[Plots] Would you want to play in this campaign? *MY PLAYERS STAY OUT*

[reveal]

The four PC all becoming imortals at the same time is a strech, but I could see your reasons for doing it.

As far as playing in a campaign like this, I would be all for it. Besides the fact that I'm a fan of Highlander, your whole backstory is great and would have me begging for more.

Job well done.

Thanks!

My wife and I are big fans as well. We've watched the entire first and second season (I have them on DVD) and season 3 is in the mail! I have seasons 4 and 5 on order and will order 6 later on.

 

[Camarath]

I would like to say that if I was a player in your game I would not appreciate the initial deception. If I agreed to play in a D20 Modern and made a character accordingly I would not be very happy to find the world radically different from the world I was told we would be playing in. It is possible that it would cause me to leave the game. I do not like being tricked.

If a DM wants to try something new I am usually willing to give just about anything a try as long as I know what rule system we are using (including any house rules or "customs"), what the basic play style will be (group style and game feel), and what the fundamental world assumptions are (basically the setting). If any of these elements are significantly different from what I had been told or had be lead to believe I would have some issues with the game and the person running the game. Examples of things in games that would bother me: a game that includes extensive house rules when I was told the game was strictly core; the introduction of magic into a non-magic game; the introduction of high-tech into a low-tech game; finding out that a "dungeon crawl" game had no dungeons or crawling but had a very large amount to talking; finding out that a social/political game involved almost no politics or social interaction other than killing poeple and taking thier stuff; or any other major change that could render my character concept banal or impotent.

On the other hand your game sound like a lot of fun and I would gladly play if you explained to me the game's basic premise before we started. Your players may react differently to situation than I would. I just think that something like what you are planning can be like having a rug pulled out from under one for some people if they are not ready for it.

I hope that my perspective was at least somewhat helpful. Your game looks great and I hope you and your group have alot of fun.

 

[Taelorn76]

Thanks!

My wife and I are big fans as well. We've watched the entire first and second season (I have them on DVD) and season 3 is in the mail! I have seasons 4 and 5 on order and will order 6 later on.

I am hoping season 3 is under the tree this year.

 

[d4]

if you ran the first session the way it's described above, i don't think i'd want to play in it.

there's quite a number of places where you railroad the PCs quite heavily, basically taking away any freedom of choice they might have had.

here's a few examples:

After they agree (to do the job), they are told where to meet and what time.

like shilsen asked above, what if they don't agree? what if they'd rather not risk their lives for $50,000 from a crooked government agent? what if the agent can't successfully blackmail them into accepting?

At this point, if the players aren’t feeling that this doesn’t seem to be the house of a drug lord, two things can make them think about it...

what if they realize it's a set-up and choose to abort the mission?

Each team member will, in turn, be killed. They will feel like someone is watching them but they’ll never see anyone, regardless of rolls.

this is blatant railroading, and if your players are like 99% of the gamers i've ever known, this is sure to piss them off royally. i've seen people get up and leave over things like this. something to keep in mind.

If any of them try to attack Alan, he will successfully defend himself.

again, by predetermining the outcome, you're taking away the PC's choices. what if the PCs get lucky in their attack and score a couple of critical hits?

similarly, what if the PCs don't want to listen to Alan, and just want to escape? will they be able to get away?

Hopefully, the PCs will agree to train.

what happens if they don't agree to the training? what if some of them do and some of them don't?

