GM Tools

Volar the Healer · Jedi Joined: 04 Aug 2003 Posts: 664 Location: Arizona, USA

During one game I directed, I played the Star Wars CD in the background. About the second track, the team realized everytime the Imperial march played the Empire showed up in force.

The players quickly discussed it among themselves and conluded they needed to hurry because the Empire had unlimited numbers to throw at them. Once settled in they began to plot and play in earnest! They worked really well as a team when they set their minds to it. Exclamation

That's when I asked the player from whom I'd borrowed the disk "Hey, Bob. What's the last song on this side of the CD?" He thought for a moment then answered: Shocked

"It's Vader's Theme!"

They were racing for the hyperspace jump point when the last track started. Just before they jumped, they saw a super star destroyer and three star destroyers arrive. Then the stars faded to lines...
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Loc Taal · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2003 9:32 am Post subject:

Very cool Volar. I like using stuff like that, that adds to the gaming session. We've also used the Star Wars CDs while playing, we've just never tied it into the game that much. Smile

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Volar the Healer · Jedi Joined: 04 Aug 2003 Posts: 664 Location: Arizona, USA

Anytime I need an adventure idea I just pick up a newspaper. (Other than the comics, they're not good for anything else.) Flip through the political or business news, and there were plenty of stories. Turn countries into planets, change the names, and instant adventure idea.

The United States levied a tariff today against several Japanes motorcycle companies for violating over a hundred US patents. Amidst tight security, the senator from Illinois met with a trade delegation in Tokyo today to discuss...

- becomes -

The Corellian Merchant Guild announced today it is suspending all shipping to the planet Niemiodia citing forged products wrongfully stamped Made on Corellia. The Niemiodian minister of trade was quoted as saying "That's outrageous! We recommend a commision be sent at once to ascetain the truth!" Since Corellia does not permit battle droids on their world, the Niemiodians are quietly shopping for "freelance security specialists"...

Well, you get the idea...
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Volar the Healer · Jedi Joined: 04 Aug 2003 Posts: 664 Location: Arizona, USA

It sometimes help to think of planets in the Star Wars universe as if they were countires here on Earth. Many of the planets in the movies/books "feel" like Earth counties. A few examples...

Corellia = The United States
Mandalore = Germany

I would expect these planets to have a wide variety of peoples and ideas even though this isn't shown well in the movies/books. What if Corellia is divided into two political parties? The 'Corellia First' Party (pro-freedom crowd: military, police, businessmen, NRA, etc) and the Corellian Imperial Party (pro-appeasement crowd: ACLU, NEA, teachers, ecoterrorists, etc). It could explain why Corellia accepted Imperial rule but large chunks of their military deserted the same day (forming the core of the Rebel force).

I'm sure there are mechanics, artists, and doctors among the Mandalorans, but I'd bet every one of them has served two years in the Mandaloran military being indoctrinated in the fierce Mandaloran pride that comes from their awesome military history.

Perhaps some planets are all one type of terrain. Certainly Coruscant is one big city. How about this?

Balmorra = Detroit on a bad smog day
Chandrilla = Iowa

Anyway, with just a little bit of thought a director can come up with a whole planet just by changing the names.

MonCalamari = ?
Ryloth = ?
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Loc Taal · Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2003 1:01 am Post subject:

I agree Volar, adapting real-world situations can be an easy way of coming up with a very cool adventure idea. One of the best adventures I ever played was based on the movie Blackhawk Down.
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Volar the Healer · Jedi Joined: 04 Aug 2003 Posts: 664 Location: Arizona, USA

Blackhawk down was a great movie. (A little too realistic for me.) I'd love to hear about your Star Wars adventure that was based on it.
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Volar the Healer · Jedi Joined: 04 Aug 2003 Posts: 664 Location: Arizona, USA

Award experience points for things the players - not characters do. Anytime a player came up with a really good idea, or especially! role played well, I made a big deal out of awarding an extra character point for that and why. This encouraged other players to be clever and role play a person different than themselves.
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Loc Taal · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2003 3:36 pm Post subject:

I like that idea too. Reward the players for good roleplaying, not just good dice rolling.
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Guest · Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2003 7:23 pm Post subject: another GM tool

It is sometimes difficult to keep track of how many skills a Jedi has up. But each of these reduce his other actions by one die so it is important to do so. We solved this by issuing the Jedi one 3x5 card for each force power he had with the name and description written on it. When he wanted to use a skill, he layed the card on the table and rolled his dice. If he didn't wan't the other players to know, he could place the card face down. He also had one card labled "Deep Thought", so the other players didn't know if he was doing something or not. This asissted the player and allowed the director to track the Jedi's multi-skill use penalty.

Volar the Healer · Jedi Joined: 04 Aug 2003 Posts: 664 Location: Arizona, USA

That's twice my computer auto log in has failed me. The last post is mine.
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Loc Taal · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 9:42 am Post subject:

I'm not sure why people get automatically logged out from time to time. The same thing has happened to me in the past.

Volar, I like that idea of using the 3x5 cards, that's a cool idea.
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Volar the Healer · Jedi Joined: 04 Aug 2003 Posts: 664 Location: Arizona, USA

No, I don't think your system is logging me out. I think my computer sometimes fails to log me in, so I get posted as "guest". It's my fault.
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Loc Taal · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 4:42 pm Post subject:

Ahh, I see... Smile

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Volar the Healer · Jedi Joined: 04 Aug 2003 Posts: 664 Location: Arizona, USA

well, I don't. This last time I ensured I was logged in as me but when I posted I was guest. I don't know why. Oh, well. I'm sure it's Microsoft's fault.
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Loc Taal · Posted: Wed Sep 03, 2003 7:26 pm Post subject:

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