Baarune
Apprentice Douchebag
Posts: 95
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Post by Baarune on Mar 11, 2017 14:41:58 GMT -8
Not a long post. Was just wondering if anyone has some past game one-shot prep they could share?
Im struggling to know how much detail to go into when prepping. Ive run a game practically unprepped before and i have learn that it doesnt work.
Also any tips that would help are welcome.
And i have already looked through the 2 side one epic entrees.
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Post by mook on Mar 11, 2017 16:54:39 GMT -8
Hiya Baarune, I've got a few one-shots I've pulled apart here, including the finished notes once they're done, if it helps.
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Baarune
Apprentice Douchebag
Posts: 95
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Post by Baarune on Mar 11, 2017 17:13:29 GMT -8
Hiya Baarune, I've got a few one-shots I've pulled apart here, including the finished notes once they're done, if it helps. thanks theres some good stuff there, will have to take some time to pick through it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2017 23:15:23 GMT -8
Not a long post. Was just wondering if anyone has some past game one-shot prep they could share? Im struggling to know how much detail to go into when prepping. Ive run a game practically unprepped before and i have learn that it doesnt work. Also any tips that would help are welcome. And i have already looked through the 2 side one epic entrees. What game are you running? The amount and type of prep you need to do depends on it. I run mostly low prep games (I don't have the energy to sit around designing monster stat blocks). That said, I make a kind of critical path that I lay out for myself and the players (I will literally lay down an objective list for the players). You need this to be able to manage time and keep your players on track to a satisfying conclusion. So a one shot could be to steal a McGuffin. The objective list might look like this: *Get briefed on the mission. *Plan your heist. *Steal the McGuffin. *Return to home base to turn it over. Insert whatever details you want. Maybe you are stealing nukes or death ray plans from zombie nazi's. Whatever, doesn't matter. Your next step is to plan for what you can. This means locations, people, and possible complications. So in our story about stealing the death ray plans we'll start off by deciding what the name of the NPC military type (played by Tommy Lee Jones) is. Where is the briefing taking place? What can he tell them about the Nazi Zombie base where the death ray plans are? Build up some ideas about about the heist. Who is designing the death ray? What type of security is in place? Jot down some things that could go wrong. Maybe Zombie Hitler shows up to inspect the death ray and you reveal another directive to kill him. Just bear in mind how far you are along in your time slot. If things are going too slow, don't reveal more complications and twists. Be generous with the information and resources you give out. You want the players to go for the throat, not at cautiously. Since this is a oneshot, you need to either provide pregens or factor character creation into your session time. Depending on the system you use, you might want to put together some stat blocks or cheat sheets. Make whatever props you want (I like pictures for NPC's, locations, etc). That's it. There isn't that much to it. Things always take longer than you'd think. Four hours flies by. The trick is to be able to go from start to finish in that time.
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Post by jazzisblues on Mar 15, 2017 13:11:00 GMT -8
My con-game / one shot prep pretty much follows this pattern: - Immerse myself in the genre, read books, watch movies, listen to music, find pictures
- Decide who the characters are
- Repeat #1
- Decide who the bad guys are
- Repeat #1
- Decide where things happen
- Repeat #1
- Throw out the character ideas I had and do them again
- Repeat #1
- Make the new characters after I revise who they are again
- Repeat #1
- Make the actual bad guys after I revise who they are again
- Repeat #1
- Rework the characters and the bad guys again
- Repeat #1
- Run the game and pretty much redo things on the fly because the players turned left instead of doing anything I thought they would
I think that covers it. JiB
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Baarune
Apprentice Douchebag
Posts: 95
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Post by Baarune on Mar 15, 2017 16:29:24 GMT -8
My con-game / one shot prep pretty much follows this pattern: - Immerse myself in the genre, read books, watch movies, listen to music, find pictures
- Decide who the characters are
- Repeat #1
- Decide who the bad guys are
- Repeat #1
- Decide where things happen
- Repeat #1
- Throw out the character ideas I had and do them again
- Repeat #1
- Make the new characters after I revise who they are again
- Repeat #1
- Make the actual bad guys after I revise who they are again
- Repeat #1
- Rework the characters and the bad guys again
- Repeat #1
- Run the game and pretty much redo things on the fly because the players turned left instead of doing anything I thought they would
I think that covers it. JiB I havent really got round to character stuff. Mainly focused on the setting the corperations and story elements.
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Post by uselesstriviaman on Mar 15, 2017 19:01:36 GMT -8
It really depends on what kind of game you're looking to run. I've run the same loosey-goosey Dread scenario at the last six conventions I've attended, and I've run Pathfinder games where everything was thought out to the last detail. Both had their pluses and minuses.
