Injecting Humor Into the Adventures

[DeHammer]

I'm looking for some advice & ideas along the thought of injecting humor into the adventures. I know I want some... I know I still want things to be taken serious though too. Has anyone run into issues with adding humor or quirkiness into their adventures with Traveller? Is there a good or bad way to do this?

My sense of humor is a bit dry, I tend to find laughs in a bit of subtle silliness. As an example... I have a concept for a custom mission / adventure built around the whole 'Nigerian Prince' scam.

One of our party members is going to be excited about an opportunity to make a good haul on a mission, but he can't tell the other players exactly what's up until they are on their final jump to the target system. After they have already been through a few shenanigans to get as far as they have... he will then reveal that they are on a mission for the Princess of Nigjezzria. She is seeking to flee her system which is now under the control of an evil baron. But she wants to first get her family's fortune off world, and has enlisted the party to help her. Half our players are IT guys so I think they will get the reference pretty easily. Of course, it's going to turn out to be a totally legit mission. But I want to hone it so there's this moment where they recognize the old scam and are like 'Oh no. No,no,no..."

Advice? Examples of successfully adding some humorous moments?

 

[Condottiere]

I was just watching a fan edited version of The Hobbit, supposedly closer to the book.

And I thought, that's The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

 

[Limpin Legin]

You can add humour to your roleplay, the theatre has been doing this for centuries. What makes it funny is usually cultural interpretation. You can think of gaming as being a culture in it's own right, and make your own puns based upon player's gaming expectations and observations. Being totally legit in an unusual routine or place can be quite successful. I have GMed games where the players encounter locked doors that have the words "To Unlock, more XP required." Or, encounter an armoury called "The Critical Hit," or a Tavern called "Snake Eyes." These can prompt reactions of amusement. Absurdity and Surrealism works quite well in situations that demand roleplaying, action and narrative. Casual introduction works better than any forced punchline - there again, sometimes the players can be wittier than the GM's narrative. Good Luck. You can have your own "Mad Hatter's Tea Party" around the gaming table.

 

[DeHammer]

You can add humour to your roleplay, the theatre has been doing this for centuries. What makes it funny is usually cultural interpretation. You can think of gaming as being a culture in it's own right, and make your own puns based upon player's gaming expectations and observations. Being totally legit in an unusual routine or place can be quite successful. I have GMed games where the players encounter locked doors that have the words "To Unlock, more XP required." Or, encounter an armoury called "The Critical Hit," or a Tavern called "Snake Eyes." These can prompt reactions of amusement. Absurdity and Surrealism works quite well in situations that demand roleplaying, action and narrative. Casual introduction works better than any forced punchline - there again, sometimes the players can be wittier than the GM's narrative. Good Luck. You can have your own "Mad Hatter's Tea Party" around the gaming table.

Great ideas. I'm going to try employing the idea of humorous business names when they visit their first star port. Also NPC names... oh... like the over the top Bond girl names. I try these in very measured numbers though.

 

[Fluffy Bunny Feet]

One of the ideas I have had is to have a planet which is into fads and they can switch between visits and anyone not current might not be considered worth dealing with but there is always some to act as your "interpreter".

For example on your first arrival you find that you can't do any deals until you find a local who will work with you and get you the robotic animal to ride on your shoulder when you are in public as that is the current fad. On a later trip maybe you need a raccoon fur ankle length coat and matching hat. Another time it is facial tattoos. Then everyone is wearing clown suits and every time you raise your hands the pants fall down and you have to reach down to make the pants pop up.

You could even watch for a PC to do something that can be a fad next time around.

Seems like some times at least it could result in funny events.

 

[Condottiere]

Vocal communications appears to resemble rapping.

 

[rinku]

A high maintenance passenger is a good bit. Especially if, as is likely, the players assume they are somehow important to the plot.

Psych! No, they're just a Karen!

