Encounter Group#12 Maxwell's Militia
 

Name: Maxwell's Militia
Geographical Location: 6 extending to 8
H&M Average:12
H&M Range 8-15
Number found : 10-40
Tech Level: B
Power / Resources : Hydroelectric, steam, some solar/mining, farming, coal.
Weapons: Modern automatic weapons, explosives, some armored vehicles.
Special Attributes: Good repair of a few modern (M60) tanks and heavy guns.

Description: An organization founded by a ruthless but efficient tyrant in the early days following the War. He managed to carve out a sizable empire before he was assassinated. The empire still exists in the form of feudalism. The militia still protects the locals from any attack. Basically intelligent people who have a working system

A powerful group and a certain foil to a Team and a serious challenge to a Combined Group. Certainly not going to open to the idea of giving up their power to re-instate a dead Nation. Since it is already established a right of succession by assassination, this assumes Leadership is not hereditary, and family groups are in constant contention atleast those in the Militia. The Citizens themselves are anyones guess.

I do not see all of Maxwell's Militia being led by leaders through assasination. Yes, the canon TM 1-1 does say that Maxwell was assasinated, however this could have been for many reasons. I like the portrait of MM in Lucifer. A local splinter of Maxwell that actually tries to help the civilians of the town they guard. IIRC, the Lucifer module states that the towns people look up to the members of Maxwell's Militia. Sounds a lot like what Morrow is supposed to do. I could see Morrow and this part of Maxwell working together very well.

Of course you can have the other extreme. This type of group is why MARS was founded.

As GM, you can set up what Maxwell is doing in the town that the team is investigating. As always, have fun, and make the team sweat!!! :D

My $0.02

Mike

Agreed. The fact that one leader was assassinated does not establish a right of succession by assassination (see US Presidents, for example)

In fact, canon tells us little about the "official" structure of Maxwell's Militia. The unit in "Project Lucifer" has been out-of-contact for a century and can't really be regarded as typical. It's a small town security force with a big tradition

I like to see the Militia as something like the Chinese generals of the Warlord Era (1916 to 1940's). They might even claim allegiance to the Republic of the United States of America - but they're just protecting their own feudal fiefdoms. They operate the old feudal protection racket: stability in exchange for taxes & loyalty

I also see them as probable allies or clients of the KFS

Except that the USA was a functioning Republic at the time and this is a Dictatorship. Dictatorships are known for their occasional messy turn over. This is not to say that every transition of power is by assassination. The power could go to an Heir or if the heir is deemed unsuitable a Second child or the offspring of a relative. The assassination bit is like the Rich Five, there is an ongoing contest for power among a handful of competing families or clans. Where does the Team go when each is just a different degree of evil?

What if some of those pre-War leaders have cryo tubes from a seized bolthole?

Maxwell isn't dead just pretending to be. Maybe lying and waiting for a real threat to his property.... Wake me to kill the Krell. Ruthlessness doesn't necessarily mean evil...... A ruthless and efficient tyrant would withhold serum from all the people to give only to those with skills and talents for the group as a whole. Example, the diesel mechanic gets the serum and the housewife does not.

I feel like pre-War villains are better antagonists to TMP players. The reason is that technology isn't amazing, shocking,or poorly grasped by these sort and their mastery of them is a portion of why people follow them.

I am bumping this thread, seeing as we have more information available to us from the 4th edition rules. Maxwell was a ruthless businessman (presumably from the graphic the self-named Maxwell Industries) that established The Maxwell Empire shortly after the war. The Maxwell Empire is a feudal empire. Maxwell's Militia was formed to establish dominance in the region. Service in the Militia was and still is mandatory. The Militia, as a military force, was highly successful in destroying those that opposed Maxwell and protecting those pacified and paying tribute. The description also mentions that the empire continued under the Militia following Maxwell's assassination.

Given all this, Maxwell's Militia is more complex than the terce description in the 3rd edition would suggest. Since this is a feudal society, there must be a group of feudal lords that run their sections of the empire on behalf of the leader of the Maxwell Empire. For simplicity, I will refer to this leader only as Emporer. The implication is that the various feudal lords, which would be generals or such in the Militia, may have very different styles in ruling and enforcing the mandatory enlistment into the Militia. Some may operate like Switzerland, others may operate with an iron hand. Also how much do they follow the orders of the Emporer?

This would also bring into question how this man claiming to be a grandson of Maxwell can bring the lords together to restore the days of glory as the new Emporer.

The Roman method of 'adopting' prospective heirs might give an insight into the system if the GM doesn't want to utilise the old hoary feudal system. In this method the prospective next leader takes the old leader's surname but has no blood connection. This is good becauset even post apocalyptic survivors are going to be familiar with and probably hostile to the concept of feudalism and what feudalism became - an extremely unfair system that reduced 95% of the followers essentially to slavery.
(Actually misunderstood, because feudalism is an extremely convoluted subject that changed radically over the thousand years it was in practice).