I think both games worked well, mostly because I put the time and effort into making great characters for the players to have fun with.
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Post by jazzisblues on Mar 16, 2017 7:08:41 GMT -8
My con-game / one shot prep pretty much follows this pattern: I havent really got round to character stuff. Mainly focused on the setting the corperations and story elements. I can only speak for myself here, but for me, it's all about the characters. Everything revolves around them, so I need them before I can even do anything about setting or hooks or anything else. JiB
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Post by Probie Tim on Mar 16, 2017 8:01:21 GMT -8
Every time I run a convention game, my intention is to prep super early and be super ready for the game.
In practice, however, I am rarely fully prepped when the game starts. The characters are done - except for my last game, where I included character creation in the game to show off the simplicity of S&W - and I know the premise of the scenario, what and where the complications are, and which complications I can nix if we run out of time. But beyond that, everything is pretty much off the cuff. And by that, I mean I generally don't have stats written up for the complications (assuming monsters/NPCs) or rewards or the like. Luckily, I know the game systems I run well enough that it's usually not an issue; when I don't, I tend to fall back on the OSR "rulings, not rules" catchphrase frequently and apply liberal amounts of handwavium.
I don't recommend my approach, heh.
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sbloyd
Supporter
WHAT! A human in a Precursor service vehicle?!
Posts: 2,762
Preferred Game Systems: Storyteller; Dresden; Mage
Favorite Species of Monkey: Goddamnit, Curious George is a CHIMP not a monkey! Stop teaching my daughter improper classification!
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Post by sbloyd on Mar 16, 2017 8:19:45 GMT -8
My Mage one-shot, the biggest prep was the character pregens... but that was because I tried to include in each character's packet a comprehensive example set for what they could do with their magic.
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sbloyd
Supporter
WHAT! A human in a Precursor service vehicle?!
Posts: 2,762
Preferred Game Systems: Storyteller; Dresden; Mage
Favorite Species of Monkey: Goddamnit, Curious George is a CHIMP not a monkey! Stop teaching my daughter improper classification!
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Post by sbloyd on Mar 16, 2017 8:25:30 GMT -8
My Mage one-shot, the biggest prep was the character pregens... but that was because I tried to include in each character's packet a comprehensive example set for what they could do with their magic. Had to step away quick. Anyhow, beyond that, I already knew the basic plot I wanted to follow, so I designed a group of set-pieces and some interesting locations, all modular-like so I could pull some out early if I needed to should things go long. NPCs mostly shared a generic statblock.
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Baarune
Apprentice Douchebag
Posts: 95
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Post by Baarune on Mar 16, 2017 16:51:44 GMT -8
I should clarify, by character stuff i meant NPC's. ive already got the PC's outlined.
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xsgtdanusmc
Initiate Douchebag
Posts: 11
Preferred Game Systems: NOT D&D 4th ed
Currently Playing: HarnMaster, FFG Star Wars, IK, Dark Eye, etc. etc.
Currently Running: SW: Supers, Gumshoe, HarnMaster, Shadowrun
Favorite Species of Monkey: Stu
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Post by xsgtdanusmc on Mar 27, 2017 9:11:52 GMT -8
Prep for my Supers-Police Procedural game. First Case I used.
The City of Raleigh Mayor (who is a secret “Glow”) murdered his assistant in his office. The assistant was sliced in half with no blood at the scene. The mayor and the 3 other “Glows” were part of an artifact and antiquities theft and smuggling ring. The mayor stole his assistant’s identity to launder money. The assistant found out about the dummy accounts in his name and started to use the accounts for his own personal finances. The bad guys were getting ready to steal the sword Confederate General Joseph Johnston surrendered to General Sherman from Bennett Place Historical Site in Durham. The mayor, the day of the murder, had gone to Japan on an economic summit trip with the governor. It was part of his cover to meet with buyers for the sword. The initial suspect was a gang-banger that one of the PCs knew. This was a red-herring. The poor sap was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was caught on cameras around the time & place of the murders. The missing witness was a security guard that did not “see” the murder, but could put the mayor and assistant in the same room at the near the time of death.
