RPG & RP Resource Thread

[RedsandRoyals]

So, there's a lot of you here on the IG that like to RP, be it on the forum, using Dark Heresy, or playing non-40k related systems. I figured we might as well have a thread where we can share plots that we've run (or want to run), websites we use for house rules, image databases, good mood music, and that kind of thing. I figure this also might be a good place for prospective GMs to try and recruit, and for people to post questions related to various game systems.

I'll sticky this thread if the idea gains traction, but for now, I'll try to start it off.

First off, I obviously have to mention Dark Reign, which is a great resource site for anyone using a 40k roleplay system. There are missions, encounter generators, house rules, and custom gear, as well as editable PDF character sheets.

If you're looking for images to use for landscapes, character portraits, and the like, then, in a blatant bit of self promotion, I happily offer the use of my photobucket albums. There are about 3,000 images in those three albums, and I've tried to avoid repeats. If you're hunting for something specific, PM me and I'll either comb the albums or the web and try and find it for you.

I also figured I'd suggest the plot my Dark Heresy group is currently running. They've been assigned to act as the Inquisitorial bodyguard for a new "Living Saint" that has recently appeared, and have to safeguard her through her affirmation as a Saint and during the subsequent Crusade she leads. They have to fend of Chaos minions who want to assassinate her, Ecclesiarchy members trying to manipulate her, and other members of the Inquisition who want to (quite literally) dissect her to learn how she ticks. I've also been dropping hints she may actually be an unsanctioned psyker, so we'll see how that plays out.

So, anyone have any resources or plot hooks they want to share?

[Rolling Thunder]

Trying not to have something as ridiculously grandiose is a personal one. Living Saints are slightly rarer than Warmasters and usually slightly better-guarded by, say, a legion of Sororitas, not six randoms with laser guns. But that's an entirely personal field of bigotry.

Here's some plot hooks/points:

1. Have hooker approach some of the characters. See how long it takes until one decides to go off-mission.
2. Random sniper attacks are vastly amusing and tend to crank up the player's paranoia. Also a good way to reign in the cocky gobsh*te who wants to play a Space Marine.
3. Massive gunfights are epic, but also hard work for everyone involved, especially if things aren't mission-based.
4. Leading on to point 0, people will generally ham up larger roles. It's better to play a PDF guardsman with a grenade launcher and a distinctive personality than an inconsistent and silly Astartes.
5. Introduce a random NPC. Have them turn into a Genestealer.
6. Always feel free to fudge or outright make your own results up. Never feel the need to tell the players when you do.
7. If no-one in the group takes tech, healing or other side-skills, punish them for it. Reward the one player who decided to play an Inquisitorial scribe/other obscure support class (with ridiculous XP bonuses and so on).
8. Feel free to amuse yourself at your group's expense.
9. Greater Daemons can wipe out cities. You cannot stop them, you don't have the firepower.
10. Reward players for being smart and cool.

[Laughing Man]

Now for some fun things to do as a player.
1. Always attempt to be needlessly elaborate. Why just shoot a guy when instead you can shoot a guy whilst jumping through a window.
2. Brothels should always be visited.
3. Small Street urchins have no family feel free to make them your indentured servant.
4. Always attempt to derail your GMs plot it is the ultimate test of their skills
5. Large balls of fire solve all your problems
6. to solve the problem of a large ball of fire...runaway!
7. comedy gold and having a laugh is very important.
8. Anything and anyone can be a source of XP
9. When playing Dark Heresy/call of cthulhu/paranoia, if your GM smiles when you're about to go into a room. FLEEEEEEEE!
10. Remember to always placate your GM with pizza.

[Lord General Armstrong]

Mar 2, 2011 3:58:23 GMT -5 Laughing Man said:

Now for some fun things to do as a player.
4. Always attempt to derail your GMs plot it is the ultimate test of their skills

Hey that's not funny man I somehow accidentally do that and ruin the RP for everyone.

[Laughing Man]

Mar 2, 2011 5:09:08 GMT -5 Lord General Armstrong said:

Mar 2, 2011 3:58:23 GMT -5 Laughing Man said:

Now for some fun things to do as a player.
4. Always attempt to derail your GMs plot it is the ultimate test of their skills

Hey that's not funny man I somehow accidentally do that and ruin the RP for everyone.

See now when i GM i write a basic outline then i just wing it.

[RedsandRoyals]

@rt: That's a good point, I should have mentioned that the group started at a higher level, and they're now in Ascension. A bunch of goons with guns shouldn't be given a task that important, so be sure to scale the campaign to the rank (and background story) of the players in terms of what they're doing.

@lm: That's really the best way to do it. Have plot points, and let the group make it's own way from point A to point B.

I'd also like to advocate #6 and #10 on RT's list. Sometimes, it's better for the story to make up your roll as needed. I can think of two times when I fudged a roll in my normal DH group because I didn't want a PC to die at that juncture. It's also very important to reward PCs for a job well done, so if they come up with a good plan that's totally unexpected, let them do it, and let it have a good chance at working.