Things that suddenly turn out to be not what the players were expecting are usually good for a laugh. Like when mine were gruffly asked if they had any swords, on Caledonia/Glisten (law level 6). I gave them a few seconds to admit it or deny it before informing that on Caledonia swords aren't allowed... they're COMPUSORY! SWORDS WILL BE PROVIDED!

 

[actionman]

Advice?

I don't know, man. Humor can add some light touches or it can turn everything into a farce.

Players will learn from your example, and they'll think doing things because they're "funny" is acceptable at all times. It's like teaching a parrot to swear; it's funny for a while, but the parrot won't stop doing it, he'll do it inappropriately, and he'll keep doing it inappropriately. Things will devolve, the center will not hold, and before long people will expect the sessions to be a barrel of laughs and not much else.

Maybe humor should be allowed to emerge naturally during gameplay without doing something deliberately for a "see what I did tharr?" moment.

Humor needs to be appropriate for the tone of the campaign. If the campaign is pretty serious and there's oh-so-funny moments, it cheapens it and teaches the players not to take it seriously. The Star Wars prequels suffered from this. The somewhat serious story of political intrigue, war, and a young Jedi turning to the dark side because Padme's a senator was undercut and trivialized by idiotic slapstick, cheap-shot characterizations, a bunch of goofy kid stuff, and the stupidity of Jar Jar Binks. Mandalorian suffered from this. In a big battle the assassin droid is killing countless people and then there's a shot of Grogu laughing gleefully. It was a jarring tonal mismatch.

Players may not appreciate getting their characters dragged around because of a joke that they may or may not get, or a joke they may or may not find tiresome. They especially won't appreciate their time and effort they put into completing the adventure being wasted to set up and experience "funny" moments.

No, they're just a Karen!

A lot of people hate this kind of rug-pull. And a lot of people are very tired of the annoying important person trope. It's been done to death.

 

[Fluffy Bunny Feet]

Then everyone is wearing clown suits and every time you raise your hands the pants fall down and you have to reach down to make the pants pop up.

Imagine the PC's dressed like that in a running gun battle (don't forget the HUGE shoes.

Just a thought.

 

[Grognardia]

I have written a few (hopefully humorous) short Traveller stories, with some of them based on published adventures. You can find them here: https://soren-boye-petersen.itch.io/

 

[rinku]

A lot of people hate this kind of rug-pull. And a lot of people are very tired of the annoying important person trope. It's been done to death.

Well, it's essential to know your audience. Nothing is going to work on everyone.

 

[swordtart]

Not all humour needs to be belly laughs and that which doesn't arise naturally can appear forced.

As an example shops and services in real-life sometimes use foreign words to sound exotic, but those words are not always chosen well and can be amusing to visitors who speak that language. It is funny because it is unintentional. If you add such a name into your game, it is clearly deliberate and the reason for the humour is lost. Similarly words in other languages can sound rude in your own. East-Asian languages with words that end in -"uk" can be a constant source of puerile humour for English speakers. Inventing such a language for your own game will not be half as amusing because intent strips it of the humour. You might get away with adding in a strangled translation to the instructions for a piece of equipment, especially if you use a real world example as that would be found humour rather than specifically manufactured. Amusing accents can work with some groups, but others will find it childish - know your audience. Generally these work better if they are situation specific e.g. a specific NPC guide mangles Galanglic rather than an entire planetary population. If this wears thin you can then easily remove the specific NPC without invalidating the entire planet.

