[QUOTE=Gnomical;43119395]So I'm making a space campaign thing (set in a universe I've already created/am creating), and I'm new to the whole GMing thing, anyone have any suggestions? It's probably going to be kinda light (not a lot of rules, simpler mechanics since everyone is kinda new to RP). Some parts of it I'm making on roll20 but other parts (like the cities and space stations) I'm just gonna describe and shit since those are very large environments.
It's starting in a rather Bethesda way (a friend's words on it). They start on a prison station, the station's reactor goes critical and they escape onto the same ship, it starts the second the ship is out of the dangerous range and the station explodes. Why each of them were on the station is up to them, I asked that at least one of them be a criminal and two of them already said they want to be. So far they are excited, I'm still finishing up the assets and story/lore then I have to figure out how the mechanics actually work so I'm not just completely 100% improvising (although I probably will do a lot of improvising). I got a few random events and quest-y like things already thought of that should hopefully be interesting, but any general tips/guidelines would be greatly appreciated.[/QUOTE]
What system are you using?
[QUOTE=Gnomical;43119395]So I'm making a space campaign thing (set in a universe I've already created/am creating), and I'm new to the whole GMing thing, anyone have any suggestions? It's probably going to be kinda light (not a lot of rules, simpler mechanics since everyone is kinda new to RP). Some parts of it I'm making on roll20 but other parts (like the cities and space stations) I'm just gonna describe and shit since those are very large environments.
It's starting in a rather Bethesda way (a friend's words on it). They start on a prison station, the station's reactor goes critical and they escape onto the same ship, it starts the second the ship is out of the dangerous range and the station explodes. Why each of them were on the station is up to them, I asked that at least one of them be a criminal and two of them already said they want to be. So far they are excited, I'm still finishing up the assets and story/lore then I have to figure out how the mechanics actually work so I'm not just completely 100% improvising (although I probably will do a lot of improvising). I got a few random events and quest-y like things already thought of that should hopefully be interesting, but any general tips/guidelines would be greatly appreciated.[/QUOTE]
If you're interested in using an actual system, I'd recommend mongoose traveller just because it's got basically everything you will ever need/want in a sci-fi system and, provided you limit some of the more ridiculous stuff, it can be really really simple and easy to learn and play if you want it (and even towards the complex end it's still not terribly bad compared to a lot of games)
but I'd say, as a player, what I would probably do in that situation is immediately try to do some jobs/steal enough to get a better ship. Since I doubt prison lifeboats are especially stacked in any way. So I'd expect that to be a short-term goal at some point.
Since they're prisoners, I'd also imagine encounters with the space police (if any) or bounty hunters seem like they would be an easy and probable event
also, how sci-fi are you doing? Like, space opera, gritty realistic stuff, what
Let's see if I can't summarize this monster quickly so I can sleep.
[quote]Start at the bus stop to school. Our characters thus far are Eve Ishi, played by Friggle, Sarah Salem, played by Data, and Ally, Eve's friend and an NPC.
Ally is an incredibly hyperactive girl who if you've ever seen Kill la Kill is pretty much Mako.
Eve is extremely shy and doesn't talk much.
Sarah is much the same, only more of a hardass than shy.
Bus ride conversation. Class starts. Sarah introduced as new transfer student. Eve sits at the back window seat of the class, the traditional anime seat.
A tap at the shuttered and blinded window reveals itself to be Satoya, controlled by Ryan. She's a catgirl, and already a magical girl, with the magical element of Life. The other characters are not yet magical. With Satoya is Hakurobe, the magical talking cat that can grant magic powers.
Satoya attempts to sneak in the window. Fails. Knocks over desks and bookshelves. Announcement over school PA system cuts classes short. Eve, Ally, Sarah and Satoya go to the mall, with Hakurobe. Hakurobe talks to all but Ally, who can't hear him.
At mall. Ally runs into pet shot. Party talks to Hakurobe. Ally exits pet shop with illegally acquired rabbits. Drops rabbits. Rabbits scatter. Ally chases rabbits. Mall cop tackles Ally. Party gets Ally released from mall cop. Leave mall.
Satoya snuck out 10 rabbits somehow. Gives them ALL to Ally. Ally goes home with 10 rabbits, later named Fluffy, Flufficus, Fluffzar, Skippy, Peppy, Sir Hopsalot, Bonbuns, Cottonball and Fred.
Ally goes home with newly acquires rabbits. Party goes other way home. Route is blocked by construction. Take alley around construction.
