looking for fugitive modules/adventures...

[Byrons_Ghost]

The Skull & Bones setting only has one adventure in the book, but has some web and PDF support. Essentially, it's a pirate horror setting in the historical Carribbean. It's obviously not going to map over directly to what you're doing, but it'll definately have that desperation feel that you're looking for.

 

[AbeTheGnome]

But the Farscape SF TV series comes immediately to mind. Rent some DVDs in the first season. Adapt to fantasy (heck, some of the characters are painfully fantasy to begin with. One main character is a priest and another wields a sword...), and away you go.

i actually started out doing this, but i ran into trouble. the Farscape series (or any good series for that matter) is all about character interaction: this is what determines the plot of any given episode. if my PCs react to the circumstances in a different way than the characters in the show did (and they always do), i'm at an impasse. i'm not that fleet of a GM yet, and i pretty much have to end the session, retreat, and think about how i'll deal with the development next round. i like the premise of the show in general, and that's why i adopted it. but using individual episodes as adventures is tricky. anyone made similar attempts/had similar problems?

 

[atomn]

has anyone played 7th sea, or the d20 version Swashbuckling Adventures? i'm interested in checking it out, but i'm afraid it may have too much glory and not enough desperation. does anyone have any experience with the setting or its modules?

I think the 7th Sea setting and system is excellent. I would say it stereotypically has a swashbuckling air to it but it's really all in how the GM presents the game. If you want a more desperate, darker game it'll easily comply as long as you keep the mood desperate and dark. Great setting and system, I highly recommend it!

 

[Psion]

i actually started out doing this, but i ran into trouble. the Farscape series (or any good series for that matter) is all about character interaction: this is what determines the plot of any given episode. if my PCs react to the circumstances in a different way than the characters in the show did (and they always do), i'm at an impasse. i'm not that fleet of a GM yet, and i pretty much have to end the session, retreat, and think about how i'll deal with the development next round. i like the premise of the show in general, and that's why i adopted it. but using individual episodes as adventures is tricky. anyone made similar attempts/had similar problems?

I understand where you are coming from, but I still think that you call pull some episodes and plot themes out that will work for you.

For example:

• After stumbling upon an island hosting an Evil Empire [TM] base where magical experimentation is occurring, the base leader, a half-fiend (or other half-being if you want to make the half-scarran thing more literal), becomes obsessed with something he thinks that one of the PCs has. In the show, this was Scoprious pursuing Chrichton's wormhole tech. But the half-breed leader could be pursuing a PC with assumed magical knowledge, or because they are the only one who has the right blood to unlock a powerful prophecied artifact.
• The Maldis episodes could almost be used as-is. A psychic vampire with illusory powers? Sounds like it's right out of fantasy.
• A much later episode features a base being sabotaged from within; that one is a classical plot-driven yarn.
• One theme is that Crichton gives up returning home to prevent the scarrans from assaulting earth. In fantasy parlance, perhaps a character comes from an island cloaked by illusion or sealed by a magical gate.
• Another take you can use: if you have the old Talaire issue of Dragon, they had an idea there where the Talaire erected gates that could be opened with a psicraft roll by any character with power points. Crichton becomes a psionic character; the Scorpius equivalent wants him because psicraft and psionics are heretofore unknown.
• If you have a military character with a good player, you can make her an Aeryn equivalent -- dismissed on trumped up charges, still longing to be part of her former unit.

Browse through the episode guides at farscapeworld.com. Pick some basic plots and chuck those that you think the players aren't going to buy into, but don't be afraid to plant some character hooks from the show. Likely, you'll end up with a different experience, but that's not a bad thing.

 

[Voadam]

A4 Dungeons of the Slave Lords is an equipment less dungeon prison break from 1e.

I think Slaves of Fate the Dragonlords of Melnibone d20 D&D module has the party captured by pirates and put on a ship.

I seem to recall an old edition dragonlance adventure where the party's ship is captured by Minotaur pirates. The 2e set of short adventures maybe?

 

[Kafkonia]

IIRC, there is a Farscape RPG -- there may be some adventures out for it that you can adapt without giving the players the impression that they're just playing through the series.

Also, old episodes of Blake's 7 might be worth a look, although it's been years since I saw any of it. Heck, depending on your flavour, you might even be able to scam some ideas from Starbug-era Red Dwarf (I know there's an RPG for that.) Even the A Team could have some potential!

 

[AbeTheGnome]

psion, those are fabuloud ideas! now that i think about it, some eps are much more plot-driven than others. i really want that chrichton/scorpius dynamic (actually, i was going for a chrichton/crais dynamic, but it amounts to the same thing: relentless pursuit and recurring villains), and you gave me some great ideas on how to get it.

thanks also to voadam for those modules. i wish i had remembered dungeons of the slave lords when i initiated this campaign. i knew that idea was coming from somewhere!

keep those ideas coming!

thanks,
abe.

 

[AbeTheGnome]

anyone played the savage tide adventures? what's the theme? is it heroic? villainous? neutral? could i tweek it to make it fit my fugitive campaign? how much work would it take?

thanks, abe.

 

[Byrons_Ghost]

anyone played the savage tide adventures? what's the theme? is it heroic? villainous? neutral? could i tweek it to make it fit my fugitive campaign? how much work would it take?

thanks, abe.

I've got the first few chapters, but I haven't played it yet. It's definately nautical, and assumes the PCs to be more or less mercenaries working for a noblewoman. I'd put it as "neutral" in that regard- the characters will end up saving the world and being heroic eventually, but they're not goody-goody knights by any stretch. The 1st adventure even has a chance for them to join up with the thieves' guild they're supposed to be opposing.

As for the adventures, they're mostly mission-based, such as "go here, fetch this". This is largely due to the format of a generic magazine serial- they writers obviously have to keep things open to accomodate as many PC types as possible. If your PCs are more interested in going off on their own than following the module's paths, then it might not work so well. Background wise though, I doubt it would take too much adaptation.