RPGnet - User contributions [en]

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-20T10:07:17Z

IMAGinES: /* Dark Side Score */

[[Category:How_to_Run]]
[[Category:Star_Wars_Saga_Edition]]
In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 SWSE - Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download [http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=866480 the SagaSheet Excel document].

=== Destiny ===

Do not leave Destiny until the end of chargen. Make sure it's one of the first things you discuss in the middle of all the stuff like where and when the game is set and who the characters are. Destinies are, I think, a lot like Keys in The Shadow of Yesterday; a great way for your players to tell you they reckon will be fun about their characters and their corner of the Star Wars galaxy.

This may be my personal taste here, but I'm tempted to go as far as saying that you should never let a player just hand their character's Destiny over to you. Let them know that you're willing to let them defer picking a Destiny until they find something during play that they want to base a Destiny around, but try and avoid them just handing the biggest opportunity they have to tell you what's cool about both their character and the game world over with a shrug. - IMAGinES

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be ''almost'' equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken in the story, or in a face to face confrontation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

=== Dark Side Score ===

The Dark Side Score has the potential to cause as much argument as alignments in ''D&D''. Through the Dark Side Score, the game’s rules and you as GM judgment the morality of the player characters’ actions, something that some players will object to. The best way to forestall any objections is to sit down with your players and discuss the Dark Side Score before the campaign starts and make sure that the whole group has the same idea of what constitutes morality and the grounds for increasing a character’s Dark Side score in the game.

Read the Dark Side Score section of The Force chapter out to your players or let them read it. Make sure they understand that while there are no benefits to earning Dark Side Points, there are no inherent drawbacks either. In ''Saga Edition'', Dark Side points are more like the Humanity Score in the independent RPG ''[[How_to_Run:Sorcerer|Sorcerer]];'' they’re the character’s incidental music that lets the group-as-audience know how far the character has turned to the Dark Side.

Some topics worth discussing are:
* Will non-Force users have Dark Side Scores? This is a matter of some debate as the text is fairly ambiguous.
* What are the consequences of turning fully to the Dark Side? Will PCs remain playable or become NPCs?
* Earning Increases:
** The use of the Force as a first resort in solving a problem, even if you’re using non-lethal powers like Force Stun.
** Letting evil occur by inaction.

Pay special attention to the paragraphs on atoning. Ensure your players know that they can spend Force points to reduce Dark Side Score on a one-for-one basis, and that it assumes that the characters have spent some time in meditation and doing good works (this can happen off-screen, of course, but if a character does something particularly good, generous or altruistic in play, suggest they consider burning a Force point). Also assure your players that you’re willing to discuss Dark Side Score increases after any session; as an increase only has an overt or mechanical effect if a given PC’s Dark Side Score is pushed over its Wisdom, this should be no problem.

Throughout all of this, be mindful of the balance you're striking. ''Star Wars' '' morality appears clear-cut but has many seeming exceptions when examined closely; your yard-stick should be "fun drama". Be willing to compromise your own views on ''Star Wars''' morality in service of what will be fun for the group (yourself most certainly included here).

As such, be very careful if your game is regularly interrupted by players disputing increases of their PCs’ Dark Side Scores. Extended out-of-character arguments over rules are very rarely fun. Reassure players that your aim is to provide a fun session and that you're willing to discuss any issues once play is over. If during-session arguments continue, there's probably a bully at the table (be warned; it may be you). - IMAGinES

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in ''Star Wars,'' and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high-end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and ''Saga'' doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique Mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped-up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

That's only if it helps their destiny's with each player having max 5 destiny points (you don't keep the others from previous level. They are replaced with a new batch each level) You're not supposed to spend destiny points on things that have nothing to do with your destiny. - Sindalor

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* If it's too easy, more show up.
* If it's too hard, stop sending them in.
* If it starts getting boring, finish the combat.
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

=== Terrain and Battlemaps ===

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

(I normally achieve dramatic and dynamic terrain) narratively (I just inform them of the changes, and my players can interject further changes if it fits the mood and their actions), but in concrete form for one chase scene I played through we used a map plate from Roborally for the Episode2-like guts of a giant construction droid running amok. - Bahama'at

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and Z-95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

== Source Information ==

In designing a campaign you do have a double edge sword, there is a lot of material out. The Expanded Universe has been developed quite extensively through comics and books. Lucas has made a point to keep everything consistent as possible between all things ''Star Wars,'' to the point where game designers need Lucas’ approval to use characters. Additionally, other publishers can use anything printed from one publisher. Fortunately, you do not have to read everything that is out there to know what is going on. The SW community has brought most information online. I use [http://starwars.wikia.com/ Wookieepedia] to look things up, there is also the [http://holonet.swrpgnetwork.com/ Holonet]. This is an excellent source of material. The drawback to all this is that Wizards has not scratch the surface of all this material for the game. So expect to have to create and make things. I have had make racial stats for Besalisks, Gree, Ubese and Polite (my own race); fighter ships for Gree, weapons for Gree and Polite, a ship for the characters. All that was for the first adventure. The other drawback to this massive amount of information is that there already is a history. So you have to choose how much of it are you going to follow. I am playing during the New Republic and have dumped most of that history at that time and what “would” happen. - Phlophouse

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-20T10:06:17Z

IMAGinES: /* Dark Side Score */

[[Category:How_to_Run]]
[[Category:Star_Wars_Saga_Edition]]
In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 SWSE - Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download [http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=866480 the SagaSheet Excel document].

=== Destiny ===

Do not leave Destiny until the end of chargen. Make sure it's one of the first things you discuss in the middle of all the stuff like where and when the game is set and who the characters are. Destinies are, I think, a lot like Keys in The Shadow of Yesterday; a great way for your players to tell you they reckon will be fun about their characters and their corner of the Star Wars galaxy.

This may be my personal taste here, but I'm tempted to go as far as saying that you should never let a player just hand their character's Destiny over to you. Let them know that you're willing to let them defer picking a Destiny until they find something during play that they want to base a Destiny around, but try and avoid them just handing the biggest opportunity they have to tell you what's cool about both their character and the game world over with a shrug. - IMAGinES

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be ''almost'' equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken in the story, or in a face to face confrontation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

=== Dark Side Score ===

The Dark Side Score has the potential to cause as much argument as alignments in ''D&D''. Through the Dark Side Score, the game’s rules and you as GM judgment the morality of the player characters’ actions, something that some players will object to. The best way to forestall any objections is to sit down with your players and discuss the Dark Side Score before the campaign starts and make sure that the whole group has the same idea of what constitutes morality and the grounds for increasing a character’s Dark Side score in the game.

Read the Dark Side Score section of The Force chapter out to your players or let them read it. Make sure they understand that while there are no benefits to earning Dark Side Points, there are no inherent drawbacks either. In ''Saga Edition'', Dark Side points are more like the Humanity Score in the independent RPG ''[[How_to_Run:Sorcerer|Sorcerer]];'' they’re the character’s incidental music that lets the group-as-audience know how far the character has turned to the Dark Side.

Some topics worth discussing are:
* Will non-Force users have Dark Side Scores? This is a matter of some debate as the text is fairly ambiguous.
* What are the consequences of turning fully to the Dark Side? Will PCs remain playable or become NPCs?
* Earning Increases:
** The use of the Force as a first resort in solving a problem, even if you’re using non-lethal powers like Force Stun.
** Letting evil occur by inaction.

Pay special attention to the paragraphs on atoning. Ensure your players know that they can spend Force points to reduce Dark Side Score on a one-for-one basis, and that it assumes that the characters have spent some time in meditation and doing good works (this can happen off-screen, of course, but if a character does something particularly good, generous or altruistic in play, suggest they consider burning a Force point). Also assure your players that you’re willing to discuss Dark Side Score increases after any session; as an increase only has an overt or mechanical effect if a given PC’s Dark Side Score is pushed over its Wisdom, this should be no problem.

Throughout all of this, be mindful of the balance you're striking. ''Star Wars''' morality appears clear-cut but has many seeming exceptions when examined closely; your yard-stick should be "fun drama". Be willing to compromise your own views on ''Star Wars''' morality in service of what will be fun for the group (yourself most certainly included here).

As such, be very careful if your game is regularly interrupted by players disputing increases of their PCs’ Dark Side Scores. Extended out-of-character arguments over rules are very rarely fun. Reassure players that your aim is to provide a fun session and that you're willing to discuss any issues once play is over. If during-session arguments continue, there's probably a bully at the table (be warned; it may be you). - IMAGinES

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in ''Star Wars,'' and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high-end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and ''Saga'' doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique Mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped-up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

That's only if it helps their destiny's with each player having max 5 destiny points (you don't keep the others from previous level. They are replaced with a new batch each level) You're not supposed to spend destiny points on things that have nothing to do with your destiny. - Sindalor

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* If it's too easy, more show up.
* If it's too hard, stop sending them in.
* If it starts getting boring, finish the combat.
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

=== Terrain and Battlemaps ===

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

(I normally achieve dramatic and dynamic terrain) narratively (I just inform them of the changes, and my players can interject further changes if it fits the mood and their actions), but in concrete form for one chase scene I played through we used a map plate from Roborally for the Episode2-like guts of a giant construction droid running amok. - Bahama'at

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and Z-95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

== Source Information ==

In designing a campaign you do have a double edge sword, there is a lot of material out. The Expanded Universe has been developed quite extensively through comics and books. Lucas has made a point to keep everything consistent as possible between all things ''Star Wars,'' to the point where game designers need Lucas’ approval to use characters. Additionally, other publishers can use anything printed from one publisher. Fortunately, you do not have to read everything that is out there to know what is going on. The SW community has brought most information online. I use [http://starwars.wikia.com/ Wookieepedia] to look things up, there is also the [http://holonet.swrpgnetwork.com/ Holonet]. This is an excellent source of material. The drawback to all this is that Wizards has not scratch the surface of all this material for the game. So expect to have to create and make things. I have had make racial stats for Besalisks, Gree, Ubese and Polite (my own race); fighter ships for Gree, weapons for Gree and Polite, a ship for the characters. All that was for the first adventure. The other drawback to this massive amount of information is that there already is a history. So you have to choose how much of it are you going to follow. I am playing during the New Republic and have dumped most of that history at that time and what “would” happen. - Phlophouse

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-20T09:57:08Z

IMAGinES: /* Dark Side Score */

[[Category:How_to_Run]]
[[Category:Star_Wars_Saga_Edition]]
In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 SWSE - Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download [http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=866480 the SagaSheet Excel document].

=== Destiny ===

Do not leave Destiny until the end of chargen. Make sure it's one of the first things you discuss in the middle of all the stuff like where and when the game is set and who the characters are. Destinies are, I think, a lot like Keys in The Shadow of Yesterday; a great way for your players to tell you they reckon will be fun about their characters and their corner of the Star Wars galaxy.

This may be my personal taste here, but I'm tempted to go as far as saying that you should never let a player just hand their character's Destiny over to you. Let them know that you're willing to let them defer picking a Destiny until they find something during play that they want to base a Destiny around, but try and avoid them just handing the biggest opportunity they have to tell you what's cool about both their character and the game world over with a shrug. - IMAGinES

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be ''almost'' equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken in the story, or in a face to face confrontation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

=== Dark Side Score ===

The Dark Side Score has the potential to cause as much argument as alignments in D&D. Through the Dark Side Score, the game’s rules and you as GM judgment the morality of the player characters’ actions, something that some players will object to. The best way to forestall any objections is to sit down with your players and discuss the Dark Side Score before the campaign starts and make sure that the whole group has the same idea of what constitutes morality and the grounds for increasing a character’s Dark Side score in the game.

Read the Dark Side Score section of The Force chapter out to your players or let them read it. Make sure they understand that while there are no benefits to earning Dark Side Points, there are no inherent drawbacks either. In Saga Edition, Dark Side points are more like the Humanity Score in the independent RPG ''[[How_to_Run:Sorcerer|Sorcerer]];'' they’re the character’s incidental music that lets the group-as-audience know how far the character has turned to the Dark Side.

Some topics worth discussing are:
* Will non-Force users have Dark Side scores? This is a matter of some debate as the text is fairly ambiguous.
* What are the consequences of turning fully to the Dark Side? Will PCs remain playable or become NPCs?
* Earning Increases:
** The use of the Force as a first resort in solving a problem, even if you’re using non-lethal powers like Force Stun.
** Letting evil occur by inaction.

Pay special attention to the paragraphs on atoning. Ensure your players know that they can spend Force points to reduce Dark Side Score on a one-for-one basis, and that it assumes that the characters have spent some time in meditation and doing good works (this can happen off-screen, of course, but if a character does something particularly good, generous or altruistic in play, suggest they consider burning a Force point). Also assure your players that you’re willing to discuss Dark Side Score increases after any session; as an increase only has an overt or mechanical effect if a given PC’s Dark Side Score is pushed over its Wisdom, this should be no problem.

Throughout all of this, be mindful of the balance you're striking. Star Wars' morality is both clear-cut and hard to precisely define; your yard-stick should be "fun drama". Be willing to compromise your own views on morality in service of what will be fun for the group (yourself most certainly included here).

As such, be very careful if your game is regularly interrupted by players disputing increases of their PCs’ Dark Side Scores. Extended out-of-character arguments over rules are very rarely fun. Reassure players that your aim is to provide a fun session and that you're willing to discuss any issues once play is over. If during-session arguments continue, there's probably a bully at the table (be warned; it may be you). - IMAGinES

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in ''Star Wars,'' and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high-end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and ''Saga'' doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique Mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped-up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

That's only if it helps their destiny's with each player having max 5 destiny points (you don't keep the others from previous level. They are replaced with a new batch each level) You're not supposed to spend destiny points on things that have nothing to do with your destiny. - Sindalor

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* If it's too easy, more show up.
* If it's too hard, stop sending them in.
* If it starts getting boring, finish the combat.
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

=== Terrain and Battlemaps ===

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

(I normally achieve dramatic and dynamic terrain) narratively (I just inform them of the changes, and my players can interject further changes if it fits the mood and their actions), but in concrete form for one chase scene I played through we used a map plate from Roborally for the Episode2-like guts of a giant construction droid running amok. - Bahama'at

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and Z-95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

== Source Information ==

In designing a campaign you do have a double edge sword, there is a lot of material out. The Expanded Universe has been developed quite extensively through comics and books. Lucas has made a point to keep everything consistent as possible between all things ''Star Wars,'' to the point where game designers need Lucas’ approval to use characters. Additionally, other publishers can use anything printed from one publisher. Fortunately, you do not have to read everything that is out there to know what is going on. The SW community has brought most information online. I use [http://starwars.wikia.com/ Wookieepedia] to look things up, there is also the [http://holonet.swrpgnetwork.com/ Holonet]. This is an excellent source of material. The drawback to all this is that Wizards has not scratch the surface of all this material for the game. So expect to have to create and make things. I have had make racial stats for Besalisks, Gree, Ubese and Polite (my own race); fighter ships for Gree, weapons for Gree and Polite, a ship for the characters. All that was for the first adventure. The other drawback to this massive amount of information is that there already is a history. So you have to choose how much of it are you going to follow. I am playing during the New Republic and have dumped most of that history at that time and what “would” happen. - Phlophouse

How to Run:Sorcerer

2008-03-20T09:47:03Z

IMAGinES:

This is a summary of some of the threads found in the [[Sorcerer:_A_Menu|''Sorcerer:'' A Menu]] page, specifically, [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=13709.0 ''Sorcerer'' One-Sheet Preperation] and [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=16901.0 Getting Started]. All content is cribbed solely and shamelessly from Ron Edwards, Lisa Padol and Paka (with a little editing by IMAGinES to get it all fitting together).