Alley starts to look weird. Turns into a Nightmare, or a magical labyrinth where the youma/witch/demon thing lives. It pops out of a dumpster. Satoya gets to test the Magical Burst combat system and proves how unbalanced the summoning moves Ryan can use with her are OP and need some adjusting.
Hits are exchanged between the youma and Satoya.
I originally planned for this thing to get wounded, then piss off and become a problem later, but mister "I'LL TAKE UNNECESSARY OVERCHARGE DICE FOR 500" Ryan decided to make use of Magical Burst's really neat Overcharge dice system (each OC dice adds 1d6 to a roll, but gives you an OC point, which too many of need to be vented with Fallouts. Those are bad and can range from minor reality disturbances and emotional outbursts to drastic mutations and massive explosions) to absolutely murderlize the everliving fuck out of it.
Satoya's Fallouts included being stricken with crippling bouts of pain on a regular basis for the rest of her life, and spontaneously making out with Sarah after screaming her tits off.
Satoya collects her Oblivion Seed and they leave the dissolved labyrinth.
There they meet an oversized talking raven with a white beak. It's sagely as fuck and pretty bro according to Data. It talks of contracts and magical shit then flies off.
They go home. Second day starts.
School. Class. Once again, Satoya taps at the window and tries to sneak in. Fails miserably once again. Slips again. Knocks over the same desks and bookshelves. Again. Only this time, she gets caught underneath the shelf and is stuck.
Teacher's getting pissed now. Words exchanged. Sarah gets sick of this shit, stands up, and flips the entire fucking bookshelf off Satoya. The entire class is now afraid of Sarah, the one American they've ever seen. They wonder if all Americans are that ripped.
Satoya grabs Ally and jumps out the window. Eve barely manages to avoid a scolding from the teacher with words.
Meanwhile, Satoya and Ally make their way to the mall.
Lunch break. Sarah decides to become a magical girl. Her magical power is time. The raven from the previous day grants the request and creates a contract with her. Meanwhile, Eve is scared for Ally being stuck with the crazy catgirl, and calls her cellphone. She hears lots of noise, animals, and generally things that are not good to hear when your friend is in an arcade at the mall. Eve decides to go to the mall to help Ally. Sarah sees Eve running and catches up.
At the mall, Ally and Satoya released every animal in the pet store, then started fucking around in the arcade. Later, Sarah and Eve arrive at the arcade to see animals settling in to places, fires around the arcade, and Ally starts shooting the two of them with a paintball gun.
To summarize, Ally and Satoya released every pet in the pet store across the mall, stole paintball guns, accidentally set fire to the arcade, and started a paintball match in the arcade. Did I mention this was during school time? Ally was cutting class. Satoya's a dropout so it doesn't matter much.
Sarah notices that they're late. They run back to school, getting there halfway through the class. They almost make it out without a problem before they realize they never told Ally the lie they said to get out of trouble. Ally proudly blurts what she did at the mall while cutting class after having been kidnapped.
Teacher and class are speechless. A knock at the door reveals itself to be two cops, looking for Ally and Satoya.
Satoya, having snuck into the main office, can see the coppers in the room probably looking for her BFF Ally. She uses the PA system and calls in a false threat of a student with a grenade. Students evacuate the school in a rush. Party joins them.
Ally goes home to tend to her rabbits. Sarah goes home. Eve goes to the retirement home where her grandmother is. Satoya ends up at Ally's house.
Newscast shows the retirement home Eve went to to be now a rubble pile. Panic. End session.[/quote]
Not proof reading this but I'm willing to bet it's massive.
[editline]8th December 2013[/editline]
Yep. That's massive.
[QUOTE=SiberysTranq;43119474]If you're interested in using an actual system, I'd recommend mongoose traveller just because it's got basically everything you will ever need/want in a sci-fi system and, provided you limit some of the more ridiculous stuff, it can be really really simple and easy to learn and play if you want it (and even towards the complex end it's still not terribly bad compared to a lot of games)
but I'd say, as a player, what I would probably do in that situation is immediately try to do some jobs/steal enough to get a better ship. Since I doubt prison lifeboats are especially stacked in any way. So I'd expect that to be a short-term goal at some point.
