Post by bobcatt on Oct 4, 2017 15:03:55 GMT -8
Hello,
I'm mulling over an idea in support of one-shot con games which could significantly cut down on my prep time for each session. Up to this point, I've only considered developing a new scenario from scratch for each event. This essentially means most of the work I do can't be re-used. This is wasteful and leads me to a last-couple-of-days-panic to get enough content ready pre-game.
Recalling typical TV programmes of the 70s/80s, a core group of 3-4 characters maintained the premise from week to week and a Special Guest Star (or two) appeared in each episode. The Guest(s) would be introduced during the opening credits, after each regular had their face and name presented during a short sequence of action/glamour clips. Shows like The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Simon & Simon, Crime Story, Magnum P.I., The Night Stalker (and even going back to Star Trek TOS) etc. were not strictly serials, so it largely didn't matter in which order they were viewed.
Instead of making a session up from (almost) nothing every time, I could attack my problem like these TV shows did. I'd set the character's base of operations at a TV station in a big, North American city like Chicago or Philadelphia. Once stat'ed up, each character would get a moderate length history along with their basic motivations. The core team would consist of a reporter, a cameraman, and a combo soundman/ lighting guy/ driver/ gopher (shades of "Groundhog Day"). They'd have all the typical analogue gear available to a period news team, and a mediocre panel van to drive around in. Depending on the adventure outline for a session, the Guest Star would be a celebrity, scientist, crackpot, cop from out of town, local private eye, historian (or whoever) and possibly select members of their retinue if relevant. If there were more than three players booked, I'd assign some appropriate Guest Stars as PCs.
Any maps, period photos, supporting characters, and location descriptions could be re-used, building up a big library of reference material over time. It would be like an ongoing campaign, but without the burden of a long-running story arc. I could title the sessions as "Tonight's Top Story" or "Headline Hunters", with a subheading relating to the particular episode they'd be in for that timeslot. The characters would get a seemingly innocuous news assignment from their Producer which would quickly go off in a much different direction. Perhaps it would begin as an investigation into corruption allegations, a sudden increase in neighbourhood crime, or a protest against a local historic building being knocked down, and culminate with anything up to mutants/monsters, aliens, ghosts, magical artifacts, lost treasures, secret societies, and so forth. My biggest worry would be, at the end of each game, coming up with a way to stymie the group from conclusively proving what they've seen/experienced.
Yes, it's borrowing massively from Kolchak's oeuvre, but I really liked that show and (for me) its formula worked.
Initial (cliché) NPCs would include:
- the old guy in the records department who doles out obscure information and should've been retired years ago
- the often accidentally helpful dingbat at the 'human interest/local events' desk
- a titian bombshell of an anchorwoman with a big chip on her shoulder
- a dismissive anchorman vying for an entry into politics
- the weather guy who is also a closet conspiracy nut
- a Producer who berates/deflates/irates the players
- various catering/custodial staff
- a newspaper kiosk guy out front of the building
- a foreign street meat vendor
- corner coffee-shop staff
- Police Chief or Senior Detective and/or beat cop(s)
- city Coroner
- pawn shop owner
- and so on...
I swore that I wouldn't volunteer for another session until I had a game prepped beforehand. My concern was that I wouldn't come up with any sensible ideas, but this seems workable and scalable. Continuing to use the Top Secret/S.I. rules is the plan (for now). You may have guessed that I'm not a huge fan of pre-written modules, but I do scour them for ideas and info.
Thoughts? Pitfalls I might be missing?
Chris in Canada