DanDare2050
Mongoose
I want to note some things about High and Dry. First I agree with the suggestion elsewhere this should be in Sindal. My other thoughts however are much higher priority.
This is an adventure for a beginning game master. It does not feel that much has been done to aid such a beginning GM. A lot of the pages of this adventure are wasted and a beginning GM will not get much out of it.
I suggest the following.
1) Start with a good, terse GM synopsis
* The Scout Service knows what planet the Highndry is on and want the players to retrieve it for rewards, including use of the ship for a year
* The Highndry is abandoned in a volcano crater.
* The previous crew were assholes and got arrested going for repairs
* The government of the planet wants a survey of the volcano done, there will be quid pro quo, go on the mission to be told where the ship is
* The volcano is active and is going to erupt close to the time when the players may be trying to fix the ship
This is all stuff that could be happening on a planet in Sindal so why not put it there?
2) There is a description of the trip there, including a planet actually described as boring. Cut this whole section. Have the GM tell the players they have arrived at the destination with a very brief description of the boring trip that got them there. Start play right there and back fill as needed.
3) There is lots of wordy description of places and the sector. Ok, waffle if you must but move it all to after the key parts of the adventure the players are going to try out.
4) Don't put the lava tubes in if they aren't part of play. They are about to get wiped out and the players are going to be fixing the ship. Alternately have part of the adventure include the lava tubes. Maybe the previous clue hid some contraband down then and there is a clue to that that gives the players an opportunity for a bit of a bonus at the cost of some time risk.
5) There needs to be some advice for game mastery at various opportunities and some ideas about how a GM might alter the scenario design to make it lest railroady and why that is a good idea.
This is an adventure for a beginning game master. It does not feel that much has been done to aid such a beginning GM. A lot of the pages of this adventure are wasted and a beginning GM will not get much out of it.
I suggest the following.
1) Start with a good, terse GM synopsis
* The Scout Service knows what planet the Highndry is on and want the players to retrieve it for rewards, including use of the ship for a year
* The Highndry is abandoned in a volcano crater.
* The previous crew were assholes and got arrested going for repairs
* The government of the planet wants a survey of the volcano done, there will be quid pro quo, go on the mission to be told where the ship is
* The volcano is active and is going to erupt close to the time when the players may be trying to fix the ship
This is all stuff that could be happening on a planet in Sindal so why not put it there?
2) There is a description of the trip there, including a planet actually described as boring. Cut this whole section. Have the GM tell the players they have arrived at the destination with a very brief description of the boring trip that got them there. Start play right there and back fill as needed.
3) There is lots of wordy description of places and the sector. Ok, waffle if you must but move it all to after the key parts of the adventure the players are going to try out.
4) Don't put the lava tubes in if they aren't part of play. They are about to get wiped out and the players are going to be fixing the ship. Alternately have part of the adventure include the lava tubes. Maybe the previous clue hid some contraband down then and there is a clue to that that gives the players an opportunity for a bit of a bonus at the cost of some time risk.
5) There needs to be some advice for game mastery at various opportunities and some ideas about how a GM might alter the scenario design to make it lest railroady and why that is a good idea.
