T20 Adventures at OwlCon, in February

[Flynn]

Good morning, All,

I had a lot of fun running T20 adventures at GenCon Indy last month. In fact, I had so much fun that I decided to check out the local conventions I would be willing to drive to, perhaps to run some more, and hopefully to get some gaming in.

Here's the one I found that seemed to have the most possibilities:

OwlCon XXIII
Feb 6-8, 2004
Houston, TX

http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~owlcon/WebPages/

I have signed up to run two T20 adventures at OwlCon in February:

* T20 Adventures: Salvage Rights

A derelict ship offers the crew of a merchant vessel a financially lucrative opportunity, if the crew can take it. Scenario uses the Traveller T20 rules system; characters provided by the Referee.

* T20 Adventures: Downport Disaster

An accident in the warehouse district unleashes disaster at the small downport. Can our ship's crew stop the devastation before they and their ship are destroyed? Scenario uses the Traveller T20 rules system; characters provided by the Referee.

Specific dates and times for the T20 slots will be forthcoming.

Hope to see some of you there,
Flynn

 

[Shadowdancer]

Flynn:

There's a MillenniumCon in Austin on Nov. 21-23.

Also, I am running a T20 game at a game day in Denton on Sept. 28. I could use any advice you have based on your experiences at GenCon.

 

[Flynn]

Paraquat,

I've looked at MilleniumCon's website, and to be honest, it's appears to be aimed more at miniature gaming than anything else. If you have any gaming experience there, I'd like to know if it has good support for RPGs, particularly RPGs that are not RPGA.

As for running a T20 game at a Con, I can offer only the following information, learned from GenCon and other Game Day experiences:

1) First and foremost, be prepared!

2) If you have the time, prepare Pregenerated Characters for the game. It'll save you a lot of work at the session reviewing their characters or working up characters on the spot. If you are interested, I can share mine with you, and I have access to some others.

3) Plan toward the length of your gaming session. For a four hour session, I tend to use something akin to the following format: create five scenes of relevance to the story, that reasonably flow one to the other. Two should emphasize role-play and negotiations, two should emphasize minor challenges, and the last scene is the final encounter. I prefer to arrange them in the following order: Negotiation, Minor Challenge, Negotiation, Minor Challenge, Major Challenge. (Note: in play, they won't always run in this order, but at least you're ready with the basics.)

4) Be prepared! (It bears repeating.)

5) Because of the limited duration of your slot, and the fact that most Con goers tend to operate in terms of linear plots, you should consider either: a) making your plots more linear than normal, to give them direction; or b) make it easy for them to find the clues they need to proceed. If your game bogs down, the players leave without a good impression of the game, and that's what you want to avoid.

6) When creating your adventure, be sure to create alternate scenes if you feel that the players may make choices that do not follow your linear path. Be prepared for the following types of players:

a) Hack'n'Slashers: these are the guys that settle things with force, mostly guns and explosives;

b) Law-Abiding Citizens: these are the guys that won't take certain risks because it violates Imperial laws;

c) Ruffian Thugs: these are the guys that do everything they can to flout Imperial or local laws, and pursue resolutions through illicit means;

d) Socialites: these are the guys that want to use their Social Standing and their intimidation/liaison/bribery skills to work through situations;

e) Sneaks: these are the guys that want to use their stealth skills to get in and out without getting into the big gunfight.

Your adventure may have different resolutions, based on approach of the gamers at the session, but you probably want to at least give some opportunities for resolution based on any of the above gamer types.

Please note: One of the things I had to realize is that the session doesn't have to have just one ending. Once I let go of that, planning for the players to have fun became so much easier.

7) Have at least basic stat blocks ready for the NPCs/robots/vehicles/what-have-you, just in case. The more stats and such you have available at gametime, the better the game runs.

8) Be ready to wing it if you need to. Have some generic stat blocks on index cards or something will help a lot, just in case you have to do this. Also, when winging it, try to incorporate one of your prepared scenes with modifications, or at least give them a scene that accomplishes the same task as the one you'd intended originally. That will pull them back into the storyline.

