What Else Is There To Do?

In a previous post - All We Do Is Fight - I lamented that when playing most Fantasy RPGs, it seems like the sessions consist of one uninspired battle after another and little else. 

This isn't really the case of course; there are usually roleplaying moments sprinkled here and there. Even so, the overall feeling I get is that of a monotonous slugfest and I end up getting pretty bored pretty quickly. 

As noted in the commemts of my prior post, most Open World/Sandbox RPGs in other genres don't appear to suffer this problem or at least not to the same degree. Let's see if we can import some ideas from those games over to Fantasy and answer the burning question, 'What else is there to do in a Fantasy game besides Combat?'

First, let's go over non-combat activities one might undertake during a typical dungeon crawl. It kind of surprises me that I've not seen these used much (if at all) in the last half dozen or so Fantasy outings I've participated in.

Other things you can do in a dungeon include: Environmental Hazards, Exploration and Mapping, Negotiating with Intelligent NPCs, Puzzle and Riddle Solving, and defeating Traps.

Great, now that that's out of the way let's go have some real fun...

Build

I wrote earlier this year about my penchant for having the Player Characters in RPGs not be Murderhobos but rather have a Base, a place to call headquarters and/or home. In old D&D I recall that building a stronghold of some kind was a thing at 10th level or what have you but why? That is, why wait until then? With the amount of gold and other treasures the PCs amass by the half-way mark (somewhere between 5th and 6th level lets say), a decent sized party of adventurers should be able to afford a small domicile in the campaign city or even a decently large place on the outskirts on the outskirts of one of the smaller towns. 

Building isn't limited to bases. In one of my Winghorn Guard campaigns, the PCs were assigned to an outpost in what would best be described as a environment much like that of New Mexico. A 'Keep on the Borderlands' if you will (wink). Water was scarce and farming difficult. This got two of the Player Characters thinking. One was a mechanically minded Dwarf and the other an Eastern Monk/Mage type who could command water (think a Waterbender from Avatar: The Last Airbender). Together they worked to aid the Baron and his people by helping to construct additional wells and an irrigation system.

Another campaign saw the PCs discover an old, abandoned port town with a dilapidated pier and docks. They vanquished the undead sea monster that haunted the place and as a reward as the King if he would grant them the port so they could restore it. He agreed and over the course of the campaign they turned the ruined town into a thriving place once again. 

D&D PCs do so much destroying. Try Building something for a change!

Explore

I've always wanted to run a Fantasy version of Traveller or Star Trek; the Player Characters are the owners of or officers on a Sailing Ship, traveling across the open sea to find far off lands, meet new peoples and monsters, and discover the ruins of ancient civilizations. I've come close, using elements of this idea to influence other campaigns I've run (see below) but I've never done a game dedicated to exploring the Magical Medieval Final Frontier.

This could link to many of the other ideas such as Commerce, Politics, and of course Survival. Maybe you're not just exploring for its own sake but in order to open and expand trade routes. Your kingdom could be on the look out for resources but so are rival kingdoms in the same vicinity. Once you reach your new, uncharted land you're going to need to find food, shelter, and a way to adapt to the climate and terrain. Plus, there will surely be people and/or monsters there so Social Interactions and Combat are a possibility as well. 

One of the things I love most about Space Adventure Sci-Fi is that the PC group usually has their own Starship. I've discussed this many times but a Starship provides a safe haven, a means of transportation, a weapon, and many other features that spice up a campaign, giving the PCs and the GM more adventure options. Why can't a D&D party have a seagoing vessel that serves much the same purpose? Perhaps XP and/or Gold can be spent customizing their ship. They could go on a quest to have the ship enchanted to do something incredible like travel underwater or have the figurehead at the prow speak. The ship itself yelling out, "Pirates on our Starboard!" or "Land Ho!" would be awesome. 

Maybe an XP bonus if you're the first to discover and name a new land, species, etc.?

Trade

Trade is a major element of the Traveller RPG and to be honest, I've always wondered why it isn't a big part of Medieval Fantasy games. Not only are Fantasy RPGs classically driven by an obsessive search for wealth but they paradoxically have little to actually spend that money on. Hopefully this section will give players and GMs some inspiration on what to do with all that coin. After all, you have to spend money to make money.

Sell: Crawling into underground labyrinths in order to slay horrible monsters and steal their valuables is no way for a decent person to make a living. Don't you have any marketable skills or talents? If so, have you ever considered starting your own business? You know, selling your services or crafts to those with capital who are in need of what you've got? 

In campaigns past I've seen Player Characters start and run taverns, mercenary companies, and a shop that buys and sells magical components and items. One idea I like related to this is having a set of alternative, lower level PCs who can mind the store while your main PCs go off on adventures to find materials, ingredients, suppliers, etc., or vice versa. You could also mix and match in a 'Troupe Play' style similar to Ars Magica.

Does your business have to pay taxes to the Duke? Protection money to the Thieves' Guild? Maybe you've got some kind of deal with the powers that be in exchange for the PCs assistance when special circumstances arise. I hear you can get a major tax cut if you're the party that killed the invading goblin horde. 

Shop: Shopping is the bane of many gamers' existences, gamemasters and players alike. I've spoken to more than a few gamers who simply hate 'shopping episodes'; session where nearly the entire time is taken up by buying gear. Others absolutely love to go shopping in-game, sampling the wonderous wares of a medieval marketplace and interacting with a multitude of merchants.