Since they're prisoners, I'd also imagine encounters with the space police (if any) or bounty hunters seem like they would be an easy and probable event
also, how sci-fi are you doing? Like, space opera, gritty realistic stuff, what[/QUOTE]
I'll look into mongoose thanks. There will be encounters with various space police. In Kalodi space, where they start, everything is run by megacorporations. Each megacorp has it's own policies and police and law and such, and planets could be solely owned by one or jointly operated by more than one, or even be a hotbed of contested corporate warfare. The homeworld is a sorta free enterprise society and is also where the State Board is located, which is the de facto "ruler" of the empire as a whole, and what the other empires recognize as the ruler. (In reality the other empires rather hate dealing with the Kalodians because how one world works isn't always how another works.) And yes, as always there is a criminal underground, including lovely things like slavers and bounty hunters.
As for how sci-fi, not too hard but not too soft. Fairly realistic, but with some leeway to make it not completely boring. Miracles such as FTL exist, although it isn't at all perfect. With FTL you point the ship in the direction you want to go, make some calculations, and enter warp. When in warp you only go in a straight line and only for a certain amount of time. You have a minimum distance and a maximum distance, each depending on the warp drive. It's often not very precise and often takes many small jumps to reach a system. (For game sake most of this will be done for them, with whoever is doing the calculations rolling against a navigation skill or something to see how close they get, in addition to the type of drive affecting the roll. So like they roll an 18, it takes 3 jumps to get there. Roll a 5 and it takes 12 jumps, and they might not arrive where they wanted to.) In addition the geography of the warp dimension could pose some risks. Some areas are inaccessible by warp, other times there are ships that go missing after a warp.
[editline]9th December 2013[/editline]
[QUOTE=Dwarfy77;43119413]What system are you using?[/QUOTE]
No system yet.
Alright, so I figured I'd tell you about my continuing saga of Only War: Collegiate Edition. It's pretty fucking sweet, the players are really kickass for newbies. (All of them save for one is a first timer)
[b]THE SAGA OF WALOE'S RANGERS:
PART 2: ORK BLOOD ON DA LEAVEZ[/b]
The gang thus far has raided a severan encampment, killing a severan general and earning a medal (of which they are unaware they have earned). When trying to go back to their main base, they've been intercepted by a massive horde of orks who heard them and followed them, where they unwittingly found a priest while trying to find a place to defend against the horde.
Then, the massive 44 ork horde of comes through, with the Nob in the front, name: GRINTY THE BIGMAN. Funny ork stuff ensues as they try to talk them down, including Grinty squishing an orks head as the sergeant tries to tell them about the casualties they'll suffer.
They defended the priest, and then utterly destroyed the horde. They did some badass shit like rigging up an impromptu flamethrower turret, techpriests are awesome, and then making grenades out of volitile liquid, which they then threw in the nobs face, completely obliterating them. Plus, they only took 5/15 casualites, and all NPC, and only one being a comrade. Lucky motherfuckers (aside from the techpriest who's comrade was her brother, she's torn up about it, Also they earned a medal here as well, for defending a high ranking member of the ecclesiarchy, they don't know about this either)
[b]PART 3: I AM A GOD BY KHORNYE WEST (FEAT THE EMPEROR)[/b]
Alright, afterwards, they drove the priest down to the Severan main base, where the priest needed to go to discuss negotiations. All was well and good, until the priest came back, when from inside the encampment walls the massive cries of BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD could be heard. (Unbeknownst to the party, this was triggered by a sleeper heretic seeing a sign of the ecclesiarchy. This accidentally awoke the Khorne followers all through the planet. Ooops).
So they hightailed it out of there. As they're trying to find a way out, they radioed into comms, where the guy told them that if they wanted to leave, they have to disarm a massive ork bomb. So they decide to wait a while until the orks decide to use the weakness in the three sides fighting to launch a massive attack throughout the planet, where theyll strike the bomb. While theyre waiting, a gang of bloodthristy (literally) chaos troopers strike them, and they kill them all super easily, save for the hulking chaos mutant, which takes some time.
Afterwards, they decide to take the little truck theyve found over to a severan base, which seems to be calm, thanks to the priests negotiating, there's a truce on. So these guys go in and inside they start talking to the commander in charge, to get a little party to help disarm the bomb. The commander is fucking warcrazed though, and thinks that if the imperium is busy fighting the chaos and orks, and if the chaos is only interested in the imperium, then why shouldn't they just turn against the imperium and take the bomb for themselves. The squad quickly bailed the fuck out of there, after the commander orders the squad to be taken prisoners. And that's where my game has left off.