9) Be prepared! It makes a difference.

Hope this helps,
Flynn

 

[Shadowdancer]

Flynn: Thanks for all the good advice.

One question: What range of character levels do you use for your adventures? Are all the characters about the same level, or do they vary greatly? What minimum and maximum character levels do you recommend?

(Well, that's more than one question, but they're all related)

 

[Flynn]

What range of character levels do you use for your adventures?

I had character sheets ranging from 5th level to 9th level, IIRC. I effectively chose character archetypes for a ship, and build to fit those concepts, yet give each character some individuality and an area in which they excelled.

Are all the characters about the same level, or do they vary greatly?

Although most were 6th level, I did cover a range of 5-9, as I mentioned earlier. It depended on the role I wanted each character to fulfill onboard the merchant ship.

What minimum and maximum character levels do you recommend?

Personally, I think you have two approaches you could use:

1) Make everyone 6th level, so that the D20 gamers feel that the characters are balanced; or

2) Build characters of one-four terms of service, leading to differing levels, which captures the feel of CT a bit better.

I preferred Option Two, because I have found that, with the exception of skill check modifiers, the roleplay of the characters really overshadowed those level differences. No one seemed to have a problem with the level disparity, both in my normal T20 game and in the Con games I've run.

Hope this helps,
Flynn

 

[vutpakdi]

Wow... OwlCon... I haven't been to one of those in years. My first con was an OwlCon.

I'm not sure what I'll be doing in February, but I'll at least try to stop by then.

Btw, Paraquat, you could always "draft" Swann and the rest of the crew of the Bray Keaven for characters. If memory serves (based on a post here), Martha was one of Flynn's pregenerated characters for his GenCon games.

Ron

 

[Flynn]

Indeed, she was, Ron.

It might save you a lot of heartache if you are looking for an easy way to get some pregens for your game.

Also, I have some characters made by a member of the TML from back when T20Lite was just released, and the THB was still waiting.

Hmmm.... perhaps I should set up a repository for T20 characters, for those who have such needs... I'll have to think about it.

Enjoy,
Flynn

 

[Flynn]

Just a brief announcement to add here:

I'm also registered to run two other T20 sessions at Overload-A-Con in Austin, TX, the first weekend of March.

For more information, please consult this thread announcing T20 Adventures at Overload-A-Con in March.

Enjoy,
Flynn

 

[Host of Angels]

I only wish I could attend. But seeing as how I'm in Leeds in the North of England the chances are slim. However, this does raise a question I had:

Where can I get my hands on a really good, convention style game (i.e. 4 hours run time) that includes characters and such like. I want to introduce Traveller to our group - give them a flavour before diving in head first. Trouble is, I have very little free time to do the aforementioned preparation. Any suggestions? Are the CT Double Adventures any good? Or would they need loads of work getting them up to speed?

Thanks in advance

 

[DElrick]

Originally posted by Host of Angels:
I only wish I could attend. But seeing as how I'm in Leeds in the North of England the chances are slim. However, this does raise a question I had:

Where can I get my hands on a really good, convention style game (i.e. 4 hours run time) that includes characters and such like. I want to introduce Traveller to our group - give them a flavour before diving in head first. Trouble is, I have very little free time to do the aforementioned preparation. Any suggestions? Are the CT Double Adventures any good? Or would they need loads of work getting them up to speed?

Thanks in advance

Hi Host,

You could try the adventures from BITS (British Isles Traveler Group). Check the Products page from the website: http://www.bits.org.uk/

It's been 15 years since I lived in Leeds, so the FLGS I used is probably long gone, but the books are generally available and you can get them via mail-order if you don't have a shop locally.

The only one I can recommend from experience is Space Dogs - I haven't tried the other adventures yet.

Anyway, Leeds isn't that far North (take it from me - I was born in Scotland...). Why not come down to Dragonmeet (London, 13th December), play some Trav and buy the adventures from BITS in person?

For those of you not in the UK, I think Warehouse 23 (Steve Jackson Games) now carries all the BITS books.

I hope this helps.