Personally, I'm in the latter camp but with a distinct caveat; I like shopping trips the way I do them (and any GMs who handles them in a similar way). Basically, if you want to spend X number of silver and gold coins on more rope, some flint and tinder, and another 20 arrows, you can just do so. You don't need to roleplay that out. That's 'off camera', behind the scenes type stuff.

You roleplay shopping when you want to order a custom suit of armor for your familiar from a lady blacksmith your contact in the next town over recommended. You can discuss details, negotiate price, get to know this unusual smith and maybe add a new contact to your list in the process. You roleplay shopping when you want to get the lowdown on local gossip and rumors from the Barkeep who's Tavern you've been frequenting for nearly a year of adventures by now. 

My players have gotten to know many a shopkeeper, tavern wench, and traveling merchant over the decades of gaming in my D&D-But-Not world of Aerth. In that time they've gotten discounts, rare items, invites to special events, made contacts, friends, created rivals, and generally had a blast. Sprinkle in some unusual kiosks and storefronts selling exotic foods, rare potions, and even fantastical familiars and your players will be begging to visit the marketplace!

Don't think of shopping as merely an exercise in bookkeeping but an opportunity for world-building and roleplaying but with potential mechanical bonuses to boot!

Finally, something has to be said for a full on Merchant campaign, modeled on many a classic Traveller game as mentioned above. Forget simply buying and selling, you could be the ones transporting goods across the great seas of your world! Navigating safer and/or faster routes, dealing with pirates,  making deals that benefit entire nations and drop a pretty penny in your own pockets as well. 

I feel like am barely scratching the surface here. There are sooo many other things a PC/Party could get into I would need a whole book to discuss them all. There's Crafting Items, Creating Spells, Politics and Court Intrigue, Religion, and of course, Romance. The toughest part of making this post was trying to figure out where to begin and where to end!

I'll finish here for now but I'd love to hear from you all out there - What non-combat activities do you and/or your gaming group enjoy? 

Now on to more harrowing Halloween fun...

AD

Barking Alien

Constant Communication

I recently encountered a situation which, to be honest, through me for a loop.

Yes, the unflappable me.

A player in a game I was running, who is himself a fellow GM (and an excellent one at that), had an issue with splitting the party in our adventure. It rubbed him the wrong way for a reason I'd yet to have heard before.

He didn't like the idea that PCs in separate areas kept an open communications channel so that they could just talk to each other all the time. Simultaneously however, he was totally OK with player shouting ideas across the table, while their characters were no where near each other.

Call me a grognard (how often does THAT happen?), but the latter rubs me the wrong way, in a big way. Players in most of my previous groups would never go for that, as it breaks the verisimilitude.

As a player, it would take me out of the game. If my PC is in the engineering section of a starship facing off against an alien intruder, sure I want to tell the captain and the security officer what's going on. Of course I want some back up! But they don't know until they know, regardless of whether, or not their players are sitting right in front of me.

Likewise, if my best buddy's character is in trouble, or my character's best buddy is in trouble, Adam the player wants desperately to do something, but if my character can't get there in time, or doesn't even know what's going on, there is little I can do.

To me, this is metagaming of the worst kind. In my opinion, it makes all the work to create a living, breathing milieu lack legitimacy.

On the other hand, I find the idea of the PCs keeping in constant contact via communications gear completely understandable. Be it headsets inside their space suits, open channel communicators, or superhero telepathic networks, if they have a way of staying in touch, let them stay in touch. What's the big deal?

Instead, you end up having to create some forced contrivance for why the whole party must always move together at all times.

Player: "We can't split into team A on the surface, and team B back on the ship, because we need to be able to have a huge conversation at a moments notice."

GM: "So use your communicators."

Player: "No, that's not cool."

GM: "Wha...?"

I think there are a number of minor difficulties in getting the split party technique to work, but as I've stated before, it can be done. Quite effectively I might add. It isn't always easy, but it isn't nearly hard as GMs and players make it out to be.

Moreover, as least for me, it needs a less arbitrary reason why it isn't feasible.

I get that my buddy doesn't like the open 'comm' thing stylistically, I can respect that, but the other three or four guys seemed to think it was reasonable.

A happy compromise would be that PCs can use an open channel, but only for a limited time, or only a certain number of times per adventure. Perhaps they have to spend a Drama or Hero Point. I sort of hate that, as it sounds like game mechanic-y, D&D crap, but it might be the way to go.

The thing I will say that is a major positive, is that my friend, the rest of the group, and myself were all able to do a debriefing session as the end of the game. We all aired our preferences, and differences, and we are more likely to see improvement as a team going forward than this one session reflected.

Sometimes a campaign with a new group (or any group for that matter) is smooth sailing, sometimes it's choppy seas. However, as long as player and gamemaster alike are willing to talk about thing out, the trip should get better, and better.

The key...constant communication.

AD
Barking Alien

Splitting Up...The Final Frontier - Part II

Continuing with my recap of the first session of one of my old Star Trek campaigns, OUTBOUND - Phase II, by the end of the first third of the game the PCs were split into a number of distinct groups in different locations. As this recap is also being posted to highlight elements I've been discussing in my Split The Party series, it is important to note that:

The NPC Captain, and PCs Jose Santiago (Helmsman) and Serin (Sensor Officer, Asst. Navigator) are on the bridge of the Loknar Class USS Thunder Bay, which has just been struck by a barrage of Disruptor energy and a Plasma Missile (similar, although not identical to, the Romulan Plasma Torpedo).