----

# '''Re-read ''Sorcerer'' and the supplements.'''
# '''Decide on a setting and write a summary of its basic features:'''
## '''List your influences and inspirations and keep them in mind during the process.''' Re-watching or re-reading your influences can be cool, especially if you can screen the movie for or lend the books to the players who will be playing.
## '''What is Humanity?''' This is the engine that drives the game. Without it, the paintjob might look pretty but it won't go anywhere.
## '''What are Demons?''' If Humanity's the engine, Demons are the tires.
## '''What are Sorcerers and thus what is Lore?''' What the players will be is important, they need to understand who they will be portraying.
## '''What are Binding, Summoning, Contacting, Punishing?'''
## '''Descriptors: Do you need new ones and if so, how are they informing the players about and marrying the PC's to the world?''' These are important, they are how you display the world. During character creation, I would show them the one-sheets and then while they were still percolating with vague ideas, I'd shove the descriptors in their face and watch their eyes light up.
## '''Give it a look over. Is it fun? What were you trying to do with it and what has it become? How do your rules choices reinforce the feel you are trying to achieve?''' Reading other Actual Play posts (especially [[Sorcerer:_A_Menu#Cooking_Tips|Art Deco Melodrama]]) and giving ''Sorcerer'', ''The Sorcerer's Soul'' and ''Sorcerer and Sword'' another re-reading are good ideas at this point.
## '''Get feedback from others.''' Post it. Show it to friends. I find this step invaluable. Very often I have a kernel of a good idea and I'm not even sure what it is. Getting that feedback is invaluable.
## '''Create a Relationship Map.'''
## '''Consider what all the various NPCs & so on might be up to, what they'll drive toward during play.'''
# '''Make a One-Sheet.''' This is a blast, it is like making a movie poster for your game. On-line resources, clip-art and fonts can make 'em really nifty. Each of your players should get a copy of this. It's recommended that you put the quote from ''Sorcerer,'' "During combat, role-playing rules the dice!" on your one-sheet, so players remember that when they describe stuff, they get more dice (and more dice = more power).
# '''Get players together''' to discuss the one-sheet and basic ideas of the game in full, moving into character creation.
# '''Take a few days to look over everything.'''
## '''Internalize all Kickers''' into your understanding of play as a whole, spike them if necessary, use them as the basis to revise everything else.
## '''Embrace all characters' demons''' as if they were your own, favorite, desperate-to-be-played NPCs.
## '''Refine, finish, and possibly totally revise''' or even replace the Relationship Map you started with.
## '''Rewrite your one-sheet.'''
## '''Come up with nifty collages''' built of pictures and words, just as arty handouts.
## '''Totally revise the "what NPCs are up to" stuff,''' beef it up with steroids and meth, and make sure to include the demons now.
## '''Construct a bandolier of Bangs,''' realizing that the first session will almost certainly make more use of your prep than any other session.
## '''Consider possible Crosses and Weaves''' in the same way as Bangs, i.e. a bandolier.
# '''Run the first session.''' (Note that the players are only building trust and interest at this stage.)
# '''Do the NPC and demon steps again,''' in detail, and make Bangs that are really engaging based specifically on the consequences of players' choices during the session.

[[Category:How_to_Run]]
[[Category:Sorcerer]]

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-20T09:42:16Z

IMAGinES:

[[Category:How_to_Run]]
[[Category:Star_Wars_Saga_Edition]]
In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 SWSE - Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download [http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=866480 the SagaSheet Excel document].

=== Destiny ===

Do not leave Destiny until the end of chargen. Make sure it's one of the first things you discuss in the middle of all the stuff like where and when the game is set and who the characters are. Destinies are, I think, a lot like Keys in The Shadow of Yesterday; a great way for your players to tell you they reckon will be fun about their characters and their corner of the Star Wars galaxy.

This may be my personal taste here, but I'm tempted to go as far as saying that you should never let a player just hand their character's Destiny over to you. Let them know that you're willing to let them defer picking a Destiny until they find something during play that they want to base a Destiny around, but try and avoid them just handing the biggest opportunity they have to tell you what's cool about both their character and the game world over with a shrug. - IMAGinES

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be ''almost'' equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken in the story, or in a face to face confrontation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

=== Dark Side Score ===

The Dark Side Score has the potential to cause as much argument as alignments in D&D. Through the Dark Side Score, the game’s rules and you as GM judgment the morality of the player characters’ actions, something that some players will object to. The best way to forestall any objections is to sit down with your players and discuss the Dark Side Score before the campaign starts and make sure that the whole group has the same idea of what constitutes morality and the grounds for increasing a character’s Dark Side score in the game.

Read the Dark Side Score section of The Force chapter out to your players or let them read it. Make sure they understand that while there are no benefits to earning Dark Side Points, there are no inherent drawbacks either. In Saga Edition, Dark Side points are more like the Humanity Score in the independent RPG ''[[How_to_Run:Sorcerer|Sorcerer]];'' they’re the character’s incidental music that lets the group-as-audience know how far the character has turned to the Dark Side.

Some topics worth discussing are:
* Will non-Force users have Dark Side scores? This is a matter of some debate as the text is fairly ambiguous.
* What are the consequences of turning fully to the Dark Side? Will PCs remain playable or become NPCs?
* Earning Increases:
** The use of the Force as a first resort in solving a problem, even if you’re using non-lethal powers like Force Stun.
** Letting evil occur by inaction.

Pay special attention to the paragraphs on atoning. Ensure your players know that they can spend Force points to reduce Dark Side Score on a one-for-one basis, and that it assumes that the characters have spent some time in meditation and doing good works (this can happen off-screen, of course, but if a character does something particularly good, generous or altruistic in play, suggest they consider burning a Force point). Also assure your players that you’re willing to discuss Dark Side Score increases after any session; as they don’t have any overt or mechanical effect (unless the given PC’s Dark Side Score was only one less than its Wisdom before the increase) this should be no problem.

Throughout all of this, be mindful of the balance you're striking. Star Wars' morality is both clear-cut and hard to precisely define; your yard-stick should be "fun drama". Be willing to compromise your own views on morality in service of what will be fun for the group (yourself most certainly included here).

As such, be very careful if your game is regularly interrupted by players disputing increases of their PCs’ Dark Side Scores. Extended out-of-character arguments over rules are very rarely fun. Reassure players that your aim is to provide a fun session and that you're willing to discuss any issues once play is over. If during-session arguments continue, there's probably a bully at the table (be warned; it may be you). - IMAGinES

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in ''Star Wars,'' and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high-end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and ''Saga'' doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique Mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped-up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

That's only if it helps their destiny's with each player having max 5 destiny points (you don't keep the others from previous level. They are replaced with a new batch each level) You're not supposed to spend destiny points on things that have nothing to do with your destiny. - Sindalor

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* If it's too easy, more show up.
* If it's too hard, stop sending them in.
* If it starts getting boring, finish the combat.
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

=== Terrain and Battlemaps ===

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

(I normally achieve dramatic and dynamic terrain) narratively (I just inform them of the changes, and my players can interject further changes if it fits the mood and their actions), but in concrete form for one chase scene I played through we used a map plate from Roborally for the Episode2-like guts of a giant construction droid running amok. - Bahama'at

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and Z-95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

== Source Information ==

In designing a campaign you do have a double edge sword, there is a lot of material out. The Expanded Universe has been developed quite extensively through comics and books. Lucas has made a point to keep everything consistent as possible between all things ''Star Wars,'' to the point where game designers need Lucas’ approval to use characters. Additionally, other publishers can use anything printed from one publisher. Fortunately, you do not have to read everything that is out there to know what is going on. The SW community has brought most information online. I use [http://starwars.wikia.com/ Wookieepedia] to look things up, there is also the [http://holonet.swrpgnetwork.com/ Holonet]. This is an excellent source of material. The drawback to all this is that Wizards has not scratch the surface of all this material for the game. So expect to have to create and make things. I have had make racial stats for Besalisks, Gree, Ubese and Polite (my own race); fighter ships for Gree, weapons for Gree and Polite, a ship for the characters. All that was for the first adventure. The other drawback to this massive amount of information is that there already is a history. So you have to choose how much of it are you going to follow. I am playing during the New Republic and have dumped most of that history at that time and what “would” happen. - Phlophouse

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-20T09:41:21Z

IMAGinES: /* Dark Side Score */

[[Category:How_to_Run|Star_Wars_Saga_Edition]]
In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 SWSE - Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download [http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=866480 the SagaSheet Excel document].

=== Destiny ===

Do not leave Destiny until the end of chargen. Make sure it's one of the first things you discuss in the middle of all the stuff like where and when the game is set and who the characters are. Destinies are, I think, a lot like Keys in The Shadow of Yesterday; a great way for your players to tell you they reckon will be fun about their characters and their corner of the Star Wars galaxy.

This may be my personal taste here, but I'm tempted to go as far as saying that you should never let a player just hand their character's Destiny over to you. Let them know that you're willing to let them defer picking a Destiny until they find something during play that they want to base a Destiny around, but try and avoid them just handing the biggest opportunity they have to tell you what's cool about both their character and the game world over with a shrug. - IMAGinES

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be ''almost'' equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken in the story, or in a face to face confrontation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

=== Dark Side Score ===

The Dark Side Score has the potential to cause as much argument as alignments in D&D. Through the Dark Side Score, the game’s rules and you as GM judgment the morality of the player characters’ actions, something that some players will object to. The best way to forestall any objections is to sit down with your players and discuss the Dark Side Score before the campaign starts and make sure that the whole group has the same idea of what constitutes morality and the grounds for increasing a character’s Dark Side score in the game.

Read the Dark Side Score section of The Force chapter out to your players or let them read it. Make sure they understand that while there are no benefits to earning Dark Side Points, there are no inherent drawbacks either. In Saga Edition, Dark Side points are more like the Humanity Score in the independent RPG ''[[How_to_Run:Sorcerer|Sorcerer]];'' they’re the character’s incidental music that lets the group-as-audience know how far the character has turned to the Dark Side.

Some topics worth discussing are:
* Will non-Force users have Dark Side scores? This is a matter of some debate as the text is fairly ambiguous.
* What are the consequences of turning fully to the Dark Side? Will PCs remain playable or become NPCs?
* Earning Increases:
** The use of the Force as a first resort in solving a problem, even if you’re using non-lethal powers like Force Stun.
** Letting evil occur by inaction.

Pay special attention to the paragraphs on atoning. Ensure your players know that they can spend Force points to reduce Dark Side Score on a one-for-one basis, and that it assumes that the characters have spent some time in meditation and doing good works (this can happen off-screen, of course, but if a character does something particularly good, generous or altruistic in play, suggest they consider burning a Force point). Also assure your players that you’re willing to discuss Dark Side Score increases after any session; as they don’t have any overt or mechanical effect (unless the given PC’s Dark Side Score was only one less than its Wisdom before the increase) this should be no problem.

Throughout all of this, be mindful of the balance you're striking. Star Wars' morality is both clear-cut and hard to precisely define; your yard-stick should be "fun drama". Be willing to compromise your own views on morality in service of what will be fun for the group (yourself most certainly included here).

As such, be very careful if your game is regularly interrupted by players disputing increases of their PCs’ Dark Side Scores. Extended out-of-character arguments over rules are very rarely fun. Reassure players that your aim is to provide a fun session and that you're willing to discuss any issues once play is over. If during-session arguments continue, there's probably a bully at the table (be warned; it may be you). - IMAGinES

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in ''Star Wars,'' and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high-end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and ''Saga'' doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique Mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped-up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

That's only if it helps their destiny's with each player having max 5 destiny points (you don't keep the others from previous level. They are replaced with a new batch each level) You're not supposed to spend destiny points on things that have nothing to do with your destiny. - Sindalor

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* If it's too easy, more show up.
* If it's too hard, stop sending them in.
* If it starts getting boring, finish the combat.
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

=== Terrain and Battlemaps ===

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

(I normally achieve dramatic and dynamic terrain) narratively (I just inform them of the changes, and my players can interject further changes if it fits the mood and their actions), but in concrete form for one chase scene I played through we used a map plate from Roborally for the Episode2-like guts of a giant construction droid running amok. - Bahama'at

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and Z-95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

== Source Information ==

In designing a campaign you do have a double edge sword, there is a lot of material out. The Expanded Universe has been developed quite extensively through comics and books. Lucas has made a point to keep everything consistent as possible between all things ''Star Wars,'' to the point where game designers need Lucas’ approval to use characters. Additionally, other publishers can use anything printed from one publisher. Fortunately, you do not have to read everything that is out there to know what is going on. The SW community has brought most information online. I use [http://starwars.wikia.com/ Wookieepedia] to look things up, there is also the [http://holonet.swrpgnetwork.com/ Holonet]. This is an excellent source of material. The drawback to all this is that Wizards has not scratch the surface of all this material for the game. So expect to have to create and make things. I have had make racial stats for Besalisks, Gree, Ubese and Polite (my own race); fighter ships for Gree, weapons for Gree and Polite, a ship for the characters. All that was for the first adventure. The other drawback to this massive amount of information is that there already is a history. So you have to choose how much of it are you going to follow. I am playing during the New Republic and have dumped most of that history at that time and what “would” happen. - Phlophouse

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-20T09:40:02Z

IMAGinES: /* Dark Side Score */

[[Category:How_to_Run|Star_Wars_Saga_Edition]]
In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 SWSE - Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download [http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=866480 the SagaSheet Excel document].

