travellerne

Re: Gaming "Outside the Box" Hi All, Here's something I've done with great success. I call it the "Interrogation Format." It works well as a change to your regular campaign and as a convention scenario. Here's how it works: The players gather for the game and the first thing the GM does is ask which player is "first?" They won't know what's happening but eventually a volunteer will say "I am." The GM then starts running the session. The scene is a one-on-one with the volunteer's character and an interrogator. The interrogator is asking the character questions about act 1 of the session and is rather forceful about it. Of course, none of the players know the answer but you've really got their attention at this point (they might think you're insane). Don't do this for too long (you need to be a alert to the edge between suspense and frustration). Then you step back and say, "Oh you don't know. Well, let's role play the events leading up to the question." Now the players have an idea where the story should go but they don't yet know how to get there--what really happened is still a mystery. So you all play for a while, until the events leading up to question 1 occur. Then you repeat the interrogation scene with a different volunteer (and they'll volunteer more quickly this time). Another question, more roleplaying up to that question, etc. At the end, they've uncovered the important clues they need for the rest of the campaign, exposed a conspiracy, whatever. Themes for the interrogation can be the murder of an important NPC (who helps the players during the adventure and ends up dead because of it), the theft of an item that eventually the PC's realize they know where it is, or any PC involvement in any conspiracy that fits in your campaign. Following is a four chapter sample of questions I once used. Note that the PCs didn't steal or kill anyone, they were just under suspicion and eventually revealed who the murderer/thief was at the end of chapter 4. 1: “I hope that you slept well in your cell last night. Let’s review what you told me yesterday. Why were you looking for Collins? How did you find him?†2: “What did Collins say was stolen? Why did you steal it?" 3: “Before you killed Collins, what information did you torture from him?†4: “What do you know about the Dragon?†Enjoy, and let me know if this ever works for you. K.

Re: Your Gaming Group's Jargon "Sheep" - rolling really well. This came about when I was playing a Traveller navigator character of mine that had more luck with the NPC ladies than at navigation rolls. So one evening, I would start chanting his NPC girlfriend's name before making every nav roll. Sure enough the dice would roll really well (10+ on 2d6) every time I did that. Well, the GM had enough and decided to show me, so he started mimicking my voice and chanting, "sheep, sheep," then threw the dice. Boxcars! He still hasn't lived it down and the "sheep" jargon isn't helping him. K.

Re: GMs, which character concepts did not make the cut in your game?

Re: GMs, which character concepts did not make the cut in your game? "Dead Baby" - flushed down the toilet at birth and raised by albino alligators in the sewers of New York. Basically a lot of slime and toxic effects. Pretty high "eeew" factor.

Re: Romantic Space Pirates For more flavor read or watch: Zorro (rebel) read The Three Musketeers (romantic rebels) any Errol Flynn you can get your hands on (flashy swashbuckling) any of the 1960's, 70's Hollywood pirate films (romantic pirate life) even the latest "Pirates of the Caribbean"

Missionaria Remediatoria BTW, this one I took ahold of right away. I've written down the name, added the order to the growing list of orders, but I haven't had time to design them yet. In other words, this one's a hit. Thanks, K.

BTW: Back to You In A Few

Another Source This may help you a little bit. I'm starting a Star Hero campaign called "The New Abbey" which has a brainstorming thread. While it's not going to be a Gothic-style campaign, like 40K, there are some postings of equipment (and hopefully more coming) that maybe you could use in 40K. K.

Re: Campaign Brainstorming: "The New Abbey" Kudos on catching the original origins of this group. But I'm going to write them up as a happier bunch. Since the pilgrim origins are lost in antiquity the origins that are remembered in this campaign are more the Hallmark-like holiday Thanksgiving has become. Still, it's a big universe and I'm sure there will be some dour Thanks Givers somewhere. K.

Sect: Thanks Givers Hi All, I've designed a human sect for the campaign called "The Thanks Givers." Their origins are lost in antiquity and the group has origins on several different worlds. Essentially they are optimistic people that gather in large groups about once a year to eat a big feast and celebrate their good fortune (sound familiar?). It's a very minor sect and only added for some background flavor. For characters I've designed a Thanks Giver's package that includes: Life Support: Diminished Eating (once per week) Social Limitation: Can Only Eat Meat That Is Poultry What else would a group like this have? Most of them aren't priests (but some priest come from Thanks Giver cultures); I don't think they'd have a distinctive appearance (their mostly regular people from several different cultures). Anyway, I just need a jolt to the head to get the creativity going again. Thanks, K

Re: Campaign Brainstorming: "The New Abbey" I think there will be some slang, etc.. There should be a way that the players notice that they are in a different environment than the real world or a historical setting. K.

Re: Campaign Brainstorming: "The New Abbey" MT, I like it enough to use it. Now for me to get to work writing up the details... Stand by, K.

