Help me *Plot* an Invasion campaign!

[fredramsey]

Ok, I have this great idea for a... well, a setting, as I can't seem to turn it into a campaign.

It's Star Trek original series, if that means anything. I have a great alien race that will come out of a gate that a science vessel accidentally activates. At this time I don't want to say any more than that, in case any of my players are reading

I find I can come up with cool "settings" like this all day. But when it comes time to turn it into a plot, I can't come up with anything.

How can I turn this into a plot, with more going on than, "There's one of them, fire!" ?

 

[MoonZar]

Ok, I have this great idea for a... well, a setting, as I can't seem to turn it into a campaign.

It's Star Trek original series, if that means anything. I have a great alien race that will come out of a gate that a science vessel accidentally activates. At this time I don't want to say any more than that, in case any of my players are reading

I find I can come up with cool "settings" like this all day. But when it comes time to turn it into a plot, I can't come up with anything.

How can I turn this into a plot, with more going on than, "There's one of them, fire!" ?

Hello,

If this a science fiction d20 campaign you speak about, why you don't ask the question in the forum : d20 Modern, d20 System & OGL Games. Many people here have idea about science fiction campaign.

Or maybe i just doesn't understand your question hehehehe

 

[fredramsey]

I meant the question, actually, to be kind of system-independant, as the system certainly shouldn't dictate plot!

Hello,

If this a science fiction d20 campaign you speak about, why you don't ask the question in the forum : d20 Modern, d20 System & OGL Games. Many people here have idea about science fiction campaign.

Or maybe i just doesn't understand your question hehehehe

 

[MoonZar]

I meant the question, actually, to be kind of system-independant, as the system certainly shouldn't dictate plot!

Okay maybe you should try the room i told you, many science fiction talking are in this category.

Why you don't use an existing setting, and build your campaign world around this ? You'll save a lot of work...

I created my own science fiction setting by combining DnD 3.5 and Starwars d20 lately. This was very funny and now my players are asking more after the first campaign.

 

[diaglo]

don't have the "aliens" rush right in.

have them hang back and pick up communications from the "science" vessel first.

scouting mission/recon.

then have them destroy the vessel or capture it. but not cause the vessel to be lost to communications... keep sending back fake or repeat messages to main base.

let the "invasion" progress for a while.

and then "acquire" a little bit more and more...

until the PCs keep running into them and get suspicious enough to investigate.

and even with them crying like Chicken Little.... don't believe them for a long time....

 

[BiggusGeekus]

This is system-independant. The question would apply equally well to githyanki or orcs as it would to martians.

Don't tell the players about the incoming aliens right away. You want to hold off the discovery of the gate for as long as possible.

Now decide how long you want to your game to last. Be realisitc. If your group has yet to go over 12 sessions, don't plan a 20 session campaign. Normally I would say divide this number by 3 for your mini-arcs. But you said you had a hard time with plots, so divide this number by 2.

The progression from mini-arcs to minor arcs should be:
minion -> lieutennant -> boss

Three boss encouners leads to an archvillian encounter. Hints should be given about the archvillian at boss #1 and boss #2 with everything spelled out at boss #3.

So two games to find out about the minions
Two more games to take out the minion's lieutannant
Two more games to find out about the minion's boss. This boss drops a clue to the archvillian and tells the party about another location with different minions.

repeat as required.

This is not a great way to go about things. This is the design I'd use for a second-rate CRPG. However, it will be a guide to pacing for you, and until you get better at working minor plots into major plots it can serve as a template.

 

[fredramsey]

That's seems like a good start. Have some of the usual "one planet, one mystery" adventures like the show, with this happening in the background. Maybe even work with the science vessel before their "discovery"...

Still looking for more gems!

don't have the "aliens" rush right in.

have them hang back and pick up communications from the "science" vessel first.

scouting mission/recon.

 

[fredramsey]

Good advice, for a start.

In fact, I remember an article in the Dragon about staging an invasion in D&D. I plan to find that article and see what I can glean.

This is system-independant. The question would apply equally well to githyanki or orcs as it would to martians.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Oh, one more thing:

Don't be afraid to pad your game time with combat. Use a large number of smaller monsters/Klingons rather than one big one. That tends to slow combat down a bit and you can try to think of a distraction to stretch out the game if you need to.

 

[Cyberhawk]

One thing you can do with an Invasion campaign is play the Diplomacy angle. As the big bads start moving in the pre-existing countries will have to decide to ally, stay neutral or join the big bad (eek!).
The PCs can help escort Diplomats to meetings, try to find out who's going to do what, that type of thing.
If the PCs are low-level nobodies (and wouldn't normally be hob-nobbing with diplomats) have them find a crashed ship and they have to escort the surviving dignatories to a conference or something.


In an Espionage group they could go in to try to actively disrupt the relations between nations and the big bads.

One thing to remember is that these type of adventures can be great for campaigns becuase they have lasting effects. Did the PC just insult the leader? He's going to be more receptive to the bad guys. Did the PCs just save a conference and defuse the bomb? then the countries may ally faster and the PCs are probably going to be noticed by some important NPCs. Lots of plot hooks there.

Hope this helps!