Help! Players broke my plot!

[inq101]

Or 'When players unite'

As all GM's know, no plan survives contact with the players but this is taking it a bit too far.

This is the second chapter of the Traveler adventure I've been running. In the first part the PC's managed to get a bit of cash and set themselves up as merc's. This chapter was supposed to be the players getting hired by a planetary governor to put down a rebellion, discover the rebels are the 'oppressed masses' and the governor is an 'evil overlord', blah blah blah....

Long story short they played 2 sessions then bluffed and lucked their way into a meeting with both sides where they said they could 'Remove the opposition as a serious threat if their terms were met.' One of these terms was command level access to all computer systems planetwide. They then used the access to steal BOTH SIDES entire treasury, publish the balance to both sides armed forces causing a mass mutiny (not going to fight if were not getting paid) and then hired several of the best regiments and navy ships. They now have the largest army on the planet, a HUGE cash reserve and both sides OWE THEM MONEY! Yes they're still demanding to be paid!

I need ideas for the next session. Please help me get revenge on these dastardly PC's.

 

[Junior]

Or 'When players unite'

As all GM's know, no plan survives contact with the players but this is taking it a bit too far.

This is the second chapter of the Traveler adventure I've been running. In the first part the PC's managed to get a bit of cash and set themselves up as merc's. This chapter was supposed to be the players getting hired by a planetary governor to put down a rebellion, discover the rebels are the 'oppressed masses' and the governor is an 'evil overlord', blah blah blah....

Long story short they played 2 sessions then bluffed and lucked their way into a meeting with both sides where they said they could 'Remove the opposition as a serious threat if their terms were met.' One of these terms was command level access to all computer systems planetwide. They then used the access to steal BOTH SIDES entire treasury, publish the balance to both sides armed forces causing a mass mutiny (not going to fight if were not getting paid) and then hired several of the best regiments and navy ships. They now have the largest army on the planet, a HUGE cash reserve and both sides OWE THEM MONEY! Yes they're still demanding to be paid!

I need ideas for the next session. Please help me get revenge on these dastardly PC's.

That's funny, I don't know though, its the morning, so I'm not thinking this threw as throughly as I should, but, they have military ships... maybe have the Imperium (or other government) view them as a illegitimate military power, and do a intervention, also they can take there paycheck out of what they already stole, the imperium (or government with appropriate jurisdiction) might consider such action grand theft or something, remember The Long Arm of the Law.

Edit: It sounds like they don't have friends on either side now.

 

[dmccoy1693]

I see several holes you can exploit:

* they have access to all accounts on the planet. They do not have access to off world holdings.

* merc units generally get paid from secret accounts that are not registered with the government

* insurgency. both sides hate them and both would join forces against them. A much smaller force can descimate a larger force this way.

* they may own the ships, but they do not own the hearts and minds that work on those ships. Have 2/3's of the military just walk away from their posts and join up with the rebels to fight against the players.

* neighboring planet is friends with the former government and will send their ENTIRE military force to shoot down the player's military.

* they may have had command level access, but they do not know about all the backdoors programmers put in there. the existing military sends the signal to override the player's control over those ships.

hope these help.

 

[SSWarlock]

* neighboring planet is friends with the former government and will send their ENTIRE military force to shoot down the player's military.

Especially if the army and/or navy the players hired happen to have nukes. Then the Imperium steps in.

 

[Pyromancer]

Long story short they played 2 sessions then bluffed and lucked their way into a meeting with both sides where they said they could 'Remove the opposition as a serious threat if their terms were met.' One of these terms was command level access to all computer systems planetwide. They then used the access to steal BOTH SIDES entire treasury, publish the balance to both sides armed forces causing a mass mutiny (not going to fight if were not getting paid) and then hired several of the best regiments and navy ships. They now have the largest army on the planet, a HUGE cash reserve and both sides OWE THEM MONEY! Yes they're still demanding to be paid!

