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Old 08-05-2013, 04:56 AM   #11
DAT
 
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Default Re: DF Mega-Dungeon Game for a Convention

Another couple ideas to bounce off folks -

Going some what counter to my first concern of time, I had a different idea: a “Prelude Encounter”.

The “Prelude Encounter” would be a simple "training" senario where the players run a group of low power “henchmen” characters first. The players will get some experience with the GURPS mechanics, but in the first major encounter get overwhelmed, where maybe one or two run away and survive, but a TPK is likely. But the information the “Prelude Characters” learn becomes part of the information for the main adventure (i.e., the map and journal entry). The bodies of the “Preclude Characters” will also likely make an appearance (undead or grisly decorations). If I do this, I’d like to limit the encounter to 20 minutes, if that is possible.

3) What are folks thought about a “Prelude Encounter”, with a likely TPK?

Here is what I have as a roster of pre-gen Prelude Characters, including point total, main melee weapon(skill level) and ranged weapon (skill level) –
Adrastos: Guard “Knight” (62pt)– Broadsword(13) & Shield(12) + Crossbow(13)
Beroald: Guard “Knight”(62pt) – Broadsword(13) & Shield(12) + Crossbow(13)
Coumyn: Guard “Knight” (62pt) – Broadsword(13) & Shield(12) + Crossbow(13)
Diccon the Archer: Guard “Scout” (62pt)- Long Bow(15) + Shortsword(12)
Edica the Pirate: Skirmisher “Swashbuckler” (125pt)– Rapier(15) & Main-Gauche(15)+throwing(13)
Ferriot the Burglar: Cutpurse “Thief”(125 pt) – Long Knife(14) + Throwing Knife(14)
Ghancred the Holy: Initiate “Cleric” (125pt) – Staff(13) & Sling(11)
Hazorius the Mage: Apprentice “Wizard” (125pt) – Staff(12) + Flame Jet/Innate Attack(15/12)
* I’m looking at cutting Edica down to a 85 to 105 pt character, to lower her peak skill to 13 or 14.

4) What are folks thoughts on the roster of Pre-gen “Prelude Characters”?
(Since these are one encounter, throw away characters, I wasn’t going to go heavy into lots of options and selections.)

-Dan

Last edited by DAT; 08-05-2013 at 05:07 AM.
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Old 08-06-2013, 12:32 AM   #12
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Default Re: DF Mega-Dungeon Game for a Convention

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Going some what counter to my first concern of time, I had a different idea: a “Prelude Encounter”.
Seems like a terrible idea for a con. "Here's some characters. Figure out how to play them. Okay. Here's some different characters. Figure out how to play those. Oh look, our time's up!"
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Old 08-06-2013, 03:13 AM   #13
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Default Re: DF Mega-Dungeon Game for a Convention

Doesn't sound that suitable for a con, but I might steal the idea for a campaign sometime. Starting with a TPK appeals to my affection for embracing and subverting cliches. My current campaign began in an inn that was on fire.
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Old 08-06-2013, 06:08 AM   #14
Peter Knutsen
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Default Re: DF Mega-Dungeon Game for a Convention

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1) What are folks thoughts for a traditional hack and slash at a convention?

To save time, my first plan is to do pregens and to start the main adventure at the “door” to the dungeon; doing the rumor gathering, research, outfitting, and travel to the site off screen. This sort of hoses the Bard, Barbarian, and Druid

2) What are folks thoughts on starting at the dungeon door?
1) I'm just worried you risk making the dungeon too large, relative to the time slot allocated at the convention. The least bad solution might be to make it extra-large and make it very clear to everyone that the PC party isn't supposed to explore it fully.

2) Those classes may not be very easy to play for players who lack experience with GURPS or specifically with GURPS DF. Some players might be annoyed at not getting to use their research/people skill prior to infiltration, but it's a convention game, so I doubt you need to worry much about that. None of the classes, except the Scholar, are very focused on research anyway, and the Scholar has a fair amount of abilities that are useful in improv situations.
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Old 08-06-2013, 06:12 AM   #15
Peter Knutsen
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So here is my revised lineup, any thoughts?
I don't think having only 12 pre-gens, when you may end up with as many as 8 players, is ideal, but it's a convention game. That's not really the best place to sternly pursue ideals.
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Old 08-06-2013, 09:24 AM   #16
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Default Re: DF Mega-Dungeon Game for a Convention

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The dungeon has 6 levels (and increasing as I find the time) each with ~100 rooms, 3 sublevels with 20-30 rooms, and ~20 entrances scattered over many square miles, so it does meet the definition of a mega-dungeon.
That's window dressing. Mega dungeon is a campaign style. This is a dungeon. A one-shot even. But, whatever.

