28.4.16 II. Aramis Part 2

Much to my surprise, there was sufficient fun and sufficient interest for everyone to want to return for a second session. There had been no guarantee of this. All the players, bar Ted, had been keen enough to try it once but wary enough not to commit to anything more.

I think it was at breakfast in one of the hotels at some point we had:

News Item: Crash! “We interrupt…!” Coverage continues… [stuff from the book about crash of freighter and follow ups later in the day/week]

We did the whole bit with Gvoudzon getting thrown out of the Museum – he delivered his lines beautifully if somewhat self-consciously – the PCs noticed the tail on him as he left (!) and tried following themselves but lost the pair pretty quickly.

We did the bit with finding Bannerji’s wallet (now a word meaning moneystash and comm unit combined) and returning it to him on the Wolbluten, getting the invite to the TAS meal and being stood up by Bannerji at said meal. (They stuffed their faces on his Credit however. They maybe new at Traveller, but they’re not stupid…) They meet Eneri Gilaan the next day who buys them a nice lunch in a very upmarket place in Leedor’s poshest bit of town.

[actually, I’m not sure that bit was in the second session, it might have been in the first. I can’t recall]

Anyway, dragging back from either the TAS meal, the wimprat racing or something else – it’s nearly two years ago for pete’s sake! – they stumble across Gvoudzon being mugged, rescue him and attend to his wounds, and hear his story. Well briefed, David our map librarian made a good job of this.

The rest of the evening was taken up with both planning and carrying out the Museum heist. The experienced player knew that this was the ‘thing’ for the evening and could help them work out sensible approaches. We might have been a bit lost without that. They thought about one of them hiding in the building at closing time and then letting the rest in having disabled alarms and the like. But in fact they came up with a novel approach I hadn’t considered (described in an email to a friend below). It all goes fairly smoothly, they find the brooch, plant the fake and high tail it out of there.

News item: [Jelika Chan stuff somewhere in here]

I SHOULD have made that the climax of the session (and beefed up the excitement of nearly getting caught) or had the climax in some excitement around getting Gvoudzon out to the starport and onto a ship. But we were out of time for the latter so we rather elided over that. I was reluctant to go for a third session on Aramis as we were just starting out and I thought it would be ridiculous if we spent that much time on just the first chapter. We’d NEVER get through TTA. What can I say, I was new at serial gaming having only reffed one shots at TravCon previously. Now I’d be more relaxed about the whole thing. I think.

29.4.16

[note to players post game]

Thank you for a fun evening last night. It seemed to go well from my point of view and I was really impressed the way you threw yourselves into your characters and some of the cracking bright ideas you had (or flashes of insight). Well done!

[note to MWM as PS to other email content]

…And you may be interested to know that my nascent Traveller group here at work met for the second time last night in a local pub. A couple of months ago we got everyone introduced and embarked on The Traveller Adventure. Last night we finished Leedor on Aramis - with a successful museum heist and lots of fun along the way.

I’ve long wanted to play this classic and never had the chance. When someone offered to run it across all five slots at this year’s TravCon in March, I got all excited, but when that fell through decided the only thing I could do was run it myself! It’s quite daunting for a relatively novice referee as there’s quite a bit of ‘plot’ going on (and I have players new to RPGs much less Traveller!). And I’d read a lot about the railroad nature of the beginning which spoils it for some people. But in the end the gang both waded into rescuing Gvoudzon *and* without prompting from me were up for stealing the brooch back. (Although I had a backup plan in case they didn’t). And I think they’re up for meeting again to carry on the story. Though I suspect they’ve already Learned Lessons and won’t be quite so ‘easily led’ another time.

Anyway, I thought you might be interested to know that TTA is still going strong and providing fun and serving as an introduction to Traveller for somewhat sceptical colleagues even after all these years!

30.4.16

[note to the referee who had threatened to run at least parts of TTA at TravCon but decided against it, despite my encouragement. It was that that finally pushed me over the edge into deciding that if I wanted to play it, I’d have to run it…]

Having got all excited about the possibility of playing TTA at TravCon and then it falling through, I decided the only thing to do was run it myself! That spurred me into persuading some colleagues at work (including Jane) as well as Ted from TravCon to give it a go. We met for the second time last night - so it almost counts as a regular group now! - and finished off the first chapter.

Fortunately they were quite happy to burgle the museum (and, in fact, help Gvoudzon out at all) so I didn’t have to go with the Plan B that I came up with. [1] They still threw me a bit by coming up with a plan to do the burglary in broad daylight by setting off fire alarms and so on as one of them had a got a job as a janitor (which was also sprung on me as I hadn’t thought of it nor had the book suggested it).