So, someone shows up in France 1943, steals all the money from the Nazis and the Resistance and tells the troops: "Your superiors won't pay you, but I will. Follow me!"

And you think anyone (let alone some of the best of both sides) will fall for that?

If the faces of your player characters are known, they will be shot on sight by fanatics of both sides.

 

[GypsyComet]

Did they "hire" space navy or wet navy mutineers?

Never let them transcend their individual characters. Not once. If one of them gives orders to their new military forces, let them find out how successful the endeavor is the same way they would have to in real life: reluctant officers reporting back to them and smug reporters spreading their misdeeds on the evening news.

So they send a PC or two on the flagship to ensure success? Sensors lie, targets cheat, insurgents and crooked supply clerks steal. Perhaps the insurgents have more grip within the military than either side was admitting. Mislabeled munitions are lots of fun all by themselves, never mind the other havoc creation opportunities available in the supply chains. Hope they brought plenty of food, since neither side will sell them any more...

If they stay in a command location, subordinates become their primary source of information. One botched operation and "tell our press secretary to issue a statement" mistake later, and the insubordination will appear quickly. Possibly even a grenade or two.

If that doesn't escalate quickly enough, give them information that leads to grievous damage to the the planet's primary export trade. Something incredibly important to another system.

If they have a space navy, have an Imperial Agent show up with a Warrant for assistance and requisition a significant chunk of "their" fleet for peacekeeping activities in another system. Even a little bit of "don't want to cooperate" in that means their days are numbered, and all it takes is fleeing the system to get them labeled as a "threat to Imperial Trade".

Overall, the goal is to remind them that there is always a bigger fish, and it isn't them...

 

[SSWarlock]

If that doesn't escalate quickly enough, give them information that leads to grievous damage to the the planet's primary export trade. Something incredibly important to another system.

True. Merchant shipping may avoid the system all together for quite some time. Economic markets really don't like the risk and uncertainty military coups bring to a political system.

 

[Commander Drax]

Pretty easy really, have someone else do exactly the same thing to them and steal all of their money (preferably the most morally obnoxious side in the confict), plus throw in a few nasty and partially successful assassination attempts that result in debilitating damage being done to the pc's, along with disruption of essential supply lines by guerilla warfare. The financial crisis could see their soldiers not being paid (and we all know what that means). At the very least there should be mass desertions to both the other sides as well as betrayal ranging from the minor such as passing information to one of the other sides, to the major such as trusted advisers maneuvering the pc's into a position where someone else can easily kill them.

Also an army along with its associated hardware costs real money to run. An enemy hacker might just inject a nasty virus into the world's computer net that manages to wipe out the bank accounts of every living citizen on the world.

The result being no tax income, no money to support the army. Also the bad news of the player's coup could really seriously effect the financial markets leading to runaway inflation, their Mega-Credits might just about buy a basic meal (for one) on that particular world.

This would definitely draw the Imperium into the picture. There's nothing the Emperor dislikes more than someone devaluing the mighty credit. At the very least a 750,000 ton battleship with associated fleet support should show up to interdict the world until the 'situation' stabilizes. Indeed the Imperium itself would most probably 'stabilize' the situation on their own. Meson attack and drop troops make for a stressful afternoon.

In other words life should become 'hell' for the players in every major and minor way with no way out except for becoming fugitives with false identities and cosmetic surgery. As this wont fool high tech DNA scanners this should relegate the players to life on worlds of Tech 7 or lower or out system locations well away from the mainworld. Make every effort to punish these player's relentlessly for getting too big and too morally bankrupt for their own boots.

As a referee one of the hardest things you can do is kill a player character particularly if it seems unfair, make it fair (i.e fully defensible by the plot and story arc) and present them with new character sheets. A simple way is to have the pc's required to wear hostile environment equipment or battledress/vacc suits and put them in a hostile environment. Unknown to them a resistance member has sabotaged their suits to either:

A - Incapacitate them allowing them to be captured, tried and later executed for their 'crimes'.