Re: Campaign Brainstorming: "The New Abbey" Hi Major Tom, Don't worry about checking too closely. I figure after about 100,000 years the language will have drifted (and probably not even be a language we recognize), so anything latin-esque will be great to transmit the idea of the campaign theme. I do like to get fairly close though. K.

The Big Question: Aliens? Hi Phookz, Thanks, I'm glad you like the campaign idea. Stay tuned to this thread for more development. As for your thought on the campaign: Yes, that's where this is going. And yes, the church in this campaign will be very much like the early medieval church. For your questions: Tech levels will be very high. Low tech worlds will exist and will probably be in need of a mission (to bring "enlightenment" and technology). I'm not sure about aliens yet. I'm trying to think what effects this would have on the campaign. What do you all think? Thanks, K.

Re: Campaign Brainstorming: "The New Abbey" Hi MT, I like it enough to go with it! The names have the flavor I'd like in the campaign AND it emphasizes the church hierarchy (as seen in medieval times). Thanks!

Re: Campaign Brainstorming: "The New Abbey" I'll look into what a rosarius is. (I have to admit it was late at night when I wrote that and may have gotten rosarius confused with crozius.) I'd like to have a staff-like item for a protective device that's worth over 50 character points. As for the recognition, my pleasure. Thanks for the ideas. Now I just need to come up with the story of "Saint Thomas the Major," as well as "Saint Thomas the Lesser," and "Saint Thomas the Minor," and a host of a small selection of millions of saints from billions of worlds. K.

Re: Campaign Brainstorming: "The New Abbey" Yea, statics! It's like dynamics but with F=0! (Sorry, I've been there.) Um, yea. Good idea. It'd be a good idea for one of the orders. Thanks. K.

Crozius of Thomas the Major Here's a powerful staff for more senior priests and/or monks. Let me know what you think. I'm still looking for a latinized name for this holy item. K. Divine Protection: Force Wall (10rPd/10rEd, 7" long and 1" high), Reduced Endurance (0 END); OAF (Crozius), Restricted Shape (3" diameter circle), No Range Sustenance: Life Support (Extended Breathing, 1 END per Turn; Diminished Eating, once per week; Safe Environment: High Radiation, Intense Heat, Intense Cold; Longevity, 1/2 normal rate; Immunity: All Terrestrial diseases Light: Sight Group Images, 2" radius, Reduced Endurance (0 END); OAF (Crozius), Only to Create LIght; No Range. Occasional Miracle: 3d6 Luck; OAF. 56 Total Points

Re: Campaign Brainstorming: "The New Abbey" Say Major Tom, Your Latin seems somewhat better than mine. Earlier you suggested a crozius that provided some defense for the wielder (ala WH40K). Any idea how to Latinize "The Crozius of Thomas the Major?" Yea, I like to put in little bits of flavor into my campaign settings--most based on people who've helped me. I'm going to try and post more ideas for item designs tonight. Maybe...it's a busy night at work with new software being tested. K.

Re: Could this be used as a sort of telepathy? Yes. Use the Mind Link power. I don't recall all the details and my books aren't handy but there is an example in Star Hero (or maybe Terran Empire) of an encrypted radio net that only people with that same kind of radio can receive. One of the limitations was Not Mental (or something like that) to make it a piece of technology instead of ESP. K.

Re: Campaign Brainstorming: "The New Abbey" No, you're not nitpicking. I've already thought of that but I don't have a good name yet. This group will be the equivalent of the modern day Swiss Guards but, you are right, there is not Switzerland anymore and I don't want a name that tells too easily what they are modelled after. The working titles for this group so far have been: Landsknechts, Swiss Guards, Cohors Helvetica (a modern but obscure, to Americans anyway, name for the Swiss Guards). It's quite possible that Fidei Defensori will be the next working title--I like it. Although I might reserve Fidei Defensori for members of one of the inquisitions (who are also "Defenders of the Faith"). Thanks MT! K.

Re: Campaign Brainstorming: "The New Abbey"

Re: Campaign Brainstorming: "The New Abbey" That's part of why the list is cool: you can get other people to help you cool things down and find ways to do them easier. K.

Re: Campaign Brainstorming: "The New Abbey" Thanks MT! I vaguely remember that. I'll look into it (I know several local BFG players.) I had something like the Ramilies Star Fort in mind as a cathedral but not the main HQ (it's a big universe and a BIG religious hierarchy). K.

Re: Campaign Brainstorming: "The New Abbey" I was kind of thinking along those lines--with the "wouldn't it be cool to..." demon working in the back of my head. Taking your suggestion, what I'll do is just say "there's a ring world that is the futurisitc 'Mecca.'" Then, individual clerics or holy orders would have their bases on this world. And those bases can be designed. K.