Dialing back the WoF...

[iconoplast]

I'm starting my 1st Spycraft Campaign next Wednesday.

(click to show/hide)

(PCs working for Pitfall) (Earthbound) ->||Something Happens|| -> PCs working for Shadow Patriots

(PCs are mostly freelance, but since their only contact is a Shadow Patriot, they only interact with the metaplot as faction agents )
 
(Burn Notice / A Team - style little missions) (1-2 Shadow Patriot Big Missions) -> (Run them through Dinner with Harvey)

But the thing is... I want to dial back the World on Fire a bit.  Here are my ideas -

Project Pitfall - a UN Taskforce.  Its members serve in their various countries of origins.  The PCs, in fact, begin play working for a private contracting firm, contracting through the National Applications Office, on a mission proposed by Project Pitfall.  So 'Pitfall' is less a monolithic organiziation than an entire morass of private contractors and government subcommitees.

Banshee Net - I don't know what to do with them.  I think they're kind of goofy.  I'm tempted to treat them like Mak Attax and make them the only real good guys, who just happen to also be paralyzingly nice and incapable of consensus.  A sort of loose allegiance of hippies, crackpots and academics communicating via an encrypted peer to peer network (AKA - BansheeNet)

Shadow Patriots / The Krypt - in order to work Monster Hunting into the agenda at some point, I've ruled that the Cold War has not ended.  Therefore, the retired old school spies from both sides of the wall may have a lot of common ground, but they are most certainly not allied with one another.

Bloodvine, the eternals, paradox & the nine tigers I think I can safely ignore for the time being.

Anyone else trying to baby step your campaign up to the World on Fire?  Any suggestions or things I'm leaving out?

[Psion]

Anyone else trying to baby step your campaign up to the World on Fire?

Only chronologically. I had already assumed post-2000 when I started introducing WoF events, so I had to tweak up several dates (my default being to add 4 years to sync up with US presidential terms.)

[Scarecrow]

I had an idea along similar lines.

The PC's were going to be working for Project: Pitfall, directly under Stephen Century.  Basically they would start off doing missions, which seem fairly logical and straight-forward, and good-guy like, but progressively they would find snippets of information indicating to them that Pitfall is actually evil (Basically in the same vein as Alias, in that Sydney thought she was working for the good guys when working for SD-6, but in actual fact isnt).

I was thinking the PC's could either find info liking General Cornelius to the Franchise somehow, and force them to run away from Pitfall, or i was just thinking that the PC's could progressively get more and more unmoral orders, and then throw a Rival Approach event at them and hopefully get them to switch sides.

I dont actually mind the entirety or World On Fire, as it makes for some interesting connections between all the factions.  The only thing that just sounds completely stupid (No offense here Crafty guys, as im aware it was AEG who requested it) is The Alliance Of Evil Geniuses....  i mean really.... who in their right mind would call themselves that.... even in a game   For my game, i will just be using "The Alliance".

The Bloodvine Syndicate seem a little out of their depth compared to the rest of factions.  And in my game i cant really see how i would use them.  If anything i may actually make them a Villainous faction and have them in cahoots with The Franchise.

Basically i want my players by the second season of the game to be carrying out missions for the actual good guys, but also constantly on the lookout for Project: Pitfall troops who are constantly hunting them due to thhe information they possess.

[Crafty_Pat]

I dont actually mind the entirety or World On Fire, as it makes for some interesting connections between all the factions.  The only thing that just sounds completely stupid (No offense here Crafty guys, as im aware it was AEG who requested it) is The Alliance Of Evil Geniuses....  i mean really.... who in their right mind would call themselves that.... even in a game   For my game, i will just be using "The Alliance".

World on Fire features a small hint of camp - just enough to fit the superspy mold if folks want to go that way. Fortunately, as you point out, it's easily handled for those who don't.

The Bloodvine Syndicate seem a little out of their depth compared to the rest of factions.  And in my game i cant really see how i would use them.  If anything i may actually make them a Villainous faction and have them in cahoots with The Franchise.

