Running Flight 13 as a 4-hour one-shot

[Michael Thayne]

I just bought Flight 13, and it looks like exactly the kind of mystery adventure I enjoy running. For various reasons, though, I'm unlikely to have more than about 4 hours to run it. Does anyone who's run it have thoughts on things like how long to spend on each part of the scenario to make it work in that timeframe? Things that can safely be cut? Help with pregen characters might also be useful. I plan on converting it to 4th edition, so pregens need to be 4th edition too. I'd be aiming for "in the top 1% in terms of adventure-readiness among the general population", but not more than that. Backgrounds like pilot, doctor, and soldier seem likely to work well, but there might be other character types I should include.

[TGLS]

You could probably get away with cutting an experiment, two might be too much. Slimming down on the airplane color might be desirable (the switchblade armed punks probably need to go anyway, TSA and all).

[Michael Thayne]

I should probably go light on combat, I need to study the adventure carefully for potential combat situations and use something else and/or figure out how to cut them short (including "monster runs away").

One specific issue related to pre-gens: assigning disadvantages. Disadvantages that seem likely to be common among "ordinary folks": Just about anything from Chapter 1 of the Characters (a low attribute, Unattractive, build-related disadvantages, etc.); Absent-Mindedness (perhaps with Mitigator, Adderall); Bad Sight (even in the 20-40 age range something like 40% of the population wears glasses or contacts); Code of Honor (Professional or Soldier); Dependents; Honesty; Oblivious; Pacifism (Reluctant Killer or Cannot Harm Innocents); Post-Combat Shakes; Shyness; Unfit. Curious or Selfless might be good as disads that are fairly minor but could motivate PCs to get involved in the adventure rather than watch passively. A former solider with PTSD might have Flashbacks, Insomnia, Nightmares, or even something like Phobia (Loud Noises) (12). What else?

[LokRobster]

Changing the football field encounter to more of a narrative encounter than a straight combat encounter will save a ton of time.

I don’t remember exactly where the switch-blade punks show up, but no TSA; I’d run it in 1988 Austin, even if you wanted the characters’ plane to be from 2020...

[Michael Thayne]

Originally Posted by LokRobster

I’d run it in 1988 Austin, even if you wanted the characters’ plane to be from 2020...

Why is that? I've thought about changing it to a city I know better, and setting it in the modern day.

EDIT: Maybe 2019, so no COVID-19.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

I just bought Flight 13, and it looks like exactly the kind of mystery adventure I enjoy running. For various reasons, though, I'm unlikely to have more than about 4 hours to run it. Does anyone who's run it have thoughts on things like how long to spend on each part of the scenario to make it work in that timeframe? Things that can safely be cut? Help with pregen characters might also be useful. I plan on converting it to 4th edition, so pregens need to be 4th edition too. I'd be aiming for "in the top 1% in terms of adventure-readiness among the general population", but not more than that. Backgrounds like pilot, doctor, and soldier seem likely to work well, but there might be other character types I should include.

There weren't any pregens and the NPCs are as bare bones as you can get. Unless noted otherwise everybody is 10s across the board with the more notable ones (or groups) little more then meta-traits you could slap on about any character.

For example all you get on the pilot is a one sentence blurb with Advantage: Voice, the skills diplomacy-16; Leadership-9; Piloting-15 and Savoir-Faire-18, and that is it.

The monsters like the beast child are just statblocks and other then ignoring PD and upping Dodge by 3 one can use them as is assuming given the time limit you want to use them at all. Since the module is out of print the GURPSwiki listing just striped out the premise and used wikipedia links to provide details allowing a GM to create their own version.

[Michael Thayne]

I realize there are no pregens in the original, but I've found pregens are more or less necessary for successfully GM'ing GURPS unless your players are all really enthusiastic about GURPS character creation. I might try using Action 4: Specialists to create semi-believable 150-point heroes. Though that precludes character concepts like, say, someone who's useful because he's a doctor but doesn't know any combat skills.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

I realize there are no pregens in the original, but I've found pregens are more or less necessary for successfully GM'ing GURPS unless your players are all really enthusiastic about GURPS character creation. I might try using Action 4: Specialists to create semi-believable 150-point heroes. Though that precludes character concepts like, say, someone who's useful because he's a doctor but doesn't know any combat skills.

Well the full Doctor module is 50 points and with 100 points already in the BAT that is your full 150 budget.

Of course a little tweaking of the components can add some more flexibility say like dropping Fit from Infantry Training and 2 levels of Healing from Doctor.

[awesomenessofme1]

Originally Posted by Michael Thayne

I realize there are no pregens in the original, but I've found pregens are more or less necessary for successfully GM'ing GURPS unless your players are all really enthusiastic about GURPS character creation. I might try using Action 4: Specialists to create semi-believable 150-point heroes. Though that precludes character concepts like, say, someone who's useful because he's a doctor but doesn't know any combat skills.

I got this response from Kromm on a thread I posted a while back, and I think it would be relevant to you:

Originally Posted by Kromm

For kind-of, sort-of realistic modern-day people who won't utterly crumble in adventure situations, GURPS Action 4 mostly just needs a half-priced BAT:

Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 11 [20]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 11 [10].
Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP 10 [0]; Will 11 [0]; Per 11 [0]; FP 11 [0]; Basic Speed 6.00 [10]; Basic Move 6 [0].
Advantages: 20 points of advantages chosen from Luck [15] or the big list on p. 5.
Disadvantages: A total of -40 points in disadvantages picked from the many suggestions on pp. 5-7.
Skills: Brawling (E) DX [1]-11; Computer Operation (E) IQ [1]-11; Driving (Automobile, Heavy Wheeled, or Motorcycle) (A) DX-1 [1]-10; Guns (Pistol) (E) DX [1]-11; Stealth (A) DX-1 [1]-10; and Wrestling (A) DX-1 [1]-10.
Slush Fund: 4 points.

For actual noncombatants, you can just remove the few points that don't make sense and put them elsewhere.

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by LokRobster

I don’t remember exactly where the switch-blade punks show up, but no TSA;

They're on the plane with the PCs. Very tricky to work into a post-911 world.