B - Slowly poison them whilst an audio recording of a gloating and well known npc is played through the suit speakers telling them 'who' poisoned them (a well known npc) and 'why! (their crimes).

C- Kill them quickly without explanation

Also a belter in orbit could easily aim a select few rocks at their palace or HQ which would not only destroy them but wipe out the city or region if done properly.

Big Ambitions = Big Problems

 

[zanwot]

Sounds like they have gotten themselves into a planet sized mess, and more precisely they have asked you for it. Going for that kind of stakes they are asking for you to give them giant problems, as I suspect the day to day running of a military dictatorship is not their idea of fun.

So:

The government could make new money (privilege of a government), causing a moderate inflation, re-employing troops, and bankrupting the players.

The Population would grow rebellious towards players who represent only their own interests, including army. All out civil war is the name. And their men have no loyalty, especially as the PCs do not exactly give a good example.

The Imperium could get worried about the things. Anyway you can be sure some extra planetary interests would not like the players coup.


On a gameplay side, you could start game by warning them that they can die, including by mean methods. Then pull out the rebellious generals, assassins, nuclear weapons, and watch them freak out. Remind them their characters are only just fragile men, surrounded by hostile people.

 

[rust]

You mentioned the armed forces of the planet in question, but what
happened to the secret service(s), which probably had a secure com-
puter system, not connected to the government's system (and quite
likely even unknown to most government members) ?

Those secret service people are highly unlikely to welcome foreign
ursurpers, and they should have both the skills and the means to
demonstrate their displeasure in most painful ways ... :twisted:

 

[Golan2072]

If the government is quite unpopular (which is likely in such a scenario), the PCs' acts might have destabilized the whole thing, probably bringing about the collapse of the government - and a nasty, multi-sided civil war for power (or, alternatively, a popular revolution). If the resistance movement weren't the saint they wanted their troops to think they were (for example, making money on the side while neglecting the troops), and this would become known, the resistance movement would probably split into several factions.

Or worse. A new, more radical leadership could seize control of the resistance movement, and maybe even the world as well - and the new revolutionary government would not like the idea of having backstabbing former agents of the old regime running around.

All in all, things are going to explode - they should get off-planet ASAP.

 

[pasuuli]

have someone else do exactly the same thing to them and steal all of their money (preferably the most morally obnoxious side in the confict)

Ha ha! Commander, you are a truly sneaky one!

That carries benefits with it: the players wind up with a group of anti-players to "get even" with, and must be hunted down immediately before all of the other calamities befall them. Running after these uber-bad guys can be an adventure in and of itself.


I was thinking something more subtly dangerous: have representatives of a "tiny" division of Makhidkarun land on the planet with great fanfare, distributing free goodies to the masses (guns, vehicles, and portable fusion power units), and requesting an audience with the players. They then try to strike some insidious deal with the players. I don't know what, though... but maybe the "what" isn't all that important. And I don't know how to do it without railroading the players.


Another possibility is that a neighboring, rival world sees this as the perfect opportunity to "help out" the "freedom fighters" of the struggling system, by launching an attack.


Then you can draw in the Imperium, who proceed to neutralize all armed forces regardless of who they are and where they come from.

Sounds like chaos. If the players still have some ability to control their environment and make choices, it could be a fun ride.

 

[dmccoy1693]

If the government is quite unpopular (which is likely in such a scenario), the PCs' acts might have destabilized the whole thing, probably bringing about the collapse of the government - and a nasty, multi-sided civil war for power

OHHHH GOOD POINT!!!!! Don't forget the looting. There must be looting. Have things like ships, warheads, ammo dumps, warehouses of consumer goods, raw materials vital for the economy simply go missing and no one has a clue where they got to. Look to recent wars for inspiration.

