jail campain ideas

[Nifft]

Just based off stereotypes & common sense...

Gangs -- each party member is pressured into joining one of three (or more) gangs, based on the party member's race / profession / appearance / politics / etc.

Isolation -- the characters aren't bunked together. They might not even be in the same cellblock.

Abusive Guards -- the guards either have gang standing or are bought off by gangs. Thus the guards can't abuse most prisoners. So when they get a bunch of non-gang prisoners...

Harassment -- constant, and from everyone. The PCs must put up with it (and be labeled as 'punks', and become the target of worse), must fight back (against LOOOOOONG odds -- up to & including entire gangs), or must find a creative way out of it.

-- Nifft

 

[Kibo]

You could wander around fighting large groups of inmates and lifers one at a time until you collect 25 cigarettes.

 

[alsih2o]

well, we all know that anyone jailed in memphis eventually gets in a cell with an elvis impersonator, or 10

 

[Crothian]

well, we all know that anyone jailed in memphis eventually gets in a cell with an elvis impersonator, or 10

Or maybe he isn't an impersonator

 

[JoeBlank]

If the campaign in the prison is going to last a while, and you want the characters to get out for some fresh air, you could try a Dirty Dozen adventure. Have the warden, or someone higher up, send to the group to accomplish some task outside the prison. Need a way to assure they return: try a poison that will take effect in 24, or 48, hours, and they must return for the antidote.

 

[Paka]

I ran a one-shot D&D way back pre-3E that was set on the prison on the underside of the Rock of Bral. I told the players they had to make up characters who were in prison and they couldn't have been framed. Whatever got them there, they really did it.

It went really well. in a prison game you have good reason to entirely control the scene. There was a bell that would mean a meal time, free time or back to the cell. As soon as a scene began to drag or if I wanted to end it for dramatic reasons, ding-ding-ding.

Control is such an issue in those games. The players have decisions but ultimately their lives are run by prison regulations.

It was a fun, dark game that we still talk about fondly.

Oddly enough, one of the players who was in the game had just gotten out of prison.

Anyway, hope that helped.

 

[Kilmore]

Is the campaign called "Jailhouse Rock?"

Okay, that joke had a Str mod of -4 it was so weak...

 

[pogre]

Memphis Page

Here's a fun page about the dark side of Memphis - Memphis Decomposed

 

[bolen]

Thanks for the help