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Review / Remix: Everyday Heroes' "To Dethrone A Dictator"
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<blockquote data-quote="Sparky McDibben" data-source="post: 9093202" data-attributes="member: 7041430"><p><strong>REMIX:</strong></p><p>So first things, first, we need to revise the hook and the premise significantly. If we're going to be doing this over 10 levels (or around 30 sessions), we're going to want enough to power that gameplay. (Also, don't yell at me about the names; I don't speak any Bantu languages, so this is all very general guesswork on my part. If you want to come up with better names, please leave them in the replies, along with sources, and I'll absolutely change them <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> ). </p><p></p><p><em>The Premise:</em></p><p>Currently, the East African island nation of Estwara is ruled by an aging monarch, King Obafemi (referred to as "the old King"), and has an economy mostly dependent on tourism, for the island's natural beauty and unique biodiversity. A recent discovery of off-shore mineral wealth in Estwaran waters led to some tensions as a mining corporation (Bumicorp) tried negotiating for mineral rights, only to have the King rebuff them soundly. He summoned his only surviving child, the Princess Nkoyo, from Oxford University, where she was finishing her legal degree. </p><p></p><p>Bumicorp, unwilling to take "No" for an answer, went to the head of the Royal Guard, Colonel Idowu. They gave him funds, mercenaries, weapons, and tech to start a coup and then to give them the mineral rights. Col. Idowu practically leapt at the chance, since it was widely known that the Princess would have put him into early retirement once she took the throne (they really don't like each other). </p><p></p><p>As the campaign starts, Idowu's mercenaries and loyal troops are taking up positions to implement their coup. They've smuggled in a Russian S-300 missile system for air defense, and landed mercs in platoon strength to counter any resistance. Once they seize power, they'll clamp down an iron fist on the island: no one in, no one out. And thus, the stage is set for...</p><p></p><p><em>The Characters:</em></p><p>Instead of dropping them in as desperado-mercenaries, the PCs start as above-average Joes (level 1) with a backstory. They're all going to start as civilians on the island. Work with each of your players to develop a backstory, and give them each a unique NPC contact. For example:</p><p></p><p><strong>Strong Hero:</strong> A minor league boxer here for an unsanctioned "underground" fight. NPC Contact: a local promoter with extensive contacts among advertisers and local businesses.</p><p><strong>Agile Hero:</strong> A local criminal who's heard rumblings about some unsavory types being flown in to help toughen up the Royal Guard. NPC Contact: a black marketeer who's the go-to for anything illicit on the island.</p><p><strong>Tough Hero:</strong> The point person for the Princess' bodyguard team, here to prep for her arrival back from Oxford. NPC Contact: a retired general, loyal to the old King, and stubborn as an old goat - but has access to a small cache of weapons.</p><p><strong>Smart Hero:</strong> A genius engineer, asked here by the Princess (currently returning from Oxford) to take a look at modernizing some of the infrastructure. NPC Contact: the manager of a local junkyard, who can get you just about anything with enough time (although it may not run very well).</p><p><strong>Wise Hero: </strong>Retired head inspector who used to serve under the old King, living out their last years in peace and quiet. NPC Contact: the butler at the Palace.</p><p><strong>Charismatic Hero:</strong> A pop idol who's out here on a charity tour, showcasing their philanthropism. NPC Contact: a nun distributing anti-tuberculosis meds for kids on the island.</p><p></p><p>The goal here is to at minimum give the characters 1) a reason to be on the island, 2) a contact they can hit up for more information, and 3) a goal pertaining to the island, something they came here to do. If possible, try to give the PCs a connection to the royal family.</p><p></p><p><em>The Map:</em></p><p>The other thing we need is a workable map of the island. There are a variety of battlemaps in the adventure, but no map of the whole island (again, it was written as a con adventure, so you don't need to reinforce a lot of player choices in that context). You don't need to get fancy with this. You can literally do something like this:</p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/D52i69C.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p>Big house looking thing is the Palace, the awnings are all towns, and the things that look like towels with umbrellas are tourist beaches. Everything with an anchor is a marina (small fishing and sightseeing boats, mostly). Just add some labels into it manually, and a title that says, "Welcome to Paradise!" and tell the PCs that it's a distribution by the local tourism department. What you're really looking for here are 1) what are the points of interest around the map, 2) how do you get there, and 3) a general sense of the layout. </p><p></p><p>The reason this is important is that as the campaign progresses, you want the PCs' decisions to build them up support or antagonism, depending on how they act. So if they have to blow up that missile system to escape, you want to be able to say, "It's here in Dutchtown, where you guys accidentally burnt down that orphanage. So don't expect the locals will have forgotten that." Maps help ground that feeling. </p><p></p><p>Obviously the map above is a bit tongue-in-cheek, and I encourage you to make a map that suits the campaign you want to run, but my point is that you don't need that much to run an interesting campaign.