advice on my first Spycraft campaign

[Badgerish]

So, i'm looking at putting together a one-two mission campaign in Spycraft2.0 for my local gaming society (which is english and about 50% university students)

I'll be using pre-gens to keep the complexity down and keep the characters in a similar theme (such as all-agents or all-street-level)

but... I'm not sure what to use.

My original plan was: organized vigilante action, no supernatural, street level, with a distant agency for gear, picking some of their targets and getting the police to mostly leave them alone.
(along with a simple reminder that vigilante action isn't this easy in the real world)

but... i'm not sure how legitimate/realistic this will seem.

My other plan was a joint action by DEA + other US agencies to capture an unusual drug dealer, notably taking him alive as the DEA have killed him once already...  (the vague supernatural/superscience hints seem to distract from other absurdities)


So, any hints or advice on running my first Spycraft game?

[Wolverine]

Have a chat to your players and see what they would like to play. If they're into the supernatural angle, then head that way. If they prefer to play it 'straight', then leave the weird stuff out.

[Badgerish]

The thing is, I don't currently have any players.  The society is 25+ people and i haven't yet run a game for them.

My plans was to produce a scenario and pre-gens, then pitch it at one of the meetings or via their website.

[Dr Yes]

I would suggest you:
1) plan something incredibly short that can definitely be fitted into one play sesssion
2) limit it to 3-4 players max so they get worthwhile engagement and it plays faster
3) keep to the core rules for your first session, this is enough to introduce.


Alot of gamers are reluctant to commit to an unknown DM and system for an extended period of time.  If you make it clear it is for one session only with no follow on commitment you will get more people prepared to have a go.  The thing is if you promise its one session only you have to stick to that - if you have a vision for a larger campaign you want to run you should pitch that later, after the players have finished the one-off and had time to think about it and discuss it.


For a quick intro game a good breakdown is four scenes:

1) A skirmish - open the game with the players in position launching an ambush from their suprise round.  Run the fight for 2-3 combat rounds before the remaining enemy surrender and flee.  Let them inflict mass carange and feel kick-ass about it.

2) Dialog and skills - have an assortment of skill checks and dialogs with the captured prisoners to determine where the head bad dude is.  Have an assortment of investigation type checks as the enemies vehicles and equipment are searched for clues.  Provide at least 5 partial clues assuming they will find 2-3, which gives them enough to proceed.

3) Boss fight - using the clues lead the players to a situation where the boss is relatively exposed with minimal guards and defenses.  Give them a few issues to consider but aim to let them plan for 15-20 minutes then be comfortable diving in.  Aim for the fight to last between 3 and 6 rounds.

4) Chase scene - finish with a chase as a bad guy tries to escape with something important.  Don't rig the outcome to ensure he escapes or is caught.


However you go about it I hope it goes well.   

[MugMug]

If you make it clear it is for one session only with no follow on commitment you will get more people prepared to have a go.  The thing is if you promise its one session only you have to stick to that - if you have a vision for a larger campaign you want to run you should pitch that later, after the players have finished the one-off and had time to think about it and discuss it.

If you link your one-shot adventure into your larger campaign idea (you don't need to reveal this when advertising the one-shot) it may make you happier, and will continue the story that (presumably) drew the players in the first place.

Walter

[Black Cheese]

When designing any adventure--not just Spycraft ones--I always start with the bad guy. This is one of the things I miss about 1st edition Spycraft, as it did the same thing.

Think of an interesting bad guy. Then figure out what he wants. Then figure out how he's going to get it. Then insert the players at the point that will give you a campaign of the length you want.
_________________________

Example: August Vernal wants to rid the world of crime because of his wife's (apparently) random murder. He employs hundreds of scientists around the world to concoct a formula that remove the chaos gene from human DNA. He then buys the world's most popular bottled water company and has them insert his secret ingredient. He will then start giving out free samples around the world.