First Officer-Commander Lily Munroe, Science Officer Green Shine Wandering Wave Miragh, and Security Officer Shilana Kincaid, are in a shuttlecraft heading for a scout sized vessel of unknown origin. The team uses the earlier damage the Thunder Bay had done to the Romulan ship's sensor array, and the communications jam, to hide the shuttle's departure and flight path. Quite clever. They hope to make first contact, assist in repairs and/or convince the crew  of the unknown craft that the Thunder Bay will help them as soon as it can. Hopefully the group can also find out why the alien ship was attacked by this unusual Romulan ship in the first place.

Mataeo Rozza was in Main Engineering, ducking under fallen debris and dodging sparking panels. His goal was to ascertain exactly what the damage was, and what systems to prioritize in his repair schedule..

Dr. Shran was in Sickbay, now looking at a parade of the injured and deceased coming through his doors. He quickly went over to a computer console, initiated his 'secret program', and prepared to contact the bridge.

Since you're here, a quick analysis of the mystery of the Romulan attacker. The enemy ship in this scenario is believed to be a Romulan V-9 'Night Flyer' Class Light Cruiser. The PCs' ship should be more than a match for it. However, it appears to have some characteristics inconsistent with a normal V-9.

• It is able to cloak, decloak, attack, and recloak, faster than a standard Night Flyer.
• It's cloaking device flickers on, and off, like a dance club strobe light, instead of having the regular wavy fade visual effect.
• It launches powerful, though conventionally designed, missiles that carry compressed, superheated gas in a warhead. When the warhead detonates, a blast of plasma is released. These Plasma Missiles are very different from the typical Romulan Plasma Torpedo, which is a ball of dense, superheated plasma from launch to impact. The Plasma Torpedo looses strength over increased distances. The Plasma Missile does not, although it becomes less accurate.

Bare in mind that I am leaving out a good deal of player questions, character moments, in-jokes, references to various episodes and movies, people running to the kitchen for snacks, people going to the bathroom, etc. A lot happens in a 6-8 hour RPG session other than the story and the actions of the PCs. Still, this group was always really focused once things got started, and they were really into the game.

Now then, there is quite a bit to go.

***

Warning klaxons wail, emergency lights come on, and smoke is absolutely everywhere. It is very difficult to see for a few moments as crewmen thrown from their chairs try to get back to their posts. Some tend to those wounded instead.

The PCs roll to see what happened to them as a result of the attack. I make a few secret rolls myself.

Ensign Serin sees that Santiago (the Helmsman) is wounded and unconscious, the Chief Navigator is dead, and so, sadly, is the Captain. Serin immediately hails Sickbay but there is no response. Confused, she hails Engineering. No response. Checking her console, her sensors determine that while it was a hard hit they took, there is no way it destroyed Sickbay and Engineering.

She asks for a damage report, and is informed that the attack shut down internal communications. Ship-to-ship communications are also damaged. It would seem that the central computer may has been damaged, since in addition to communications, the emergency light came on as if the ship were on auxiliary power, even though main power was still online. The computer was telling the bridge power was down, but it wasn't.

For a brief period, Serin is confused as to who to report this information to. The Player does an excellent job of conveying a young Vulcan, working desperately to control her feelings of fear and frustration. With the Captain dead, the First Officer and Science Officer off the ships, and the Helmsman unconscious, the highest ranking and/or most appropriate officer to take charge would be the Engineer, who she can't get a hold of. That's when it dawns on her. She is in command of the ship (This was one of the funniest sequences in the game, play with Emmy winning talent by my ex-wife. She was the least knowledgeable person in the group regarding Star Trek and had only been gaming for a couple of years. Everyone else had a least double her years of experience. Fantastic scene).

Realizing he can't get through to anyone either, Rozza makes communications a priority. In the meantime, his engineering staff let him know that although the systems are reading full power, many sections of the ship have shut down and gone to auxiliary power. Confused, he gives orders to his engineering staff, and then takes a tool kit, an Engineering Tricorder, a Communicator, and a Phaser, and starts climbing the ladders to the upper decks (he is on Deck 5).

Dr. Shran activates his custom 'Medical Administration Assistance Program' in Sickbay. His wife's face appears on a computer screen, and asks what the status of the situation is. Shran gives her the run down. She asks who's in charge, and with great inner turmoil he says that he is. His wife's image chuckles.

Dr. Theyla Sh'Hiri Shran (Th'Tivra's Wife's Image):

"Oh Th'Tivra, if you needed my help, all you needed to do was ask? The formality, the reverence...I am your wife. It is not like I would deny you aid."

Dr. Aldeth Th'Tivra Shran:

"Of course not my love. I know that. I just wasn't sure I could get a hold of you over...such a distance."

Dr. Theyla Sh'Hiri Shran:

"Distance? We were assigned to the same ship. We requested it. I...why am I speaking to you over the computer system? Where are you...and...where exactly am I? Oh dear. Th'Tivra my love...am I dead?"

Dr. Aldeth Th'Tivra Shran:

(Stoically holding back tears) "Yes my sweet. I am afraid so."

Dr. Shran, the living one that is, explains to his wife that he used the 'Medical Administration Assistance Program' and crossed referenced it with her notes, journals, and personal log files to 'bring her back', as the ship was in great danger and he was in need of help he could count on without a doubt. She agrees to help, but suggests they discuss the ramifications of this later. He agrees.

(Precursor to the Emergency Medical Hologram? Perhaps...)

