Total War CYOA (Jumpchain-Compliant!

The year is indeterminate. The factions, numerous and fierce. This is a time of conquest and

plunder! A time of intrigue and subterfuge. A time of love and hatred. Should your leader prove wise

and capable, perhaps you, too, can achieve greatness in this, an age of Total War! To aid you in your

journey here, you shall receive...

+1000 CP

May you tread well in this new age, for all the world is arrayed against you.
Section 1: Timeline

Roll 1d8 for timeline or pay 50 CP to choose.

1-2 – Rome: Total War – Beginning in the time of the Roman Republic and ending in the early Imperial

era, your journey will take you from the wars of Alexander's Diadochoi onward into the Pax Romana.

Along the way, you will face threats from both within and without – be ever wary, for you enemies will

not rest.

3-4 – Medieval: Total War – The year is 1080, and King William the Conqueror sits the throne of

England. You shall remain until the year 1530, and in this time it is up to you to take the fate of Europe

in your own hands. Your own foes will press in upon you, as will the forces of the world beyond your

maps, but do not despair, for you may yet achieve victory!

5-6 – Shogun: Total War – It is 1545, and Japan has fractured. No longer do the over-mighty clans obey

the Ashikaga shoguns. Instead, they squabble and spite one another on the battlefield and under cover

of night. This is Sengoku Jidai – the Age of the Country at War. Bishamonten has spoken – it is up to

you to bring unity to the land once again!

7-8 – Free Pick – It seems the fates, whatever they may be, have smiled upon you, for you have at your

disposal the chance to choose any of the campaigns present before you. Now is the time to make your

mark on a world of Total War! You may also choose a mod that does not replace the Total War map

with an entirely different setting (Amazon is borderline, but alright – Third Age is a no-go).
Section 2: Identity

Make an age roll depending on your Identity, or simply pay 50 CP to choose both your age and your

gender.

Independent [Free] – With no new memories, you arrived on the outskirts of the known world. Whether

a barbarian tribe, a rebel army, or an independent state, someone has taken you in in the hopes of

furthering their own goals. Roll 1d8+20 for your age.

Agent [100 CP] – With subtlety as your watchword, you maneuver the politics and conflicts of the

various nations with ease. Perhaps you could even change their destinies. Roll 1d8+30 for your age.

Commander [100/300/500 CP] – As a Captain, you lead a small force, about one hundred and fifty

strong, of a single troop type in the name of your faction. With a good enough performance, you may

be promoted some time in the future. Alternatively, you may become a General in command of about a

thousand troops and the trust of your faction's leader for 300 CP. For a whopping 500 CP, you may

instead become the Faction Heir. Your starting army is somewhere near three thousand troops, and you

may serve directly alongside the Faction Leader (who is now one of your parents) on your first

campaign. This third option also comes with a free coat of arms, to be borne by any and all of your

legitimate descendants (this inclues any children you already have). However, Faction Heirs must take

the “Where Do All Of These Assassins Keep Coming From?” Drawback for no extra points. Roll

1d8+15 for your age.

Concerning factions, you may choose any playable faction from the Timeline in which you have

arrived. You may, instead, import a faction you have led previously for 300 CP. Whether through

reduced numbers or through simple weakening, they will be balanced with the other factions on the
map – at first.
Section 3: Skills and Abilities

Discounted skills are 50% off for the specified Identity.

Army Without A Home [100 CP, free Independent] – Logistics are a pain, but this makes it a bit easier.

Your troops can go slightly longer without food, water, shelter, or rest – a skill they'll need, since no

city will welcome you.

Specialization [100 CP, free Agent] – Choose either diplomacy, seduction, finances, intrigue,

assassination, or religion. You gain a rudimentary understanding of the proper means and skills of that

trade, and your skill in them will grow with time.

Reform, You Spineless Dogs! [100 CP, free Commander] – When the going gets tough, your war horn

gets blowing. With a single triumphant burst, your forces are reminded that you are there to lead them,

and will fight on unless severely outnumbered or outmatched.

Heretics and Witches and Brigands, Oh My! [200 CP, discount Independent] – With this, you'll be sure

to find favor among the dregs of society – as long as you don't mess with them, they'll leave you

unharmed, and they'll likely help you out in exchange for aid against their enemies!

Trust In Me [200 CP, discount Agent] – Unless you do something to spark ire or scrutiny, you will, by

default, be seen as trustworthy.