A long-term campaign structured around this flimsy story involves the Agency employing the PCs to assassinate his wife, then sending them to destroy his labs (one of which remains undiscovered), then having them compete against Vernal for control of the company, then having them blow up bottled water plants, then having them stop Vernal from tossing the remaining sample in England's largest water reserve, only to realize upon Vernal's death that he'd hired mercs to ace the PCs and their families. That's like several dozen sessions right there.

The short-term campaign has the PC's blow up Vernal's last lab and then stop him from dropping the last dose in the water supply.

Start with the bad guy and his plan.

[Badgerish]

thanks for the advice, everyone.

I was intending to make the one-shot completely contained (the main campaign I wanted to run afterwards would make the players agents for a newly formed agency... XCOM).

I was also hoping for a sandboxy feel, where the players devise the plan of attack, not sure how much scope there is for that in a one-shot.

3-4 people was definitely my goal.  A chase scene/boss fight without a scripted ending is also part of my plan

[Gentry]

There's room for a player-driven plan if you're only playing one scene.  Maybe two.  The ready example is the "get into the complex and get the disk with the info on it.  We want that disk."

At that point, it's in and out.  You may get the players doing two hours of planning and then 90 minutes of by-the-numbers execution of their plan (which may feel counterintuitive, but can be absolutely brilliant in practice), but it can keep within a four-hour slot.

[MugMug]

I found Agent Down (the first LSpy mission) to be exactly what you and Gentry describe. Other folks may have played it differently, but the group with which I played the mission had a long (and very enjoyable) planning session, followed by almost flawless execution. That was the mission that hooked me on Spycraft.

Do keep in mind, however, that not all players enjoy that type of play. For some the planning portion of the mission is pure agony -- independent of mission and GC.

Walter

[TheAuldGrump]

thanks for the advice, everyone.

I was intending to make the one-shot completely contained (the main campaign I wanted to run afterwards would make the players agents for a newly formed agency... XCOM).

I was also hoping for a sandboxy feel, where the players devise the plan of attack, not sure how much scope there is for that in a one-shot.

3-4 people was definitely my goal.  A chase scene/boss fight without a scripted ending is also part of my plan

Heh - I ran an X-Com Spycraft game for a while, and plan to pick it up again some time in the future.

My first season was titled Enemy Unknown - the team was an agency that did both industrial espionage and security work. They were hired to look into the background and finances of a U.S. Senator who was pushing for an Aerospace contract for his state. Also being investigated was the Aerospace corporation itself. The team would find that the satellites manufactured in the plants were being modified - specifically being 'blinded' in certain frequencies.

About the time the team figured out what was going on was the time the aliens arrived....

Season 2 started with X-Com proper, the original team counted among the founders.

The Auld Grump

[Psion]

I was intending to make the one-shot completely contained (the main campaign I wanted to run afterwards would make the players agents for a newly formed agency... XCOM).

Heh - I ran an X-Com Spycraft game for a while, and plan to pick it up again some time in the future.

Seems to have gone around...

[TheAuldGrump]

I was intending to make the one-shot completely contained (the main campaign I wanted to run afterwards would make the players agents for a newly formed agency... XCOM).

Heh - I ran an X-Com Spycraft game for a while, and plan to pick it up again some time in the future.

Seems to have gone around...

It's a great setting, and even after all these years a great game.

The Auld Grump

[Mister Andersen]

And one of the few games my little P3 lap top can actually run.

[Badgerish]

The more i think about it... the more I want to link the one-off with the main campaign, but it's got to be slight, so it's still a surprise when the campaign is announced.

so lets look at plan B again.

Background according to the DEA:
A drug-dealer (Sterling) is noted with an unusual MO.  He arrives in town, discovers the identity/location of the local hard-drug dealers in 1-2 days (which is an impressively short time) then meets up with an unidentified group of soldier-types.  Sterling, his gang/bodyguards and this other group then raids the local drug-dealers and takes their drugs.  The soldier-types leave after the raid and Sterling hides for a day or two and then sells of the drugs at a cut-rate price and leaves town.