I’m still not sure about pacing (one player mentioned it at the end but the others had been having fun doing ‘extra’ stuff so I hadn’t forced it) and whether the way I ran the burglary was exciting enough. But they seemed to enjoy it and are prepared to come back in a couple of months for the next part. So for the first time I feel I’m really engaging with the whole book and have really ‘got’ the plot for the first time! Thank you for that.

I still struggle with NPCs and producing conversation on the fly. (I’m okayish on describing it, but not BEING it without notes/prep.) For example, the janitor wandered into the workshop at one point to see if the brooch was in there, and struck up a conversation with one of the researchers. Now I could immediately make up the fact that there were three, and some names and some research interests and their various attitudes, but it was nearly impossible to ‘enthuse’ as one of them about a Terran helmet of ancient vintage that he was excited about once the questions started... <sigh> And I still can’t do voices or mannerisms effectively.

I also really struggle with running the PCs we don’t have players for. There are two and I made life easier by having the Pilot down with Rigellian Fever for the duration, but even with the one I had it was hard to remember to a) include him and b) not drive the adventure - esp as he had the forgery skills to make the duplicate brooch so I kind of *had* to suggest that which rather seemed to be cheating!

One of my colleagues (and a friend) - very bright - is also, after the event, beginning to ask questions about why her character or the whole crew don’t just dispense with Gvoudzon and try to flog the brooch themselves. Why do they need Gvoudzon at all? So I think she’s feeling the ‘railroad’ somewhat and the lack of motivation. I will give it some thought over the next month and see if I can strengthen G’s hand (paw?!) so he can point out why they need to keep him on the scene.

[1]

I think Plan B would have worked - I was going to have the pawn shop owner turn up at the starport with the brooch while they were still loading cargo a little before they departed. He’d felt guilty about the error and got the thing back pointing to small print or something. But hot on his heels are some stevedore/thugs who’ve either been employed by the Museum having second thoughts (or maybe chasing the pawn shop guy because *he* nicked it) or Vemene agents. I’d invented some electronic staves for guiding grav pallets around so the PCs would be ‘armed’ and able to get into a rumble. (Actually, said friend, playing a male/gunbunny type was rather disappointed she didn’t get to shoot someone before we finished!)

[collection of emails from players as to what their characters were doing in Jump]

JUMP: Aramis -> Natoko

Tess

I’m busy using the time in jump going over the ship post-refit and ensuring there are no minor niggles (beyond cabin 17) and re-racking all the tools again as maintenance yards (who are supposed to use their own tools) always decide it is quicker to use a ship’s tool and then never put it back in the right place!

I may have also re-stashed my hammock back in engineering...

Loyd

Thanks Tim for organising an enjoyable evening. Looking forward to the next one ... will have to think about what Loyd would do in the ‘time in Jump’.

Loyd would probably be feeling a little love sick, missing all those concealed pockets. [Petra Popov – Fred’s cousin that he dated was into fashion and had just had a show involving clothing with lots of pockets. Loyd had been given a poncho IIRC]

Egon

Egon will spend his time mulling over whether to contact his identical twin brother Gustav who he last saw in Natoko 5 years ago. They are very competitive and Egon is well aware that his brother, although not brilliant with guns, is far more intelligent than he is.

I think that Egon will be relieved that he doesn’t have to face his brother on Natoko. In the meantime he will be polishing and cataloguing his collection of space debris and fact-finding about the imminent visit.

Fred

Fred has managed to find a recipe book left by the previous steward in a cupboard and is experimenting with new ideas. A chicken dish is on the menu for mid jump.

He is also pleased with that Petra enjoyed her time with Lloyd.

Adma & Kunal [NPCs]

[responding to Fred] Excellent - Adma is looking forward to the chicken dish. Even Kunal is beginning to perk up a bit at the smell. She got you safely to the Jump point but is obviously not 100% yet. Tess can bring her broth regularly if she wishes. Gvoudzon is either having difficulties sleeping (the first night or two at least) due to the unaccustomed clanking in cabin #17 OR doesn’t even hear what bothers everyone else as it’s below his audible threshold. I assume someone will show him round the ship.

Juf [NPC]

Juf Ximinder, your one passenger is rattling around a bit, you could - for this one Jump - designate the Forward lounge as the crew lounge and the Aft lounge as the passenger lounge so that you have a bit more room. Either way Juf pretty much keeps himself to himself although he’s not unfriendly and it’s not a secret he is a Tukera employee and part of their refurb crews. He’ll ask if the March Harrier has any exercise equipment he can use. A couple of days into Jump he’ll seek out Loyd and gently quiz him about the ship and its usual routes and the like.