Run Them Down! [200 CP, discount Captain, free General or Faction Heir] – When the enemy breaks,

you don't mean to just let them get away. With this, your troops will move faster when pursuing a

fleeing foe – the better to take prisoners, either to ransom or to execute.

a time when you weren't running, really. Turns out you're pretty good at it. Anyone you lead will now

march far faster and hide far better.

Nothing To See Here [400 CP, discount Agent] – When it comes to diverting attention from yourself,

it's pretty easy. You can convince basically anyone you don't intend to speak with to leave you alone,

unless you do something really suspicious.

Run, Cowards!/To Me, Brothers! [400 CP, discount Captain and General, free Faction Heir] – You are

either so well-regarded and noble that even your worst enemies respect you and your troops hardly ever

falter, or so dreaded on the battlefield that your armies make desperate charges to get away from you

and your enemy's units break without a fight. Either will also make it easier for conquered cities to

adjust to your management.

Revolution! [800 CP, discount Independent] – When it comes to the settled societies you face, you can

find many dissidents among them. Enough, even to launch a grand rebellion – one that might even be

called heretical. Should you decide to lead such a rebellion, any such ill-contents will rise with you in

the name of whatever cause you deem fit. This will never, however, be more than half the number of

the military of whichever nation you rebel against.

Who, Me? [800 CP, discount Agent] – It's very difficult to blame you for anything. Nine times out of

ten, your targets seem to forget that you're not one of them, and they'll usually find a different

scapegoat if something goes wrong. Why, perhaps the enemy king may mistake you for one of his own

advisors! Surely there's something you could make work with that, hm?
Retinue [800 CP, discount Commander] – It is the nature of man to follow greater men, and this is as

true for those who follow you as it is for any other. Any followers you obtain will lend you a measure

of their greatest skill simply by associating with you – a mercenary captain will make mercenaries

lower their prices for you, a shieldbearer will make you more durable, a scholar will make you more

intelligent, and a preacher will increase your oratory skill, for instance.

Together We Ride [200 CP] – You may import up to 8 of your Companions as either Agents or

Generals, each gaining their background and its free perk.

Discounted items are 50% off for the specified origin.

5,000 Florins/Denarii/Koku [50 CP] – You've got quite a tidy sum of money to start with! Rather nice,

hm?

War Games [50 CP] – This is a complete collection of all of the Total War games ever made, delivered

straight to your Warehouse. As a bonus, the discs include all of your favorite mods, and everything

wrong with Empire, Napoleon, and Rome II is fixed.

Honor Guard [100 CP] – This unit of 20 troops of a single type, foot or mounted (not artillery or ships

or elephants, mind you) has sworn itself to protect you or an ally you designate as you continue your

journey through life. However, as much as they might desire to fight on, they have the dubious quality

of being incapable of transcending the bounds of humanity. You may clad them in the finest armor, and

grant them such tactics and strategies that most foes would blanch at the sight of them, but these

twenty, these happy few, will always be entirely human. As such, they are not true Companions, and

should every one of them perish before successors (which also must be entirely human) can be trained,

they will be lost to you.

False Idol [100 CP, free Independent] – This “heathen” figurine dates from a time long ago, before the

main faith of your timeline took root. When placed in a place of worship, it whispers “heretical” words

into the minds of those within that “holy” place, possibly spurring them to “apostasy”.

Forged Papers [100 CP, 1 free Agent] – These papers appear to approximate a writ of safe passage into

a given nation's territory. Odd, that. It seems to update to that nation's closest equivalent anywhere else
you go, too.

Black Stallion [100 CP, free Commander] – This warhorse is swifter than most, and while you seat it,

your army can make a forced march.

Turncoat [300 CP, discount Independent] - If you can convince an enemy to wear this coat, it will instill

in them a powerful compulsion to abandon whatever cause they may have stood for before. This will

not necessarily prompt them to join you, but they'll certainly find loyalty a difficult prospect.

Silver Tongue [300 CP, discount Agent] – So long as this tongue-shaped silver bauble is on your

person, you will seem more eloquent than you actually are, regardless of how vulgar your speech is.

Stalward Standard [300 CP, discount Commander] – The mere presence of this flag in your arsenal is

enough to increase the morale of all those following you, for they will always know you are alive if you

hold it up. Never have soldiers panic because they think an arrow got you again!
Section 5: Drawbacks

You may gain up to +600 CP in total from Drawbacks. If you wish to take more, they will simply add

flavor.