Alan and the PCs have grown very close and a trusted bond has been formed.

how do you know this will happen? what if the PCs still don't trust Alan? what if they don't want to like him?

i'm not trying to say what you've got is bad.

if everything goes exactly as you've outlined above, it'll be a pretty good session. however, it seems that you've made absolutely no provisions for things going other than how you envision it. it seems to me that there are a dozen or so places throughout the session where the PCs could choose to do things differently, and it doesn't look like you are prepared for that. it seems (from the outline you gave) that you only want things to unfold the way you've planned.

i hope you can get your players to go along with you. however, knowing the way players can be, i'd expect at least some difficulty in getting them to follow your plotline exactly. i think you need to look over what you've planned and work out some contingencies, in case the PCs have other ideas. the PCs always have other ideas.

again, i'm not knocking your idea. the basic premise sounds great. the only problem is that it reads like a synopsis for a story or television show, not like an adventure. there's only one person determining the flow and outcome of the session here, and that's you, the GM. you're not allowing the PCs any input or room to maneuver.

 

[ciaran00]

And there was a lawyer. What was his name? Kobayashi ... Kobayashi ... Kobayashi !!!

ciaran

 

[reveal]

I would like to say that if I was a player in your game I would not appreciate the initial deception. If I agreed to play in a D20 Modern and made a character accordingly I would not be very happy to find the world radically different from the world I was told we would be playing in. It is possible that it would cause me to leave the game. I do not like being tricked.

If a DM wants to try something new I am usually willing to give just about anything a try as long as I know what rule system we are using (including any house rules or "customs"), what the basic play style will be (group style and game feel), and what the fundamental world assumptions are (basically the setting). If any of these elements are significantly different from what I had been told or had be lead to believe I would have some issues with the game and the person running the game. Examples of things in games that would bother me: a game that includes extensive house rules when I was told the game was strictly core; the introduction of magic into a non-magic game; the introduction of high-tech into a low-tech game; finding out that a "dungeon crawl" game had no dungeons or crawling but had a very large amount to talking; finding out that a social/political game involved almost no politics or social interaction other than killing poeple and taking thier stuff; or any other major change that could render my character concept banal or impotent.

On the other hand your game sound like a lot of fun and I would gladly play if you explained to me the game's basic premise before we started. Your players may react differently to situation than I would. I just think that something like what you are planning can be like having a rug pulled out from under one for some people if they are not ready for it.

I hope that my perspective was at least somewhat helpful. Your game looks great and I hope you and your group have alot of fun.

I always appreciate other points of view.

I will be running a D20 Modern game. The only thing that will be different is that there are Immortals. There are special rules for Immortals but everything else will fall under the core D20 Modern rules.

Now, if you were a player in my game and I told you something like "We will be playing a D20 Modern game. However, during the first session you will see some things that you will consider 'different' from the core rules. They will be different but once you see them you will understand completely. To be honest, I think you will like the game but I don't want to give away any surprises I have in store. If, after the first session, you still don't like it, we can always try something else."

Would that help in preparing as much a I could, as GM, without giving away too much?

 

[reveal]

if you ran the first session the way it's described above, i don't think i'd want to play in it.

there's quite a number of places where you railroad the PCs quite heavily, basically taking away any freedom of choice they might have had.

here's a few examples:


like shilsen asked above, what if they don't agree? what if they'd rather not risk their lives for $50,000 from a crooked government agent? what if the agent can't successfully blackmail them into accepting?

The issue of money has been brought up a few times. I'm starting to see that the initial amount is too low. How about if the $50,000 was simply written on the cards to whet their appetites and the actual amount was ~$1 million? Also, their records would be expunged. That should be worth something.

I believe that, once I receive the characters backgrounds, I will be able to come up with something that I could use as successful blackmail material, if neccessary. But, you're right, I'm not 100% certain they will go for it, but I'm willing to chance it.

what if they realize it's a set-up and choose to abort the mission?

I don't know. I will definitely have to come up with a contingency. Off the top of my head, there are snipers across the street from the house who are covering them and have orders to shoot to kill if one of the players gets second thoughts.
H&C will tell the other players that the people in the house must have seen the PC and they need to be extra careful. If this happens, then the Immortal in the house will also kill the snipers and drag the PCs body in to the house.

this is blatant railroading, and if your players are like 99% of the gamers i've ever known, this is sure to piss them off royally. i've seen people get up and leave over things like this. something to keep in mind.