Heather Molinari: Invisible Stalker : Brick : Stretcher Mutant City Blues Villians The Stretcher Shequan Whittaker General Abilities – Athletics 8, Filch 8, Health 8, Infiltration 8, Preparedness 7, Scuffling 8, Stability 6, Surveillance 7 Powers – Limb Extension 15, Strength 10 Weapons & Equipment – B&E Equipment +1 Notes:
The Invisible Stalker Heather Molinari General Abilities – Athletics 5, Filch 8, Health 6, Infiltration 8, Preparedness 8, Scuffling 6, Shooting 5, Stability 7, Surveillance 7 Powers – Invisibility 15, Light Control 10 Weapons & Equipment – Firearm +1, Personal Hand Computer/Phone +1, Notes:
The Muscle (Brick) Guido Loya General Abilities – Athletics 10, Filch 8, Health 10, Infiltration 4, Preparedness 7, Scuffling 10, Stability 4, Surveillance 7 Powers – Strength 20, Regeneration 10 Weapons & Equipment – None Notes:
The Elemental Controller Charles Meeker General Abilities – Athletics 7, Filch 5, Health 7, Infiltration 8, Preparedness 8, Scuffling 4, Shooting 7, Stability 7, Surveillance 7 Powers – TBD 15, TBD 7, TBD 7 Weapons & Equipment – None Notes:
Savage Worlds Villians The Stretcher Shequan Whittaker Attributes – Ag: d10, Sm: d6, Sp: d6, St: d8, Vi: d6 Derived – Charisma: 0, Pace: 6, Parry: 7, Toughness: 5 (8) Skills – Fighting d10, Throwing d10, Investigation d6, Notice d6, Climbing d6, Stealth d8, Streetwise d6 Edges – Arcane Background (Superpowers)*, Acrobat, Brawler, Bruiser Hindrances – Overconfident (M), Distinctive Appearance-Glow Eyes (m), Vengeful (m) Powers – Altered Form +3 (Stretching, Activation -1, Reach 5 (+5), Grapple +1, Viscous +1) [+9], Chameleon +3 (Malleable, Activation -1, Voice +2) [+4], Swinging +2 (Extending Arms, Strong Line-3000lbs +3) [+5], Attack-Melee +6 (Bulk Fists Str+3d6) [+8], Toughness @ 3 (Absorbing Body, Hardy +3) [+6] Notes:
The Invisible Stalker Heather Molinari Attributes – Ag: d8, Sm: d10, Sp: d6, St: d8, Vi: d8 Derived – Charisma: 0, Pace: 8, Parry: 6, Toughness: 6 Skills – Notice d8, Lockpicking d6, Fighting d8, Shooting d8, Knowledge (Computers) d6, Stealth d6 (d12), Streetwise d6, Climbing d6 Edges – Arcane Background (Superpowers)*, Fleet-Footed, Assassin Hindrances – Overconfident (M), Quirk (m), Phobia (m-Fire) Powers – Invisibility +12 (Cellular Light Refraction, Level 3, Activation -1) [+11], Super Attributes +4 (Vigor: up 1 die +2, Spirit up 1 die +2) [+4], Super Skills +3 (Stealth up 3 die, Contingent: works with Invisibility -1) [+2], Speed + 7 (Riding the Light, Pace 48 +7) [+7], Attack-Melee Notes:
The Muscle (Brick) Guido Loya Attributes – Ag: d10, Sm: d6, Sp: d6, St: d12+3, Vi: d6 Derived – Charisma: 4, Pace: 6, Parry: 7, Toughness: 8 Skills – Fighting d10, Notice d6, Climbing d8, Persuasion d8, Intimidate d8, Taunt d8 Edges – Arcane Background (Superpowers)*, Attractive, Charismatic Hindrances – Clueless (M), Delusional (m), Poverty (m) Powers – Super Strength +7 (Strength up 2 die and +3) [+7], Earthquake +2 (The Slam, Depth +3, Earthshake +3, Trigger+1) [+9], Flight +12 (Pace 96) [+12], Toughness +3 (Granite Skin, +3 to Toughness) [+3] Notes:
The Elemental Controller Charles Meeker Attributes – Ag: d8, Sm: d6, Sp: d6, St: d6, Vi: d8 Derived – Charisma: 0, Pace: 6, Parry: 6, Toughness: 6 (16) Skills – Fighting d8, Shooting d8, Notice d6, Knowledge (TBD) d6, Driving d6, Repair, d6, Tracking d6 Edges – Arcane Background (Superpowers)*, Marksman, Combat Reflexes Hindrances – Arrogant (M), Greedy (m), Stubborn (m) Powers – Energy Control-TBD +5 (TBD Manipulation, Area Effect +2, Selective +2) [+9], Armor +5 (TBD Shell, 10 point of Armor, Hardy +3) [+8], Attack-Ranged +8 (TBD Blast, 5d6 @ 12/24/48, Armor Piercing +1) [+9], Leaping +3 (Bounce +1) [+4] Notes:
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