Adventure! Game
Nov. 24th, 2008 02:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
teleribWe're getting ready for the Star Wars mini-campaign, which means I'm on-deck. Which also means I should start thinking more about what I want to run.
A key part of the concept is the hero/villain pairing. Which comes first, or do we develop them in pairs? Do I let the PCs pick their nemesis? Is that likely to result in playground-esque last-guy-picked stuff?
I'm leaning towards developing villains first, because they're more fun. Then maybe a random assignment of people for nemeses, with the ability to barter because you've got just the best, best BEST idea for a nemesis for the White Mandarin. (No, white, not Caucasian... it's the color of death, silly.)
Anyway.
While they build Heroes, I'll build henchmen for the Villains. At least one will Fall In Love with a Hero; one will attempt to Supplant His Master. Possibly, a third will have a Crisis of Conscience, but that's a lot of turncoat henchmen. (On the other hand, that would explain where they are for the Boss Fight, wouldn't it?)
The key, of course, is dramatic timing. If there's a Crisis of Conscience planned, it'll probably be pretty obvious from Day One. He's the henchman who questions orders. But the trick is to pretend it's not obvious, until the hench is caught in the act of telegraphing secrets to the Heroes. And then unleash self-righteous Villainous vengeance upon him - saving him to use to challenge the Heroes would be a classy option.
Why would they overlook this evidence of treason? One, because it sets up the classic scene later. Two, because it helps their Hero characters to do so!
(But will it work? I don't know!)
A key part of the concept is the hero/villain pairing. Which comes first, or do we develop them in pairs? Do I let the PCs pick their nemesis? Is that likely to result in playground-esque last-guy-picked stuff?
I'm leaning towards developing villains first, because they're more fun. Then maybe a random assignment of people for nemeses, with the ability to barter because you've got just the best, best BEST idea for a nemesis for the White Mandarin. (No, white, not Caucasian... it's the color of death, silly.)
Anyway.
While they build Heroes, I'll build henchmen for the Villains. At least one will Fall In Love with a Hero; one will attempt to Supplant His Master. Possibly, a third will have a Crisis of Conscience, but that's a lot of turncoat henchmen. (On the other hand, that would explain where they are for the Boss Fight, wouldn't it?)
The key, of course, is dramatic timing. If there's a Crisis of Conscience planned, it'll probably be pretty obvious from Day One. He's the henchman who questions orders. But the trick is to pretend it's not obvious, until the hench is caught in the act of telegraphing secrets to the Heroes. And then unleash self-righteous Villainous vengeance upon him - saving him to use to challenge the Heroes would be a classy option.
Why would they overlook this evidence of treason? One, because it sets up the classic scene later. Two, because it helps their Hero characters to do so!
(But will it work? I don't know!)