Meanwhile, the Shuttlecraft Burroughs* found themselves dodging and zig-zagging through a small field of limpet mines. Kincaid's deft piloting skills, backed by Miragh on sensors, enabled the shuttle to make it through safely. They assumed the mines had been dropped earlier by the Romulans, although that really wasn't their style.

Once really close to the unknown craft, Miragh sent out signal using alternative means of communication to contact the alien vessel. For example, he used a morse code-like pattern using the shuttle's running light, fired off very low powered microwave bursts, etc. Meanwhile, Munroe tried to enhance the shuttlecraft's communications systems while Kincaid tried to counter the jamming signals. Their combined efforts paid off! Soon, they got a clear line, and hailed the alien ship. Munroe, Miragh and Kincaid made first contact with The Rafalians!

Rafalian Male, Late 'Teenager' Years

Illustration by Keith Conroy.

Colors by me.

As the Rafalians begin to relay the truth of what is going on, Allen (Miragh's player) believes he's figured it out, and asks if he can tell the group his theory before I divulge the information via NPC exposition. The other players, who are listening with rapt attention, tell Allen to go for it.

Allen (As himself):

"The enemy ship is not Romulan. Rather, I would surmise that it is an unknown or rarely seen hostile species, using hologram technology to fake not only a cloaking device, but the appearance of a Romulan 'Night Flyer'. They are after the Rafalian ship because it knows the truth.

My guess is that these 'faux Romulans' have been terrorizing the vicinity like pirates, stealing from vessels they surprise and waylay, with any survivors taking up issue with the Romulan government who has not idea what they're talking about."

Correct! Allen is awesome. Have I mentioned he's awesome? 'Cause he's awesome.

Additionally, the Rafalians fill the shuttle crew in on some further story elements. The Rafalian ship is their first Warp Capable vessel ever! They just achieved war drive after years of research. Their technology shares some similarities with that of the Romulans, their closest, major stellar neighbors, causing Miragh and Kincaid to wonder if they reverse engineered a crash Romulan ship in order to achieve warp technology. Something for later down the line.

The 'faux Romulans' were sitting idly when the Rafalian ship entered into sensor range of it, and noticed it initially had a very different configuration. The Rafalians show footage of the 'Night Flyer's true appearance to the Burroughs crew. Commander Munroe recognizes it...

Cut back to Serin on the bridge of the Thunder Bay, with crewmen (Me as GM) giving her status reports and sensor information. The Communications system is still down. Serin commands a team of technicians to go to the lower decks, find other engineering personnel and check out the Computer Core. If it is damaged as she believes it is, fix it!

Serin's player then goes quite, looks off into space for a brief second, and says...

Selina (As herself):

"Don't we carry communicators or can I get to one? I grab one of those flip open, hand-held Communicators and call the Chief Engineer."

I rule that, although the ship's Communication System ordinarily governs the Communicators as well, they are capable of contacting each other even if main Communications are down as an emergency feature. Selina has Serin work with one of the Engineers to do this and then sends a message to Rozza.

She apprises him of the situation, including the fact that she is currently in command, and asks him if he, now updated and the senior officer, will be coming to the bridge to take over. Ken, smiling, looks right at Selina and says:

Mataeo Rozza:

"Ensign, you've done a fine job so far and I need to get the computer thinking clearly. As far as I'm concerned, I'll go on record that I gave you the Conn. I'll be up there as soon as I can. In the meantime, just don't let us die."

In sickbay, the Shrans has another great character moment as the Captain's body is brought in. There is a personal note that Th'Tivra attended Star Fleet Academy with the Captain's brother, where the three became close friends. Proper Andorian cultural burial rights are discussed. On a more practical note, the Shrans combined medical skills save three crew members with terrible injuries.

They also patch up and awaken Jose Santiago. Santiago refuses to lie down and heal up while the ship is still in battle,. Uncharacteristic of most Star Trek doctors, Th'Tivra, a member of the passionate, warrior race of Andorian, says he would expect nothing less. After a quick hypospray stimulant, Santiago heads back to the bridge

Rozza connects with his team in the Computer Core and does a crazy dangerous, shutdown-reboot procedure that makes the ship appear completely dead in space for several moments. The fake Romulan ship decloaks and closes in on it's prey.

The crew of the Burroughs, now aboard the Rafalian Prototype Warpship, enact some repairs, and the Rafalians are so grateful, and so fascinated by the diversity of species in this 'Federation', that they offer to aid the Starfleet officers in defeated the threat of the Romulan imposters.

The Thunder Bay suddenly roars back to life. Communication systems and main lighting come online as the turbolift opens, and Santiago hurries back to his seat. Without missing a beat, Serin says...

Serin:

"Bridge to Rozza. Are we fully operational Sir?"

Rozza:

"That we are Ensign. All systems go! We still have damage but pretty much everything works the way it should."

Serin:

"Excellent. Mr. Santiago, welcome back. Now, if you would be so kind, I believe the proper Human colloquialism is, "Let them have it."

Santiago (His player chuckles at Selina's deadpan delivery of the line):

"Aye sir."

He tells me he keys in a Phaser barrage followed by three Photon Torpedos, BUT only when the enemy is really close. Rozza enters the bridge from a ladder well. Serin says, "Captain on the Bridge", and takes position at the Navigation station. She assists Santiago's attack by plotting a course that will get them into the perfect firing position.

*Various sound effects provided by both my mouth and sound bites on someone's computer*

KRAKA-THOOM! The 'Romulan' ship's visage flickers out, revealing...

