IanBruntlett
Emperor Mongoose
Cool. Am half way through part two. Is this what they call JIT (Just In Time) supplies?Planet Mongoose said:
Secrets of the Ancients
- Thread starter IanBruntlett
- Start date
alex_greene
Guest
Did anybody go through the scene at the funeral in Part 2, with the Backett family, the thugs, the Brotherhood and the Jocells feuding over the buffet?
It was fun separating the characters from their beloved guns and armour, but I made it quite clear to the players (names obscured to protect the guilty) that they had to wear formal gear - so I offered them the chance to wear concealed holdouts and Diplo armour for the do concealed beneath the mourning suits.
I told them it was their chance to recreate the Shindig episode of Firefly, and they heartily agreed. At first.
It was fun to have them squirming, looking for the only player whose character had Diplomat skill to smooth the ruffled feathers everywhere.
All those combat skills, Stealth, Recon, and they were useless in an arena of social combat.
There were moments of fun. Bard Jocell approached one of the characters and disdainfully asked if he had done anything interesting that would compare with Bard's hunting down a Grocklebeast in the forest, and the player turned to the leader and said "Are you sure I can't even use Unarmed Combat skill?" Team Leader: "No." Player: "Not even a little bit?"
While it wasn't all about the characters there was plenty for them to do, what with them watching as yet another group wandered into the wake and everyone turning around as if to say "Who the Hell are you?"
The characters improvved a hell of a lot, and split my sides. "Married? How can Vlen have been married to her? I thought he was gay!"
(And so I retconned, and so he was ...)
There was interaction with the characters, notably the Inheritor - who happens to be the crew's Steward / IT guy / medic. But the others had their chance to interact with the others, which was fun.
The toughest bit was getting through the scene and conveying the different factions arguing with one another without going through some comic act like the comedians who dress like two different people and convey their lines by jumping around from side to side and speaking with silly voices.
I conveyed it by interjecting with the occasional "You hear raised voices in the corner. Bard Jocell is arguing with one of the green robes. The others are moving in to halt the argument before raised voices turn to flying fists. Oh, joy. That gangster thug has spotted you and is moving towards you in the crowd ..."
That, and the odd crashing sound of plates or crockery hitting the floor at high velocity, raised voices, often from the chef ("Dog food? He dares to call my pate dog food?" "Where's his meds? For crying out loud, SOMEBODY GET ME CHEF'S MEDS!"), someone storming out of the room in a huff, the spy stalking the room grinning like a demon every time she stirred the compost about ...
It was good fun, but all the same I could see the heartfelt earnestness in the group leader's eyes when, after the scene was over, he came over to me and asked me to boil his eyes in vinegar rather than subject the players to another scene like that again.
I haven't had the heart to tell him what I have planned next time we play Vampire: the Requiem ...
It was fun separating the characters from their beloved guns and armour, but I made it quite clear to the players (names obscured to protect the guilty) that they had to wear formal gear - so I offered them the chance to wear concealed holdouts and Diplo armour for the do concealed beneath the mourning suits.
I told them it was their chance to recreate the Shindig episode of Firefly, and they heartily agreed. At first.
It was fun to have them squirming, looking for the only player whose character had Diplomat skill to smooth the ruffled feathers everywhere.
All those combat skills, Stealth, Recon, and they were useless in an arena of social combat.
There were moments of fun. Bard Jocell approached one of the characters and disdainfully asked if he had done anything interesting that would compare with Bard's hunting down a Grocklebeast in the forest, and the player turned to the leader and said "Are you sure I can't even use Unarmed Combat skill?" Team Leader: "No." Player: "Not even a little bit?"
While it wasn't all about the characters there was plenty for them to do, what with them watching as yet another group wandered into the wake and everyone turning around as if to say "Who the Hell are you?"
The characters improvved a hell of a lot, and split my sides. "Married? How can Vlen have been married to her? I thought he was gay!"
(And so I retconned, and so he was ...)
There was interaction with the characters, notably the Inheritor - who happens to be the crew's Steward / IT guy / medic. But the others had their chance to interact with the others, which was fun.
The toughest bit was getting through the scene and conveying the different factions arguing with one another without going through some comic act like the comedians who dress like two different people and convey their lines by jumping around from side to side and speaking with silly voices.
I conveyed it by interjecting with the occasional "You hear raised voices in the corner. Bard Jocell is arguing with one of the green robes. The others are moving in to halt the argument before raised voices turn to flying fists. Oh, joy. That gangster thug has spotted you and is moving towards you in the crowd ..."
That, and the odd crashing sound of plates or crockery hitting the floor at high velocity, raised voices, often from the chef ("Dog food? He dares to call my pate dog food?" "Where's his meds? For crying out loud, SOMEBODY GET ME CHEF'S MEDS!"), someone storming out of the room in a huff, the spy stalking the room grinning like a demon every time she stirred the compost about ...
It was good fun, but all the same I could see the heartfelt earnestness in the group leader's eyes when, after the scene was over, he came over to me and asked me to boil his eyes in vinegar rather than subject the players to another scene like that again.
I haven't had the heart to tell him what I have planned next time we play Vampire: the Requiem ...
IanBruntlett
Emperor Mongoose
Oh, yesalex_greene said:
. We stopped play just after the wife landed and announced her presence.