My skeleton cleric cohort now has a solid diamond skull that gives him bonuses to rebuking undead. (As in like replacing his own skull)
A lot of other crazy shit happened in today's session but it's two am so I'll just leave you with that for now
I really wanna play a Call of Cthulu game.
Anyone running one or setting one up?
[QUOTE=TrannyAlert;43121727]I really wanna play a Call of Cthulu game.
Anyone running one or setting one up?[/QUOTE]
I'd be up for playing in one as well if anyone was willing to be the Keeper.
I also have a spot in the campaign I'm running at the moment.
It's a fully RP focused campaign, we've done a 8 sessions up to now, some with no combat, but you get XP for roleplaying still.
Add me on Skype - pruneyboy and we can talk and fit you in hopefully.
[QUOTE=TrannyAlert;43121973]I also have a spot in the campaign I'm running at the moment.
It's a fully RP focused campaign, we've done a 8 sessions up to now, some with no combat, but you get XP for roleplaying still.
Add me on Skype - pruneyboy and we can talk and fit you in hopefully.[/QUOTE]
what system and/or setting?
fuck sorry im bad at giving information
DnD 3.5
Generic Medieval type thing.
The world is custom lore, so ~anything~ is possible ;~)
I also accept any race/class if you can provide reason for it
[QUOTE=TrannyAlert;43122549]fuck sorry im bad at giving information
DnD 3.5
Generic Medieval type thing.
The world is custom lore, so ~anything~ is possible ;~)
I also accept any race/class if you can provide reason for it[/QUOTE]
Half-svirfneblin pokemon trainer.
[QUOTE=Chronische;43122557]Half-svirfneblin pokemon trainer.[/QUOTE]
ur accepted
welcome aboard
[QUOTE=TrannyAlert;43122549]fuck sorry im bad at giving information
DnD 3.5
Generic Medieval type thing.
The world is custom lore, so ~anything~ is possible ;~)
I also accept any race/class if you can provide reason for it[/QUOTE]
So I suppose it would be based around standard 'medieval' stuff like knights, royalty and castles? How open is the world to custom lore?
[QUOTE=TrannyAlert;43122567]ur accepted
welcome aboard[/QUOTE]
thanks, I start with a shiny arceus. going to level up as cleric of my own pokemon next.
[QUOTE=kimchimafia;43122591]So I suppose it would be based around standard 'medieval' stuff like knights, royalty and castles? How open is the world to custom lore?[/QUOTE]
It's open as in I haven't made all of it up yet.
I make it up as a come across it really, I have base things/general knowledge set though.
[QUOTE=TrannyAlert;43122549]fuck sorry im bad at giving information
DnD 3.5
Generic Medieval type thing.
The world is custom lore, so ~anything~ is possible ;~)
I also accept any race/class if you can provide reason for it[/QUOTE]
Cool I'll pop you a message, but I've got some most ever fucking cold of the ages. So I'll likely sound a little uh stuffy.
[QUOTE=Shanto;43123128]Cool I'll pop you a message, but I've got some most ever fucking cold of the ages. So I'll likely sound a little uh stuffy.[/QUOTE]
Well, thus far we pretty much only do sundays.
My seven level 2 player's learned the importance of running away when I threw a CR8 demon at them last session
[QUOTE=Newbienice99;43124588]My seven level 2 player's learned the importance of running away when I threw a CR8 demon at them last session[/QUOTE]
Last night I accidentally put my players into an unwinnable situation like that. I kind of felt bad, but at the same time I think they should expect parts of the world to be too hostile for their level.
[QUOTE=Alxnotorious;43125010]Last night I accidentally put my players into an unwinnable situation like that. I kind of felt bad, but at the same time I think they should expect parts of the world to be too hostile for their level.[/QUOTE]
Ah yes, Kobayashi Maruing your party, putting them into a situation where the only way to win is not to play. An art I have mastered, speaking of which, reminder to my party that Mekton will be happening at standard time this Friday (Those two things are totally unrelated, I swear.)
[QUOTE=Newbienice99;43124588]My seven level 2 player's learned the importance of running away when I threw a CR8 demon at them last session[/QUOTE]
In the last campaign my friends and I played our dm tried something like that (a CR6 something or other vs. a party of level 1 characters) but we got a lucky roll and tripped the thing in the first round and absolutely destroyed it. We were intended to be forced to run, lol.
We tussled with our bbeg yesterday. We're about nine levels shy of where we should be to beat him.
I got smacked to -9 anf barely made my stabilization roll.