Munroe (aboard the Rafalian ship):

"Malurians. That's a Malurian Type-3 light cruiser. I knew something seemed familiar about this set up. The Malurians are known to take advantage of pre-warp cultures through disguise and deception. Ever since the destruction of their homeworld they have also resorted to piracy. They use advanced make-up, holograms and the like to hide among a native people, or to appear to be someone else."

Malurian true face revealed by torn pseudo-skin disguise.

Malurian Light Cruiser with Holographic Shield deactivated.

The Malurians sustain considerably heavy damage. They hail the Thunder Bay but Rozza, now in command, makes them wait. The Rafalian ship comes up alongside the Thunder Bay, which then transports Lt. Commander Munroe, Science Officer Miragh, and Security Chief Kincaid back over, along with two officers from the Rafalian vessel.

Munroe gets to the bridge and takes command from Rozza as he and Serin explain what has transpired in her absence. With the Captain dead, the Thunder Bay is Munroe's ship now. She slips a whisper to Serin and Kincaid, then answers the Malurians' hail.

Munroe informs them that they will be escorted back to their people's nearest spaceport by the Thunder Bay and another Starfleet vessel. In addition, the Romulan Star Empire has been informed of their shenanigans and they shouldn't expect to be able to pull them off again without a severe reprisal. (Serin contacted Starfleet, Kincaid contacted the Romulans as she speaks Romulan).

The Malurians are not sorry but rather sorry they got caught. They blame the Federation for the destruction of their planet, since the probe that decimated them was of Earth origin (only partially correct. See Nomad). The Thunder Bay has an enemy now but one wary of jabbing the hornets nest with a stick, less it come to life suddenly and sting (as it did in this battle).

Soon, the USS Griffon arrives to assist with the escort duties. The Thunder Bay bids the Rafalians good bye for now, vowing to return and looking forward to establishing further friendly relations with them.

***

EPILOGUE

One year later, Captain Lilian Munroe walks onto the refitted bridge of a repaired and upgraded USS Thunder Bay. Lt. JG Serin, the new Chief Navigator, greets her and hands her a computer pad, which she signs. As she takes the center chair, she shares some witty banter with her new First Officer, Lt. Commander Miragh. All stations sound off as the Thunder Bay prepares to depart for Rafalia Prime.

And Beyond...

***

I hope you enjoyed this recap, and found it helpful in gaging how to set up a Star Trek adventure of your own in the future (for those new to doing so). In addition, I hope the retelling of this session gave some insight into what can be accomplished dramatically by splitting the party in a way that give everyone time to shine.

Thanks everyone, see you soon!

Live Long and Prosper,

AD

Barking Alien



*The three shuttles aboard the Thunder Bay were the Burroughs (named for Edgar Rice Burroughs, author and creator of the John Carter of Mars series), the Raymond (for Alex Raymond, creator of Flash Gordon), and the Nowlan (for Philip Francis Nowlan, creator of Buck Rogers).

Splitting Up...The Final Frontier - Part I

These will probably be my last posts on the subject of Splitting The Party for a while.

I say 'these' and 'posts' because this is a two-parter.

I could go on and on with this subject, but I have a lot of other subjects and ideas I want to discuss, so I'll leave it at this for the time being.

I'm planning a Star Trek one-shot for one of the groups I game with, and in doing so I have been looking back over some of the material from older campaigns I've run. When I came across my OUTBOUND - Phase II entries, I was struck by twin bolts of inspiration.

I thought, "Wow, this was a great game. I should recap this on my blog", and "Wow, this game featured the perfect example of splitting the party done right!"

So, killing two Birds of Prey with a single Photon Torpedo (Yeah, I know. NERD), here is a recap of the Pilot Episode (First Session) of Star Trek: OUTBOUND - Phase II (the campaign title), featuring the crew of the Loknar Class* USS Thunder Bay.

The Loknar Class first appeared in the FASA Star Trek RPG

This is a redesigned and upgraded version.

Ship design by Brian Gillies.

I love this ship. Love it.

So, the story begins in the Original Series Movie Era, sometime after Star Trek: The Motion Picture, but before Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Our vessel, a combat frigate, has been repurposed as an exploration ship as part of Starfleet's Project: Outbound - Phase II (the original Project: Outbound was about 10-15 years prior). Outbound focuses on exploration in the Beta Quadrant and often comes close to the Romulan Neutral Zone.

Our crew (the PCs) consists of:

Illustrations by the players of each character

with the exception of the second and last.

The Xelatian and Vulcan were drawn by me.

(Left to right from the top)

Commander Lillian 'Lily' Munroe (Rebecca)
Human, Female - Commanding Officer (Originally First Officer)
(Promoted to Captain at the end of the session)

Lieutenant Green Shine Wandering Wave Miragh (Allen)
Xelatian, Male - Chief Science Officer
(Promoted to Lt. Commander at the end of the session)

Lt. JG Mataeo Rozza (Ken)
Human, Male - Chief Engineer

(Promoted to Lieutenant at the end of the session)

Lt. JG Shilana Kincaid (Lynn)
Half-Human/Half-Orion, Female - Chief of Security
(Promoted to Lieutenant at the end of the session)

Lt. JG Jose Santiago (Nelson)
Human, Male - Chief Helmsman
(Promoted to Lieutenant at the end of the session)

Lt. Commander /Doctor Aldeth Th'Tivra Shran (Phil)
Andorian, Male - Chief Medical Officer (Originally Asst. Chief)

Ensign Serin (Selina)
Vulcan, Female - Chief Navigator (Originally Sensor Ops Officer, Asst. Chief Navigator)
(Promoted to Lieutenant JG at the end of the session )

A Note to Trekkies: Some the ranks on the characters' uniforms in the picture might be off compared to the list above. The illustrations were not all done at the same time.