Cheers

David

 

[Flynn]

My apologies for the late response:

Of the Double Adventures, I have run a T20 conversion of first Chamax adventure, as well as Death Station, and both went over very well. The players had a great time, and really enjoyed the adventures. I think these two would serve you well for getting others interested in Traveller over the course of a short One Shot experience.

Best of luck,
Flynn

 

[Host of Angels]

Cool - thanks for that Flynn and David. Will check out the BITS stuff. Managed to pick up a copy of the reprinted double adventures - so will try working them up.

As for Dragonmeet - what is it like? Last time I went to a convention was Games Day when Games Workshop still supported RPGs.

Ta

HoA

 

[Jame]

It seems, to me, that most gamers seem to be, well, not in Mass. Do any of you know of any demonstrations of T20 in the Boston area, or at least where I would look for them?

 

[DElrick]

Originally posted by Host of Angels:
Cool - thanks for that Flynn and David. Will check out the BITS stuff. Managed to pick up a copy of the reprinted double adventures - so will try working them up.

As for Dragonmeet - what is it like? Last time I went to a convention was Games Day when Games Workshop still supported RPGs.

Ta

HoA

Dragonmeet is similar to the old Gamesdays I guess. There are fewer games, mainly because the hall is smaller, but there are still tradestands and some UK manufacturers have stalls (also the occasional US one who makes it over - Green Ronin were there last year, for one). It isn't run by GW any more, so it isn't an advert for GW models (as the new Gamesday is) - it is a roleplaying show, with the occasional board game and some CCGs.

It's held at Kensington Town Hall (nearest tube: High Street Kensington, or the no 10 bus from King's Cross stops alsmost right outside), so beer and food are just as expensive, because it is central London...

It's good fun. I like it lots (and not just because I get to run more Traveller). It is just the right sort of size for a one-day show and it's really friendly.

I'll be running a Classic Traveller game there, as well as something else (GURPS Trav or T20 probably). If you come down to it, ask for me at the BITS stand.

The only real disadvantage with Dragonmeet this year is that it is on the second last Saturday before Chrimbo and London will be absolutely heaving with shoppers (I'm not looking forward to the train journey into London...), not to mention how your significant other might feel about you missing some Chrimbo shopping. I have a pass from the wife though, so I'm officially excused shopping that weekend...

Cheers

David

 

[Host of Angels]

Wow - a pass from the wife. Is that like a get out of jail free card

Not sure I can get my hands on one of them, but I'll give it a try.

HoA

 

[DElrick]

Originally posted by Host of Angels:
Wow - a pass from the wife. Is that like a get out of jail free card

Not sure I can get my hands on one of them, but I'll give it a try.

HoA

Nope, it's not a get out of jail free card - more like an "I'll answer your one free phone call." card...

Look forward to seeing you if you manage to get down. It should be quite a little reunion with about six or seven of us CoTI types there (including, I am told, the lovely LisaGB). Now, how are we al going to know each other? Not carnations, surely?

Cheers

David

 

[Host of Angels]

How about little Imperial suns tattooed on our foreheads...

 

[Flynn]

*sigh* Makes me wish I lived in England.

I have a small group that I run T20 for, once a month, and I really enjoy it. Alas, Texas is not the area of widespread Traveller-dom that the UK appears to be.

But with every Con that I run a game in, there's another small group of people that are being exposed to Traveller. In time, I hope, the joy will spread...

Seeking More Traveller In Texas,
Flynn

 

[Mythmere]

Do I hear a call for an impromptu Texacon?

 

[binky]

Originally posted by David Elrick:
Nope, it's not a get out of jail free card - more like an "I'll answer your one free phone call." card...

Look forward to seeing you if you manage to get down. It should be quite a little reunion with about six or seven of us CoTI types there (including, I am told, the lovely LisaGB). Now, how are we al going to know each other? Not carnations, surely?

Cheers

David

One should point out that Mrs Elrick is not quite the dragon she is being painted out to be

LisaGB is indeed hoping to attend. Should be a good day. If Lisa decides to wear her boots I suspect she won't be too hard to spot

- Neil.