If I were doing this, I'd design a dungeon with about 6-8 areas and pack them as full of the most super-duper awesomeness that I possibly could.

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So here is my revised lineup, any thoughts?
Looks good, but I would suggest Wood Elf and Half Elf for the Scout.

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Another couple ideas to bounce off folks -

Going some what counter to my first concern of time, I had a different idea: a “Prelude Encounter”.
A quick action scene at the start is a great idea in principal.

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The “Prelude Encounter” would be a simple "training" senario where the players run a group of low power “henchmen” characters first.
Not at all what I would suggest. I would reccomend using the the PC's for multiple reasons.

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The players will get some experience with the GURPS mechanics, but in the first major encounter get overwhelmed, where maybe one or two run away and survive, but a TPK is likely.
Not trying to be too harsh, but that's about as bad of an idea as I can imagine.

The PC's should win their fist encounter (especially a "trainer") with no deaths. That's just GM'ing 101.

Despite knowing better, I started a game with a TPK once not long ago. It was part of a time warp type of scenario where the PC's had to break out of a repeating loop. The PC's were intended to win the first battle, but be suddenly killed by an obviously superior foe, a souped-up death knight on nightmare who came sweeping in after a really tough battle with several goblins and orcs.

So, it was a win in spirit.

Then, the PC's were to snap back to the current time and know not to conduct a full-frontal assault, rather use some tactics.

The game was one of my few failures. Even though it was meant to be a win in spirit, at least half the players despised it altogether.

No matter how you dress it up and put a little bow on it, it's a horrible way to start a game.

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The bodies of the “Preclude Characters” will also likely make an appearance (undead or grisly decorations).
This isn't nearly a good enough idea to justify a TPK or even a difficult opening encounter where one or more of the PC's die, but "we knew those guys while they were alive" is cool.

If you made some hanchmen, then have them be killed in the opening action scene and come back as undead baddies. That would be really cool!
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Old 08-06-2013, 11:44 AM   #17
Peter V. Dell'Orto
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Default Re: DF Mega-Dungeon Game for a Convention

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How long does your crew spend in town gathering rumors and planning? I find that easily fills 1 to 2 hours.
Probably about an hour, sometimes longer. It depends how many people say "Oh yeah, I wander to buy some Fine Dwarven Plate Armor, I don't know how much that is or how much it weighs. If they have it, I need to re-do encumbrance" or "we hire some laborers" or whatever else they do. It should take 5 minutes, it always takes 10-15 times that long. I use that time to get my stuff together so I don't get frustrated.
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Old 08-06-2013, 01:21 PM   #18
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Default Re: DF Mega-Dungeon Game for a Convention

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Probably about an hour, sometimes longer. It depends how many people say "Oh yeah, I wander to buy some Fine Dwarven Plate Armor, I don't know how much that is or how much it weighs. If they have it, I need to re-do encumbrance" or "we hire some laborers" or whatever else they do. It should take 5 minutes, it always takes 10-15 times that long. I use that time to get my stuff together so I don't get frustrated.
In my DF game, I schedule an entire session just for big end of dungeon loot splits and town trips. If they try to do that stuff while the adventure is on, I make sure they are aware that the clock is ticking in game while they wait for Ironbeard Steelhands to make that Dwarven Breastplate. That tends to motivate them to wait for a lull in the murder hobo business cycle.
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Old 08-06-2013, 07:12 PM   #19
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Default Re: DF Mega-Dungeon Game for a Convention

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Seems like a terrible idea for a con. "Here's some characters. Figure out how to play them. Okay. Here's some different characters. Figure out how to play those. Oh look, our time's up!"
I wasn't sure about the idea, which is why I wanted to bouncing it off folks. I appreciate the feed back.

I did have an answer for the learn one character stop/ learn another issue you raised. I was going to have the players pick their main session character first, then assign them the lower power equivalent. So it would be more learn how to run an apprentice Wizard with 10 spells, now run a full Wizard with 30 spells (and the spell list would overlap). Dido for skills.
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Old 08-06-2013, 07:16 PM   #20
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Doesn't sound that suitable for a con, but I might steal the idea for a campaign sometime. Starting with a TPK appeals to my affection for embracing and subverting cliches. My current campaign began in an inn that was on fire.
I wanted the players to get a feel to how deadly the game could be and allow them to make some of the common mistakes with the throw away characters, then they wouldn't make the same mistakes with the 'real' charactrers.

But as others have also said, not a good idea for a con.
-Dan
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