If they aren't Patrons, then what?

[RedBeardSean]

In the Whats the verdict on the supplements?thread, one of the common complaints is that 760 Patrons isn't a book of Patrons. I've not had an opportunity to buy the book, or even look through it. Okay, really, I'd been avoiding doing soon the basis that my ability to generate Patrons is fine.

So the question is, if it isn't a book full of Patrons, then what is it?

 

[zanwot]

A book full of NPCs, with indications for an interaction with the PCs.

 

[EDG]

From what I've seen of it (admittedly just from the previews), it struck me as a book of random NPC encounters - maybe good for a scene or two, but not actual Patrons worthy of getting PCs out doing something.

 

[Alexander Cecil]

I view it as a book full of plot starters. Most of the encounters could easily become some kind of adventure, even if not the "Shooty-McBang-Bang" kind.

Many of them can be patrons, as they wish to employ the PCs to do some kind of job. What is missing from a more standard patron encounter, however, is a clearly defined compensation for performing the task.

I really like the book, and I am sure that it will serve me well as my campaign begins over the next couple weeks.

 

[zanwot]

Basically there are 2 big uses for them:
* For the GM in need to populate his world with cheap & fast NPCs that actually have motivations and can interact with the PCs, etc.
* For the character generation: It is very easy to generate an NPC as ally or ennemy for those random events in character generation (the NPCs are sorted by career and by conflicting/friendly)

 

[Tipsy]

Yeah, they are NPCs tied to a PC's careers...which is odd since most of the Traveller games I've seen are centered around Travelling as a second career.

I mean, the book has a ton of options for people a Drifter can run into while drifting or that maybe they ran into back when they were drifting, but it doesn't have a list of Patrons with story hooks for PCs who have stopped drifting and become members of a ship's crew.

Personally, I was hoping for more of a 'these are Patrons who may look to offer some work or appeal for help based upon the backgrounds of the PCs' book than a 'if you are playing a Entertainer career here are some NPCs you can run into that may not really want anything' book.

Truthfully, I was pretty disappointed.

 

[captainjack23]

In the Whats the verdict on the supplements?thread, one of the common complaints is that 760 Patrons isn't a book of Patrons. I've not had an opportunity to buy the book, or even look through it. Okay, really, I'd been avoiding doing soon the basis that my ability to generate Patrons is fine.

So the question is, if it isn't a book full of Patrons, then what is it?

760 patrons is possibly misnamed, possibly, but seems lots more useful than the original CT supplement;

Caveat: I've always had a much easier time generating unique (and I hope) interesting patrons - it's the constant need for encounters which often is my bottleneck ; and the encounters can mostly be turned into patrons by a brief thought about the motivations of the subject. Again, YMMV - I my gaming stlye (running them at least) asumes that I'll need to customize or complete most stuff -a habit from the old style RPG's like.....wee about everything in the first couple of generations of games - (Chivalry andSorcery and Space opera possibly excepted..)

It is in fact a bunch of short descriptions of someone or somthing that the GM can use to interact with the players, in a "choose from helpful or hindering" format. It also has d6 variation of the key points about the enounter. It has LOTS of them. Mostly human, some alien, and from all the basic careers. The writeups are short and contain the minimal info necc to pop the person (alien, hiver monstrosity) in.

It isn't a list of patrons as apparently Patrons are defined for traveller, and POSSIBLY by the MGT core, with defined jobs for the players, but does have implied plot hooks for each. Certainly there is a different presentation and focus of information than in the core patron rules.

All could potentially be patron encounters; granted, that does undermine the name some, and requires the GM to define most of any such uses, but it avoids the "Big Book of Plot Hooks and GM surrogate Characters needing them dealt with" (aka charlie the disembodies voice on Charlie's Angels. ); and provides lots of "not made up by me and hence somewhat more than a little similar in terms of personality and motivations NPC people (or aliens, or Hiver Monstrosities)" See my quote above for all necc bias warnings.


Does that help ?

 

[RedBeardSean]

Okay, that all does make a great deal more sense. I'm actually slightly more inclined to pick it up than I had been previously, as random encounters in a starport are more useful for me than supplying a bunch of NPCs with question marks floating over their heads.

 

[Allensh]

760 Patrons is basically a book of NPC-based adventure seeds. And in this capacity, and as a tool for helping to define Contacts, Allies, Rivals and Enemies, it is well worth the money.

Allen

 

[Flynn]

I personally view it as a book of 760 Patrons, not 760 Patron ENCOUNTERS. We are used to Patron Encounters providing the rough outlines for an actual adventure, setting a scene, providing basic motivations and goals, and then offering a choice of up to six different conclusions and complications. This book does not do so. Instead, it offers 760 Patrons, with three or four options each on variations of that patron's goals or backgrounds. Much less meat in the adventure scenario department, but still a lot of interesting NPC types that can be used in a more inspirational manner.

It's a good book, and it's exactly what the title indicates. However, it isn't what most long term Traveller fans would expect from the title (based on the CT supplement of a similar name), and so I suspect that's where some of the disappointment comes from.

I personally like it, but I have to admit that I had to take a step back and re-evalute the book after reading through it. I can only assume that the author either didn't read 76 Patrons before starting, misunderstood what he read of that LBB, or was given a slightly different direction than the CT Supplement went. It's still a good book, but you may have to realign your expectations before picking it up.

With Regards,
Flynn

 

[Kilgs]

My plan is to use it as an expanded Contact database. Patrons... no, Contacts, yes!

 

[Bygoneyrs]

The book is fine, just use it as a quick reference plot/NPC start and use your creative GM style to expand on it and make it fit for your own campaign setting. I for one don't want to be spoon fed, but rather just like a seed to start with. There are plenty of them in that book.

Penn

 

[zanwot]

Errr..... *checks a dictionary* hum... Oh, maybe *checks an american dictionary* hum, no, definitly not... oh well.

 

[Bygoneyrs]

Errr..... *checks a dictionary* hum... Oh, maybe *checks an american dictionary* hum, no, definitly not... oh well.

Good golly Ms molly...did I make a typo or spelling error or maybe a syntax error...Oh The Horrors of it all....

At least the point was easy enough to get across :roll:

Penn

 

[zanwot]

Good golly Ms molly...did I make a typo or spelling error or maybe a syntax error...Oh The Horrors of it all....

Lol, actually I was not reacting to your post.

 

[Bygoneyrs]

LOL...I have been known to be guilty of; Spelling errors, Typing Errors, and Grammer Syntax erros from time to time. I'm BAD, a very BAD RPGer...quick someone run by me and hit me with a "FISH"...LMAO!!!

Penn