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Leather neck
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(Date Posted:01/30/2008 17:56:48)

Well, I went and did it.  I signed up to run a 7th Sea adventure for Marmalade Dog (March 28-30).  Hey, I figure it this is the first con I'm going to in 20 years, I might as well make it the first con Ever I run a game at.


So, any suggestions from you experts?


How many people to allow at the table?

How Extensive a write up should I make?

Traps to watch out for?

Should I bane my own players from the adventure?

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"I"ll tell you a secret: When your number comes up, you"re going to go. Well, every morning I get up, I change my number." - Edward Chun, 83 year old Pearl Harbor Survivor

Lady Grace
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RE:Diving head first into Marmalade Dog
(Date Posted:01/30/2008 19:19:36)

No plan survives first contact with the players.  Remember that and you'll save yourself a lot of headaches.  You can't plan for every contigency so be ready to roll with the punches.

As for how many to run for, as many as you feel comfortable with -- and stick to it.  Again, saves on headaches. ;)

If your players have run the adventure you've got before, I'd say give someone else a chance at the table.  Otherwise, you know your players best.

Are you creating pre-gen characters for this or will folks be allowed to design at the table/bring characters from home?

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"Ulf, just because you drank six tankards of Vesten mead and shout "I'm the Oncoming Storm!" does not --I repeat-- does NOT automatically make you a Berserker!" -- Fortunato Valari
Salamanca
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RE:Diving head first into Marmalade Dog
(Date Posted:01/31/2008 23:36:13)

Ah Marmdog... I miss that little con.  but there is no way I can make it this year. 

Couple of thoughts from a guy that has run an event there in the past. 


- I recommend a number like 6 with plans to accept up to 8.  better to have a manageable group that you could be courteous and expand on.   

- No one at a con should ever go above 8 at the table.  We have in the past and someone always feels slighted on screen time or a couple of vets end up sitting quiet to let the others shine and don't get to enjoy things.  (and I'm the poster child for large groups telling you this) 

- Plot it in the 7th sea traditional game plot format:  Fight scene against some weak mooks for a maximum of 3 rounds of fight to get everyone up to speed on mechanics.  scene two is an introduction of the challenge (the request for help, hiring, discovery of the crime, etc)    Scene 3 is the intro of the bad guy and his cronies for a little fight.  Scene 4 is figuring out how to fix the problem.  Scene 5 is the big fight to win it all. 

--  add to your adventure a filler event that can be skipped if you are running short on time and used if things are going to fast.  (on second thought, add two) 

- Pregen a set of 10 characters.  keeps the heroes balanced to your villians and leaves some extras so nobody is stuck with no choice. 

- Make sure no single character has the only skill to assure victory, the player will never use it if that's the case.

- Expect at least one brand new to the game player.  embrace their participation, it's how we axpand the game.  I can think of 4 specific individuals that joined the 7th sea community via marmdog and 3 of them ended up adding things Thwak or I ended up slipping into official material in some form later on.  (Captain Skull was not one of them but probably should have been) 

- Don't sweat Marmdog, it's very low key and you will find it a great place to run a game. 

- If you playtest the event with your crew, ask them to skip it at the con.  Or at least make sure they understand you will be giving more spotlight time to the other players.  (specifically in deciding any player knowledge issues) 

Enjoy it, I'll be sitting at home nursing a grudge. 

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Damn! Asking for exposition is like kryptonite to NPCs!
Leather neck
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RE:Diving head first into Marmalade Dog
(Date Posted:02/04/2008 18:04:40)

Sal,
Perfect.  I will plan for 6 and expect more.  Plus I think I will have more than enough PC's.  Both male and female.  Everything else makes sense and I will apply your advice appropriately.


For victory, what I'm thinking would require team work and group effort, so there shouldn't be any single skill or PC to achieve victory.    I mostly want to run a swashbuckling romp.

(Message edited by Leather neck on 02/04/2008 18:05:29)

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"I"ll tell you a secret: When your number comes up, you"re going to go. Well, every morning I get up, I change my number." - Edward Chun, 83 year old Pearl Harbor Survivor
Kathryn Adams
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RE:Diving head first into Marmalade Dog
(Date Posted:02/25/2008 01:11:58)

Speaking of Marmalade Dog, will there be a 7th Sea LARP this year? I know several people who haven't been able to make it to the con in previous years who are planning on going this year just for the LARP.
Salamanca
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RE:Diving head first into Marmalade Dog
(Date Posted:02/26/2008 13:19:43)

you would need to check with Dana about that LARP probably.  no idea what his schedule is or plans in that realm. 

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danar
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RE:Diving head first into Marmalade Dog
(Date Posted:03/20/2008 08:43:07)

Sorry it took so long to get back to you Kathryn.  I don't check this board as much as I used to.  I won't be running a LARP this year, but I'm planning on running a 7th Sea tabletop on Saturday night. 

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-dana

"All of our best and oldest legends recognize that time passes and that people grow old and die."
Leather neck
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RE:Diving head first into Marmalade Dog
(Date Posted:04/04/2008 16:27:14)

Here is an after action report, for those that care.  I had eight players at the table when I sat down.  Only Danar’s wife had every played 7th Sea before.    I based the adventure from one suggested in this forum's  GM section for Plots.  I believe it was BJR that suggested the movie Warriors.  I had the PC’s as a group joined together to protect their Vodacce neighborhood from criminal gangs.  Called the Legionnaires after the old Numa army that protected the empire.  The players were going to a meeting of other gangs. 

On the way they were accosted by a couple of Brute Squads.  I thought it would be a simple fight and a chance for people to get a feel for the game mechanics.  They tried to talk their way out of it and avoid the fight.  Thankfully, one player acted and used a cat as a thrown improvised weapon, knocking out the lead brute.  Everyone had a chance to fight then.  At the meeting several kegs of gun powder were set to explode.  A player tired to break the plot by throwing a knife at the fuse and cut it.  (actually I don’t think he was trying to break the plot, but to be a hero and save everyone.)

With the attack on the meeting, the players had a chance to run from the explosion. Get chased by city watch.  Meet a Lords Hand and accept a mission to find the villain threatening their Prince’s city.  I bribed three players with Drama Dice to investigate sounds and come face to face with crypt ghouls.  Then the final fight with the agent of a competing Prince with everyone having a chance to fight and one player jumping out a window and chased around a garden by a brute squad.

Days before Marmalade Dog I had a digital data lose, with a chunk of notes disappearing and one PC document going completely blank.  But in the end I think it all worked out okay and the players seemed to enjoy themselves.  That is what is important after all.



(Message edited by Leather neck on 04/04/2008 16:28:02)

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"I"ll tell you a secret: When your number comes up, you"re going to go. Well, every morning I get up, I change my number." - Edward Chun, 83 year old Pearl Harbor Survivor
 Welcome to The Collection of Flashlights!Wolf-eyes ,your eyes break the darkness!
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