Sterling has been positively identified doing this twice, and there are at least three other cases that could be related.

The DEA setup a task force and tracked Sterling's movements, when he went into business again the DEA waited for Sterling to attack the local dealers (for tactical reasons and because it's in the DEA's interest) then raided Sterling's hideout to arrest him.  Sterling's men set fire to the building to destroy evidence and Sterling himself was surrounded by armed DEA agents.  Sterling drew his pistol and attacked despite the totally overwhelming odds and was quickly put down.

The fire did destroy a lot of evidence, but there was enough to satisfy investigators.  Sterling's body was recovered and positively identified via DNA/fingerprints.
.
.
.
Then, two months later, someone matching Sterling's exact description starts acting with the same MO.

The DEA put together another taskforce, this time with involvement from other agencies.  The operation goal is to capture Sterling-2 via a combination of stealth, infiltration and non-lethal weaponry, prior to the traditional kick-in-the-door-style raid.


team-DEA:
the PCs are either DEA agents or agents from other agencies/local police.
Control for this OP is a DEA coordinator who wants 'results', doesn't like the tactics planned, but accepts that they are necessary. 
DEA agents will raid the building at the end of the OP.  Can be ordered around by the PCs.  Available as gear picks for distractions etc.

team-Sterling:
Sterling-2 is a charismatic criminal operating on orders from an outside source.  I'm unsure if i should make him just-this-guy or have a long and chequered background (as originally planned).  Either way, he is armed with a silver-plated colt 1911, loaded with silver bullets (count as hollow-points)...because he is insane.
The bodyguards are also low-sanity criminals, hopped up on drugs a lot of the time (possibly on PCP/combat drugs if they get prep time during the raid).  Have armor and interesting weapons, some will try to melee.
There are also some thugs in the building, poor combatants but still combatants.
The shadowy figure isn't actually mentioned the briefing, but the PCs will have the chance to notice him while going over footage of Sterling.  He's a man in trench-coat and hat, carrying a briefcase.  He's seen near Sterling a number of times, but never actually with him.  At the raid, he will be present, but will try to escape ASAP (chase scene).  There is a very interesting item in the briefcase which will be taken off the PCs in an instant.


XP rewards: (TBC)
A1) 25xp  kill Sterling-2 and escape with his body
A2) 100xp take Sterling-2 into custody and escape

B1) 50xp  prevent the destruction of most of the evidence
B2) 50xp  prevent the destruction of all the evidence

C1) 50xp  obtain the shadowy figure's briefcase

D1) 50xp  take the shadowy figure into custody


I plan on making a greater number of pre-gens than players, so players can pick-and-choose based on the plan they choose.  What level should i make the agents?  what requirements should i follow (I have a difficulty imagining an official agent with less that 12 in INT/WIS)


I have written up some XCOM/spycraft notes, which i shall share with the forum when they are complete.  Aliens/roles are comparatively simple (thank you for the crafty NPC system!) but gear is an issue.  In the game, laser rifles, heavy plasmas and powered/flying armor just eclipse everything else in power and usefulness.  I'll want to limit that in RPG format.

(random: while typing this, I mis-spelled 'spycraft' as 'psycraft' which neatly answers my question on what to call my rules for XCOM-style psychic combat )

<sigh> I'm going to have to play the game again, for research reasons of course.

[Dr Yes]

If your goal is to introduce (in a short fast game) Spycraft to people who have never played it I would suggest, level 3.
There are 12 sample level 3 characters on the downloads page you can use as a starting point.

You certainly can link your campaign to the one-off game.
My suggestion was more to make sure players get to volunteer for the campaign separately.  They should get the completion of the one off they agreed to play, and the choice to proceed (or not) into a campaign.