New member, new campaign new GM

[HumanFlie]

I’m new to this board and I’m just starting my first Campaign as a GM. I haven’t played Star Wars (or any other RPG) in ages, but am super pumped. Here’s a run down.

Setting: 5 years before Episode IV
5 players and they’ve made their characters already. They are….
A Doctor with some beginning force skills
A Wookie who escaped from slavery,
An Ewok pilot (I bent the rules on this one because the player is already making it loads of fun)
A Gambler
A Bounty Hunter

Campaign idea: The PC’s eventually become part of a separate secret section of the rebel alliance that has members from all systems involved in the rebellion. It is a self sustained group that stays in hiding. Presently it has only one small ship. Maybe a Correlian Corvette. This group is “insurance” for the Rebellion. It has the political infrastructure and contact network already set up and ready to go if the main rebellion is completely eliminated. If this happened an entirely new rebellion wouldn’t need to start from scratch. During the campaign the PC’s would be given intel (adventure hooks) enabling them to raise capital for this rebel group. Also, the very nature of this clandestine group would permit the PC’s to pursue their own interests.

On a side note, an adventure I’m looking forward to is a Casino Royal type adventure involving the gambler trying to raise funds for the rebels, himself and the other PC’s while denying funds to their enemies. One of his opponents ends up being his long lost father “Son, if I don’t win this, I can’t pay my debts and I’m done for.” Lots of dilemma and choice potential.

Campaign start: The PC’s (they don’t know each other) are all on the same transport ship headed somewhere to do with their individual interests. The transport gets attacked and boarded by pirates. (Perhaps they are after a specific piece of cargo or a certain passenger…adventure hook!)

Hopefully the PC’s are able to fend off the pirate attack. The transport is left inoperable, most of the passengers and crew dead. However, much can be salvaged from it. Luggage, personal effects etc (lots of potential for adventure hooks). One of these hooks gets the characters involved with the rebellion.

The PC’s have to eliminate all of the pirates on the pirate ship and use it for escape. As it is a pirate ship they can’t just land anywhere with out a lot of suspicion, complications and explaining. All of this requires the PC’s to work together and hopefully form a bond that keeps them together.

I think with this start there is a lot of potential for the PC’s to do almost whatever they want and have lots of options for adventures. I really don’t want them to feel railroaded.

I’m planning on having a “Player of the Game” award to encourage role playing etc. The idea is, at the end of each session, have all of the players anonymously vote on which player made the session most enjoyable for the group. The winner would get a trophy (maybe a toy lightsaber or something) which they get to take home, flaunt and gloat about until the end of the next adventure at which point a new vote is held and the trophy is passed to the next winner.

Where I need help.
1. I just need general advice and ideas about what I’ve written above, I’m a first time GM. I’m a little afraid of being caught off guard with something and my mind going blank.
2. The player I most want to have engaged is the Bounty Hunter. He’s a new RPG player and a little unsure of the whole thing but also has a personality leans towards hamming things up. All of the other players are the type that can entertain themselves and will have fun almost regardless of what I do. I especially want the Bounty Hunter to have fun.
3. Ideas for adventure hooks that fit in with the above.
4. Is there anything I should look out for?
5. I want to keep things moving quick. Very little down time. I enjoy doing prep work before a session, is there particular stuff I should have ready?
6. Any other advice is great.

Mostly I’m just excited about this new campaign.
Thanks all!
humanflie

[Fallon Kell]

Welcome to the forums!

[Bren]

The campaign idea sounds interesting and Fallon Kell had some good ideas.

[Whill]

Welcome, HumanFlie!

You have a great start to your campaign planned. Sounds fun! Please let us know how the adventures go.
_________________
*
Site Map
Forum Guidelines
Registration/Log-In Help
The Rancor Pit Library
Star Wars D6 Damage

[HumanFlie]

So the first session went well. I stumbled through some rules and of course a few unexpected things happened with the plot but over all it was good. Most importantly everyone had fun and left wanting more. Next session in two weeks.
Here is a quick rough summary, and then I need some help.