One of my goals with the Syndicate PDF is to prove how not out of their depth they actually are. Let me know if you think I succeeded once it's out.

[Aragathor]

The Bloodvine Syndicate seem a little out of their depth compared to the rest of factions.

In my not so humble opinion it's the other way round.
WoF forces a certain point of view, in this pov certain elements of the Syndicate are ignored.
For example -> a Nine Tiger operative far from home on a mission will probably have problems with support when things go south. A Syndicate member will have no problems at all because he knows how the underworld is working, and knowing this he can get anything for a wad of cash.
A simple "he's a friend of ours" can bring more than a top rank in the organisation and good social skills.

WoF deals with espionage, and the Syndicate is the odd man out. But tell me, does it matter? Because there is no difference between some hired grunts and the yardie gang that works for you.

And in my game i cant really see how i would use them.

Use them as the Mob. Let the player's cross their path with them once in a while. During those "meetings" show them the difference between gentlemen in suits who have a code of conduct and gangbangers who would sell their sister for the next dose of whatever they are addicted to.
The question is, do you want an organized crime syndicate to be good or evil?

[t3hj00]

I dont actually mind the entirety or World On Fire, as it makes for some interesting connections between all the factions.  The only thing that just sounds completely stupid (No offense here Crafty guys, as im aware it was AEG who requested it) is The Alliance Of Evil Geniuses....  i mean really.... who in their right mind would call themselves that.... even in a game   For my game, i will just be using "The Alliance".

World on Fire features a small hint of camp - just enough to fit the superspy mold if folks want to go that way. Fortunately, as you point out, it's easily handled for those who don't.

The Bloodvine Syndicate seem a little out of their depth compared to the rest of factions.  And in my game i cant really see how i would use them.  If anything i may actually make them a Villainous faction and have them in cahoots with The Franchise.

One of my goals with the Syndicate PDF is to prove how not out of their depth they actually are. Let me know if you think I succeeded once it's out.

so the faction pdfs WILL come out eventually?

[Aragathor]

so the faction pdfs WILL come out eventually?

Well I think one day we will see every product the Crafty³ promised us. Like Throw Down, Farthest Star, faction PDfs etc.

[Crafty_Pat]

so the faction pdfs WILL come out eventually?

Absolutely. Believe me, the delay weighs on no one more heavily than me. 

[Desertpuma]

Well, I know you guys are doing your best to get stuff out so you got me supporting you. ... Oh for the day when you have nothing backed up and everything you guys get to write is fresh.

[Scarecrow]

My WoF game will likely be more military focused.  Definately some espionage type missions, but i dare say they would prefer the bulk of the missions to involve combat in one form or another.

I was also contemplating letting them make up 2 characters.  One more combat focused, the other more espionage focused.  Then when i give them a mission, they can all pick one of their two characters as they see fit.

[t3hj00]

so the faction pdfs WILL come out eventually?

Absolutely. Believe me, the delay weighs on no one more heavily than me. 

any updates on the pdfs ever hitting the shelf?

[Crafty_Pat]

any updates on the pdfs ever hitting the shelf?

No new updates. We're still working on them. They'll hit in time.

[iconoplast]

One of my goals with the Syndicate PDF is to prove how not out of their depth they actually are. Let me know if you think I succeeded once it's out.

I know I posted it elsewhere, but the story of Al Carone made the Bloodvine Syndicate really click for me in ways it hadn't before - stories about the Mafia vs. Kennedy / the Mafia vs. Pope John XXIII / The Mafia, Vatican & CIA smuggling Nazis away from Germany after the war, &c.

[Crafty_Pat]

One of my goals with the Syndicate PDF is to prove how not out of their depth they actually are. Let me know if you think I succeeded once it's out.

I know I posted it elsewhere, but the story of Al Carone made the Bloodvine Syndicate really click for me in ways it hadn't before - stories about the Mafia vs. Kennedy / the Mafia vs. Pope John XXIII / The Mafia, Vatican & CIA smuggling Nazis away from Germany after the war, &c.

All great foundations for any Bloodvine campaign.