=== Destiny ===

Do not leave Destiny until the end of chargen. Make sure it's one of the first things you discuss in the middle of all the stuff like where and when the game is set and who the characters are. Destinies are, I think, a lot like Keys in The Shadow of Yesterday; a great way for your players to tell you they reckon will be fun about their characters and their corner of the Star Wars galaxy.

This may be my personal taste here, but I'm tempted to go as far as saying that you should never let a player just hand their character's Destiny over to you. Let them know that you're willing to let them defer picking a Destiny until they find something during play that they want to base a Destiny around, but try and avoid them just handing the biggest opportunity they have to tell you what's cool about both their character and the game world over with a shrug. - IMAGinES

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be ''almost'' equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken in the story, or in a face to face confrontation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

=== Dark Side Score ===

The Dark Side Score has the potential to cause as much argument as alignments in D&D. Through the Dark Side Score, the game’s rules and you as GM judgment the morality of the player characters’ actions, something that some players will object to. The best way to forestall any objections is to sit down with your players and discuss the Dark Side Score before the campaign starts and make sure that the whole group has the same idea of what constitutes morality and the grounds for increasing a character’s Dark Side score in the game.

Read the Dark Side Score section of The Force chapter out to your players or let them read it. Make sure they understand that while there are no benefits to earning Dark Side Points, there are no inherent drawbacks either. In Saga Edition, Dark Side points are more like the Humanity Score in the independent RPG Sorcerer; they’re the character’s incidental music that lets the group-as-audience know how far the character has turned to the Dark Side.

Some topics worth discussing are:
* Will non-Force users have Dark Side scores? This is a matter of some debate as the text is fairly ambiguous.
* What are the consequences of turning fully to the Dark Side? Will PCs remain playable or become NPCs?
* Earning Increases:
** The use of the Force as a first resort in solving a problem, even if you’re using non-lethal powers like Force Stun.
** Letting evil occur by inaction.

Pay special attention to the paragraphs on atoning. Ensure your players know that they can spend Force points to reduce Dark Side Score on a one-for-one basis, and that it assumes that the characters have spent some time in meditation and doing good works (this can happen off-screen, of course, but if a character does something particularly good, generous or altruistic in play, suggest they consider burning a Force point). Also assure your players that you’re willing to discuss Dark Side Score increases after any session; as they don’t have any overt or mechanical effect (unless the given PC’s Dark Side Score was only one less than its Wisdom before the increase) this should be no problem.

Throughout all of this, be mindful of the balance you're striking. Star Wars' morality is both clear-cut and hard to precisely define; your yard-stick should be "fun drama". Be willing to compromise your own views on morality in service of what will be fun for the group (yourself most certainly included here).

As such, be very careful if your game is regularly interrupted by players disputing increases of their PCs’ Dark Side Scores. Extended out-of-character arguments over rules are very rarely fun. Reassure players that your aim is to provide a fun session and that you're willing to discuss any issues once play is over. If during-session arguments continue, there's probably a bully at the table (be warned; it may be you). - IMAGinES

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in ''Star Wars,'' and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high-end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and ''Saga'' doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique Mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped-up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

That's only if it helps their destiny's with each player having max 5 destiny points (you don't keep the others from previous level. They are replaced with a new batch each level) You're not supposed to spend destiny points on things that have nothing to do with your destiny. - Sindalor

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* If it's too easy, more show up.
* If it's too hard, stop sending them in.
* If it starts getting boring, finish the combat.
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

=== Terrain and Battlemaps ===

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

(I normally achieve dramatic and dynamic terrain) narratively (I just inform them of the changes, and my players can interject further changes if it fits the mood and their actions), but in concrete form for one chase scene I played through we used a map plate from Roborally for the Episode2-like guts of a giant construction droid running amok. - Bahama'at

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and Z-95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

== Source Information ==

In designing a campaign you do have a double edge sword, there is a lot of material out. The Expanded Universe has been developed quite extensively through comics and books. Lucas has made a point to keep everything consistent as possible between all things ''Star Wars,'' to the point where game designers need Lucas’ approval to use characters. Additionally, other publishers can use anything printed from one publisher. Fortunately, you do not have to read everything that is out there to know what is going on. The SW community has brought most information online. I use [http://starwars.wikia.com/ Wookieepedia] to look things up, there is also the [http://holonet.swrpgnetwork.com/ Holonet]. This is an excellent source of material. The drawback to all this is that Wizards has not scratch the surface of all this material for the game. So expect to have to create and make things. I have had make racial stats for Besalisks, Gree, Ubese and Polite (my own race); fighter ships for Gree, weapons for Gree and Polite, a ship for the characters. All that was for the first adventure. The other drawback to this massive amount of information is that there already is a history. So you have to choose how much of it are you going to follow. I am playing during the New Republic and have dumped most of that history at that time and what “would” happen. - Phlophouse

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-20T09:38:53Z

IMAGinES: /* Terrain and Battlemaps */

[[Category:How_to_Run|Star_Wars_Saga_Edition]]
In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 SWSE - Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download [http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=866480 the SagaSheet Excel document].

=== Destiny ===

Do not leave Destiny until the end of chargen. Make sure it's one of the first things you discuss in the middle of all the stuff like where and when the game is set and who the characters are. Destinies are, I think, a lot like Keys in The Shadow of Yesterday; a great way for your players to tell you they reckon will be fun about their characters and their corner of the Star Wars galaxy.

This may be my personal taste here, but I'm tempted to go as far as saying that you should never let a player just hand their character's Destiny over to you. Let them know that you're willing to let them defer picking a Destiny until they find something during play that they want to base a Destiny around, but try and avoid them just handing the biggest opportunity they have to tell you what's cool about both their character and the game world over with a shrug. - IMAGinES

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be ''almost'' equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken in the story, or in a face to face confrontation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

=== Dark Side Score ===

The Dark Side Score has the potential to cause as much argument as alignments in D&D. Through the Dark Side Score, the game’s rules and you as GM judgment the morality of the player characters’ actions, something that some players will object to. The best way to forestall any objections is to sit down with your players and discuss the Dark Side Score before the campaign starts and make sure that the whole group has the same idea of what constitutes morality and the grounds for increasing a character’s Dark Side score in the game.

Read the Dark Side Score section of The Force chapter out to your players or let them read it. Make sure they understand that while there are no benefits to earning Dark Side Points, there are no inherent drawbacks either. In Saga Edition, Dark Side points are more like the Humanity Score in the independent RPG Sorcerer; they’re the character’s incidental music that lets the group-as-audience know how far the character has turned to the Dark Side.

Some topics worth discussing are:
* Will non-Force users have Dark Side scores? This is a matter of some debate as the text is fairly ambiguous.
* What are the consequences of turning fully to the Dark Side? Will PCs remain playable or become NPCs?
* Earning Increases:
** The use of the Force as a first resort in solving a problem, even if you’re using non-lethal powers like Force Stun.
** Letting evil occur by inaction.

Pay special attention to the paragraphs on atoning. Ensure your players know that they can spend Force points to reduce Dark Side Score on a one-for-one basis, and that it assumes that the characters have spent some time in meditation and doing good works (this can happen off-screen, of course, but if a character does something particularly good, generous or altruistic in play, suggest they consider burning a Force point). Also assure your players that you’re willing to discuss Dark Side Score increases after any session; as they don’t have any overt or mechanical (unless the given PC’s Dark Side Score was only one less than its Wisdom before the increase)effect this should be no problem.

Throughout all of this, be mindful of the balance you're striking. Star Wars' morality is both clear-cut and hard to precisely define; your yard-stick should be "fun drama". Be willing to compromise your own views on morality in service of what will be fun for the group (yourself most certainly included here).

As such, be very careful if your game is regularly interrupted by players disputing increases of their PCs’ Dark Side Scores. Extended out-of-character arguments over rules are very rarely fun. Reassure players that your aim is to provide a fun session and that you're willing to discuss any issues once play is over. If during-session arguments continue, there's probably a bully at the table (be warned; it may be you). - IMAGinES

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in ''Star Wars,'' and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high-end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and ''Saga'' doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique Mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped-up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

That's only if it helps their destiny's with each player having max 5 destiny points (you don't keep the others from previous level. They are replaced with a new batch each level) You're not supposed to spend destiny points on things that have nothing to do with your destiny. - Sindalor

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* If it's too easy, more show up.
* If it's too hard, stop sending them in.
* If it starts getting boring, finish the combat.
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

=== Terrain and Battlemaps ===

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

(I normally achieve dramatic and dynamic terrain) narratively (I just inform them of the changes, and my players can interject further changes if it fits the mood and their actions), but in concrete form for one chase scene I played through we used a map plate from Roborally for the Episode2-like guts of a giant construction droid running amok. - Bahama'at

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and Z-95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

== Source Information ==

In designing a campaign you do have a double edge sword, there is a lot of material out. The Expanded Universe has been developed quite extensively through comics and books. Lucas has made a point to keep everything consistent as possible between all things ''Star Wars,'' to the point where game designers need Lucas’ approval to use characters. Additionally, other publishers can use anything printed from one publisher. Fortunately, you do not have to read everything that is out there to know what is going on. The SW community has brought most information online. I use [http://starwars.wikia.com/ Wookieepedia] to look things up, there is also the [http://holonet.swrpgnetwork.com/ Holonet]. This is an excellent source of material. The drawback to all this is that Wizards has not scratch the surface of all this material for the game. So expect to have to create and make things. I have had make racial stats for Besalisks, Gree, Ubese and Polite (my own race); fighter ships for Gree, weapons for Gree and Polite, a ship for the characters. All that was for the first adventure. The other drawback to this massive amount of information is that there already is a history. So you have to choose how much of it are you going to follow. I am playing during the New Republic and have dumped most of that history at that time and what “would” happen. - Phlophouse

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-20T09:38:24Z

IMAGinES: Terrain notes given own subsection.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Star_Wars_Saga_Edition]]
In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 SWSE - Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download [http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=866480 the SagaSheet Excel document].

=== Destiny ===

Do not leave Destiny until the end of chargen. Make sure it's one of the first things you discuss in the middle of all the stuff like where and when the game is set and who the characters are. Destinies are, I think, a lot like Keys in The Shadow of Yesterday; a great way for your players to tell you they reckon will be fun about their characters and their corner of the Star Wars galaxy.

This may be my personal taste here, but I'm tempted to go as far as saying that you should never let a player just hand their character's Destiny over to you. Let them know that you're willing to let them defer picking a Destiny until they find something during play that they want to base a Destiny around, but try and avoid them just handing the biggest opportunity they have to tell you what's cool about both their character and the game world over with a shrug. - IMAGinES

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be ''almost'' equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken in the story, or in a face to face confrontation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

=== Dark Side Score ===

The Dark Side Score has the potential to cause as much argument as alignments in D&D. Through the Dark Side Score, the game’s rules and you as GM judgment the morality of the player characters’ actions, something that some players will object to. The best way to forestall any objections is to sit down with your players and discuss the Dark Side Score before the campaign starts and make sure that the whole group has the same idea of what constitutes morality and the grounds for increasing a character’s Dark Side score in the game.

Read the Dark Side Score section of The Force chapter out to your players or let them read it. Make sure they understand that while there are no benefits to earning Dark Side Points, there are no inherent drawbacks either. In Saga Edition, Dark Side points are more like the Humanity Score in the independent RPG Sorcerer; they’re the character’s incidental music that lets the group-as-audience know how far the character has turned to the Dark Side.

Some topics worth discussing are:
* Will non-Force users have Dark Side scores? This is a matter of some debate as the text is fairly ambiguous.
* What are the consequences of turning fully to the Dark Side? Will PCs remain playable or become NPCs?
* Earning Increases:
** The use of the Force as a first resort in solving a problem, even if you’re using non-lethal powers like Force Stun.
** Letting evil occur by inaction.

Pay special attention to the paragraphs on atoning. Ensure your players know that they can spend Force points to reduce Dark Side Score on a one-for-one basis, and that it assumes that the characters have spent some time in meditation and doing good works (this can happen off-screen, of course, but if a character does something particularly good, generous or altruistic in play, suggest they consider burning a Force point). Also assure your players that you’re willing to discuss Dark Side Score increases after any session; as they don’t have any overt or mechanical (unless the given PC’s Dark Side Score was only one less than its Wisdom before the increase)effect this should be no problem.

Throughout all of this, be mindful of the balance you're striking. Star Wars' morality is both clear-cut and hard to precisely define; your yard-stick should be "fun drama". Be willing to compromise your own views on morality in service of what will be fun for the group (yourself most certainly included here).

As such, be very careful if your game is regularly interrupted by players disputing increases of their PCs’ Dark Side Scores. Extended out-of-character arguments over rules are very rarely fun. Reassure players that your aim is to provide a fun session and that you're willing to discuss any issues once play is over. If during-session arguments continue, there's probably a bully at the table (be warned; it may be you). - IMAGinES

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in ''Star Wars,'' and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high-end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and ''Saga'' doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique Mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped-up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

That's only if it helps their destiny's with each player having max 5 destiny points (you don't keep the others from previous level. They are replaced with a new batch each level) You're not supposed to spend destiny points on things that have nothing to do with your destiny. - Sindalor

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* If it's too easy, more show up.
* If it's too hard, stop sending them in.
* If it starts getting boring, finish the combat.
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

== Terrain and Battlemaps ==

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

(I normally achieve dramatic and dynamic terrain) narratively (I just inform them of the changes, and my players can interject further changes if it fits the mood and their actions), but in concrete form for one chase scene I played through we used a map plate from Roborally for the Episode2-like guts of a giant construction droid running amok. - Bahama'at

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and Z-95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

== Source Information ==

In designing a campaign you do have a double edge sword, there is a lot of material out. The Expanded Universe has been developed quite extensively through comics and books. Lucas has made a point to keep everything consistent as possible between all things ''Star Wars,'' to the point where game designers need Lucas’ approval to use characters. Additionally, other publishers can use anything printed from one publisher. Fortunately, you do not have to read everything that is out there to know what is going on. The SW community has brought most information online. I use [http://starwars.wikia.com/ Wookieepedia] to look things up, there is also the [http://holonet.swrpgnetwork.com/ Holonet]. This is an excellent source of material. The drawback to all this is that Wizards has not scratch the surface of all this material for the game. So expect to have to create and make things. I have had make racial stats for Besalisks, Gree, Ubese and Polite (my own race); fighter ships for Gree, weapons for Gree and Polite, a ship for the characters. All that was for the first adventure. The other drawback to this massive amount of information is that there already is a history. So you have to choose how much of it are you going to follow. I am playing during the New Republic and have dumped most of that history at that time and what “would” happen. - Phlophouse

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-20T09:35:53Z

IMAGinES: Dark Side Score notes added.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Star_Wars_Saga_Edition]]
In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 SWSE - Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download [http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=866480 the SagaSheet Excel document].

