What is your style?

[Loc Taal]

Yeah, I think that's a use of character points that very often gets overlooked or forgotten. I always try to leave some character points available for helping boost bad rolls during the adventure.
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"Mind what you have learned. Save you it can." --Yoda

The original RANCOR PIT archive

[Volar the Healer]

8) Another way of encouraging heroic roleplay is to reward heroism. The doctor who healed the NPC planetary prince, only because he spent the character points to do so, gained a valuable ally who provided him assistance whenever it was asked for. The con man who set up a good deal for the crime boss (after eliminating some of the crime boss' competition so the Rebellion was the only buyer for those desperately needed medical supplies) gained a powerful contact. The soldiers who rescued a group of civilians from an Imperial raid (just because it was the right thing to do - it was not their mission) gained several safe houses when they needed them.

Not all rewards need to be money or character points. Everytime our Y-wing squadron returns from a mission, their fellow pilots buy them a round of drinks. Praise from their peers, medals from Rebel command, even admiration from their enemies all encourage a good role playing game:

The rebel irregular strike team stops at a bar on the way to their next mission. After they sit down they notice a team of bounty hunters sitting accross from them. One of the bounty hunters says "Look! it's Team Aurek! The bounty on those guys is worth over a million credits!" The older, more experienced bounty hunter pushes the younger back down onto the bar stool and says to him "That's right. And there's a reason why those guys are worth so much. Their doctor alone is worth over two hundred thousand credits, but we don't need no trouble with no Jedi master." He raises a drink to them then exits out the back door as quick as he can without looking like he's running away. The team pays for their drinks and exits out the front door. No, the bounty hunters couldn't have won. But some of the team would have been killed. And all of the civilians would have died in the crossfire.

This was an actual encounter from our game. For weeks afterwards the players were discussing it; "Yeah, even the bounty hunters are afraid of us."

No amount of character points could have equaled the reward the director gave the team that day.

[Loc Taal]

LOL! Very cool!
_________________
"Mind what you have learned. Save you it can." --Yoda

The original RANCOR PIT archive

[Scrawprin]

[Scrawprin]

Oops. Forgot to post my "style".

I was a very "loose on the rules" kind of GM. Never followed them too strictly. Of course the players that played with me (when compared to some) are WAY above the normal "hero" status of the galaxy in terms of skills, but we always seemed to have fun in making up some of our own "STAR WARS" stories. Of course having high skills meant their opponents were equal to or higher; other times they were no match for the players which was fun at times so players could "roll right over them".

[joshrobertson]

Guess I should have paid more attention.
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I ain't in this for your revolution! I expect to be well paid! --Han Solo, Smuggler

[Arcadia]

I've been gamemastering various fantasy games for almost 15 years now, and the group is ready (?) for a new genre. Star Wars is the universal choice. I am excited about playing it, but regrettably, no one else is willing to gamemaster it, and I've been left holding the bag. I'm very intimidated by the bigger, grander world (read: galaxy) that the players will have access to. Granted, as a GM I'll be able to restrict them somewhat within the bounds of fair play... but I'm worried about making the transition. I mean, how do I know what to throw at them? What sorts of obstacles will be good to use and re-use? What things will they quickly become tired of encountering? I want to play the game so badly, but honestly, I'm scared to death of GMing it. I don't even know where to start. I suspect modules will be the way to go for a while, but no one can lean on those forever...
Any adventure tips for a newbie?

[Volar the Healer]

Arcadia, Go to my profile and look up all my posts. Anything marked with a is an idea for directing the game. Remember when you were in the theater and saw the Star Destroyer fly over your head? You (like everyone else) thought "Wow!" If you can present that feeling to your players, you will be a success.

Don't think in terms of restricting your players. Instead think of giving them so many different adventures to choose from, they don't have time to go anywhere else (except to the choices you've already planned).

As to enemies, one of the best ways to write a campaign is to ask your players what they'd like to do if you run a game. Don't tell them they're writing the campaign - just listen to what they want.

May the force be with you.
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Know Jesus, Know Peace.
No Jesus, No Peace

[Loc Taal]

One thing that may make it easier for you is to (at least initially) make the player characters Rebels. This way, it will be easier for you to "force" the characters into doing what you had planned. They'll get their orders for their mission and will have to go accomplish that mission. It can also be easier to come up with missions this way. You can have them intercept an Imperial convoy, rescue some Rebels being held in an Imperial compound, raid an Imperial supply depot, destroy an Imperial communications outpost, etc. By doing this, you don't really need to come up with NPCs either, you can just use standard Stormtroopers. Good luck!
_________________
"Mind what you have learned. Save you it can." --Yoda

The original RANCOR PIT archive

[Volar the Healer]

A Rebel campaign is probably a good way to start. Once they get the hang of it you can use the bait and switch: Give them a mission briefing, then when they arrive they find something else. "But command didn't know about this..." Done right, the players can feel they did something cool on their own. You'll also get credit for being a great director (because they don't know you had it planned all along).
_________________
Know Jesus, Know Peace.
No Jesus, No Peace

[joshrobertson]

I placed my style under the setting characters against each other. Check it out and let me know what you think. Next time I will pay more attention.
_________________
I ain't in this for your revolution! I expect to be well paid! --Han Solo, Smuggler

[joshrobertson]

The best thing to remember is that you and your friends are already thrilled about the prospect of the star wars universe. You have seen the movies and now it is you chance to live them (sort of). You all have the images and sounds in your minds. It is really fun when everyone is familiar with the universe because half your job is done already. The sounds of blaster fire ringing through corridors just as a blast door slams shut while sirens all around you forbode the imminent arrival of another squad of stormtroopers! Just dive in and remember to keep the spirit of the movies alive!
_________________
I ain't in this for your revolution! I expect to be well paid! --Han Solo, Smuggler

[Crell Damar]

i know someone who isn't too thrilled about working with the rebels... "disorganized blah blah blah"

[Arcadia]

I've now paged my way through all your threads (I think--there were quite a lot of them), and you guys have given me a lot to work with. I might even be able to function without plagiarizing any of you (but I guarantee NOTHING!).
In the end, the thing that causes me to lie awake nights is an issue of player enjoyment: game balance. I mean the eternal struggle between challenge and prosperity, risk and security, feast and famine. They have to know that a stupid mistake can kill them but without living in fear ( Hey, guys! I'm going to try something ridiculous and suicidal! What does it matter? He'll never let us die!). They absolutely MUST feel that they're making progress in skill and cash, but they have to know that they EARNED every drop. They have to sweat, but they have to see regular fruits of that labour. They must have the freedom of choice (iniquity, is it? Oy...) that they would have if it were real life, but however large they build that runway, I have to be able to build the corral around it that always has something for them to do, somewhere to go--in other words, I have to be ready for whatever they do without making their lives linear.
I still worry about this phenomenon, but it's something that will take experience to get a handle on.
As far as game ideas go, I'm probably loaded for bear now, and I thank you guys. If you think of anything else, feel free to let me know.
BTW, I'm still laughing about the pink bunny-suit story.

[Volar the Healer]

That's what it's there for. Happy to have helped.
_________________
Know Jesus, Know Peace.
No Jesus, No Peace