Low Poly Count [+100 CP] – Why does everyone look like they're from a not-very-well-animated 90's

computer game? You don't even remember the FIRST Total War game looking this pixelated.

A Terrible Day For Rain [+100 CP] – Well, that's just great. The weather never seems to be in your

favor at all. High wind hinders your archers, the mist only hides your enemies, and rain keeps putting

out your flaming catapult ammo.

Stop Helping Me [+100 CP] – You know what you're doing, but these advisors don't seem to care.

They're always chattering in your ear, explaining the most basic concepts to you – even when they're

not even around.

Wooden Ships and Iron Men [+100 CP] – Instead of the Timeline you rolled, you are now in the

timeline of Empire: Total War – and while that isn't terribly dangerous, the world just seems to lack

some of the luster the other timelines have. If you want, this can be Napoleon: Total War instead.

Anon the Impious [+200 CP] – Whatever religion and/or code is most commonly accepted in your

timeline, you just don't see what all the fuss is about. Expect your society's moral guardians to have a

field day tracking you down. That said, you're not a “kill on sight” target yet.

Anon the Lily-Livered [+200 CP] – Wow, you are just a coward, aren't you? Expect to have to be

restrained to avoid fleeing the first time an arrow whizzes past you. This guarantees you won't lead
from the front.

Anon the Mad [+200 CP] – You may or may not be slightly insane. This lets you give some pretty good

speeches, but you tend to be reckless and wasteful in battle.

Anon the Decadent [+200 CP] – Lewd, gluttonous, lazy – all of these describe you. Unless you can

have some gaggle of foreign “escorts” with you during the fight, it'll be difficult for you to even drag

yourself to the battlefield.

Where Do All Of These Assassins Keep Coming From? [+300 CP] – No, seriously. They just keep

coming from nowhere and everywhere. Almost every nation has their clandestine agents working to put

your head on a silver platter.

Plagued [+300 CP] – The worst diseases you can imagine strike your nation constantly, and it seems

your rivals are immune. Looks like this is going to be a wild ride.

A SHAMEFUR DISPRAY [+300 CP] – What is wrong with your troops' morale? Even the weakest

peasants, if arrayed in great enough numbers, seem to drive your troops into a panic. They like to call it

an advance in the opposite direction, but you know better. Curiously, this doesn't affect mercenaries or

your personal guard, but expect to fight a LOT of battles undermanned.

Excommunicate [+300 CP] – There is a great authority in the world, and they may call down great

wrath upon you at their leisure. This was evident from the beginning. However, with this Drawback in

mind, every ounce of hatred and fury they could ever manifest is directed upon you. If you are in

Medieval: Total War, expect the Pope to call a Crusade upon you as often as he is capable, and for the
followers of the Prophet to declare a mighty and eternal Jihad against your people should they ever

become aware of you. If you are in Rome: Total War, expect the Roman Senate to call for your

extermination, and for even foreign powers to heed the call. Not even flight to barbarian lands can save

you. If you are in Shogun: Total War, the Ashikaga Shogunate will declare a Realm Divide against you

the moment you arrive – and Bishamonten help you, for this war shall be eternal. No clan will ally or

even trade with you, and Wokou pirates, Ming China, and European powers alike will find your

extermination profitable.
Section 6: Drawbacks (Continued)

Special Challenges
These additional complications can make your life quite a bit more difficult, but each has its own

reward.

YOU. [+600 CP] - An old foe has returned for you. Every one of your Companions may join
your ranks here – for you will need each and every one merely to survive. This world shall descend into

chaos. Whisperings of a barbarian horde, or perhaps of black ships on the horizon, or even of a great

force of elephants, these shall be but the prelude to what you face. This old foe, one you dared not face

again, has come with an army matching yours in every measure of power, and they have but one goal –

to eliminate you. Even if you win, however, the tidings grow worse. A new foe, one you thought your

great benefactor could protect you from simply by not sending you to their home, has appeared just

when you thought the madness had ceased. Woe is you that you should ever have to face such a

monster. Luckily for you, at least, it is not one empowered such as you are – it is not a traveler like you.

It does, however, lead an army that entirely outmatches yours in all but hopefully one respect – its

leadership. Are you a great enough commander to lead your forces to victory - and how much of the

world will burn in your final showdown?