I would like to offer a counter-point to RT's #4 though, and say that how well your players RP vastly depends on how well they want to, or are indeed able, to RP. I'm lucky enough to be blessed with a group that's very, very good at sticking to their characters during the course of the story, even if there are momentous events happening during the course of it. You should also feel perfectly free to have things like Crusades happening, but always make it clear that whatever they are doing is the focus of the campaign, not whatever the Lord General is doing. If you balance it right, you can still easily encourage an atmosphere that is conducive to good RPing, and still have the players feel like they're accomplishing something truely awesome during the course of the campaign. That's why I say always scale the campaign to the group's abilities.

Also, slightly tagging on to what RT said in #9, always make sure the PCs know failure is always possible, as are death or horrible injury. If the group knows it can just waltz through a campaign, then that's no fun. That said, always give them at least one chance to succeed, and don't make it absurdly hard to succeed in that chance. If you do throw a greater daemon at them in Ascension, for instance, they might have a chance of taking it down with some clever plans and teamwork. Likewise, you can present them with an encounter where, if they fight, they will get their arses kicked, but they an avoid that outcome by talking their way through it.

Also, feel free to bend the fluff ever so slightly. Yes, in the fluff you don't stand much of a chance against a Daemon Prince, but in a game of DH, feel free to make it just a tad weaker than it should be, so the PCs can bring it down (after a very hard fight, of course). That gives them the feeling that they've really accomplished something during the course of the campaign.

I would also like to advocate not actively trying to kill your PCs, and in some cases even helping them survive longer than they should. I find that the longer a player uses a certain character, the more they develop them and flesh them out, to the point where if they die in the final encounter, it will actually mean more than if they just got squashed in the first session of the game. Don't let them think they're invincible, though. Don't go out of your way to save them if they've done something stupid, make them have reason to burn a Fate Point (or whatever) or three during the course of the campaign, etc. Make it feel like they're surviving the campaign, not just cruising through.

Reds

[Rolling Thunder]

I would also like to reiterate the points on random sniper and genestealer attacks. If you can wind up the players paranoia, it really helps with the immersion and the tension.
Another good solution is a co-GM, someone you can use to play leader characters and keep things on-track.
A third idea is to have a rough plan, and be very, very prepared to wing it. I remember one improv session with Anjie where her character was meant to have an encounter with a patrol of government troops, but she panicked when she saw the first one and fired an AT grenade into the group, killing most of them, and meaning she wound up surrounded by werewolves.

[RedsandRoyals]

Paranoia is huge in terms of getting the players into the game, but it doesn't always need to be something like a sniper attack that risks killing or wounding a PC. Sometimes the best Paranoia is when the PC are expecting an attack, but it never comes despite hints that they're being stalked.

Setting atmosphere can be key in fostering paranoia. Using sound clips to represent strange audio transmissions or unnerving background noises can really help set the mood, as can dimming the lights (as corny as it may seem). Rolling lots of random dice, but not telling the players why is also good for making them jumpy.

Reds

[The Envoy (AWOL)]

Atmosphere really is one of the most important parts of the game. If your players can't get into the setting itself, their character development will suffer for it. Constantly having to think, "What would Tony, the trained killer do in this situation," and not, "Johnny, the nerdy kid who lives in his basement," can make the game that much more fun for the players.

I also would like to add that sometimes a good hammed up character can be fun. Because a good RPer can ham with the best of them, and make it sound good.

As an extension on to RT's #7, not taking those skills is usually punishment enough, being somewhat integral to good party building. However, a good set of players can get away with it, and constantly shoving it in their face can take the fun out of the game.

[Ymmot (M.I.A)]

Hello, I am Captain PRPG Noob

www.goblinoidgames.com/labyrinthlord.html

This game appeals to me because it is pretty basic stuff and is more or less a copy & paste of 2nd edition d&d, also the rules are free to download as PDFs, though without artwork... So do a google search on some Erol Otus artwork to get yourself in the mood.(if you find that sort of thing appealing, who wouldn't?)

[Laughing Man]

Best moment of player paranoia. "Btw everyone roll a perception test at -30"
*players roll and fail*
"Ok thanks guys"
*players look worried for rest of the session yet i do nothing*

In the next session when they try to sell the assassin into prostitution the enemy already knew because they spied on the group of obviously imperial agents and took her prisoner and tortured her, forcing the group to go and rescue her and have to escape and crash on a planet of roman ratlings.

[Srgt. Master]

I just completed the "Into The Maw" arc in RT, and I am thinking of using the Rouge Trader Charater's Vendeta as the focus of the next Arc...this is my first time GM'ing though.

I actually would like some help with how to set up better VINPC's...any guidelines you all use?

[RedsandRoyals]

Mar 8, 2011 17:50:31 GMT -5 Srgt. Master said:

I just completed the "Into The Maw" arc in RT, and I am thinking of using the Rouge Trader Charater's Vendeta as the focus of the next Arc...this is my first time GM'ing though.

I actually would like some help with how to set up better VINPC's...any guidelines you all use?

