplement that deals with the Rebellion Era.

But Age of Rebellion could work too.

[JMS]

In terms of Pathfinder Adventure Paths:

Book 5 of the Jade Regent, Tide of Honour, is about liberating an oppressed country from a tyrant rule. It's heavily Oriental focused, and is exactly "Do X,Y, and Z to liberate country".

Ironfang Invasion, the entire AP, is about your small town being conquered as a prelude, with the PCs attempting to ward off the oncoming war taking over the whole country (I can't be too specific, because I haven't read it).

I doubt either of them is strongly applicable enough to just be run changing the names to your situation, but might be worth a read to idea-mine.

On a city wide scale, there is Hell’s Rebels, though I haven’t read or played it

[Reversefigure4]

You could look into Star Wars: Saga edition as - probably - the easiest conversion of material, since it's a D20-based game as well. It has a supplement that deals with the Rebellion Era.

The free campaign released for Saga Edition, Dawn of Defiance, is about resisting the Empire. Being a 1st-to-20th (or at least, high levels - it's been a long time since I ran this) campaign, it goes all around the Star Wars galaxies, so it's probably not all that applicable - definately a lot of conversion needed to make it applicable to the OP.

Broad strokes that could be idea-mined:
Adventure 1 has a 'raid the forest base' which could be borrowed.
Adventure 2 involves getting in good with a crime boss.
Adventure 3 is a James Bondian casino gambling tournament.
Adventure 4 is an evil Sith temple.
Adventure 5 is liberating a planet full of slave aliens - this might be particularly applicable.
The other 5 adventures are more SW specific, and don't translate to rescuing a country particularly well.

[Jeajea]

Very awesome, thank you all! I knew the good people of the internet could help me... I'm going to get copies of most of the things suggested and see how I can rework them to fit. Much appreciated!