Post by Falconer on Jul 5, 2018 12:53:40 GMT -6
Last year I ran the module Starfall (1989, WEG40016). It was a blast!
There’s some backstory and meta-story in the module (there’s a “script” and “cutaways” that you’re supposed to read, and an NPC who is supposed to follow you around and provide guidance), but all that was easily dropped, and you’re left with a very simple premise:
You are in the holding cell of a Star Destroyer.
You hear and feel explosions and klaxons.
The power goes out in your section.
What do you do?
It’s the classic “escape” scenario inspired by SW77 and which in turn clearly inspired an exciting sequence in Dark Force Rising.
One of my friends arrived early and cooked my favorite birthday dinner (Greek salad, Greek potatoes, spanakopita, and moussaka). We all ate, and everyone selected characters. I had prepped some character sheets and let people pick which ones they wanted. They selected Ben Kenobi, Chewbacca, Yoda, Mon Mothma, Lando, Han, and Leia. Of course, this was a one-shot with little care for verisimilitude. I should explain that I run an annual birthday “D&D drinking game,” which is always a raucous good time. The idea is that any time someone drops a movie quote in a way that is appropriate and hilarious, everyone “has to” take a drink. Most of us start with a shot or two of vodka and then switch to beer.
Rules: The Star Wars Roleplaying Game 1e rulebook was all I needed, with the sole addition of the difficulty numbers from the “Rules Upgrade” (handily printed on the GM screen from the Campaign Pack). I’m not sure how this mechanic works in 1e pre-upgrade, but, this is clearly what the module was using, so, it is what I went with. Obviously the characters are powerful, so, I always went with the highest number of a given difficulty grade.
I *really* enjoyed how the rules worked. Really light, fast, cinematic. I never had to write down any numbers. Rolls were almost always dramatic and didn’t feel like total fire drills.
Adventure: Well, it proceeded mostly how it’s supposed to, though dropping the NPC I think gave the players more room for ingenuity and a better sense of free agency. I think the adventure could have done a bit of a better job in giving you tools for when the players go “off the rails.” Next time I run this (whenever that may be), I’ll be sure to have more complete schematics of a star destroyer. The other thing that I thought was weak in the module were the captain’s “taunts” that come over the shipwide com. Next time I will rewrite them, or just wing it.
Otherwise, how awesome! A dark and dead detention block, a climb down the turbolift shaft, a burning catwalk, a shootout at the power core… Excellent!
