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What's the best way to begin a space opera campaign?
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<blockquote data-quote="Janx" data-source="post: 5454722" data-attributes="member: 8835"><p>I second PC's suggestion that they start as members of an organization. it really speeds up game initialization.</p><p></p><p>I once ran a fantasy/naval campaign based on Babylon 5. All the PCs started as humans, in the military (I had fluff to support how each class could have roles, including Wizards as required "Ship's Mage").</p><p></p><p>If your game is a space opera, the PCs need a ship of their own. So they can go to places they want to go (or ordered to go). Firefly, Star Trek tend to support this concept. Even Star Wars (the party has the Millenium Falcon).</p><p></p><p>Making the PCs part of an organization supports that, because they get assigned to a ship, and presumably have some influence over where it goes, how it fights in combat.</p><p></p><p>In my game, the PCs started as enlisted or lower ranking officers on a ship. They often got assigned to away missions as a squad. As they leveled up, they moved up ranks and by 5th level or so, pretty much had their own smaller ship as a first "command"</p><p></p><p>I had some meta-gaming rules about how players of senior officers could treat other PCs (for the sake of fun and inclusion). Basically, nobody was allowed to abuse their rank as a matter of PC 2 PC bullying, thus the party could still feel as mostly equals.</p><p></p><p>There's lots of ways to start a campaign, but I find giving them a ship lets them feel like they chart their own course (even if each game you give them "orders" to follow).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Janx, post: 5454722, member: 8835"] I second PC's suggestion that they start as members of an organization. it really speeds up game initialization. I once ran a fantasy/naval campaign based on Babylon 5. All the PCs started as humans, in the military (I had fluff to support how each class could have roles, including Wizards as required "Ship's Mage"). If your game is a space opera, the PCs need a ship of their own. So they can go to places they want to go (or ordered to go). Firefly, Star Trek tend to support this concept. Even Star Wars (the party has the Millenium Falcon). Making the PCs part of an organization supports that, because they get assigned to a ship, and presumably have some influence over where it goes, how it fights in combat. In my game, the PCs started as enlisted or lower ranking officers on a ship. They often got assigned to away missions as a squad. As they leveled up, they moved up ranks and by 5th level or so, pretty much had their own smaller ship as a first "command" I had some meta-gaming rules about how players of senior officers could treat other PCs (for the sake of fun and inclusion). Basically, nobody was allowed to abuse their rank as a matter of PC 2 PC bullying, thus the party could still feel as mostly equals. There's lots of ways to start a campaign, but I find giving them a ship lets them feel like they chart their own course (even if each game you give them "orders" to follow). [/QUOTE]
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What's the best way to begin a space opera campaign?
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