3 PC's were on a transport that was attacked by a pirate ship (light freighter). On the light freighter were two PC's (stowaways). A huge fight ensued, the PC's managed to take control of the light freighter. After some intense searching, scrounging, questioning and role playing they managed to get themselves all introduced to each other but also found:
1. An alien rebel alliance passenger on his way to meet a contact who would then take him to a rebel ship. This alien was the reason for the attack by the pirates, there is an imperial bounty on him.
2. A young Twi'lek slave girl chained up in the first mate's cabin
3. The ship's log including their starting point, a place called "nest" which is in an asteroid feild.
4. An 8 foot by 4 foot by 3 foot strong chest. It has two key pad locks on it and has a humming coming from within. Any attempts to open it have failed so far. The PC's have figured out that the box is meant for transporting very precious items. (The way it works is person 1 puts items into the box and puts his lock on it, then sends it to person 2 who puts his lock on it and sends it back to person 1, person 1 takes his lock off and sends it to person 2, person 2 can then take his own lock off and can open the chest. This way codes never need to be exchanged and there is no risk of interception.)
In the end the PC's decided to take the Rebel passenger to his meet. They were debriefed by the rebels and received a bounty for the capture of the very anti rebellion pirate gang. They also have a ship (albeit a recognized pirate vessel). It turns out these particular rebels are a separate group from the main Rebel Alliance. A back up cell in case the main Alliance suffers and destroying defeat. The PC's are introduced to a Col. Larcen Bennet who wants to hire them to do some jobs for the Alliance.
The plan for this coming adventure....
Col. Bennet is going to get the PC's to check out the Pirates main base. He wants intel on the base (so the rebels can use it) and if able clear it out. They have the Pirate's ship, so maybe that will aid their entrance. The base is a primitive hidden base built into an asteroid. It has a double door airlock system big enough for the ship to enter. On the base the players find a whole bunch of slaves, more than their ship can carry (ghtorc 720). They discover the pirates have another ship due back soon.

The help I need....
I need ideas for puzzles and or problems the PC's need to work together to solve while on this pirate base.

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[Bren]

Great that the first adventure went well and was fun.

[garhkal]

Also, perhaps the slavers have clients enroute, including some imperial higher ups..
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Guardian_A]

It looks like I'm coming into this conversation a little late, but I thought I'd put in my two bits anyway.

To help keep players involved:
1. Keep track of your player's skills, especially Perception, Knowledge, Mechanical and Technical related skills. Creating situations that put skills that are unique to a single character to use will help make that character shine and help keep the player involved.
2. Introduce an NPC that knows a single PC in the group. The NPC will feel more comfortable interacting with his friend/acquantince at first. Give that player a handout with a little information about that NPC so that player feels more pivotal to the current situation/storyline.

As for the characters throwing something at you that you dont expect:
1. Never panic.
2. If you need a moment, go grab a new soda, allow your players a smoke break, or simply go use the bathroom. This will give you a minute to consider the situation.
3. Tell your players that you need a moment to think about the situation. They wont mind, and in the end they will be much happier with a well told story.

Gamemastering:
1. Having fun is more important than the rules. If you make a mistake, thats ok, admit it, go over it in the book, and move on.
2. Dont try to do too many things at once. Get comfortable with the game before you start building intricate plots or running multiple parallel stories at once.
3. Make use of your character's individual strengths or weaknesses.

It looks like you have things well in hand, keep us posted on your progress!

[garhkal]

Let me echo weaknesses.. Some of the best games i had were when we had to struggle along cause no one had the skill(s), or they were low rated.
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Guardian_A]

[Bren]

Good point garhkal. Alternating between playing to PC strengths and to PC weaknesses is a good technique to foster player excitement and interest.

Guardian_A - good example of allowing the characters to coorperate to build trust and teamwork. I would think a scenario like that would be one the two PCs would remember and might shape their future interactions.

On a related note, I find it helpful to make notes about what my PCs (and NPCs if I am the GM) think about other characters and why. We often run stables of characters so it is important for the player to keep track of what individual characters think about other characters. Plus I find it amusing when the opinions amongst the varoius characters differ.

[HumanFlie]

Thanks for the ideas and help everyone. I'm definitely going to incorporate some of those things. It's all great help. I like the idea of having a character do something that he's weak at but being helped by a character (via comlink) that is good at the task. I'm not sure how to play this out. I was thinking of having a simple pattern made of various Tetris blocks on a piece of paper. Giving that to one player and then the other player just has the blocks and has to make the pattern to "complete the door opening circuit" or something. Thoughts?

A stumbling block that I'm going to put in the pirate base is that it is running out of power and will run out of power at some point in their exploration. There is a back up generator that can only produce enough power to supply one of three sets of things. 1. Life support and Gravity 2. All main doors and airlocks 3. Computer systems.

Any suggestions for printable maps or map tiles? Drawing stuff out is ok but I'd like something that is a little more immersive.

[Guardian_A]

If you are looking for maps, I'd start with the WotC materials. Many of the miniatures sets have some decent maps. But the real gem is the Galaxy Tiles set.

Any while they dont have the Sci Fi feel, many of the D&D maps and tile sets make a great resource.

If you want something quick and easy, check out DriveThruRPG or similar RPG downloads sites.

[Bren]

WEG's Hideouts and Strongholds had a couple of asteroid bases with maps and such. If you can find a copy it may be helpful.

[garhkal]