[QUOTE=SiberysTranq;43119474]If you're interested in using an actual system, I'd recommend mongoose traveller [/QUOTE]
I can only seem to find traveller published by mongoose, not anything called "Mongoose traveller". That the same thing?
[QUOTE=Gnomical;43119395]So I'm making a space campaign thing (set in a universe I've already created/am creating), and I'm new to the whole GMing thing, anyone have any suggestions? It's probably going to be kinda light (not a lot of rules, simpler mechanics since everyone is kinda new to RP). Some parts of it I'm making on roll20 but other parts (like the cities and space stations) I'm just gonna describe and shit since those are very large environments.
It's starting in a rather Bethesda way (a friend's words on it). They start on a prison station, the station's reactor goes critical and they escape onto the same ship, it starts the second the ship is out of the dangerous range and the station explodes. Why each of them were on the station is up to them, I asked that at least one of them be a criminal and two of them already said they want to be. So far they are excited, I'm still finishing up the assets and story/lore then I have to figure out how the mechanics actually work so I'm not just completely 100% improvising (although I probably will do a lot of improvising). I got a few random events and quest-y like things already thought of that should hopefully be interesting, but any general tips/guidelines would be greatly appreciated.[/QUOTE]
My favorite GM advice: Yes or roll.
Players trying to attack the darkness? Make them roll.
Shooting God? Roll for it.
Trying to time travel by closing your eyes and thinking really hard? Roll.
Never say no.
[QUOTE=Gnomical;43119395]So I'm making a space campaign thing (set in a universe I've already created/am creating), and I'm new to the whole GMing thing, anyone have any suggestions? It's probably going to be kinda light (not a lot of rules, simpler mechanics since everyone is kinda new to RP). Some parts of it I'm making on roll20 but other parts (like the cities and space stations) I'm just gonna describe and shit since those are very large environments.
It's starting in a rather Bethesda way (a friend's words on it). They start on a prison station, the station's reactor goes critical and they escape onto the same ship, it starts the second the ship is out of the dangerous range and the station explodes. Why each of them were on the station is up to them, I asked that at least one of them be a criminal and two of them already said they want to be. So far they are excited, I'm still finishing up the assets and story/lore then I have to figure out how the mechanics actually work so I'm not just completely 100% improvising (although I probably will do a lot of improvising). I got a few random events and quest-y like things already thought of that should hopefully be interesting, but any general tips/guidelines would be greatly appreciated.[/QUOTE]
That sounds like the opening plot of KOTOR II.
[QUOTE=Rubs10;43129944]My favorite GM advice: Yes or roll.
Players trying to attack the darkness? Make them roll.
Shooting God? Roll for it.
Trying to time travel by closing your eyes and thinking really hard? Roll.
Never say no.[/QUOTE]Whenever they try something truly ridiculous I always tell them, regardless of their roll, they fall on their face. What's that? Critical? You stumble face first into a wall instead.
[QUOTE=LobsterPastry;43130232]Whenever they try something truly ridiculous I always tell them, regardless of their roll, they fall on their face. What's that? Critical? You stumble face first into a wall instead.[/QUOTE]
I do something slightly different. "Trying to leap across a 50ft chasm... uh... okay roll for it...
Wow, natural 20... okay, I wasn't expecting that...
Hrm... well, with a great giant leap, you soar across the chasm, almost as if you sprout wings, angelic music plays around you as a divine light shines from within you.
Then as you near the ground, you wake up from your fantasyland and realize that you're an idiot."
[QUOTE=Rubs10;43129944]My favorite GM advice: Yes or roll.
Players trying to attack the darkness? Make them roll.
Shooting God? Roll for it.
Trying to time travel by closing your eyes and thinking really hard? Roll.
Never say no.[/QUOTE]
There will be many rolls :v:
[editline]9th December 2013[/editline]
[QUOTE=Alxnotorious;43130204]That sounds like the opening plot of KOTOR II.[/QUOTE]
Never played.
[QUOTE=Rubs10;43129944]My favorite GM advice: Yes or roll.
Players trying to attack the darkness? Make them roll.
Shooting God? Roll for it.
Trying to time travel by closing your eyes and thinking really hard? Roll.
Never say no.[/QUOTE]
Doesn't it just come to the same thing since you'd make the DC higher than it's possible to roll? Unless you allow absolutely anything to happen on a crit
Meaning players can roll for anything but are essentially wasting everyone's time :v:
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