Yes, this is blatant railroading. But I don't think my players would mind as long as I had a valid reason and didn't do it the rest of the campaign, which I do NOT plan to do. Hopefully, if I explain this to my players they will understand. But, if they don't like it, we can always do something else. Heck, if they don't like the railroading but love the idea of Immortals, they can create their own older Immortals and I would still be able to use the campaign I'm creating.

again, by predetermining the outcome, you're taking away the PC's choices. what if the PCs get lucky in their attack and score a couple of critical hits?

Well, they'll be unarmed, so hopefully they won't succeed. But, you're right, you never know. And this is a last resort indeed. This is something I threw in there just in case but have no plans to use.

similarly, what if the PCs don't want to listen to Alan, and just want to escape? will they be able to get away?

what happens if they don't agree to the training? what if some of them do and some of them don't?

how do you know this will happen? what if the PCs still don't trust Alan? what if they don't want to like him?

I am only doing this because I know my players so well. I would not do this with anyone else but our group has been together for ~3 years and we trust each other. I still have to make a backstory for Alan which explain who he is, where he comes from, why he has the sword of Robin of Locksley, etc. I want to make him the "good" guy and, if I know my players, they will like him. If they do not, well, they are free to leave the training, but they will find it very difficult to survive. No, this is not punishment from the GM for going against my "railroading" it is simply a fact of the game. Without training, a young Immortal will find it very hard to survive.

i'm not trying to say what you've got is bad.

if everything goes exactly as you've outlined above, it'll be a pretty good session. however, it seems that you've made absolutely no provisions for things going other than how you envision it. it seems to me that there are a dozen or so places throughout the session where the PCs could choose to do things differently, and it doesn't look like you are prepared for that. it seems (from the outline you gave) that you only want things to unfold the way you've planned.

i hope you can get your players to go along with you. however, knowing the way players can be, i'd expect at least some difficulty in getting them to follow your plotline exactly. i think you need to look over what you've planned and work out some contingencies, in case the PCs have other ideas. the PCs always have other ideas.

again, i'm not knocking your idea. the basic premise sounds great. the only problem is that it reads like a synopsis for a story or television show, not like an adventure. there's only one person determining the flow and outcome of the session here, and that's you, the GM. you're not allowing the PCs any input or room to maneuver.

Please remember that this is the first session. After this, the PCs have free range as to where they want to go. What you see above is NOT a final draft and I will be working some contigencies into my outline.

Thank you for the input and constructive criticism. I always enjoy getting advice like this because it only helps to make my game that much better.

 

[MojoGM]

Wow, I would really enjoy playing in this game.

Gotta love Highlander...someday I'll get the series on DVD.

As for the deception part, I don't find anything wrong with it. Some people want to know EXACTLY what they will be facing so they can build an appropriate character, but it's more realisitic to NOT be prepared.

 

[reveal]

Wow, I would really enjoy playing in this game.

Gotta love Highlander...someday I'll get the series on DVD.

As for the deception part, I don't find anything wrong with it. Some people want to know EXACTLY what they will be facing so they can build an appropriate character, but it's more realisitic to NOT be prepared.

If you ever get the DVD's, the best place I found to buy them is http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com. They have them for $65 apiece (for seasons 1, 2 and 3) and, while that is pricey, they have free shipping.

Seasons 4, 5 and 6 are supposed to be out next year. If you're like me and can't wait, go to http://www.highlander-official.com and you can order from there. If you do, you'll get Season 4 sometime in January and Seasons 5 and 6 a lot sooner than if you wait for them to hit the shelves. However, they do cost $80! apiece and you have to pay for shipping.

 

[smetzger]

Ok, I am not familiar with the series or the d20 Highlander rules.

However, in the movies you are born an immortal. Are you playing this different?

If they are born immortals then they will get nauseated when they first encounter each other.