=== Destiny ===

Do not leave Destiny until the end of chargen. Make sure it's one of the first things you discuss in the middle of all the stuff like where and when the game is set and who the characters are. Destinies are, I think, a lot like Keys in The Shadow of Yesterday; a great way for your players to tell you they reckon will be fun about their characters and their corner of the Star Wars galaxy.

This may be my personal taste here, but I'm tempted to go as far as saying that you should never let a player just hand their character's Destiny over to you. Let them know that you're willing to let them defer picking a Destiny until they find something during play that they want to base a Destiny around, but try and avoid them just handing the biggest opportunity they have to tell you what's cool about both their character and the game world over with a shrug. - IMAGinES

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be ''almost'' equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken in the story, or in a face to face confrontation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

=== Dark Side Score ===

The Dark Side Score has the potential to cause as much argument as alignments in D&D. Through the Dark Side Score, the game’s rules and you as GM judgment the morality of the player characters’ actions, something that some players will object to. The best way to forestall any objections is to sit down with your players and discuss the Dark Side Score before the campaign starts and make sure that the whole group has the same idea of what constitutes morality and the grounds for increasing a character’s Dark Side score in the game.

Read the Dark Side Score section of The Force chapter out to your players or let them read it. Make sure they understand that while there are no benefits to earning Dark Side Points, there are no inherent drawbacks either. In Saga Edition, Dark Side points are more like the Humanity Score in the independent RPG Sorcerer; they’re the character’s incidental music that lets the group-as-audience know how far the character has turned to the Dark Side.

Some topics worth discussing are:
* Will non-Force users have Dark Side scores? This is a matter of some debate as the text is fairly ambiguous.
* What are the consequences of turning fully to the Dark Side? Will PCs remain playable or become NPCs?
* Earning Increases:
** The use of the Force as a first resort in solving a problem, even if you’re using non-lethal powers like Force Stun.
** Letting evil occur by inaction.

Pay special attention to the paragraphs on atoning. Ensure your players know that they can spend Force points to reduce Dark Side Score on a one-for-one basis, and that it assumes that the characters have spent some time in meditation and doing good works (this can happen off-screen, of course, but if a character does something particularly good, generous or altruistic in play, suggest they consider burning a Force point). Also assure your players that you’re willing to discuss Dark Side Score increases after any session; as they don’t have any overt or mechanical (unless the given PC’s Dark Side Score was only one less than its Wisdom before the increase)effect this should be no problem.

Throughout all of this, be mindful of the balance you're striking. Star Wars' morality is both clear-cut and hard to precisely define; your yard-stick should be "fun drama". Be willing to compromise your own views on morality in service of what will be fun for the group (yourself most certainly included here).

As such, be very careful if your game is regularly interrupted by players disputing increases of their PCs’ Dark Side Scores. Extended out-of-character arguments over rules are very rarely fun. Reassure players that your aim is to provide a fun session and that you're willing to discuss any issues once play is over. If during-session arguments continue, there's probably a bully at the table (be warned; it may be you). - IMAGinES

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in ''Star Wars,'' and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high-end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and ''Saga'' doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique Mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped-up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

That's only if it helps their destiny's with each player having max 5 destiny points (you don't keep the others from previous level. They are replaced with a new batch each level) You're not supposed to spend destiny points on things that have nothing to do with your destiny. - Sindalor

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* If it's too easy, more show up.
* If it's too hard, stop sending them in.
* If it starts getting boring, finish the combat.
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and Z-95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

== Source Information ==

In designing a campaign you do have a double edge sword, there is a lot of material out. The Expanded Universe has been developed quite extensively through comics and books. Lucas has made a point to keep everything consistent as possible between all things ''Star Wars,'' to the point where game designers need Lucas’ approval to use characters. Additionally, other publishers can use anything printed from one publisher. Fortunately, you do not have to read everything that is out there to know what is going on. The SW community has brought most information online. I use [http://starwars.wikia.com/ Wookieepedia] to look things up, there is also the [http://holonet.swrpgnetwork.com/ Holonet]. This is an excellent source of material. The drawback to all this is that Wizards has not scratch the surface of all this material for the game. So expect to have to create and make things. I have had make racial stats for Besalisks, Gree, Ubese and Polite (my own race); fighter ships for Gree, weapons for Gree and Polite, a ship for the characters. All that was for the first adventure. The other drawback to this massive amount of information is that there already is a history. So you have to choose how much of it are you going to follow. I am playing during the New Republic and have dumped most of that history at that time and what “would” happen. - Phlophouse

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-04T04:55:49Z

IMAGinES: /* Equipment */

[[Category:How_to_Run|Star_Wars_Saga_Edition]]
In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 SWSE - Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download [http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=866480 the SagaSheet Excel document].

=== Destiny ===

Do not leave Destiny until the end of chargen. Make sure it's one of the first things you discuss in the middle of all the stuff like where and when the game is set and who the characters are. Destinies are, I think, a lot like Keys in The Shadow of Yesterday; a great way for your players to tell you they reckon will be fun about their characters and their corner of the Star Wars galaxy.

This may be my personal taste here, but I'm tempted to go as far as saying that you should never let a player just hand their character's Destiny over to you. Let them know that you're willing to let them defer picking a Destiny until they find something during play that they want to base a Destiny around, but try and avoid them just handing the biggest opportunity they have to tell you what's cool about both their character and the game world over with a shrug. - IMAGinES

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be ''almost'' equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken in the story, or in a face to face confrontation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in ''Star Wars,'' and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high-end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and ''Saga'' doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique Mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped-up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* If it's too easy, more show up.
* If it's too hard, stop sending them in.
* If it starts getting boring, finish the combat.
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and Z-95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

== Source Information ==

In designing a campaign you do have a double edge sword, there is a lot of material out. The Expanded Universe has been developed quite extensively through comics and books. Lucas has made a point to keep everything consistent as possible between all things ''Star Wars,'' to the point where game designers need Lucas’ approval to use characters. Additionally, other publishers can use anything printed from one publisher. Fortunately, you do not have to read everything that is out there to know what is going on. The SW community has brought most information online. I use [http://starwars.wikia.com/ Wookieepedia] to look things up, there is also the [http://holonet.swrpgnetwork.com/ Holonet]. This is an excellent source of material. The drawback to all this is that Wizards has not scratch the surface of all this material for the game. So expect to have to create and make things. I have had make racial stats for Besalisks, Gree, Ubese and Polite (my own race); fighter ships for Gree, weapons for Gree and Polite, a ship for the characters. All that was for the first adventure. The other drawback to this massive amount of information is that there already is a history. So you have to choose how much of it are you going to follow. I am playing during the New Republic and have dumped most of that history at that time and what “would” happen. - Phlophouse

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-04T03:23:07Z

IMAGinES: /* Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels */

[[Category:How_to_Run|Star_Wars_Saga_Edition]]
In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 SWSE - Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download [http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=866480 the SagaSheet Excel document].

=== Destiny ===

Do not leave Destiny until the end of chargen. Make sure it's one of the first things you discuss in the middle of all the stuff like where and when the game is set and who the characters are. Destinies are, I think, a lot like Keys in The Shadow of Yesterday; a great way for your players to tell you they reckon will be fun about their characters and their corner of the Star Wars galaxy.

This may be my personal taste here, but I'm tempted to go as far as saying that you should never let a player just hand their character's Destiny over to you. Let them know that you're willing to let them defer picking a Destiny until they find something during play that they want to base a Destiny around, but try and avoid them just handing the biggest opportunity they have to tell you what's cool about both their character and the game world over with a shrug. - IMAGinES

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be ''almost'' equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken in the story, or in a face to face confrontation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in Star Wars, and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and Saga doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* If it's too easy, more show up.
* If it's too hard, stop sending them in.
* If it starts getting boring, finish the combat.
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and Z-95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

== Source Information ==

In designing a campaign you do have a double edge sword, there is a lot of material out. The Expanded Universe has been developed quite extensively through comics and books. Lucas has made a point to keep everything consistent as possible between all things ''Star Wars,'' to the point where game designers need Lucas’ approval to use characters. Additionally, other publishers can use anything printed from one publisher. Fortunately, you do not have to read everything that is out there to know what is going on. The SW community has brought most information online. I use [http://starwars.wikia.com/ Wookieepedia] to look things up, there is also the [http://holonet.swrpgnetwork.com/ Holonet]. This is an excellent source of material. The drawback to all this is that Wizards has not scratch the surface of all this material for the game. So expect to have to create and make things. I have had make racial stats for Besalisks, Gree, Ubese and Polite (my own race); fighter ships for Gree, weapons for Gree and Polite, a ship for the characters. All that was for the first adventure. The other drawback to this massive amount of information is that there already is a history. So you have to choose how much of it are you going to follow. I am playing during the New Republic and have dumped most of that history at that time and what “would” happen. - Phlophouse

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-03T12:38:44Z

IMAGinES:

[[Category:How_to_Run|Star_Wars_Saga_Edition]]
In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 SWSE - Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download [http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=866480 the SagaSheet Excel document].

=== Destiny ===

Do not leave Destiny until the end of chargen. Make sure it's one of the first things you discuss in the middle of all the stuff like where and when the game is set and who the characters are. Destinies are, I think, a lot like Keys in The Shadow of Yesterday; a great way for your players to tell you they reckon will be fun about their characters and their corner of the Star Wars galaxy.

This may be my personal taste here, but I'm tempted to go as far as saying that you should never let a player just hand their character's Destiny over to you. Let them know that you're willing to let them defer picking a Destiny until they find something during play that they want to base a Destiny around, but try and avoid them just handing the biggest opportunity they have to tell you what's cool about both their character and the game world over with a shrug. - IMAGinES

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be almost equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken in the story, or in a face to face confrtonation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in Star Wars, and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and Saga doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* If it's too easy, more show up.
* If it's too hard, stop sending them in.
* If it starts getting boring, finish the combat.
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and Z-95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

== Source Information ==

In designing a campaign you do have a double edge sword, there is a lot of material out. The Expanded Universe has been developed quite extensively through comics and books. Lucas has made a point to keep everything consistent as possible between all things ''Star Wars,'' to the point where game designers need Lucas’ approval to use characters. Additionally, other publishers can use anything printed from one publisher. Fortunately, you do not have to read everything that is out there to know what is going on. The SW community has brought most information online. I use [http://starwars.wikia.com/ Wookieepedia] to look things up, there is also the [http://holonet.swrpgnetwork.com/ Holonet]. This is an excellent source of material. The drawback to all this is that Wizards has not scratch the surface of all this material for the game. So expect to have to create and make things. I have had make racial stats for Besalisks, Gree, Ubese and Polite (my own race); fighter ships for Gree, weapons for Gree and Polite, a ship for the characters. All that was for the first adventure. The other drawback to this massive amount of information is that there already is a history. So you have to choose how much of it are you going to follow. I am playing during the New Republic and have dumped most of that history at that time and what “would” happen. - Phlophouse

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-03T12:36:46Z

IMAGinES: /* Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels */

[[Category:How_to_Run|Star_Wars_Saga_Edition]]
In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 SWSE - Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download [http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=866480 the SagaSheet Excel document].

=== Destiny ===

Do not leave Destiny until the end of chargen. Make sure it's one of the first things you discuss in the middle of all the stuff like where and when the game is set and who the characters are. Destinies are, I think, a lot like Keys in The Shadow of Yesterday; a great way for your players to tell you they reckon will be fun about their characters and their corner of the Star Wars galaxy.

This may be my personal taste here, but I'm tempted to go as far as saying that you should never let a player just hand their character's Destiny over to you. Let them know that you're willing to let them defer picking a Destiny until they find something during play that they want to base a Destiny around, but try and avoid them just handing the biggest opportunity they have to tell you what's cool about both their character and the game world over with a shrug. - IMAGinES

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be almost equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken in the story, or in a face to face confrtonation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in Star Wars, and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and Saga doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* If it's too easy, more show up.
* If it's too hard, stop sending them in.
* If it starts getting boring, finish the combat.
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and z95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

== Source Information ==

In designing a campaign you do have a double edge sword, there is a lot of material out. The Expanded Universe has been developed quite extensively through comics and books. Lucas has made a point to keep everything consistent as possible between all things ''Star Wars,'' to the point where game designers need Lucas’ approval to use characters. Additionally, other publishers can use anything printed from one publisher. Fortunately, you do not have to read everything that is out there to know what is going on. The SW community has brought most information online. I use [http://starwars.wikia.com/ Wookieepedia] to look things up, there is also the [http://holonet.swrpgnetwork.com/ Holonet]. This is an excellent source of material. The drawback to all this is that Wizards has not scratch the surface of all this material for the game. So expect to have to create and make things. I have had make racial stats for Besalisks, Gree, Ubese and Polite (my own race); fighter ships for Gree, weapons for Gree and Polite, a ship for the characters. All that was for the first adventure. The other drawback to this massive amount of information is that there already is a history. So you have to choose how much of it are you going to follow. I am playing during the New Republic and have dumped most of that history at that time and what “would” happen. - Phlophouse

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-03T09:01:40Z

IMAGinES: /* Source Information */

[[Category:How_to_Run|Star_Wars_Saga_Edition]]
In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 SWSE - Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download [http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=866480 the SagaSheet Excel document].

=== Destiny ===

Do not leave Destiny until the end of chargen. Make sure it's one of the first things you discuss in the middle of all the stuff like where and when the game is set and who the characters are. Destinies are, I think, a lot like Keys in The Shadow of Yesterday; a great way for your players to tell you they reckon will be fun about their characters and their corner of the Star Wars galaxy.

