World War II and High Fantasy

[Gnomemaster]

Whew, This idea really has been on the back burner for me. Here is what I got so far.

First, I bought myself World War II for dummies. It's great because it spans a lot of the information I had wanted to cover. Plus, the more I read into it, the more campaign and adventure seeds I thought of.

I'm including the Halflings as the British

I'm going to return this setting a little closer to WW II's time line. This war was 6 years long (just like WW II) and the DM can decide which year he wants the game to take place in. The year will effect gameplay a little bit (what kinds of technology has been discovered, how do NPCs react, etc)

Expect to see some more posts. The main thing I need some help with is thinking of a good name for the war. So far all I have thought of is The Great War, which isn't that impressive. Any thoughts?

[Gnomemaster]

I have actually drawn up a map, one of the coolest things about WW II is seeing the motion and movement of the different armies. I am outlining the major countries, and leaving the smaller countries more undefined.

Here is what I got

Halflings come from the country of Farthing. Farthing has a parliamentary government lead by Prime Minister Michel Knotwise. They are a stout and strong people who suffered greatly during the Last War. You could compare them to Great Britain.

Half-Elves come from the country of Qualinar. They suffered the most from the Elves of Thoribas, and after the Last War claimed much of Thoribas for themselves to serve as a buffer between Qualinar and Thoribas. Qualinar also has a huge defense of bunkers and fortresses called the Line of Qual. The Half-Elves can be compared to the French.

The Gnomes of Steamblack are a fascist country. They have a strong centralized government ruled by a single dictator who controls all aspects of life. They are also the most technologically advanced yet magically inept of countries. The Gnomes can be compared to the Italians.

The Elves of Thoribas suffered during the Last Great War and were blamed for its the bloody losses of the other countries. Lead by Beren Miriel, a charismatic despot, he hopes to conquer the other races, pay his debt to Mephistopheles for the devil's fiendish troops, and return the elves to their rightful place of power. The elves can be compared to the Germans.

The Dwarfs of the United Dwarven Kingdom are a new and young government. Having taken power from the Dwarf King through a bloody revolution, the UDF fights for equality for all. They signed a pact with Miriel of non-aggression and are hardly trusted by their allies.

The Minotaurs of Taura are a loose association of Warlords and tribes. They have no overall government, but are seen as a powerful asset by the Elves and Gnomes due to their huge deposits of magical crystals. The Minotaurs and Taura can be compared to Africa.

The Hobgoblins of Katar have been fighting back the Orcs for decades now. They try to align themselves with more powerful countries for aid. Katar is similar to China

The Humans of Stratton hope to stay out of the war, yet find themselves sucked in when the Orcs stage a surprise attack against them. The humans end up being one of the superpowers in the war. They can be compared to America.

that's all I have for now, there are several other smaller countries that represent Poland and Finland and others. these weaker countries are made up of human and half-elven villages with a weak military.