The key to a VINPC is personality. Are they pompous and hidebound, with a focus on honor? Are they insidious and unscrupulous? It's key to how they act in a certain situation, so be sure to put some thought in it. Feel free to use historical figures or ones from fiction as inspiration, but always be sure to mix them up enough that your PCs won't be able to tell they're dealing with Charles de Gaulle IN SPAAAAACE or whatever.

Once you have your personality down, remember that every NPC has a hierarchy of priorities. For most RTs, they look like this...

1. Personal Survival
2. Survival of their ship (and probably essential crew)
3. Profit!
4. Reputation

There are always other concerns, but those four tend to be the main ones. Some RT's will rate them differently of course (a particularly noble RT might put 2 before 1, and a daring or foolish one might put 3 above all). When you're trying to determine what an NPC will do, go down that list. if 1 isn't threatened, go to 2. if 2 isn't, go to 3, etc. Use that in combination with the personality you created to figure out how they'll act.

Lastly, if you are using the house's Vendetta, feel free mess with the PCs a bit, and make their main rival seem like a good person. Not every member of a particular Dynasty will be evil or an arsehole, so pitting them against someone who might be a steadfast ally in other circumstances might be interesting to watch.

Reds

[Rolling Thunder]

Also, leaving a dead body in someone's apartment is a good way to set off a flurry of activity/vengeance. It led to my character having to remove the body, dump it, and then murdering the gangster who dumped the body (plus three of the friends). Well, gangster is overstating that NPC's abilities...he was a sixteen year old juvie with a couple of friends.
So, apparently my character got "Child Killer" even if the 'child' was a murderous rapist.

Yeah, Makarova's RPG's can be pretty rough at times.

[The Refined Gentleman (M.I.A)]

RP's that are centered on quick thinking and actually roleplaying/ acting conversations are always fun.

Plus, am I the only one who's thought of a skype based RP or am I just slow?

[RedsandRoyals]

I've thought about it on Skype, but it's just not my thing. I find doing it over AIM allows people a chance to RP better without being self conscious, and adding voice chat to that kind of ruins it.

Also, my hatred of Skype burns with the fury of a thousand STDs, but that's beside the point.

Reds

[Rolling Thunder]

My Skype-based RPG sessions have been absolutely fantastic for the most part. Running RPs by text works as well assuming everyone is involved, but it's also less effort to actually speak.

[RedsandRoyals]

Yeah, it works great for some groups, not so hot for others. It just depends on who you play with.

Reds

[Rolling Thunder]

We always tend to play with around 3-4 people plus the GM, and frankly, selfconsciousness hasn't been a problem so far, only gimpy internet connections.

[ElegaicRequiem]

I make NPC's the same way I make PC's. In my RP, you never know if some random spur-of-the-moment character is going to end up being a major character in the plot. In fact, my best characters are made that way.

[RedsandRoyals]

Mar 23, 2011 22:53:45 GMT -5 ElegaicRequiem said:

I make NPC's the same way I make PC's. In my RP, you never know if some random spur-of-the-moment character is going to end up being a major character in the plot. In fact, my best characters are made that way.

I know I've conscripted one or two into being important plot members. I also did this to Sister G, when I conscripted a random NPC into the Inquisition, just to throw everyone for a loop.

Reds

[Ymmot (M.I.A)]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfIMy-ebZRk

I am in the middle of GMing my very first campaign, so now I am an expert! Here are a few tricks and tips I used to help(hopefully) keep my game exciting and interesting.


1. Random seemingly insignificant details build atmosphere! I like to set up a scene and then provide commentary on things like the weather, street life, and architecture as the PCs stand around trying to decide what they are going to do or how they are going to do it. You can use this to subtlety add hints, or create interesting distractions.


2. Red Herrings are an amusing distraction for a GM and add chances for character development...but they can also slow things down and derail the action rather quickly...so use them sparingly and always have a plan to get things back on track.


3. Create multiple pathways that all lead to the same or smilier goals! Make the players think they might have derailed the plot when actually everything has been going according to plan...even if it turns out that red herring really was something important, just not in a way that anyone would have expected.


4. Emphasize the danger! Make them fear for their lives!! Not just in combat...if they don't look both ways before crossing the street, try to run them over with a bus or something.


5. If one of your players has to drop out of the campaign make the most of it and turn his character into an npc...and then turn that npc into a primary antagonist after the mutant spores destroy his mind...

[ElegaicRequiem]

Mar 15, 2013 12:51:54 GMT -5 Ymmot (M.I.A) said:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfIMy-ebZRk

That's an alarm clock sound, obviously.

I also had to get good at #3 after a particularly annoying experience involving a lunatic with a mine and no scruples.

[RedsandRoyals]

Mar 15, 2013 13:03:55 GMT -5 ElegaicRequiem said:

Mar 15, 2013 12:51:54 GMT -5 Ymmot (M.I.A) said:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfIMy-ebZRk

That's an alarm clock sound, obviously.

I also had to get good at #3 after a particularly annoying experience involving a lunatic with a mine and no scruples.

It's a little sad that I'm not sure if you're talking about me or Orren.

Reds

[Ymmot (M.I.A)]

6. Layers! Don't forget to frequently remind PCs of their relatively insignificant place in the universe and hint at greater things going on all around them.