IanBruntlett
Emperor Mongoose
See http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/home/detail.php?qsID=1843&qsSeries=51Mongoose front page said:
True. I made the Chestburster surgery deliberately sketchy to undertake, the thing could burst through in the middle of the surgery and cause havoc that way. I defy the PCs to not panic when thats described to them, in the meantime, the chestbursters going to make a break for it :lol:
I boosted the Alien's speed so it could outrun someone chasing it to get away easier. In a playtest I undertook, when the burster emerged on a Type A Free Trader, the burster sprinted down along the stateroom corridor with a chase in tail but gave them the slip by outrunning them through the hatches and hiding round a drive in Engineering, eventually making the nest around there and the low berth rooms.
I've also noted some criticism elsewhere that you'd need a bunch of NPCs to keep this encounter going, I only really see an NPC for someone to plot behind the PCs to keep the thing around and an NPC to be a John Hurt :roll:
Its only really if you wanted to play Aliens and have a load around that things might get a bit busy.
alex_greene
Guest
Also, to outrun its prey when that prey doesn't come equipped with FGMP-15s ...zero said:
alex_greene
Guest
Referee: "We need some disposable NPC redshirts."zero said:
Player: "There's nobody here that qualifies."
Referee: *bursts some random bystander's chest* *splutch* *squeal* His shirt's red, now ...
badpixie said:
Which is why IMO this is a fantastic move. MgT's SOA is so very different from the original in tone, scope, etc. It really shows how what was basically an extended cut scene in scenario form can be made into a modern RPG adventure with an epic scale.
I hope to get the chance to run it some day. My current player group isn't mature enough to enjoy the adventure very much.
alex_greene
Guest
That's why I avoided calling it "Secrets of The Ancients" the first time I played it. I didn't want anybody to think that this story was going to be anything like "Oh, that story with Marc Miller's Mary Sue character monologuing in it."
I like this version, confirming that Dave Chase Could Be Telling The Truth About Grandfather.
I like this version, confirming that Dave Chase Could Be Telling The Truth About Grandfather.
IanBruntlett
Emperor Mongoose
Well this didn't quite go as planned. The characters surrendered to the Imperial Marines. The automated system started downing the Marines.
Then Arisa pulled her gun and promptly arrested the PCs on suspicion of many things.
So, to get around this... I'm going to have to use Ancient technology to get things back on track.
Then Arisa pulled her gun and promptly arrested the PCs on suspicion of many things.
So, to get around this... I'm going to have to use Ancient technology to get things back on track.
IanBruntlett
Emperor Mongoose
Cool. I was thinking of having some Ancients intervention. I'm going to make it suitably scary for the characters. Will start reading section 3: The Hunt tonight.Mytholder said:
IanBruntlett
Emperor Mongoose
Today I dropped a cliff on top of the PCs. Hoping part 4 comes out soon!
IanBruntlett said:
Very soon
alex_greene
Guest
Going off on a side quest at the moment. I introduced a second, identical, Ancient artifact statuette into the mix. The characters have to go and check whether the other artifact is the real thing or an elaborate fake.
Or whether both statuettes are fakes.
I've also introduced a few other elements, such as a small demonstration of the sheer reach of Vlen Backett's criminal alter ego - on arriving on Beck's World, that corrupt customs official recognises the Star Hunter on sight, and actually comes along with a large offering of bribe money.
He's done this before, to agents of Backett who arrive on the world and take their cut. He only met Backett in person once: the rest of the time, he has only met intermediaries. He is terrified that Backett might find out that he's been skimming the take and fudging the figures. He's no idea that Backett is dead.
I've yet to introduce the mercs and the twelve year old boy, though the players have had a good look at the ship's boat in the starport.
Out of character dialogue following the session:-
"So, that ship's boat, and the White City. Bad guys?'
'I can't say. Give the game away.'
'I tell you what, soon as we get back to the game next session, I'll check the Star Hunter's records, check whether or not there's any reference in the ship's logs to an encounter with this ship and its crew.'
'You do that.'
'And I'll have Mike's character go and plant a bomb on their boat. Just in case.'
I love my players.
Or whether both statuettes are fakes.
I've also introduced a few other elements, such as a small demonstration of the sheer reach of Vlen Backett's criminal alter ego - on arriving on Beck's World, that corrupt customs official recognises the Star Hunter on sight, and actually comes along with a large offering of bribe money.
He's done this before, to agents of Backett who arrive on the world and take their cut. He only met Backett in person once: the rest of the time, he has only met intermediaries. He is terrified that Backett might find out that he's been skimming the take and fudging the figures. He's no idea that Backett is dead.
I've yet to introduce the mercs and the twelve year old boy, though the players have had a good look at the ship's boat in the starport.
Out of character dialogue following the session:-
"So, that ship's boat, and the White City. Bad guys?'
'I can't say. Give the game away.'
'I tell you what, soon as we get back to the game next session, I'll check the Star Hunter's records, check whether or not there's any reference in the ship's logs to an encounter with this ship and its crew.'
'You do that.'
'And I'll have Mike's character go and plant a bomb on their boat. Just in case.'
I love my players.
IanBruntlett
Emperor Mongoose
How soon? Today I reached the end of part 3!msprange said:IanBruntlett said:
Very soon
And by the end of this week, you will have Part 4: Descent
IanBruntlett
Emperor Mongoose
Well... we finished TSOTA 4: Descent today. It was a bit of a dungeon crawl which I thought would go down well... but it didn't 
Looking forward to epsiode 5 but I figure I may have to russle something up in time for next week's session.
Looking forward to epsiode 5 but I figure I may have to russle something up in time for next week's session.
IanBruntlett said:Well... we finished TSOTA 4: Descent today. It was a bit of a dungeon crawl which I thought would go down well... but it didn't
Looking forward to epsiode 5 but I figure I may have to russle something up in time for next week's session.
Already working on 5!
