Running a short "get to know the system" session of Stars Without Number this Wednesday in preparation for the...
Running a short "get to know the system" session of Stars Without Number this Wednesday in preparation for the regular campaign starting soon. Typically these sorts of sessions include a little fight to get to know the combat system. Tried to think of a way to do this that didn't have the possibility of offing a character. Decided there wasn't a way without it being lame. Oh well.
The movie Broken Arrow has a scene with the two main characters boxing, that reveals something about them before they become enemies. There is something to be said for recreational combat as training and sport.
ReplyDeleteDepending on the kind of ship they are on, it could make sense to make them part of training exercises to stay fit and keep skills up (as well as breaking in recruits) to have some organized sparring events.
You could have them playing a video game, and provide the stats for the electronic characters. Like "Mortal Kombat" as a recreation option aboard ship.
You could also do a one-shot with disposable characters before starting the arc.
ReplyDeleteLet me know how it goes. I've been looking pretty heavily at Stars Without Number as a replacement for my 4E D&D campaign that the players are bored with.
ReplyDeletePotential Story Arc kickoff. Anyone that dies could actually have been an ultra-realistic android AI spy that is revealed. They go back to playing their real character, and you have a potential story thread for them to pull on. (Essentially a doppelganger)
ReplyDeleteBarry Lovseth those players must be assholes.
ReplyDeleteCasey Garske at least one. He even puts catatonic babies in his inventory. WHO DOES THAT!?
ReplyDeleteJerks, that's who.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry! Stars Without Number characters are pretty durable. We had a character get shot in our first combat and she was fine. Just recommend they take Lazarus patchs and/or a Biopsychic (if they take the latter also take the former, our Biopsychic was the one who got shot up).
ReplyDeleteIf you are doing personal combat and not ship, which I assume you are... be nice and give them max hitpoints for the first level like the book recommends for combat-centric campaigns.
ReplyDeleteI will make sure they've got lazarus patches. The guy playing the biopsionic can't make our scheduled session, which is why we're doing the intro to SWN instead of finishing off our Hollow Earth mini-campaign.
ReplyDeleteLazarus patches are pretty good, and I know this even though I haven't gotten to run it yet.
ReplyDelete(1) Yes, we're assholes and (2) apparently we are boned. Also (3) I did manage to roll max hit points, screenie as evidence.
ReplyDeleteI thought about hiding this post, Alison Ziesel, then didn't.
ReplyDeleteForewarned is forearmed, and all that. With laser pistols.
ReplyDeleteDanger Room?
ReplyDeleteCasey Garske , So were their any casualties? How did it go? How did you handle killing pristine new characters?
ReplyDeleteThere might have been, but I did a "Danger Room" reveal at the end. James LaManna got shot and put to zero. Warrior's ability to negate a hit in combat is huge.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, and you get to choose to use that AFTER damage is rolled right? Or did Jim go down hard after expending his warrior's ability?
ReplyDeleteYeah, after damage is rolled. That was Alison's warrior. Jim was a psychic and the bar he teleported behind didn't save him from a thug rolling a natural 20.
ReplyDeleteYea a 1st level Psychic with 4 HP is tough. Especially when guns do 2d6 damage.
ReplyDeleteIt was 1d8.
ReplyDelete