Notice that the game begins with the 'party' basically split. Munroe, Miragh, Kincaid, Santiago, and Serin are on the Bridge. Rozza is in the Engine Room/Main Engineering. Dr. Shran is in Sickbay.

In addition to Splitting the Party, I would like readers to note some of the other elements involved in this recap that I've discussed in the past. Among them, how to dole out clues for a mystery, letting each player/PC have their special moment, how much happens in one of our sessions - which was 6-8 hours in length - and the open ended nature of how to solve the situation.

I began the game by whistling the first notes of the Star Trek TOS opening. When everyone quieted down, and I had their attention, I nodded to one of the players (Ken I believe), who then turned on a CD with Star Trek theme music from one of the films (possibly II or IV - our favorites). After a moment, I signaled to Ken to lower the volume. I then signaled another player at a computer, who activated the Original Series sound effect for Red Alert.

I made a series of muffled explosion sounds (with my mouth that is), and began to call out phrases in a variety of voices, accents:

GM (Me):

"Shields at 63% Captain."
"Damage report. Structural damage on decks 3, 5 and 6. We've got 5 casualties and 12 wounded."
"Main transporter is offline."

(Using a haunting, breathy voice with a slight British accent) "Weapons?"

I point at the Helmsman and give him a literal thumbs up.

Santiago: "Phasers charged and ready. Photon Torpedos locked and loaded."

GM:

(Same voice) "Prepare to fire on my mark."

One of the players whispers to another, "Who is that speaking?", though I overhear it. I smile.

"Captain, we have a Plasma Torpedo inbound!"

(Same voice): "Impossible! Their plasma weapons...take evasive action!"

Santiago's player says he practically barrel rolls the Thunder Bay, his dice roll just makes it. Serin, on sensors, tries to project the enemy ship's likely course. Not a great roll. She thinks they'll cloak, and come around for another pass at the areas they've already damaged. The Science Officer, Miragh, tries to use Serin's scans to track the ion output of the enemy vessel's engines. Hopefully, even if they cloak, the Thunder Bay will find some way to track them. His roll is good, he doesn't know exactly where they are, and can't get a target lock, but has a general idea of their position, which he feeds to Santiago.

First Officer Munroe grimaces and says under her breath, "Romulans" (as does the player of course).

GM:

"Captain, we're receiving a hail from the second, smaller vessel. We can't seem to get a clear signal though. The Romulans are likely jamming them. Or us."

Kincaid: "Or the whole damn area."

The players now guess the spooky, breathy voice is the Captain of the ship, and that Munroe is not yet Captain, but rather first officer. This was not something the players knew about before hand. This is essentially a prologue. I get a lot of praise from the group on this. : )

Nelson, the player of Santiago, who has played Star Trek with me a number of times before, guesses that the Captain is an Andorian. He guesses correctly.

Meanwhile...

I inform the Andorian Doctor, Shran, that one of the casualties is the ship's Chief Medical Officer. As per a discussion prior to the game, that NPC was Dr. Shran's fiancé. Shran is horrified, and Andorian level angry, which is not a pretty sight. Seething more than roaring. A low, simmering boil as he barks orders at the rest of the medical staff in coldly precise words.

Good stuff.

The Romulan ship does indeed cloak, which I describe as flickering out before disappearing. Many of the Trek fans in the group say that doesn't sound right. Serin, the sensor officer, works with the NPC Navigator to quickly review the sensor logs of the attack.

There are several oddities in the way this Romulan ship works. First, it flickers in and out in a pattern that reminds one of an old time movie, instead of the standard wavy fade. Another is that it can decloak, fire, and recloak really quickly. She tells the rest of the crew. This prompts the Engineer, Rozza, to analyze the damaged area of the hull. He discovers the plasma burns differ from the standard Romulan Plasma Torpedo considerably. There is a physical, conventional missile impact here that then exploded into a ball of plasma.

Science Officer Miragh taps his tentacles against his console and faceplate in thought. Many are creeped out.

Meanwhile, (Me as) the Captain calls on the Helmsman to try and fire before the enemy cloaks. Santiago shoots...And Scores! The enemy cloaks, but the Thunder Bay's Phasers lance out and get a solid hit against the enemies forward sensor array and one of its Disruptors.

Munroe:

"Captain, our priority should be seeing to that other vessel. It could be damaged. Do we know if the Romulans hit it? What condition is it in?"

Allen, Miragh's player, says he has formulated a theory as to what transpired, and asks if he can relay it to the group. I tell him by all means.

His best assumption is that our ships sensors detected the Romulan ship and smaller unknown vessel engaged in a fight and flew over to check it out. Perhaps the smaller ship sent out a distress call. When we arrived the larger Romulan craft was attacking the smaller vessel. We likely hailed the Romulans, and they attacked us as well. Either that, or they responded and then we got into an argument that resulted in a fight. The rest of the group nods. Allen is great at this sort of thing.

I clap. Nicely done. I inform him that he was right the first time. They never returned your hail. They just started to fire on you suddenly, and without provocation or warning. I also confirm that the origin of the smaller ship is unknown. They are unfamiliar with the species and/or government that fields such a vessel.