Also have this bring about crime lords and protection rackets. Give the players little to no control over large sections of their planet. Make them fight for every inch of their own planet. Look to New Jersey for inspiration.

(Yes, I like ragging on the state I live in.)

 

[SSWarlock]

And don't forget vengeance. I'm sure any survivors among the people who were kicked out of power are in a rather bad mood at the moment.

Assassinations against those who caused them problems tend to sooth such people. And they almost always have enough stashed away to pay for such activities.

Edit:
In fact, the more I think about it, the more I of the opinion the players just royally screwed themselves. Grabbing a ship and bugging out is the only sane option.

 

[dmccoy1693]

Edit:
In fact, the more I think about it, the more I of the opinion the players just royally screwed themselves. Grabbing a ship and bugging out is the only sane option.

That's probably the best summation right there. Tricking people out of a planet sounds cool, but the reprocussions are deadly. They should feel it. Let the players know that they signed their character's death warrents.

 

[Emperor Herdan]

And if they do Bug Out...

Hunt them down with freelance Bounty Hunters..

They'll have to spend a goodly portion of their ill gained loot (if any, and most probably it'll be physical assets) on Surgery, fake ID's, and... well they can never go home again.

I mean... who wants to boast that they're related to the "Butchers of <Planet Name>" who are wanted dead by the Imperium...?

Guess it will be the Pirates Life for them (smile)

Take Care

E. Herdan

 

[Junior]

And if they do Bug Out...

Hunt them down with freelance Bounty Hunters..

They'll have to spend a goodly portion of their ill gained loot (if any, and most probably it'll be physical assets) on Surgery, fake ID's, and... well they can never go home again.

I mean... who wants to boast that they're related to the "Butchers of <Planet Name>" who are wanted dead by the Imperium...?

Guess it will be the Pirates Life for them (smile)

Take Care

E. Herdan

I dunno War Crimes weren't listed as one of there accolades, but whatever you do give them some way out, unless you want the campaign to end on a sour note.

 

[dmccoy1693]

I dunno War Crimes weren't listed as one of there accolades,

Propoganda.

but whatever you do give them some way out, unless you want the campaign to end on a sour note.

good advice. give them some way to give back the money and the planet and no one will hunt them down in their sleep.

 

[GypsyComet]

Unless they have a broad streak of "epic stories mean people die a lot" in their gaming, they won't appreciate being summarily hunted and killed. That said, making them *wish* for the simplicity of death is good.

 

[inq101]

Thanks everyone. A lot more responses than I expected. I cut out a lot of the plot that means a few ideas can't be used. I should have said that this was more of a civil war, not a plain rebellion. Neither side is exactly 'popular' but the 'rebels' have a little more support.

r.e. stealing, changing or loosing the money. The first thing the players did was transfer it to secure forms or goods and send it offworld (I'd set up the Traveller equivalent of Switzerland last session).

r.e. Arbitrarily killing off players. I don't want to punish my players for out-thinking me. However, making them understand what they have done is an entirely different thing.

The military forces they hired are mainly conscripts (they hired the better trained and equipped conscripts) and have been retained for 6 months. They are thinking about keeping some long term to start a large merc force (following loyalty tests :? )

I've made Imperial influence pretty low in my games. Thanks to some luck and good roleplay they have a good relationship with most of the Imperial officials are in this sector (mainly thanks to some 'are you sure those dice aren't weighted' style luck at character creation! The dice weren't, they were my dice.) They have shown willingness to work with the Imperial authorities.

If they are 'just' planning on making themselves (very rich) merc's I'm going to let them run with it. I'll up the danger level of the mission and pretty soon attrition will re-balance the game. I'll let them see the consequences of their actions later (they're hired to transport emergency aid to the planet after it's entire economy/government collapses due to lack of funds. Have a large chunk of the people mutiny when they hear so they can protect their families).

Thanks again,
Tom