Consequences of failed skill checks (especially near misses) can be a good source of humour as they are unintended and credible. A player that misses the jump across a gap but simply falls into the slime of a "Bilge Slug" is far more useful to the story than one that falls and suffers a few points of damage. Their interactions with NPCs while smelling of processed sewage will have light but enduring consequences (getting clean is liable to be more challenging mid-adventure) whereas damage can be cured by an immediate first-aid check. Being slimed doesn't impact their ability to survive a short term combat. Long after the event you might find players referring back to it and it becomes part of the character arc - in some groups it might completely redefine a character. You also give the player a one-off chance to reference Ghostbusters without it becoming persistent (and if they are quick witted they get to lean into their misfortune, the humour comes from them and arises naturally, significantly increasing the humour value). The quote will evoke the memories of a beloved comedy franchise and clever players might find ways to introduce other quotes from the franchise as the game progresses (especially if they are playing a scenario that already leans into that genre). You need to be careful to head off any reminiscences that might derail the game and avoid the temptation to build the scenario around a single joke or the game will become a parody) but several short one line quotes will be fine. Next session they trend for using Ghostbusters quotes will likely have been forgotten and the game can progress normally until the next spontaneous movie quote sets off another train of similar quotes.

Bond films are seldom comedic (except maybe some of the Roger Moore era) but they all have Bond quips. If an NPC in your game occasionally comes out with good quips then it becomes a character trait rather than a campaign trait, if it starts to wear thin you can again just remove the NPC. It is much harder to undo if it has become a campaign trope. A player quipping is far more tolerable as this is not scripted.

The real secret to comedy is... timing. What that means for your game table will vary (and possibly from session to session). Todays game session might feature an invasive worm and result in homage to Tremors and you could get away with far more humour than if you were playing Death Station. Most horror (e.g. Nightmare on Elm Street) features short comedy sections to counterpoint the horror aspect without diminishing the horror. Sean of the Dead leans into the zombie trope to drive the humour, but it includes tragic elements to leaven the comedy.

I'd also lean into rarity value. A session with one or two good jokes is going to be far more sustainable than one riddled with poor ones. It also sets expectation that this is not Carry-On Spaceship but a serious game that has space for occasional humour and is open for short bursts of clever comedy generated by the players. People are far more forgiving and appreciative of a quick-fired weak pun than one that has clearly been planned over some time. Anytime you set up the players to deliver a punchline (but is not so forced as to require a punchline) will be better than a punchline you add in to the plot yourself. Good scripted comedy is a skill and sadly people who are bad at it have no idea how bad they are.

 

[MongooseChris]

If it doesn't affect immersion, humor is great in a game session. After all, we're there to have fun. Jokes by your Travellers are a fun part of the game. What I don't like is when it's derisive, distracting or un-immerses everyone. We're there to participate in a fun and exciting fictitious narrative, not get taken out of it by someone's desperate one-liners.

 

[rinku]

Also, remember:

"Tragedy is when I prick my finger. Comedy is when you fall into a sewer and die." (Mel Brooks)

 

[CordwainerFish]

Well, it's essential to know your audience. Nothing is going to work on everyone.

"Humor is such a subjective thing." - Emperor Cartagia

 

[Condottiere]

 

[actionman]

After all, we're there to have fun.

And it's vitally important for a ref to know his table, so he knows what's fun. What's fun some players may be unbearably tedious for others.

 

[rinku]

It does help if there's that one player with a deliberately comic relief character. I'm filling that role in out Star Wars game at the moment, as a Droid. Utterly useless in combat, mostly pointless for tasks because of other PCs being better at them. As soon as I hit my narrow specialization, I'm good to go, but otherwise I'm mostly a burden. And I am loving it.

 

[Condottiere]

Tragicomic.

Also, secret puppetmaster.

 

[DeHammer]

I got a couple of chuckles in our last session.... I wanted to give the players a special cloth armor suit with some special features, but I also like pairing that sort of loot with at least one negative thing. They found the armor in a new case, and opened it... it was new customized cloth armor, being to delivered to the client who ordered it. The thing is... it's bright lime green. I made the client a superhero named the 'Lime Crusader' who had splurged and ordered himself a new superhero costume with some bells & whistles. LOL. I'm not so cruel as to not let the player re-dye the armor and remove the superhero chest emblem if they want... but I couldn't resist making it interesting and a bit humorous.