 Allen asks to roll dice to determine the condition of the unknown ship. Rolls Dice - does very well. I give him a thumbs up - as the player speaks, I nod or make hand gestures to guide his ad libbing a bit. I give him a general sense of the situation without having to say it and than have him repeat it - a typical problem of Science Officer PCs in Trek. Luckily, Allen and I are usually on the same wavelength)

Miragh:

"The vessel was indeed hit. Badly I suspect. We have no record of this ship design, so I am not certain how badly the craft is damaged. I think it's safe to assume they need assistance. Unfortunately, communications seem to be jammed and the transporter is down."

Kincaid:

"We can take a shuttle. (Kincaid's player looks at Munroe's player with an earnest expression - the old NJ crew were method actors) Sir, you have first contact experience correct? We'll take a shuttle over there and help them, as well as make first contact. I'll go with you to ensure you're safety."

Munroe:

(Grimaces, and looks around at everyone in the room) "OK, it's a plan. Miragh, you're with us. Captain, do I have your OK on this?"

GM (Captain's voice):

"Permission granted. Save lives. Make friends. While you're gone, we will be sure to give the Romulans hell."

Brief interlude where the three PCs, Munroe, Kincaid, and Miragh, board a Shuttlecraft and launch for the unknown, alien vessel.

At the same time, some of the other players move to sit closer together. They discuss their potential next moves, including discussing ship tactics.

I switch from the Shuttle Party to the Doctor. The PCs in the shuttle discuss first contact strategy.

In sickbay, the Doctor is sitting near a bed, crying over the sheet covered body of his beloved. Attendants come to remove the body, and he stares daggers at them. When they leave, he initiates a computer program, uploading her journals into the medical banks, adding footage from the couples personal files, and rerouting the sickbay computers interactive features to a subroutine he designed.

This is news to me. I ask what he is up to exactly. He shows me his character sheet, which clearly states he is a computer expert, and understands artificial intelligence. Oh dear...

Now, back on the bridge, time has passed with the shuttles departure, etc., and I wait a beat or so to increase the tension. Suddenly...

GM:

"Romulan ship has decloaked...but...I thought I saw..."
"Incoming Disruptor fire...and Plasma Torpedo! Brace for-"

KA-BOOM! Huge explosion sound effect (from me), and several pained screams!

Cut to commercial...

AD
Barking Alien

*The link provided for the Phobos Class upgrade to the Loknar is useful for determining the ships capabilities (for those interested), and for the deck by deck breakdown of where everything is located.

Splits-ville

I have some more things I wanted to talk about in regards to the concept of Splitting the Party (Did I mention I've got a lot to say about this subject? 'Cause ya'know, I've got A LOT to say about this subject).  Before I do however...

***

September 11th is always such a sad and somber day. I am really grateful (not a word I like or use lightly) to have the very next day always represent such happiness over the last 7 years or so.

September 12th is my best friend's birthday. And here she is...

My dog, Delilah! Obviously half-Vargr* and half-Cheronian* (She's black on her left side. Don't you see? All her litter are black on the left side!), is the most amazing child, friend, pet, and companion anyone could ever have. She is 7 years young today, and she's been with me since she was 4 months old. This is her, "Dad, this is so embarrasing" face.

Happy Birthday Dee! 

***

 

Now then, a number of people mentioned one key element about making a split party work, or not, and I'd like to address that topic, and, hopefully, turn it on its ear.

 

Many people noted communication as being perhaps the most important thing a split party needs to function well.

 

The always vigilant Lord Blacksteel says:

 

I don't totally disagree with you but sci-fi/modern games tend to be quite different, not the least of which is the ability to stay in constant communication with one another, which the typical D&D party lacks. There's also the ability to teleport to someone's aid (possible with both Trek and Supers) or to simply fly at ridiculous speed to wherever something is happening. Fantasy characters may have some ability to do this but it's not usually as easy as it is in other settings.
 

The Keeper of the Tower of Zenopus speaks true! Chris C adds:

 

...I see what you meant in your comment over at my post regarding system and type of game now. It's true that if you have PCs that can communicate with each other when split, and/or who can get to each other very rapidly, then splitting is not at all the end of the world. Like you say, it's far more of an issue in games that are combat-heavy and/or where large numbers of baddies can come out of the woodwork and suddenly hit you when you least expect it.

It seems to me that PC communication is the key.

 

There is great wisdom here. From the modern era to the distant future, where easy access to rapid communication (and to a lesser extent travel) is available to the PCs, splitting the party makes a lot more sense than it does in say, Medieval Fantasy.

 

It's easy to conclude that while viable in Champions, Leverage, Marvel Heroic, or InSpectres, it might not be a good idea (or even possible) in Dungeons & Dragons, Ars Magica, or even Gamma World (which is often depicted as having an overall medieval level of technical advancement aside from rare artifacts of advanced design).

 

Well...

Watch out, it's another long one.

  

Let's flip our thinking for just a moment.

 

Up until now, the idea was that splitting the party can benefit the party by enabling them to cover more ground while investigating, fight to cover physically less capable members while said members search for some clue/means of escape/important item, or to generally reflect the genre (wherein characters in novels, films, comics and other media split up. They just do).

 

We also covered (albeit briefly) the idea that being versatile enough to pull it off as a GM makes said GM look good (GM Mojo), and gives the impression that their world is open and the PCs aren't stuck following rails to their inevitable destination.

 

But what if...what if it were necessary but not really a good idea? What if it happens accidentally? What if you're players, being players, decide to split up the group for whatever reason seemed brilliant at the time but in actuality wasn't.