This may be my personal taste here, but I'm tempted to go as far as saying that you should never let a player just hand their character's Destiny over to you. Let them know that you're willing to let them defer picking a Destiny until they find something during play that they want to base a Destiny around, but try and avoid them just handing the biggest opportunity they have to tell you what's cool about both their character and the game world over with a shrug. - IMAGinES

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be almost equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken int he story, or in a face to face confrtonation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in Star Wars, and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and Saga doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* If it's too easy, more show up.
* If it's too hard, stop sending them in.
* If it starts getting boring, finish the combat.
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and z95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

== Source Information ==

In designing a campaign you do have a double edge sword, there is a lot of material out. The Expanded Universe has been developed quite extensively through comics and books. Lucas has made a point to keep everything consistent as possible between all things ''Star Wars,'' to the point where game designers need Lucas’ approval to use characters. Additionally, other publishers can use anything printed from one publisher. Fortunately, you do not have to read everything that is out there to know what is going on. The SW community has brought most information online. I use [http://starwars.wikia.com/ Wookieepedia] to look things up, there is also the [http://holonet.swrpgnetwork.com/ Holonet]. This is an excellent source of material. The drawback to all this is that Wizards has not scratch the surface of all this material for the game. So expect to have to create and make things. I have had make racial stats for Besalisks, Gree, Ubese and Polite (my own race); fighter ships for Gree, weapons for Gree and Polite, a ship for the characters. All that was for the first adventure. The other drawback to this massive amount of information is that there already is a history. So you have to choose how much of it are you going to follow. I am playing during the New Republic and have dumped most of that history at that time and what “would” happen. - Phlophouse

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-03T08:39:22Z

IMAGinES: /* Combat */

[[Category:How_to_Run|Star_Wars_Saga_Edition]]
In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 SWSE - Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download [http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=866480 the SagaSheet Excel document].

=== Destiny ===

Do not leave Destiny until the end of chargen. Make sure it's one of the first things you discuss in the middle of all the stuff like where and when the game is set and who the characters are. Destinies are, I think, a lot like Keys in The Shadow of Yesterday; a great way for your players to tell you they reckon will be fun about their characters and their corner of the Star Wars galaxy.

This may be my personal taste here, but I'm tempted to go as far as saying that you should never let a player just hand their character's Destiny over to you. Let them know that you're willing to let them defer picking a Destiny until they find something during play that they want to base a Destiny around, but try and avoid them just handing the biggest opportunity they have to tell you what's cool about both their character and the game world over with a shrug. - IMAGinES

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be almost equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken int he story, or in a face to face confrtonation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in Star Wars, and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and Saga doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* If it's too easy, more show up.
* If it's too hard, stop sending them in.
* If it starts getting boring, finish the combat.
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and z95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

== Source Information ==

In designing a campaign you do have a double edge sword, there is a lot of material out. The Expanded Universe has been developed quite extensively through comics and books. Lucas has made a point to keep everything consistent as possible between all things Star Wars, to the point where game designers need Lucas’ approval to use characters. Additionally, other publishers can use anything printed from one publisher. Fortunately, you do not have to read everything that is out there to know what is going on. The SW community has brought most information online. I use [http://starwars.wikia.com/ Wookieepedia] to look things up, there is also the [http://holonet.swrpgnetwork.com/ Holonet]. This is an excellent source of material. The drawback to all this is that Wizards has not scratch the surface of all this material for the game. So expect to have to create and make things. I have had make racial stats for Besalisks, Gree, Ubese and Polite (my own race); fighter ships for Gree, weapons for Gree and Polite, a ship for the characters. All that was for the first adventure. The other drawback to this massive amount of information is that there already is a history. So you have to choose how much of it are you going to follow. I am playing during the New Republic and have dumped most of that history at that time and what “would” happen. - Phlophouse

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-03T08:37:36Z

IMAGinES: /* Source Information */

[[Category:How_to_Run|Star_Wars_Saga_Edition]]
In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 SWSE - Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download [http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=866480 the SagaSheet Excel document].

=== Destiny ===

Do not leave Destiny until the end of chargen. Make sure it's one of the first things you discuss in the middle of all the stuff like where and when the game is set and who the characters are. Destinies are, I think, a lot like Keys in The Shadow of Yesterday; a great way for your players to tell you they reckon will be fun about their characters and their corner of the Star Wars galaxy.

This may be my personal taste here, but I'm tempted to go as far as saying that you should never let a player just hand their character's Destiny over to you. Let them know that you're willing to let them defer picking a Destiny until they find something during play that they want to base a Destiny around, but try and avoid them just handing the biggest opportunity they have to tell you what's cool about both their character and the game world over with a shrug. - IMAGinES

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be almost equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken int he story, or in a face to face confrtonation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in Star Wars, and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and Saga doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* if its too easy, more show up
* if its too hard, stop sending them in
* if it starts getting boring, finish the combat
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and z95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

== Source Information ==

In designing a campaign you do have a double edge sword, there is a lot of material out. The Expanded Universe has been developed quite extensively through comics and books. Lucas has made a point to keep everything consistent as possible between all things Star Wars, to the point where game designers need Lucas’ approval to use characters. Additionally, other publishers can use anything printed from one publisher. Fortunately, you do not have to read everything that is out there to know what is going on. The SW community has brought most information online. I use [http://starwars.wikia.com/ Wookieepedia] to look things up, there is also the [http://holonet.swrpgnetwork.com/ Holonet]. This is an excellent source of material. The drawback to all this is that Wizards has not scratch the surface of all this material for the game. So expect to have to create and make things. I have had make racial stats for Besalisks, Gree, Ubese and Polite (my own race); fighter ships for Gree, weapons for Gree and Polite, a ship for the characters. All that was for the first adventure. The other drawback to this massive amount of information is that there already is a history. So you have to choose how much of it are you going to follow. I am playing during the New Republic and have dumped most of that history at that time and what “would” happen. - Phlophouse

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-03T08:30:26Z

IMAGinES: /* Starships */

[[Category:How_to_Run|Star_Wars_Saga_Edition]]
In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 SWSE - Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download [http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=866480 the SagaSheet Excel document].

=== Destiny ===

Do not leave Destiny until the end of chargen. Make sure it's one of the first things you discuss in the middle of all the stuff like where and when the game is set and who the characters are. Destinies are, I think, a lot like Keys in The Shadow of Yesterday; a great way for your players to tell you they reckon will be fun about their characters and their corner of the Star Wars galaxy.

This may be my personal taste here, but I'm tempted to go as far as saying that you should never let a player just hand their character's Destiny over to you. Let them know that you're willing to let them defer picking a Destiny until they find something during play that they want to base a Destiny around, but try and avoid them just handing the biggest opportunity they have to tell you what's cool about both their character and the game world over with a shrug. - IMAGinES

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be almost equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken int he story, or in a face to face confrtonation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in Star Wars, and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and Saga doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* if its too easy, more show up
* if its too hard, stop sending them in
* if it starts getting boring, finish the combat
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and z95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

== Source Information ==

In designing a campaign you do have a double edge sword, there is a lot of material out. The Expanded Universe has been developed quite extensively through comics and books. Lucas has made a point to keep everything consistent as possible between all things Star Wars, to the point where game designers need Luca’s approval to use characters. Additionally, other publishers can use anything printed from one publisher. Fortunately, you do not have to read everything that is out there to know what is going on. The SW community has brought most information online. I use wookieepedia to look things up, there is also the Holonet. This is an excellent source of material. The drawback to all this is that Wizards has not scratch the surface of all this material for the game. So expect to have to create and make things. I have had make racial stats for Besalisks, Gree, Ubese and Polite(my own race); fighter ships for Gree, weapons for Gree and Polite, a ship for the characters. All that was for the first adventure. The other drawback to this massive amount of information is that there already is a history. So you have to choose how much of it are you going to follow. I am playing during the new republic and have dumped most of that history at that time and what “would” happen. - Phlophouse

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-03T08:28:25Z

IMAGinES: /* Creating Characters */

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-03T08:28:14Z

IMAGinES: /* Creating Characters */

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-03T08:22:56Z

IMAGinES: /* Creating Characters */

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-03T08:20:02Z

IMAGinES: Categories added.

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-03T08:19:45Z

IMAGinES: Categories added.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Star_Wars_Saga_Edition]]
In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 <nowiki>[SWSE]</nowiki> Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download the SagaSheet Excel document.

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be almost equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken int he story, or in a face to face confrtonation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in Star Wars, and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and Saga doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* if its too easy, more show up
* if its too hard, stop sending them in
* if it starts getting boring, finish the combat
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and z95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-03T06:56:02Z

IMAGinES:

In the main, the contents of this page are drawn from the thread, [http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=368680 <nowiki>[SWSE]</nowiki> Any advice for running the game?] Any additional sources will be cited in the text.

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download the SagaSheet Excel document.

== Classes ==

While they don't always look it, Nobles and Crime Lords are the most powerful characters in the game. Because of the way Saga is set up, anything that grants additional standard actions, especially immediate standard actions, is a godsend. A Crime Lord and a Sith, working in concert can act like an Infinite Force Lightning Generator. This is awesome. - OldKentuckyShark

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be almost equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken int he story, or in a face to face confrtonation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

== Equipment ==

Equipment really doesn't matter in Star Wars, and it can take a while for players to figure this out. Money is also largely unimportant. Other than really expensive high end armor, lightsabres, battle droids, or star fighters, there's really nothing worth buying that can't be replaced at the drop of a hat. This can be very liberating, or very frustrating, depending on the player; some people are just natural gearheads, and Saga doesn't support the gearhead ideology very well, no matter what the web enhancements say. For these players, I reccomend introducing "prestige" gear: fancy colored lightsaber crystals, antique mandalorian armor, double-secret encrypted commlinks, rare starship mods, souped up swoop bikes, etc. It doesn't need to actually do anything, but it makes gearhead types and collector types feel better. - OldKentuckyShark

== The Force ==

The Force is strong in this one. My concerns in the game are that my two Force users will outstrip my non-Force user. So far, it hasn't happened, but the Jedi kicked some serious butt last session until he ran into the Sith apprentice. Thats when the Noble saved his bacon with a Force Point driven critical hit. My players are third level though and I haven't seen the mid-levels of the game yet. - PaladinCA

I've run two games so far with players in the 8th-12th level range. While the Force-users are a bit more potent, it's not as bad a discrepancy as the previous version of the game (or WEG's version). Once players realize that the game allows them to be more flexible, it's an amazing transformation. - Ifshnit

I have four Jedi and a Scout in my game. The Jedi are balanced by expanding feats and skills to use the Force effectively. They also need several high stats. That plus getting into the fray balances them in combat. Outside, the Scout shines, because all of his skills. - Ceti

== PC Competence ==

PCs are quite competent. At third level, feel free to throw dozens of 1st level peons at them and they are likely to win in exciting fashion. No one in our party has even come close to death yet (statistically) although the Jedi was in definite peril from the 3rd level Dark Jedi and the Scout got incapacitated by a wookie in session two (who knocked the Scout silly with his bare hands). Also, Force Points can pull a character's bacon out of the fire. As long as a PC has at least one remaining, he is unlikely to actually DIE on the spot from the stray critical hit or mishap. - PaladinCA

== Destiny Points ==

Beware the power of Destiny Points. Level 5 characters who have been saving their Destiny points can and will defeat a Level 12 Sith Lord without taking losses. Believe it. - Egyptian

== Combat ==

Watch the movies. Get a feel for how actions typically happens. Minions are time and resource-killers, they are not and should not be expected to actually do significant damage to heroes - just delay them long enough to fail in their objective. - Bahama'at

Think terrain - dynamic terrain, dramatic terrain. Make the fights seem cool to players. - Bahama'at

I send mooks in waves and have some heavies handy, so I can balance the situation:
* if its too easy, more show up
* if its too hard, stop sending them in
* if it starts getting boring, finish the combat
I also like to assign goals for combat. So instead of just having a fight, players need to get to the turbolift, break through a door under fire or fix the ship, while holding off the opposition. - Ceti

I threw upwards of thirty mooks a combat and didn't really slow combat to a crawl as per previous editions (although it still took a little while) and the players were able to feel heroic as they just mowed 'em down. What's also nice is that you can throw NPCs with hero levels at or just slightly above the PC's average level and actually have them be a threat all by themselves. - Ifshnit

== Starships ==

Transport-size star ships are floating coffins if you don't have the Vehicular Combat feat. Even with it, they're pretty rough: the -10 Size penalty is difficult to overcome, no matter how good a pilot you are, and they don't have much in the way of hit points. Other than that, the ship to ship combat rules are pretty darn fun, and easy to grasp. Starfighter combat is fast, and occasionally vicious: even mook ships like TIE fighters and z95s do significant damage, and ships don't have inflating hit point pools (on the other hand, most PCs of 10+ level will reliably survive the destruction of their ship, if they have a spacesuit). - OldKentuckyShark

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-03T05:37:29Z

IMAGinES: Introduction added.

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-03T05:06:49Z

IMAGinES: /* NPCs */

== Creating Characters ==

Probably the first thing any Internet-enabled GM or player should do is download the SagaSheet Excel document.

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for NPC Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be almost equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken int he story, or in a face to face confrtonation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

How to Run:Star Wars Saga Edition

2008-03-03T04:43:16Z

IMAGinES: Bahama'at's NPC Notes added.

== NPCs ==

=== Bahama'at's Rule of Thumb for Nonheroic Levels ===

The ratio is relative to the relationship to the PCs (so in a game where Vader isn't the primary focus, for example, Vader may be downgraded from his stats in the book to 'mere' lieutenant as below). This also works if by pure serendipity a character not initially planned to be a major antagonist manages to capture the imagination of the group (that one Stormtrooper manages to keep surviving combat with the PCs, that Commerce Guild minion you ridiculed) - as they become more important to the game/characters, you change the ratio and they accumulate narrative immunity that keeps pace with the PCs.

Your total minion - 100% nonheroic levels

Your slightly above average minion (the Stormtrooper officer, the elite goon) - 75% nonheroic, 25% heroic (usually 1-2 levels, enough for a talent or two and some better hit points).

Your "challenge" encounter (my example for this in my game are Stormtroopers from the 501st) - 50-60% nonheroic, the rest heroic. Gives them some teeth, but they are still hampered. This character is usually 2 or more levels below the PCs average level (obviously at the very low levels this isn't possible).

The villain's lieutenant/right hand/subcommander (in essence, the Vader to your Emperor) - 75-90% heroic. They should be almost equal to a full character, with just enough softness so the PCs don't use up too many Force Points/Destiny Points dealing with them. This sort of character is also within 1-2 levels of the PCs in either direction (your crime lord's lieutenant may be a level below them, your Darth Maul may be a level above them).