Forgetting Someone? [+400 CP, Requires YOU.] – The tide grows darker. Before, you
merely faced two enemies placed on par with you. Now, the same boon has been granted to every
force, individual, or place that you have ever faced as a foe – even if you found a way to force said foe

to fight for you before. They shall, all of them, descend upon you in unison and in fury untold. Your

doom has come – have you the skill of command to escape it long enough that your provider grants you

peace? What will become of the many nations of the world?

At Least They're Not All On My Butt Right Now [500 CP, Requires Forgetting

Someone?] - Luckily for you, it seems that your enemies are not so unified after all. Their primary

concern is to deal with you, yes, but each now seems to be under the assumption that only THEY are

allowed to defeat you. It is a small comfort – they will still find you.

Every complication that follows is worth +300 CP, and is mutually exclusive with those within the

same timeline as itself. You may only take one of the following Special Challenges from the section

headed by your Timeline. When taking one of these Drawbacks, you may double the points gained

from it by sacrificing your supernatural abilities and Warehouse.

Rome: Total War

An Egyptian in Scotland – Pharaoh Heruben Ptolemy, last heir of Ptolemy I Soter, has fled the

Seleucid tide that even now drowns Egypt, and has made his way to the island of Brittania – but he has

left you behind. Can you hold the last bastions of the Ptolemaic realm, reclaim that great Diadochoi

state for yourself, and welcome the Pharaoh back onto the shores of Alexandria, or will you, too, try

your luck in the frozen north among the vicious Britons and the mysterious Picts? In either case, you

must survive and remain in power long enough to see the official coronation of Heruben as Pharaoh –

and perhaps intervene in his final confrontation with Vortigern.

the first Pharaoh will command the respect of any Egyptian, no matter the era. Furthermore, it is just as

viable a weapon now as it was then.

Gibbon Was Wrong – As you awake, you have a foreboding feeling about the date – and you're right.

It is January 1st, 476 A.D., and you must prevent the deposition of Romulus Augustulus, last of the de

facto Western Roman Emperors, and restore true and firm Roman control to all of Italia, Gaul,

Hispania, North Africa, and Germania Minor, your campaign culminating in the recapture of Hadrian's

Wall in Brittania. You can't leave until you do, and if Romulus Augustulus dies of age or injury before

your quest is complete, you must ensure an Italian Roman heir takes the throne – even if this would

prevent you from ascending yourself. Perhaps that Julius Nepos fellow can help.

Should you complete this challenge, you will check your person as you leave this world only to find

that your travels in Britannia have brought the Eagle of the Ninth into your possession – along with

some ten descendants of the survivors of the Ninth Legion. They fight as the soldiers of the Empire's

glory days did, following you from world to world. However, only their leader, one Aderyn Metellus, is

a true Companion – should any of the other 9 die, their lives are forfeit, and only Aderyn can be

imported.

With Im-Punic-ty – The year is 218 BCE. Carthage needs you, for it is clear that if the city of Dido is

to reign over the Mediterranean as it has for centuries, then the sons of Aeneas must perish. You will

have the aid of one Hannibal Barca in this quest, but he alone cannot win the day. You and he must,

together, storm the gates of Rome, crush the very heart of the city, and forever break the back of the

Republic. Only then can Dido's soul rest.

join you on your journeys from here on, providing a superb platform from which to lay waste to your

foes.

Medieval: Total War

I Am Skantarios – The year is 1450. The last of the Palaeologoi lies slain by an assassin's hand. Now,

one prince, Skantarios Laskaris, seeks to restore the glory of the Basileia Rhomanion – but to do so, he

will need to get through the Turks, defeat the Venetians, and avoid the intrigue in Constantinople itself.

The task of standing at his side along the way is up to you, and be warned – he will use a great many

brutal and heinous methods in his quest to restore the glory of the TRUE Roman Empire, up to and

including his plan to exterminate Islam itself after the second Jihad against Constantinople. At some

point, he will also end up killing the Pope. This is not by any means a peaceful or even honorable

quest. This is a road of blood (most of it Turkish) and fire (most of it Greek).

Should you succeed in this journey, surviving until Skantarios meets his end in the Alps near

Skantarium, you will take possession of the Sword of Constantine the Great – Once wielded by that

mighty Roman Emperor, and by Skantarios Laskaris, this ancient weapon now passes to you, still as

sharp as the day it was forged. No soldier who dares call himself Roman would fail to rally at the sight

of this blade.