 

Many GMs would simply not allow it. Many would 'teach them a lesson' and invoke grudge monsters to show them what happens when you defy the mighty GM! >Flash - Thunder - Muhuwahaha!<

 

Maybe that's the way it's done in Wisconsin but this is New York. Lemme show you how we do things downtown...

 

(Yeah, that made absolutely no sense. Anyway...)

 

Sometimes the PCs just want to separate and/or you want to let them. I'd like to think you (the GMs out there) just don't have that gut reaction/reflex that sees it as automatically bad or unworkable. Honestly, if this 'series' of posts accomplishes anything I really hope it's getting rid that instinct.

 

OK, so how do you make this fun, manageable, and down right scary. Yep, scary. See, we're going to do it D&D style, with no easy communication or travel abilities. Put away your Comlinks and turn off your Telepathy. We're splitting the party old school.

 

(OK, I just spent five minutes trying to use online, random dungeon generators to generate a dungeon map for use in my example scenario. Great Googley Moogley! ALL SO BORING. Seriously. How do you guys and gals use this stuff. So square, plain, and monotonous. *Shiver* Alright. Different approach. I never really use dungeons anyway...)

 

Let's say our party consists of Coopermoon, a Dwarven Thief, Gestral, a Human Ranger, Promelia, a Human Cleric, Ronaland the Green, a Human Druid, and Windgriffon, an Elven Warrior/Wizard.

 

The party has been asked by the lord of a popular port city to investigate the ruins of a small keep North East of the port. Sailors and townsfolk alike have seen strange lights in the vicinity and odd figures lurking around on the nearby beaches at night for ages. Recently, a number of ships were attacked by pirates who headed off in the direction of the keep but soon vanished into the morning mist. Just a few days prior to the party's arrival, a small group of fishermen disappeared.

 

When the party arrives in the area, having travelled North East up the coast by land, they see an old shipwreck, a number of abandoned crates overgrown with moss, and an odd set of stone stairs to their right (further East). The ruins of the keep are due North of them.

 

 

 

Windgriffon is the default party leader and wants to make tracks directly for the keep. Gestral the Ranger says it makes more sense to scout out their immediate surroundings first since they're there and he doesn't want someone who's here following behind the group without them knowing. Ronaland is eager to investigate the moss as he's heard this region has numerous medicinal herbs that might come in handy. Promelia is intrigued by that as well. She is also curious about the steps as they look like they could belong to some kind of ancient temple, though none was mentioned by the local lord or any of the townspeople. Coopermoon can't stop staring at the cargo. Though covered in moss, the crates look otherwise intact. The ship is fairly large and in surprisingly good shape. What was it carrying? Where was it headed?

 

Now at this point in the average groups' game session, the players would argue over what to do first. If they have a great leader or the group is just very in sync with each other, a direction will be decided upon in no time. If the situation is more typical, you could be there a bit, wasting time while people disagree about where to go.

 

Windgriffon hates wasting time, so here's his thinking. Coopermoon will check out the crates, with Windgriffon himself covering him. Ronaland will be there as well, though his focus is the moss on the crates and not the containers themselves. Gestral and Promelia, the two being an item anyway, will go up the stone stairs and take a look around. Gestral, the Ranger of the group, will therefore get to high ground, enabling him to see the rest of the party and anyone approaching from overhead.

 

Let's say something comes out of the shipwreck or the water and attacks Windgriffon and his group. Oh no! Gestral and Promelia are too far away to help or hear them. Well...maybe if they made a loud noise or signaled. It was not uncommon in my campaigns to use Dancing Lights or Pyrotechnics as a signal flare. An arrow, which has had it's tip wrapped in gauze, dyed a bright color, and soaked in oil, can be lit and shot for the same effect.

 

Gestral can certainly fire his arrow from the higher elevation down at enemies while Promelia makes her way back down the stairs. Gestral could also periodically check on the rest of the group somehow (using an animal companion or some such thing).

 

But what if he doesn't or can't. Well, then he can't. It's a challenge. That's the point. Splitting the party isn't supposed to make it easy for the party to survive. It's actually quite the opposite. It's a tactical risk, designed to cover more ground while leaving you open to assault.

 

GMs, don't be afraid to attack the PCs or feel bad doing so just because they decided to split their numbers.

 

The idea here is the Ronaland might find healing herbs around the same time Coopermoon and Windgriffon discover some of the crates held food and other supplies, while some others held...people. Illegal slave trading was conducted by whomever operated the now long wrecked vessel in whose shadow they now stand.

 

At the same time, Promelia finds a secret entrance to an underground catacomb (OK, there's a dungeon after all. Ya happy?), and Gestral spots shadowy figures in moss and leaf covered camouflage. No one gets the drop on Gestral Ronnamoor!

 

Bare in mind it could go any number of ways. I am curious to hear if anyone would have distributed the characters differently. The key is, there is a lot to do here but none of it is the reason they came; that would be the ruins. Maybe there are clues to what's in the ruins in one or more of these areas. Perhaps they'll find hints or keys to unlock a door, locate a treasure, or deactivate a trap. Perhaps they'll see some action with those shadowy figures.

 

The thing is, lack of communication has no immediate effect on this group, it's members, and what they are doing. As in many D&D RPG groups, each PC is sort of doing their own thing as part of the team.

 

By exploring in small groups, the PCs and the GM are exploring possibilities. It's not guaranteed to turn out OK but with practice it can be guaranteed to turn out interesting and shake up the way you handle encounters.

 

More to come,

 

AD

Barking Alien

 

*Yes. I am terribly geeky when I want to be