A Discussion about campaign ideas and opening scenes

[Hopeless]

A couple of years ago I started an online character generation for a Mongoose Traveller game, I ended up having to buy copies of the pocket handbook for each of them just to make sure they understood the system although I only really had problems with one player.

This ended up with a party consisting of a former scout with a history in science, a pair of former Sword Worlders one a former Marine turned bodyguard, the other a former Scout and finally a former Psion Adept turned Corporate Lawyer.

The opening scene had them heading out of Fulacin in an inherited mining vessel to deliver the final bequest of the mining vessel's late owner (Uncle of the former scientist) they arrive at the neighbouring system only to discover a pirate ship waiting for them and they manage to evade them and land on an ice world that lay on the course between them.

I actually tried to get them to design their own home star system with only one really doing so (Fulacin) which was such a complete change from what was listed in the Spinward Marches book I figured it would make a great series of adventures in itself.

What I'd like to ask you is how did you handle your first game?

 

[simonh]

My favorite first session of a Traveller game was an episodic campaign in which the players were senior crew on a 1000 ton military supply vessel on a milk run to outposts and allied worlds beyond the Imperial border.

In the first 'Episode' the ship is on manoeuvers with some friendly vessels. It was a good opportunity to try out the combat system and roll fire, damage, tactics, etc with it all being simulated. As part of the exercise the ship sneaks into a gas giant to refuel without being detected by 'enemy' ships. While they're refueling, a terrorist that had infiltrated the ship partially sabotages the manoeuvre drive.

At first everyone thinks it's a simulated hit, but soon realize they actually are falling deeper into the gas giant. The players race to the engineering compartment to find one of the technicians injured and one of the ship's maintenance pods missing (think 2001 a space odyssey type pods). The chief engineer struggles to repair the engine while the medic treats the injured technician. Meanwhile the pilot is trying to maintain altitude. At the same time one of the PCs jumps into the other maintenance pod to chase down the escaping terrorist, engaging him in a 'pod battle fighting with manipulator arms. Another PC made it to the ship's gig and takes out the terrorist's friends in an escape ship that was hiding in the gas giant.

Simon Hibbs

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

I let players pick a homeworld from the Traveller maps or make up one of their own to base their chargen off of.

 

[Hopeless]

I let players pick a homeworld from the Traveller maps or make up one of their own to base their chargen off of.

I actually got them to roll them up which is how the group has two Sword Worlders, had to admit after the first response on their creating their characters' own star system via Gurps Space worked incredibly but the others wasn't interested which was a shame.

Was originally going for a variation of the Spinward Marches and went a little too far but during and after the character generation I was pretty much open to seeing what they wanted to do rather than follow my original idea since their actions were giving me plenty of ideas for subplots!