Ultimate villain (your Darth Sidious/Malak/Cadeus or whatever) - 95-100% heroic. I put 95% because sometimes a level or two of nonheroic can be useful (they do get a wide variety of feats at that first level) or it takes the hard edge off the villain. This sort of villain I usually put several (3+) levels above the PCs - this is the showdown that is resolved by previous actions taken int he story, or in a face to face confrtonation it is supposed to be the fight where Destiny/Force points flow like water.

[http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=8543644&postcount=2 Source]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2007-08-11T00:27:50Z

IMAGinES: Shifted "get onboard" idea into Click Moment subheader.

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Karlman, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast] (which Paka co-hosts). Additional threads will be cited as they are included.

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Paka uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* '''Bring a couple of ideas to the pitch:''' "I usually have a couple of unformed concepts that I can drop in, just to start conversations going. They don't have to be elaborate. Last session, someone said 'Orwellian', which generated half an hour of discussion. Sometimes just saying something like "I'd like seeing shows with subtext" can be enough." [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230138#msg230138]
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far. Remi Treuer of [http://www.durham3.com/ the Durham 3] describes this pause-and-review as "synthesis", as when he does it as Producer, he tries to draw concepts together and connect them to each other.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
** '''Talk to the quietest person:''' "I specifically look for the person who hasn't been contributing as much, and ask them what they think about what's going on. And I keep the attention on them until they start to open up about what they like and don't like, and any other ideas they have. Even if people start over-riding them or jamming on those ideas, I keep trying to bring it back to the quietest person." [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230138#msg230138]
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)
** Remi Treuer uses [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233883#msg233883 a neat trick when Producing the Pitch]: "I insisted (quite strongly at one point) that there be NO negative input, only positive. I think that for a compressed game, this is the only possible way to eventually reach consensus. It also has the added effect of everyone adding information and no one getting denied on their Big Thing and disengaging." Remi details this further [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233902#msg233902 here].

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to buy into the show idea or else they won't bother coming back for the next session.
** A neat trick is to ask anyone who's not buying into the group's idea is to ask him or her, "How can this idea become interesting for you?" Matt M noted of a play session, "One of the players isn't really on board with the concept. Something just isn't clicking. So the GM asks her 'what would it take to get you onboard with this?' And she ponders for a bit and says 'What if I was the Queen in disguise.' And suddenly everything clicks into place, from why the rookie captain has such a great ship, why his first officer resents him and what the series' story arc would be." [http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=7121357&postcount=12]
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Creating the Cast ==

* '''Choose your Screen Presence 3 first:''' "Sometimes I’ve found players get intimidated with the various different combinations their SP 1,2,3 could go in. When I ask them to just focus on where they think their pivotal episode will be (beginning, middle or end), they find things fall into place much more quickly." [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230031#msg230031]

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors (as in actual, real life actors, not made-up actors) playing the lead characters and any important supporting cast you've identified.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Playing Episodes =

== Scenes ==

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

== Conflict Resolution ==

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so, whether it's her test scores, her relationship with her mother or even the lives of her friends. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then comes up to the conflict. Paka makes sure everyone is heading toward the conflict and not dancing away from it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome them. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

== Fan Mail ==

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

=== The Fingerwave ===

The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2007-08-11T00:17:36Z

IMAGinES: Paka's last name changed back to "Karlman" per SoK podcast credits.

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Karlman, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast] (which Paka co-hosts). Additional threads will be cited as they are included.

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Paka uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* '''Bring a couple of ideas to the pitch:''' "I usually have a couple of unformed concepts that I can drop in, just to start conversations going. They don't have to be elaborate. Last session, someone said 'Orwellian', which generated half an hour of discussion. Sometimes just saying something like "I'd like seeing shows with subtext" can be enough." [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230138#msg230138]
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far. Remi Treuer of [http://www.durham3.com/ the Durham 3] describes this pause-and-review as "synthesis", as when he does it as Producer, he tries to draw concepts together and connect them to each other.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
** '''Talk to the quietest person:''' "I specifically look for the person who hasn't been contributing as much, and ask them what they think about what's going on. And I keep the attention on them until they start to open up about what they like and don't like, and any other ideas they have. Even if people start over-riding them or jamming on those ideas, I keep trying to bring it back to the quietest person." [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230138#msg230138]
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)
** A neat corollary is to ask anyone who's not buying into the group's idea is to ask him or her, "How can this idea become interesting for you?" Matt M noted of a play session, "One of the players isn't really on board with the concept. Something just isn't clicking. So the GM asks her 'what would it take to get you onboard with this?' And she ponders for a bit and says 'What if I was the Queen in disguise.' And suddenly everything clicks into place, from why the rookie captain has such a great ship, why his first officer resents him and what the series' story arc would be." [http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=7121357&postcount=12]
** Remi Treuer uses [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233883#msg233883 a neat trick when Producing the Pitch]: "I insisted (quite strongly at one point) that there be NO negative input, only positive. I think that for a compressed game, this is the only possible way to eventually reach consensus. It also has the added effect of everyone adding information and no one getting denied on their Big Thing and disengaging." Remi details this further [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233902#msg233902 here].

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to buy into the show idea or else they won't bother coming back for the next session.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Creating the Cast ==

* '''Choose your Screen Presence 3 first:''' "Sometimes I’ve found players get intimidated with the various different combinations their SP 1,2,3 could go in. When I ask them to just focus on where they think their pivotal episode will be (beginning, middle or end), they find things fall into place much more quickly." [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230031#msg230031]

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors (as in actual, real life actors, not made-up actors) playing the lead characters and any important supporting cast you've identified.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Playing Episodes =

== Scenes ==

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

== Conflict Resolution ==

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so, whether it's her test scores, her relationship with her mother or even the lives of her friends. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then comes up to the conflict. Paka makes sure everyone is heading toward the conflict and not dancing away from it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome them. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

== Fan Mail ==

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

=== The Fingerwave ===

The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2007-08-11T00:06:50Z

IMAGinES: /* Creating the Cast */

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Harris, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast] (which Paka co-hosts). Additional threads will be cited as they are included.

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Paka uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* '''Bring a couple of ideas to the pitch:''' "I usually have a couple of unformed concepts that I can drop in, just to start conversations going. They don't have to be elaborate. Last session, someone said 'Orwellian', which generated half an hour of discussion. Sometimes just saying something like "I'd like seeing shows with subtext" can be enough." [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230138#msg230138]
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far. Remi Treuer of [http://www.durham3.com/ the Durham 3] describes this pause-and-review as "synthesis", as when he does it as Producer, he tries to draw concepts together and connect them to each other.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
** '''Talk to the quietest person:''' "I specifically look for the person who hasn't been contributing as much, and ask them what they think about what's going on. And I keep the attention on them until they start to open up about what they like and don't like, and any other ideas they have. Even if people start over-riding them or jamming on those ideas, I keep trying to bring it back to the quietest person." [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230138#msg230138]
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)
** A neat corollary is to ask anyone who's not buying into the group's idea is to ask him or her, "How can this idea become interesting for you?" Matt M noted of a play session, "One of the players isn't really on board with the concept. Something just isn't clicking. So the GM asks her 'what would it take to get you onboard with this?' And she ponders for a bit and says 'What if I was the Queen in disguise.' And suddenly everything clicks into place, from why the rookie captain has such a great ship, why his first officer resents him and what the series' story arc would be." [http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=7121357&postcount=12]
** Remi Treuer uses [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233883#msg233883 a neat trick when Producing the Pitch]: "I insisted (quite strongly at one point) that there be NO negative input, only positive. I think that for a compressed game, this is the only possible way to eventually reach consensus. It also has the added effect of everyone adding information and no one getting denied on their Big Thing and disengaging." Remi details this further [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233902#msg233902 here].

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to buy into the show idea or else they won't bother coming back for the next session.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Creating the Cast ==

* '''Choose your Screen Presence 3 first:''' "Sometimes I’ve found players get intimidated with the various different combinations their SP 1,2,3 could go in. When I ask them to just focus on where they think their pivotal episode will be (beginning, middle or end), they find things fall into place much more quickly." [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230031#msg230031]

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors (as in actual, real life actors, not made-up actors) playing the lead characters and any important supporting cast you've identified.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Playing Episodes =

== Scenes ==

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

== Conflict Resolution ==

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so, whether it's her test scores, her relationship with her mother or even the lives of her friends. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then comes up to the conflict. Paka makes sure everyone is heading toward the conflict and not dancing away from it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome them. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

== Fan Mail ==

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

=== The Fingerwave ===

The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2007-08-11T00:06:01Z

IMAGinES:

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Harris, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast] (which Paka co-hosts). Additional threads will be cited as they are included.

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Paka uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* '''Bring a couple of ideas to the pitch:''' "I usually have a couple of unformed concepts that I can drop in, just to start conversations going. They don't have to be elaborate. Last session, someone said 'Orwellian', which generated half an hour of discussion. Sometimes just saying something like "I'd like seeing shows with subtext" can be enough." [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230138#msg230138]
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far. Remi Treuer of [http://www.durham3.com/ the Durham 3] describes this pause-and-review as "synthesis", as when he does it as Producer, he tries to draw concepts together and connect them to each other.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
** '''Talk to the quietest person:''' "I specifically look for the person who hasn't been contributing as much, and ask them what they think about what's going on. And I keep the attention on them until they start to open up about what they like and don't like, and any other ideas they have. Even if people start over-riding them or jamming on those ideas, I keep trying to bring it back to the quietest person." [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230138#msg230138]
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)
** A neat corollary is to ask anyone who's not buying into the group's idea is to ask him or her, "How can this idea become interesting for you?" Matt M noted of a play session, "One of the players isn't really on board with the concept. Something just isn't clicking. So the GM asks her 'what would it take to get you onboard with this?' And she ponders for a bit and says 'What if I was the Queen in disguise.' And suddenly everything clicks into place, from why the rookie captain has such a great ship, why his first officer resents him and what the series' story arc would be." [http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=7121357&postcount=12]
** Remi Treuer uses [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233883#msg233883 a neat trick when Producing the Pitch]: "I insisted (quite strongly at one point) that there be NO negative input, only positive. I think that for a compressed game, this is the only possible way to eventually reach consensus. It also has the added effect of everyone adding information and no one getting denied on their Big Thing and disengaging." Remi details this further [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233902#msg233902 here].

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to buy into the show idea or else they won't bother coming back for the next session.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Creating the Cast ==

* '''Choose your Screen Presence 3 first:''' Sometimes I’ve found players get intimidated with the various different combinations their SP 1,2,3 could go in. When I ask them to just focus on where they think their pivotal episode will be (beginning, middle or end), they find things fall into place much more quickly. [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230031#msg230031]

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors (as in actual, real life actors, not made-up actors) playing the lead characters and any important supporting cast you've identified.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Playing Episodes =

== Scenes ==

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

== Conflict Resolution ==

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so, whether it's her test scores, her relationship with her mother or even the lives of her friends. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then comes up to the conflict. Paka makes sure everyone is heading toward the conflict and not dancing away from it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome them. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

== Fan Mail ==

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

=== The Fingerwave ===

The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2007-08-10T23:52:53Z

IMAGinES: /* Conflict Resolution */

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Harris, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast] (which Paka co-hosts). Additional threads will be cited as they are included.

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Paka uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* '''Bring a couple of ideas to the pitch:''' "I usually have a couple of unformed concepts that I can drop in, just to start conversations going. They don't have to be elaborate. Last session, someone said 'Orwellian', which generated half an hour of discussion. Sometimes just saying something like "I'd like seeing shows with subtext" can be enough." [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230138#msg230138]
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far. Remi Treuer of [http://www.durham3.com/ the Durham 3] describes this pause-and-review as "synthesis", as when he does it as Producer, he tries to draw concepts together and connect them to each other.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
** '''Talk to the quietest person:''' "I specifically look for the person who hasn't been contributing as much, and ask them what they think about what's going on. And I keep the attention on them until they start to open up about what they like and don't like, and any other ideas they have. Even if people start over-riding them or jamming on those ideas, I keep trying to bring it back to the quietest person." [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230138#msg230138]
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)
** A neat corollary is to ask anyone who's not buying into the group's idea is to ask him or her, "How can this idea become interesting for you?" Matt M noted of a play session, "One of the players isn't really on board with the concept. Something just isn't clicking. So the GM asks her 'what would it take to get you onboard with this?' And she ponders for a bit and says 'What if I was the Queen in disguise.' And suddenly everything clicks into place, from why the rookie captain has such a great ship, why his first officer resents him and what the series' story arc would be." [http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=7121357&postcount=12]
** Remi Treuer uses [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233883#msg233883 a neat trick when Producing the Pitch]: "I insisted (quite strongly at one point) that there be NO negative input, only positive. I think that for a compressed game, this is the only possible way to eventually reach consensus. It also has the added effect of everyone adding information and no one getting denied on their Big Thing and disengaging." Remi details this further [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233902#msg233902 here].

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to buy into the show idea or else they won't bother coming back for the next session.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Creating the Cast ==

* '''Choose your Screen Presence 3 first:''' Sometimes I’ve found players get intimidated with the various different combinations their SP 1,2,3 could go in. When I ask them to just focus on where they think their pivotal episode will be (beginning, middle or end), they find things fall into place much more quickly. [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230031#msg230031]

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors (as in actual, real life actors, not made-up actors) playing the lead characters and any important supporting cast you've identified.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Scenes =

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

= Conflict Resolution =

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so, whether it's her test scores, her relationship with her mother or even the lives of her friends. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then comes up to the conflict. Paka makes sure everyone is heading toward the conflict and not dancing away from it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome them. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

= Fan Mail =

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

== The Fingerwave ==

* The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2007-08-10T23:51:43Z

IMAGinES: More advice added.

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Harris, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast] (which Paka co-hosts). Additional threads will be cited as they are included.