</p><p></p><p>Alright, next time we'll come back to this and do Act I!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Sparky McDibben, post: 9093202, member: 7041430"] [B]REMIX:[/B] So first things, first, we need to revise the hook and the premise significantly. If we're going to be doing this over 10 levels (or around 30 sessions), we're going to want enough to power that gameplay. (Also, don't yell at me about the names; I don't speak any Bantu languages, so this is all very general guesswork on my part. If you want to come up with better names, please leave them in the replies, along with sources, and I'll absolutely change them :) ). [I]The Premise:[/I] Currently, the East African island nation of Estwara is ruled by an aging monarch, King Obafemi (referred to as "the old King"), and has an economy mostly dependent on tourism, for the island's natural beauty and unique biodiversity. A recent discovery of off-shore mineral wealth in Estwaran waters led to some tensions as a mining corporation (Bumicorp) tried negotiating for mineral rights, only to have the King rebuff them soundly. He summoned his only surviving child, the Princess Nkoyo, from Oxford University, where she was finishing her legal degree. Bumicorp, unwilling to take "No" for an answer, went to the head of the Royal Guard, Colonel Idowu. They gave him funds, mercenaries, weapons, and tech to start a coup and then to give them the mineral rights. Col. Idowu practically leapt at the chance, since it was widely known that the Princess would have put him into early retirement once she took the throne (they really don't like each other). As the campaign starts, Idowu's mercenaries and loyal troops are taking up positions to implement their coup. They've smuggled in a Russian S-300 missile system for air defense, and landed mercs in platoon strength to counter any resistance. Once they seize power, they'll clamp down an iron fist on the island: no one in, no one out. And thus, the stage is set for... [I]The Characters:[/I] Instead of dropping them in as desperado-mercenaries, the PCs start as above-average Joes (level 1) with a backstory. They're all going to start as civilians on the island. Work with each of your players to develop a backstory, and give them each a unique NPC contact. For example: [B]Strong Hero:[/B] A minor league boxer here for an unsanctioned "underground" fight. NPC Contact: a local promoter with extensive contacts among advertisers and local businesses. [B]Agile Hero:[/B] A local criminal who's heard rumblings about some unsavory types being flown in to help toughen up the Royal Guard. NPC Contact: a black marketeer who's the go-to for anything illicit on the island. [B]Tough Hero:[/B] The point person for the Princess' bodyguard team, here to prep for her arrival back from Oxford. NPC Contact: a retired general, loyal to the old King, and stubborn as an old goat - but has access to a small cache of weapons. [B]Smart Hero:[/B] A genius engineer, asked here by the Princess (currently returning from Oxford) to take a look at modernizing some of the infrastructure. NPC Contact: the manager of a local junkyard, who can get you just about anything with enough time (although it may not run very well). [B]Wise Hero: [/B]Retired head inspector who used to serve under the old King, living out their last years in peace and quiet. NPC Contact: the butler at the Palace. [B]Charismatic Hero:[/B] A pop idol who's out here on a charity tour, showcasing their philanthropism. NPC Contact: a nun distributing anti-tuberculosis meds for kids on the island. The goal here is to at minimum give the characters 1) a reason to be on the island, 2) a contact they can hit up for more information, and 3) a goal pertaining to the island, something they came here to do. If possible, try to give the PCs a connection to the royal family. [I]The Map:[/I] The other thing we need is a workable map of the island. There are a variety of battlemaps in the adventure, but no map of the whole island (again, it was written as a con adventure, so you don't need to reinforce a lot of player choices in that context). You don't need to get fancy with this. You can literally do something like this: [CENTER][IMG]https://i.imgur.com/D52i69C.png[/IMG][/CENTER] Big house looking thing is the Palace, the awnings are all towns, and the things that look like towels with umbrellas are tourist beaches. Everything with an anchor is a marina (small fishing and sightseeing boats, mostly). Just add some labels into it manually, and a title that says, "Welcome to Paradise!" and tell the PCs that it's a distribution by the local tourism department. What you're really looking for here are 1) what are the points of interest around the map, 2) how do you get there, and 3) a general sense of the layout. The reason this is important is that as the campaign progresses, you want the PCs' decisions to build them up support or antagonism, depending on how they act. So if they have to blow up that missile system to escape, you want to be able to say, "It's here in Dutchtown, where you guys accidentally burnt down that orphanage. So don't expect the locals will have forgotten that." Maps help ground that feeling. Obviously the map above is a bit tongue-in-cheek, and I encourage you to make a map that suits the campaign you want to run, but my point is that you don't need that much to run an interesting campaign. Alright, next time we'll come back to this and do Act I! [/QUOTE]
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