A Scotsman in Egypt – The year is 1080, and King Malcom Canmore III sits the throne of Scotland,

opposing the Norman William to the south. This, however, is not their story. This is the story of his

sons, Edward and Edmund Canmore, who, regardless of your current state of existence, decided to take
you out drinking some time ago. While you were there, the three of you made a decision to take a ship

to Egypt and conquer it for your own. Now, you've got a bad hangover, but the three of you are landing

on the shores of Egypt. You will follow Edward, Edmund, and their sons on their adventures through

Egypt, the Holy Land, and even the furthest ends of civilization. By the end of your journey, you will,

in the name of Scotland and the Canmore line, conquer the ends of the known world and follow King

Kirk Canmore into the unknown – the far mists of the New World and the Aztec Empire.

Should you succeed, you will earn the respect of General Angus the Mauler, who will follow you into

the infinite realms for the prospect of fighting and killing more elephants. He really likes fighting

elephants. However, he has notable anger problems, is a flagrant illiterate, and generally does not like

sitting around and waiting for anything. In addition, he has no respect for cowards – you'll need to

prove your mettle if you want him to listen to you, even if he'll still travel with you for the adventure.

The Muddling Adventures of Prince Knud (and Other Assorted Tales) – Oh, boy, here we go. The

year is 1066. There is a prince in Denmark by the name of Knud Knytling, and he drew his portrait

himself. It also looks pretty terrible, actually. Follow the epic saga of the Knytling family through

Knud's illegitimate children and hatred of the church, Valdemar's conquests and liasons with pagan

women, Duchess Marguerite's betrayal of the Knytling line, the misery of King Bjorn, King Knud's

insistence on reporting every event of his life in song, King Rolf's naivete and eventual demonic

possession, the rise of a great enemy in the form of Holy Roman Emperor Adolf Knytling, and the

eventual zombification and demonic possession of King Stephen, who also dies fighting one Knud

Knytling, descendant of the original Knud's mortal enemy Pryzybyslaw. In 1454, if you're still

somehow sane (and governing at least ONE duchy or something) by the end of this madness, you will

essentially win.
Should you complete this challenge, you will obtain possession of, of all things, a wharf. Should

enemies ever again invade a holding of yours, they will first burn this wharf. That's how you'll know

they're there. The wharf is also decorated with banners reading such encouraging Knytlingisms as “I

send all of my problems to the church” and “The plan was simple.”

Shogun: Total War

Rise and Fall – Your journey will not only take you through the Sengoku Era. No, my friend, you will

walk a far longer road. From the beginning of the Gempei War of 1180 to the end of the Boshin War

and the cementation of the Meiji Restoration in the late 1860's, you must earn and maintain your power

over all of Japan.

Should you succeed, you shall seize control of Japan's first natively-built steam warship – the

Chiyodagata. This ship will serve you well on the high seas, and has a crew to maintain and sail it –

they cannot, however, leave the ship.

Land of the Rising Cross – Your fate now is to do the impossible – lead the Otomo Clan and

Christianity to dominance over all Japan. You will be opposed at every turn, and don't expect much

help from your nominal patrons in Europe. They have bigger fish to fry - namely, each other.

Should you succeed, you shall be granted the breech-loading swivel gun known as Kunikuzushi, or the

“Destroyer of Provinces.” This cannon can be mounted on any fortification or ship you so please.

A Thousand Tricks – What in the name of everything is going on here? Your lands are plagued by
mischevious youkai on a weekly basis, and their pranks, while usually not fatal, tend to mess with your

logistics. They've also played a few not-so-harmless tricks. Endless ninjas and geisha, each after your

head, infiltrate your lands, and your enemies' steel, somehow folded over a million times and capable

of cutting just about anything, is only effective when used against your forces. Neither you nor your

allies can make more use of it than you could of low-quality iron. There may or may not be a tanuki

helping itself to some of your finances, and killing too many of the youkai results strangely in the

interest of a purple-clad woman. In this case, the goal is to survive with your sanity intact.

Should you succeed in lasting through the Sengoku era with your sanity, you will be granted

something rather useful – a single sword. It's an average sword, true, but the clan mon etched on the

blade marks it eternally as a symbol of your high class. Indeed, anyone who sees this sword or the

intricately decorated hilt will respect your clear and apparent class and style.