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Paka uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* '''Bring a couple of ideas to the pitch:''' "I usually have a couple of unformed concepts that I can drop in, just to start conversations going. They don't have to be elaborate. Last session, someone said 'Orwellian', which generated half an hour of discussion. Sometimes just saying something like "I'd like seeing shows with subtext" can be enough." [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230138#msg230138]
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far. Remi Treuer of [http://www.durham3.com/ the Durham 3] describes this pause-and-review as "synthesis", as when he does it as Producer, he tries to draw concepts together and connect them to each other.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
** '''Talk to the quietest person:''' "I specifically look for the person who hasn't been contributing as much, and ask them what they think about what's going on. And I keep the attention on them until they start to open up about what they like and don't like, and any other ideas they have. Even if people start over-riding them or jamming on those ideas, I keep trying to bring it back to the quietest person." [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230138#msg230138]
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)
** A neat corollary is to ask anyone who's not buying into the group's idea is to ask him or her, "How can this idea become interesting for you?" Matt M noted of a play session, "One of the players isn't really on board with the concept. Something just isn't clicking. So the GM asks her 'what would it take to get you onboard with this?' And she ponders for a bit and says 'What if I was the Queen in disguise.' And suddenly everything clicks into place, from why the rookie captain has such a great ship, why his first officer resents him and what the series' story arc would be." [http://forum.rpg.net/showpost.php?p=7121357&postcount=12]
** Remi Treuer uses [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233883#msg233883 a neat trick when Producing the Pitch]: "I insisted (quite strongly at one point) that there be NO negative input, only positive. I think that for a compressed game, this is the only possible way to eventually reach consensus. It also has the added effect of everyone adding information and no one getting denied on their Big Thing and disengaging." Remi details this further [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233902#msg233902 here].

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to buy into the show idea or else they won't bother coming back for the next session.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Creating the Cast ==

* '''Choose your Screen Presence 3 first:''' Sometimes I’ve found players get intimidated with the various different combinations their SP 1,2,3 could go in. When I ask them to just focus on where they think their pivotal episode will be (beginning, middle or end), they find things fall into place much more quickly. [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230031#msg230031]

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors (as in actual, real life actors, not made-up actors) playing the lead characters and any important supporting cast you've identified.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Scenes =

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

= Conflict Resolution =

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then comes up to the conflict. Paka makes sure everyone is heading toward the conflict and not dancing away from it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome them. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

= Fan Mail =

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

== The Fingerwave ==

* The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2007-08-10T23:39:03Z

IMAGinES:

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Harris, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast] (which Paka co-hosts). Additional threads will be cited as they are included.

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Paka uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)
** Remi Treuer of [http://www.durham3.com/ the Durham 3] uses [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233883#msg233883 a neat trick when Producing the Pitch]: "I insisted (quite strongly at one point) that there be NO negative input, only positive. I think that for a compressed game, this is the only possible way to eventually reach consensus. It also has the added effect of everyone adding information and no one getting denied on their Big Thing and disengaging." Remi details this further [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233902#msg233902 here].

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to buy into the show idea or else they won't bother coming back for the next session.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Creating the Cast ==

* '''Choose your Screen Presence 3 first:''' Sometimes I’ve found players get intimidated with the various different combinations their SP 1,2,3 could go in. When I ask them to just focus on where they think their pivotal episode will be (beginning, middle or end), they find things fall into place much more quickly. [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230031#msg230031]

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors (as in actual, real life actors, not made-up actors) playing the lead characters and any important supporting cast you've identified.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Scenes =

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

= Conflict Resolution =

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then comes up to the conflict. Paka makes sure everyone is heading toward the conflict and not dancing away from it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome them. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

= Fan Mail =

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

== The Fingerwave ==

* The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2007-08-10T23:34:40Z

IMAGinES:

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Harris, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast] (which Paka co-hosts). Additional threads will be cited as they are included.

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Paka uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)
** Remi Treuer of [http://www.durham3.com/ the Durham 3] uses [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233883#msg233883 a neat trick when Producing the Pitch]: "I insisted (quite strongly at one point) that there be NO negative input, only positive. I think that for a compressed game, this is the only possible way to eventually reach consensus. It also has the added effect of everyone adding information and no one getting denied on their Big Thing and disengaging." Remi details this further [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233902#msg233902 here].

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to buy into the show idea or else they won't bother coming back for the next session.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Creating the Cast ==

* '''Choose your Screen Presence 3 first:''' Sometimes I’ve found players get intimidated with the various different combinations their SP 1,2,3 could go in. When I ask them to just focus on where they think their pivotal episode will be (beginning, middle or end), they find things fall into place much more quickly. <ref>http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230031#msg230031</ref>

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors (as in actual, real life actors, not made-up actors) playing the lead characters and any important supporting cast you've identified.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Scenes =

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

= Conflict Resolution =

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then comes up to the conflict. Paka makes sure everyone is heading toward the conflict and not dancing away from it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome them. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

= Fan Mail =

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

== The Fingerwave ==

* The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2007-08-10T23:33:24Z

IMAGinES: Additional advice added.

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Harris, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast] (which Paka co-hosts). Additional threads will be cited as they are included.

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Paka uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)
** Remi Treuer of [http://www.durham3.com/ the Durham 3] uses [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233883#msg233883 a neat trick when Producing the Pitch]: "I insisted (quite strongly at one point) that there be NO negative input, only positive. I think that for a compressed game, this is the only possible way to eventually reach consensus. It also has the added effect of everyone adding information and no one getting denied on their Big Thing and disengaging." Remi details this further [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233902#msg233902 here].

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to buy into the show idea or else they won't bother coming back for the next session.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Creating the Cast ==

* '''Choose your Screen Presence 3 first:''' Sometimes I’ve found players get intimidated with the various different combinations their SP 1,2,3 could go in. When I ask them to just focus on where they think their pivotal episode will be (beginning, middle or end), they find things fall into place much more quickly.<ref>http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23282.msg230031#msg230031</ref>

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors (as in actual, real life actors, not made-up actors) playing the lead characters and any important supporting cast you've identified.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Scenes =

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

= Conflict Resolution =

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then comes up to the conflict. Paka makes sure everyone is heading toward the conflict and not dancing away from it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome them. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

= Fan Mail =

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

== The Fingerwave ==

* The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2007-08-10T23:26:22Z

IMAGinES:

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Harris, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast] (which Paka co-hosts). Additional threads will be cited as they are included.

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Paka uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)
** Remi Treuer of [http://www.durham3.com/ the Durham 3] uses [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233883#msg233883 a neat trick when Producing the Pitch]: "I insisted (quite strongly at one point) that there be NO negative input, only positive. I think that for a compressed game, this is the only possible way to eventually reach consensus. It also has the added effect of everyone adding information and no one getting denied on their Big Thing and disengaging." Remi details this further [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=23859.msg233902#msg233902 here].

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to buy into the show idea or else they won't bother coming back for the next session.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors (as in actual, real life actors, not made-up actors) playing the lead characters and any important supporting cast you've identified.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Scenes =

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

= Conflict Resolution =

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then comes up to the conflict. Paka makes sure everyone is heading toward the conflict and not dancing away from it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome them. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

= Fan Mail =

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

== The Fingerwave ==

* The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

Iron Empires Glossary

2006-10-21T01:34:06Z

IMAGinES: Corvus and Crucis split into two parts.

See also [[Burning Empires acronyms list]]

<br>
; Ahmilahk : The six-fingered prophet. Founder of the Mundus Humanitas.
; AIC : Advanced Intrusion Countermeasures.
; Anvil : Planet-based armed forces: soldiers, tanks and planes. Also refers to unpowered infantry armor.
; Archcotare : The highest ranking religious official on the planet.
; Arch Metropolitan : Another title for the Primarch.
; Armiger : Armorbearer to a noble.
; Bright Mark : Because psychology was so greatly feared during the Federation Era, DNA markings were placed in most citizens. Each time the Psychologist uses his innate powers, this mark glows brightly in a long line from forehead to cheek over the left eye. Eventually, as the Psychologist uses his abilities more and more, the mark scars and can be seen even when psychology is not in use. It is a mark of pride in the courts of the Karsan League, but reviled nearly everywhere else.
; CEBW ("chebu" or "ceebu") : Coherent-Energy Beam Weapon.
; Church of Transition (CHOT) : A polytheistic cult that has taken root in the Darikahn Empire’s southern reaches. The CHOT believes in a series of gods that each has dominion over a particular aspect of creation. There are seasonal gods, rain gods, earth gods, fire gods and others. Each is prayed to for assistance in overcoming the elements, having favorable weather and receiving blessings on the home. They are all governed by a matriarchal deity sometimes referred to as Dana but usually simply as "the Goddess." It is called the Church of the Transition because its principal doctrine is that transition is the path of nature. All things begin as one thing and transform to another.
; Cnihts : Gonzagin who identify with the old guard of Gonzagin nobility — even if they are not nobles themselves — and use this identification to justify the Gonzagin pretensions to the Hanrilke throne.
; Coeptir : Young noble, usually under the age of 15, employed as a page, squire, or midshipman.
; Corvus : The state of permanent depilation of the scalp that is a mark of honour amongst the Lords-Pilot. It is required in order to implant a crucis (see below), although some illegal techniques allow the implantee to keep his or hear scalp hair.
; Crucis : An electronic port that is built into the back of the head at the occipital lobe to allow control of iron or hammer. Through this interface, the machine responds to mental commands and monitors vital signs. The crucis gets its name from the cross shape of the implant. It is large enough to be seen clearly on the back on the head and is a badge of honor for all who have one.
; Cotar : Priest of the Mundus Humanitas.
; Cotar Antistes : Senior priest, elected, who officially represents the Church and presides over certain important ceremonies. His word has force of law.
; Cotar Arderes : Another title for the Primarch.
; Cotar Fomas : A priest much like a regular cotar, but he is also a warrior. He has all the powers of a cotar, but he also commands an arm of the Mundus Humanitas’ military. Unlike a cotar, who is commanded by the dregutai, a cotar fomas answers directly to the archcotare. While he cannot act without the archcotare’s leave, the cotar fomas has broadranging powers. He deploys his units as he sees fit and is the archcotare’s enforcer.
; Cyrean : Heretics of the Comoran Empire who do not believe in the supremacy of the Mundus Humanitas. They believe the church is morally bankrupt, decadent and corrupt. Their own churches preach the Prophet’s teachings, but they have no fortress temples, no primarch and no massive church bureaucracy. Their religious power is decentralized and their faith more egalitarian. Cyreans are vehement in their beliefs — they believe the Mundus Humanitas jeopardizes souls rather than saving them. Devout Cyreans are committed to its eradication.
; Dregus (pl. Dregutai) : Prelates elected from the cotars. They work as adjuncts for the archcotare, advising and assisting him. They carry out his will and supervise the cotars. Dregutai often officiate at temple services in the absence of the archcotare. When the archcotare does perform the duties himself, the noncelebrant officials are always dregutai. A dregus can become quite powerful if he serves a weak archcotare. Much like the metropolitans are to the Primarch, they are "the power behind the throne." Crossing an influential one is a dangerous business.
; Distortion Drive : A drive technology that manipulates the value of time to allow faster-than-light interstellar travel.
; Eremite : Hermit.
; First Speaker : Senior member of the Circle of 10,000.
; Foundation : Psychologist cabal or school.
; Forged : Combining both Anvil and Hammer elements.
; Fusor : A squad support weapon that projects a tongue of plasma, energized to the point of nuclear fusion, at great distance and with great effect.
; Fuur : The Fuur are a mythical alien race who were encountered by the Federated Empire. According to legend, their small culture was absorbed into humankind and the Fuur simply ceased to be.
; Gunda : Brutal nomadic tribes who flourish by exploiting the resources, (human, industrial & mineral), of the planets they conquer. After milking a world dry they move on, leaving a ruined husk in their wake.
; Grav/Pressor : A technology that manipulates gravity to provide reactionless drive inside a gravity well.
; Hammer : Space-based naval forces: battleships, cruisers and transports.
; Hanrilke : The last dynasty to rule the old Federated Empire. Their collapse brought on the age of the Iron Empires.
; HE (1) : Hanrilke Era; the common time reckoning system in the Iron Empires. The Hanrilke Calendar consists of 360 days, divided into 4 quarters: "RISING" from days 1-90, "APEX" from days 91-180, "WANING" from days 181 -270, and "NADIR", from days 271-360. This is a Mundus inspired, seasonal "wheel" which most human worlds use in conjunction with a local, planetary calendar. The Darikahn Court, because of antipathy towards the Mundus Church, uses the Hanrilke Calendar of days, but refers to the quarters as "FIRST QUARTER", "SECOND QUARTER", and so on. The first Hanrilke Emperor, Ober I, took control of the dying Federational Empire in the year FE 10,101 and ruled for 35 years. He established the Hanrilke calendar in the first year of his reign, setting HE year 0 to correspond with the Federation Calendar's year FE 10,000. This means that the Hanrilke Era actually is 101 years shorter than its calendar indicates. Ober knew the value of a "long tradition of rule", even if it was illusory.
; HE (2) : High-Explosive.
; HEAP : High-Explosive, Armor Penetrating.
; HEAT : Hyper-Endothermic Assimilation Technology. A HEAT suit provides excellent heat masking and moderate visual cloaking.
; Iron : Vernacular for a particular type of mechanized armor. It is perhaps a noble’s single greatest status symbol—an honor and a privilege allowed to only the nobility and the most accomplished warriors. The Iron Empires take their name from the symbolic image of wars and conquest led by nobles clad in iron. Though it is cumbersome, iron is ingenious in its design. It is a selfcontained environmental suit that turns a human being into a small tank. Power, locomotion, protection, and life support are all provided by the suit. An iron company is a formidable force.
; Kerrn : Race tthat was genetically engineered by the Vaylen to serve them; however, after only a generation or two, the Kerrn's remarkable immune system rejected the Vaylen tampering. Kerrn have a fiere hatred for the Vaylen and their engineered slave races. They are large and green, with brightly coloured eye patches.
; Kunmai : The Kunmai are one of the more powerful groups in the Karsan League. They hold to imperial tradition, while ascribing to the more liberal views common to the people of the Karsan League. Since the collapse of the Hanrilke dynasty, the Kunmai have promoted their own imperial lineage under their own emperor, the Tirkahn.
; Landwehr : Volunteer army of reservists organized around a professional core, generally serving as the Anvil force throughout the Kursan League.
; Lord-Pilot : A noble rank that allows its bearer to own and operate iron or hammer-class spacecraft.
; Mercator : Interstellar transport vessel.
; MPIML ("empel") : Man-Portable Intelligent Missile Launcher.
; Mukhadish : A bioengineered slave race created by the Vaylen as a labor force. They and the Kerrn despise one another.
; Mule : Someone able to use psionic abilities without bearing the Bright Mark. When using his psychology, a Mule does not exhibit any outward sign. No one knows his true power! However, Mules are all infertile. Any attempt to render them fertile with technology causes the loss of the Mule trait and its benefits. All Mules are also physically conspicuous in one manner or another
; Mundus Humanitas : The Mundus Humanitas sprang into life with the emergence of the five-fingered prophet Ahmilahk Ahved Ahll. Ahmilahk appeared in the Comoran worlds, (now the Kudus Theocracy), around FE 10,098. He preached a doctrine of mystery and fatalism, attacking the Church of the Divine Machine (the Imperial Federation's "state" religion), for clinging to the worldly tatters of the old rationalism. This theme was seized upon by Ober Hanrilke and his conspirators in their assault on the state. Hanrilke's support gave Ahmilakh's religion a currency that separated it from the hordes of similar heresies that peppered the Imperial Federation in those years. When the Noble Wars died away, leaving Hanrilke in firm control of the Sphere, the Mundus Humanitas became law. Wherever the CoDM had been, the Mundus moved in, burning the old temples, pillaging the libraries, erecting the flaming wheels that were their central icon. The Mundus continues to be the primary religious belief in the Iron Empires period, although it has been weakened by the fall of the Hanrilke Empire and by internal splits.
; Naiven : Native Vaylen worm that has not been implanted in another living creature.
; Order of the Mystic Fire : The Mystes are an itinerant monastic order among the Mundus Humanitas. While sanctioned by the Church, the exclusively female organization is regarded with some suspicion.
; Order of the Seeking Fire : The Order of the Seeking Fire is the Church’s official name for its internal investigatory arm, known popularly as "the Inquisition."
; PAc : Particle Accelerator.
; Primarch : Successor of Ahmilahk (also Arch Metropolitan or Cotar Arderes) and the Mundus Humanitas Church's supreme authority.
; Psychology : Use of genetically engineered (and now inheritable) psionic powers; the power to read thoughts, communicate telepathically and forcefully alter a target’s behavior or personality with only a thought.
; Ravilar : A class of patroned historians who chronicle the events of the age.
; SCArE : Sub-critical area explosive.
; SCrEM : Sub-Critical Energy Missile.
; SCrEW : Sub-critical energy wepon.
; Sled : A small vehicle, typically using grav/pressor technology.
; Stentor : Personal servant and bodyguard of an Iron warrior, who helps him get into and out of iron and cares for the equipment.
; Vaylen : A race of parasites, they're a cross between slugs and eels, unsavory but harmless in their natural state. When they come in contact with another creature's central nervous system (particularly with the brain), the Vaylen secrete an electrically conductive resin with which they control the nervous systems of much larger creatures, effectively short-circuiting the "will" of their host. Vaylen farm-worlds have become the concentration camps of the age, where people are harvested as hosts to their overlords.
; VISE : Vision enhancement technology.

