EPIC Adventure System
The EPIC Adventure System is a referee's game mechanic to help in adventure design and administration.
- The EPIC adventure system created by Marc Miller.
Description (Specifications)[edit]
The EPIC system is a way around one of the most common problems associated with many RPG adventures; the fact that they are very ‘linear’ in design. In far too many adventures, encounter one typically leads to encounter two, which inevitably leads to encounter three, ad-nauseum. This has several problems. Firstly, the players may not notice a critical fact and thus be left in limbo with no clue how to find the next plot element. Railroading them is sometimes the only solution, and in general railroading is a common feature of this kind of linear adventure. This can lead to player frustration, since there is little worse than not being captain of your own fate.
Reducing the amount of leading-by-the-nose is fine until one of those gaming groups comes along, who insist on doing everything in the wrong order and generally do violence to the plot of an otherwise great adventure.
The Epic Adventure System provides a new way to design and organize adventures, incorporating enough flexibility that the player characters have the ‘freedom to roam’ without causing the Referee nightmares. Asides, delays and additional adventures can easily be slotted into an Epic Adventure.
An Epic Adventure is broken down into 6 parts:
- The Cast of Characters: A description of major characters encountered in the course of the adventure, possibly including pregenerated player-characters.
- The Background:The background provides the Referee with the information needed to prepare himself, and lays the groundwork for introducing this adventure to the players.
- Minor incidents and encounters: Referred to as Minor Scenes or just Scenes, are encounters or events that involve the player characters in some form. Many are directly related to the adventure, and may provide clues, equipment, or other information and materials needed to eventually complete the adventure. Others are merely to provide diversion and amusement. Scenes, unless noted in their descriptions, do not need to be played in any particular order, and may be sprung upon the player characters when the Referee deems appropriate.
- Critical Plot Elements: Referred to as Plot Keys, Key Scenes or simply Keys, make up the heart of the storyline for the adventure. They contain vital pieces to the plot that must be played for the adventure to make any sense to the players in the end. You may play any number of Scenes before and after each Plot Keys, but all of the Plot Keys should eventually be completed in their proper order.
- Chapters: A Chapter or Act is made up of one of more Plot Keys. They outline the plot to the Referee, and provide tips and information for playing the Scenes and Plot Keys that are contained in the Chapter. In order to complete a Chapter, each Plot Key within must be completed. Each Chapter must be completed, and played in order to successfully run the adventure. Due to the ‘cinematic’ nature of an EPIC adventure, it is easy for the Referee to allow the player characters to temporarily deviate from the current adventure storyline to follow a false lead or pursue another short adventure that has interested them. When you are ready to return the player characters back to this adventure plot line, simply pick up with the next Scene.
- Adventure Checklist: The Adventure Checklist provides the Referees with a recommended guideline of the order in which various Scenes and Plot Keys in this adventure should be presented to the players. As the player characters complete each Scene or Plot Key, the Referee simply checks it off the list. When every Plot Key in a Chapter has been played, that Chapter has been completed the Referee may begin the first Scene in the next Chapter.
History & Background (Dossier)[edit]
Four game mechanics form the primary pulls by which to help steer players into participating in the planned adventure arc and yet leave them enough room to steer their own way:
Game Mechanic Break Downs[edit]
PUSH, PULL, ENIGMA AND GIMMICK Four elements of the typical adventure story are push, pull, enigma and gimmick. This Adventure contains all four:
- Push: The characters are ‘pushed’ by their drafting into the Imperial Navy to carry to a cargo of fighters and the new Imperial Ambassador to Collace.
- Pull: The characters have been drafted but they are receiving hazard pay in addition to normal pay, and their ship’s mortgage and running expenses are being taken care of by the Imperial Navy.
- Enigma: This Adventure has the enigma of Talos to uncover – the hazards of an alien world as well as the discovery of a crashed Zhodani ship which misjumped from far to coreward. How did the ship misjump so far? What secrets are aboard the wreck?
- Gimmick: A gimmick is something special the characters get out of the adventure. Some gimmicks are tangible, some intangible. The tangible gimmick in this adventure are the Zhodani artifacts recovered from the Zhodani shipwreck. As always, the intangible outweighs the tangible rewards. If the characters succeed in keeping the Ambassador alive, they will be taken into the confidence of Xana’s real noble family, a family of tremendous power in the Third Imperium.
page 11 TFW TGE
References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]
|
This article is missing content for one or more detailed sections. Additional details are required to complete the article. You can help the Traveller Wiki by expanding it. |
- Michael Taylor. The Forgotten War (QuikLink Interactive, 2004), 5-6.
- Michael Taylor. The Gabriel Enigma (QuikLink Interactive, 2006), 5-6.
- Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), 635-640.
- Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
- Author & Contributor: Marc Miller
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science