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Originally Posted by Elbereth
We're starting out with Gurps Lite, but I would really like to create a scenario that's exciting/complex enough that we'll want to go back to it with a full set of rules later on (without having to make major alterations). I really, really, really want to make a world we can all build on and expand and discuss obscure details in, and not just a quick hack-and-slash setting. Is this even remotely possible to achieve on a first time out, or am I getting in way, way over my head?
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Hello there!
A scenario doesn't really depends nor necessarily interacts with mechanics...in the sense that you could sit down with your friends and start verbally describing an wonderful world without any rules.
Myself, I don't really like Gurps Lite and would start with full Gurps, but using or actually,
not using most rules like advanced combat. The reason for me saying that is since you imply you want to further develop the world and table along, starting with real Gurps would simply be a matter of "Ok, guys...from this session forward we're using Advanced Combat option of Hit Location, ok?" Gurps is modular enough for that to be possible and not break anything, but it certainly would require more study, specially from your part, at this starting stage.
At first when you said hack-slash I thought you meant a medieval fantasy setting, but down your post you refer to current age characters inspired by the players real selfs...so I'll consider you're running an actual game: For a real actual game considering you didn't specify much, I'd go for the "world under the world", where you have an exact real world much like ours, but you have another, hidden, darker, full of secrets world, hidden from the mass eyes.
Why this would be simple to start is because since the base would be our own world, you already know that quite well. You and your players are familiar with it, so everything you "pump up" from there will be much more believable, since it's a well known starting base.
What if Stonehenge IS actually a real augmented ritual place, used by a milenia old order of hermetic magi fighting against real dragons from the netherworld that are trying to come to our reality to enslave the lesser human race?
What if huge companies like P&G, IBM, Mitsubishi are technocratic conglomerates trying to merge their cyborg HITMARK-IV into nether dragons, controlling their mighty power to their own excuse ends?
What if the Templars, the Kumotori Samurai Clan and the Rienzo Fencing School are all a long line of sacred warriors that withstand an oath made in the long past to guard the pathways to the netherworld and this world by a truce made with the Dragonlords of the Netherworld and now something disrupted the pathways AND the dragons, which seem all to be forgotten of the old truce?
BAM! That's only 3min of me thinking here, but just to show you how much could be going outside the "screen" that could be eventually revealed to players, making them get deeper and deeper with these things as the history and plot develops.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elbereth
NPCs - I'm simply not sure how many/how detailed I should make them, and how often they should be encountered in order to make for an interesting game (not including henchmen-baddies, who are pretty much strong-but-not-too-skilled zombie-types that show up randomly) Also, I kindda suck a character creation, but one of the players rock at it - could I give him a general outline and have him make a "sketch" for me to polish off, or is it just a huge stinkin' no-no to outsource GM-duties like that?
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If I had to tell you something and only one thing...it would be: Your players will ALWAYS surprise you.
So that the history and game don't suffer because of that, you need to have
resources.
Only use your time to create stats for NPCs that matter in a stat sense. What I mean is, even if your PCs will have contact with the same dealer throughout the whole campaign, what does it matters for the game, history or players if he's got St-12, DX-10, IQ-13, HT-10?
You certainly or probably need to know his Merchant skill level, his Fast Talk and simple stuff like that, but more than that, much more important is how he talks? Is he cool? Does he stays calm and help them, when the players brake into his shop at 2am bathed in greenish, fetid, ooze, with one of them bleeding?
Now, an antagonist corp cyborg operative, HITMARK-V class, responsible for project ART X-03, Division C02, overseeing the whole deal with the PC-group will probably get down on some bouts with the players and certainly need a complete stated sheet.
Try to focus your time and effort on what matters for each NPC. When you need a NPC out of your pocket but someone not so important or that won't last that long, where is it in? How's the atmosphere of the place he's in? Use the city or place as guideline and most of the time, if not really unique and inovative, you'll get believable characters that will enforce the place where the players are.
You'll see as you get more confortable and skilled, you'll create unique npcs faster and easier.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elbereth
Bundles of joy -
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Just get their most distinctive traits up and roll along with the rest: Is one of the kids ill-behaved and prone to tamtruns (which could lead to trouble of many sorts)? Is one of them a mini-genius and can even help the players thinking some thing they're letting slip (Here's a resource for you, the GM, that you can use this guy to keep the plot going if they're stuck, as long as it doesn't get much far away from what a smart kid could do/think)?
Middle of the ground here. No need for full stats, but they need some believable traits. They're protecting the kids, make them like (or hate) them!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elbereth
Unexpected Epicness -
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What I like to do before a campaign stats, is defining power sources (you can get more during game development, but at least the starting power sources should be defined).
What I mean with that is, following my example above: Magic (orders of magi, rituals...)
Alien/xeno-bioism (Dragons could be very well treated as aliens and the Netherworld could simply be what we call Space ^_^)
Technology (cyborgs, AIs, robots developed and built by the big corps, probably trying to mimick/steal the previous 2 sources);
With that, you can more easily sort what is what and gravitate players to whatever makes sense for the campaign/world/scenario/game.
One thing I like to do that players like a lot and also help prevent power creeping, is uniqueness. Players love to feel unique, not necessarily in the scenario, but certainly among the player group.
What I mean with that is you could, once again following my example above, get one player to deal with technology and even turn himself into a cyborg during play while another player could discover to be the heir of a Templar knight and be able to break a magical seal inside himself to unleash mystical powers while the other could eat a dragon heart or be taken by them to the Netherworld and come back...changed.
The effect in the game could very well be the same for all these 3...let's take something very blend like +2 STR gained as their "power". The new cyborg would have nanites added to his muscle fibers while the templar heir would be able to invoke the ancient seals of his order and be blessed by the Ancient Mantle of Haratul the Might while the last one would turn his eyes into complete pitch purple while invoking a gibberish language of the outsiders with his arms being covered with a hazy purple energy of beyond.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elbereth
Oh no! It's a plot hole! -
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Make your world alive! What's happening in the world, not really related to the players?
Create single paragraph happenings and write those together into some easy-access list. That is your plot cheat list.
When the players slow down (not always, a good game flow requires slow down moments so they can notice when things pace up!) you can quickly glance at this list and see if you can link anything of that together with their current moment and place.
Maybe an NPC you just casually built just to be attending the info desk of the small road hotel they stopped by for the night could actually be a on-the-run magi, possessing info on one of the keys to a pathway to the netherworld that's not being used by the invading dragonlords...
These are just random ideas and blabbering of my part...but I assume it can help you get the feeling