<br>
See also [[Burning Empires acronyms list]]

<br>
----
Return to [[Burning Empires: Nova Sparta]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2006-09-30T12:17:35Z

IMAGinES: Notes on not settling for less than the Click! expanded.

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Karlman, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast] (which Paka co-hosts).

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Paka uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to buy into the show idea or else they won't bother coming back for the next session.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors (as in actual, real life actors, not made-up actors) playing the lead characters and any important supporting cast you've identified.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Scenes =

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

= Conflict Resolution =

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then comes up to the conflict. Paka makes sure everyone is heading toward the conflict and not dancing away from it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome them. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

= Fan Mail =

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

== The Fingerwave ==

* The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2006-07-26T00:30:11Z

IMAGinES:

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Karlman, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast] (which Paka co-hosts).

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Paka uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to be excited by the show idea.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors (as in actual, real life actors, not made-up actors) playing the lead characters and any important supporting cast you've identified.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Scenes =

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

= Conflict Resolution =

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then comes up to the conflict. Paka makes sure everyone is heading toward the conflict and not dancing away from it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome them. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

= Fan Mail =

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

== The Fingerwave ==

* The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2006-07-25T22:45:50Z

IMAGinES:

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Karlman, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast] (which Paka co-hosts).

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Paka uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to be excited by the show idea.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors (as in actual, real life actors, not made-up actors) playing the lead characters and any important supporting cast you've identified.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Scenes =

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

= Conflict Resolution =

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then come up to the conflict. Paka makes sure everyone is heading toward the conflict and not dancing away from it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome them. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

= Fan Mail =

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

== The Fingerwave ==

* The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2006-07-25T22:45:38Z

IMAGinES:

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Karlman, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast] (which Judd co-hosts).

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Paka uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to be excited by the show idea.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors (as in actual, real life actors, not made-up actors) playing the lead characters and any important supporting cast you've identified.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Scenes =

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

= Conflict Resolution =

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then come up to the conflict. Paka makes sure everyone is heading toward the conflict and not dancing away from it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome them. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

= Fan Mail =

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

== The Fingerwave ==

* The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2006-07-25T22:44:39Z

IMAGinES: /* The Pitch */

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Karlman, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast].

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Paka uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to be excited by the show idea.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors (as in actual, real life actors, not made-up actors) playing the lead characters and any important supporting cast you've identified.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Scenes =

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

= Conflict Resolution =

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then come up to the conflict. Paka makes sure everyone is heading toward the conflict and not dancing away from it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome them. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

= Fan Mail =

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

== The Fingerwave ==

* The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2006-07-25T22:41:00Z

IMAGinES: /* Final Checklist */

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Karlman, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast].

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Judd of the Sons of Kryos uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to be excited by the show idea.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors (as in actual, real life actors, not made-up actors) playing the lead characters and any important supporting cast you've identified.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Scenes =

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

= Conflict Resolution =

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then come up to the conflict. Paka makes sure everyone is heading toward the conflict and not dancing away from it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome them. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

= Fan Mail =

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

== The Fingerwave ==

* The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2006-07-25T22:40:32Z

IMAGinES: /* Final Checklist */

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Karlman, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast].

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Judd of the Sons of Kryos uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to be excited by the show idea.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors (as in actual, real life actors, not made-up actors) playing the lead characters and any important supportng cast you've identified.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Scenes =

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

= Conflict Resolution =

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then come up to the conflict. Paka makes sure everyone is heading toward the conflict and not dancing away from it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome them. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

= Fan Mail =

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

== The Fingerwave ==

* The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2006-07-21T10:02:11Z

IMAGinES: /* Conflict Resolution */

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Karlman, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast].

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Judd of the Sons of Kryos uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to be excited by the show idea.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors playing the lead characters.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Scenes =

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

= Conflict Resolution =

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then come up to the conflict. Paka makes sure everyone is heading toward the conflict and not dancing away from it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome them. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

= Fan Mail =

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

== The Fingerwave ==

* The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2006-07-21T10:00:27Z

IMAGinES: /* Scenes */

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Karlman, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast].

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Judd of the Sons of Kryos uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to be excited by the show idea.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors playing the lead characters.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Scenes =

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Either way, this is the point when the group sets stakes.

= Conflict Resolution =

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then come up to the conflict. Make sure no one is dancing away from the conflict but heading towards it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome it. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

= Fan Mail =

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

== The Fingerwave ==

* The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2006-06-25T08:16:38Z

IMAGinES: /* Scenes */

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Karlman, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast].

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Judd of the Sons of Kryos uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to be excited by the show idea.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors playing the lead characters.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Scenes =

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Now is when the group set stakes.

= Conflict Resolution =

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then come up to the conflict. Make sure no one is dancing away from the conflict but heading towards it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome it. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

= Fan Mail =

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

== The Fingerwave ==

* The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2006-06-25T08:16:12Z

IMAGinES: /* Conflict Resolution */

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Karlman, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast].

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Judd of the Sons of Kryos uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to be excited by the show idea.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors playing the lead characters.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Scenes =

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Now is when we set stakes.

= Conflict Resolution =

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then come up to the conflict. Make sure no one is dancing away from the conflict but heading towards it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome it. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Paka has noticed that it's cool to have a scene with no conflict maybe once or twice an episode, but if there are more he gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

= Fan Mail =

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

== The Fingerwave ==

* The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]

How to Run:Primetime Adventures

2006-06-25T08:14:00Z

IMAGinES:

The content of this WikiPage is based mainly on the thread by Judd "Paka" Karlman, "[http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18495.0 My Pattern]" on [http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?board=47.0 the Dog Eared Designs forum], with extra notes from the [http://www.ithacagamers.com/SonsKryos0018.mp3 eighteenth Sons of Kryos podcast].

[http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/games.html ''Primetime Adventures''], "the game of television drama", is written by Matt Wilson and published by his independent outfit, [http://www.dog-eared-designs.com/ Dog Eared Designs].

= The Pitch =

* The goal of the Pitch session is to create a show idea that everyone around the table, the Producer included, is excited about ("Dude, if this were a real show I'd be in front of my TV every week!"). Thus, it is both the most important and most difficult part of any ''Primetime Adventures'' game. Group excitement is ultimately what drives ''Primetime Adventures''.
* Paka's biggest PTA tip is that the Pitch session should go on for as long as it has to. The book recommends an hour, and while some Pitch sessions take around fifteen munites, don't expect that.
* A neat trick Judd of the Sons of Kryos uses when Producing a Pitch session is to roleplay that he's "(A)n obnoxious producer from Hollywood, except not stupid... and these imaginative people are getting together to make something out of my money." His objective is to ''keep things moving.''
* Tell the players that the group will be brainstorming ideas; some, possibly many, will get rejected, and that is okay. When the group has its show idea, there will be an almost audible '''CLICK''' in the air and things will start to come together.
* Start by asking the players what kinds of show they ''don't'' want the game to be, or any issues they ''don't'' want in the game. Establishing limits early on not only ensures everyone's going to be comfortable, but also makes coming up with engaging ideas easier.
* Guide the brainstorming by asking leading questions and writing down key words. Sometimes Paka stops the brainstorm to read over what the group has so far.
** Make sure no one is getting walked over; make sure everyone is having a say.
* Get the group ready for when someone says, "Naaaah, I don't like that." It is okay for anyone at the table to flat-out reject an idea if anyone doesn't like it.
** Vincent Baker wrote something for [http://www.lumpley.com/games/dogsources.html ''Dogs in the Vineyard''] that's very applicable to Pitch sessions: "... the thing to observe... isn’t ''what'' the group’s doing, but instead ''who’s dissatisfied'' with what the group’s doing. The player who frowns and uses withdrawing body language in response to someone else’s (idea) — that’s the player whose lead to follow."
** The Sons of Kryos recommend Producers be ruthless, but politely so, with show ideas. If the group has a pretty good idea but not everyone in the group is excited about it, tell everyone you're putting it on the shelf for the moment and ask them to move on to the next idea, ideally something as different from that first idea as possible. (The group might decide to revisit the first later, which is cool.)

== The Click Moment ==

* Nearly every Actual Play report which talks about an "awesome!" game of PTA mentions that a during the Pitch session, when the group in question hit upon the idea for their show, there was an almost-audible '''CLICK''' in the air. It's the moment when everybody in the group, including the Producer, suddenly ''buys into'' a specific show idea; they stop tossing general concepts around and start milking the Chosen Idea for Setting Conventions, Tone and Characters.
* Don't settle for anything less than the '''CLICK''' moment. If ''anyone'' in the group is like, "well, I'm a bit whatever about the idea but I don't want to make waves or slow things down, so I'm fine", the game will most likely be dull, no matter that everyone else at the table is firing on the idea. Shelve that idea and get that player to discuss what he'd really like. Everybody ''needs'' to be excited by the show idea.
** A good sign that you don't have your '''CLICK''' moment yet is any of your players not being excited about picking a character out for themselves.

== Final Checklist ==

DO NOT start your first session without identifying:

* The name of your show.
* The theme music for the opening credits.

TRY NOT to start your first session without identifying:

* The actors playing the lead characters.
* Some general visuals for the opening credits.

= Scenes =

* Paka tells his group that everyone will be going around in a circle for scene framing but this format might break down a bit and that is okay, as long as we get back on track and everone gets their turn.
* If someone can't think of a scene, others should help.
* Scenes you propose do not have to have your character in them.
* The scene gets set, we know which characters are involved, and we go from there. Sometimes there will be a discussion of the general intent of the scene (this scene is where the prostitute and the wife meet for the first time, with disasterous results), but not always. At some point during the scene it will often become apparent that there is a conflict brewing, but sometimes someone will see a good conflict to drop in and propose it. Now is when we set stakes.

= Conflict Resolution =

* Set stakes that aren't about success but about ''price''. If you've watched a lot of ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', you've probably noticed that the big action scenes ultimately aren't about ''whether'' Buffy defeats the Big Bad (most of the time the answer is "of course she does") but about ''what price she must pay'' to do so. Paka sets rocking stakes for those first few conflicts so that the players can see how it's done; before long, everyone is helping with setting stakes. This communal stakes setting is really important.
* Paka's group role-plays for a while and then come up to the conflict. Make sure no one is dancing away from the conflict but heading towards it. If stakes are set right, people will be looking for conflicts and welcome it. Sometimes a scene opens and the player won't know what to do until a conflict is resolved. That's cool.
* Rarely, maybe once or twice an episode there is a scene with no conflict, which is cool, but if there are more Paka gets nervous. Watch out for folks avoiding using the system. It could mean stakes setting is going wrong or there is some other disconnect.

= Fan Mail =

* If you, as a player, chuckle, wince or have some other visceral reaction to something another player says, does or otherwise introduces to the game, you should be giving that other player Fan Mail. If the group is shy about it, Paka loudly notes a good, Fan Mail-worthy contribution; the shyness tends to evaporate after the beginning of the episode, though.
* As the Producer, Paka puts Budget in the Audience Pool and drives play towards conflict so that he can put more Budget in. If the Pool is empty, he spends more Budget on the next conflict. Sometimes Paka puts more Budget into a conflict, not just because it's a big deal conflict, but also to give the players more opportunities to show their appreciation for one another.
* Remember: Although the players can't give you, the Producer, Fan Mail directly, they will tell you when you're doing your job well by spending Fan Mail to get extra cards in Conflicts. If your Conflict wasn't cool, they wouldn't be spending their Fan Mail on it.

== The Fingerwave ==

* The finger wave is an unofficial method of showing appreciation to the Producer (who cannot receive Fan Mail) or other players when the Audience Pool is depleted. Basically, you point your hands towards the Producer (or player) and wiggle your fingers in his/her direction.

[[Category:How_to_Run|Primetime_Adventures]]
[[Category:Primetime_Adventures]]