Gamma World Campaign - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Gamma World Campaign

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
lissa
May 10, 2004 21:07:06 How do you set up a Gamma World campaign? I know the approach differs from one GM to the next. But what do you start out with? How do you decide what genotypes are allowed or available and where do the PCs come from? And how do the rulesbooks help or complicate things?

For instance I first create the community. This helps determine what genotypes are available to choose from. It also provides a base of operations for the PCs and a place to buy.
#2
darthcestual
May 11, 2004 20:30:50 In my GW adventures, I usually try to come up with an interesting locale, quest, Big Bad Guy, or whatever and develop the plot around those things without any influence from what my players characters are like. To me, whatever they encounter will be doing whatever it's supposed to be doing regardless if they show up or not. It makes the world seem like it's going on with it business with or without the PCs, more alive for me I guess. Almost invariably, when I plan a plot around one of my players, they flake on that game and it's just lame to run without them. I rarely kibbosh on what a player wants to play. If they want to play something off the wall, so be it. It's their PC and their imagination. One of my players in my current GW game is an A.I. from an old amusement park and is determined to get the park back up and running. As he exists only as a conciousness, he can download himself into various computer systems, make copies of himself, and hack into robots and other machines. He gets confused sometimes when he has multiple copies of himself running around, but it makes for a fun game, which is really the only thing I shoot for. I leave it up to the players to work it out together as to what kind of community they're from, or if they're from different areas, it's up to them to work out how they're together now. Now, granted my GW group are seasoned players, but the group of newbies I'm breaking in this weekend will need a little more hand-holding, one guy still has trouble understanding a game that has no "winning or loosing" so to speak, but I'll come up with a scenario that has a win/loose outcome. As for rulebooks, I simply ignore what I don't like. I didn't care for the mutation tables in the corebook, so I used the one from Omega World. If someone wants to play a plant, it's ok by me. I liked the loot lists from older GW versions, so I use those for my game. Hell, I liked how Stephen King had lightsabers and killer sneetches (Harry Potter) in Wolves of the Calla, so I tossed them into my GW game. Clearly, I'm very loose when it comes to rules and run/play more narrative games, but however one does their game, I'd never let the rules fence in an interesting character or idea.
#3
zombiegleemax
May 11, 2004 21:58:02 I do like Darth does.
Usually I start with the characters getting together. I ask them why they are together and how they met. It helps center the group, a little.
Then I get my adventure going, bad guy, deed of daring do, etc to get the characters moving in a direction. Notice I said A, not MY, direction. Usually the people I play with will not follow a plot line unless you tie them to a boat and float it down river. So I see what they get into then start planning communities and societies for them to run into, hide in, what have you. From there I see what I need and try to make enough so that the party has things to do for the next few days when I can then make up more stuff for them to find.
Easy.
#4
lissa
May 12, 2004 17:50:03 PCs have to have a point of origin, a place they come from.

I've created 5 different communities for my campaign. So far I have one player who wants to play so far. He picks one of the communities as his home and creates a character based on the genotypes available there. Then I ask him if he wants to accept a job from someone or strike off on his own and what his PCs goals are. There are vaults to find, enter and explore. Ruins to loot or avoid. People to deal with. Stuff to discover about the world. And hopefully more people to join the campaign.
#5
zombiegleemax
May 12, 2004 22:02:48 True, true. But have you ever had your group up and say, "Oh heck. Can I be from Alpha?"
And the next player say, "Can I be from Rome?"
and the next say, "Can I be a Jedi?"

Ok, I exaggerate but if you make up the community there is no guarantee that the players will take one which means a set of communities that would cover all possiblities. Too much work for a campaign start when I could be working on the adventure itself. I try and have the group itself tell me how they got together or who they are to save me some work. Then I can get the places where they are going to be worked up. It saves a step or two as most players don't mind being the mysterious stranger when they hit town.
Just a thought or two.
#6
zombiegleemax
May 21, 2004 16:35:04 Did you find more players??? How's the campaign going???
#7
lissa
Jun 04, 2004 16:45:48 Haven't started the campaign yet and don't know how many will show up at the first session.

I think I'm prepared for almost anything the players throw at me. Don't know for sure.
#8
zombiegleemax
Jun 10, 2004 20:09:48 I would like to hear about active campaigns. How is your coming along?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 lissa May 10, 2004 21:07:06	How do you set up a Gamma World campaign? I know the approach differs from one GM to the next. But what do you start out with? How do you decide what genotypes are allowed or available and where do the PCs come from? And how do the rulesbooks help or complicate things? For instance I first create the community. This helps determine what genotypes are available to choose from. It also provides a base of operations for the PCs and a place to buy.
#2 darthcestual May 11, 2004 20:30:50	In my GW adventures, I usually try to come up with an interesting locale, quest, Big Bad Guy, or whatever and develop the plot around those things without any influence from what my players characters are like. To me, whatever they encounter will be doing whatever it's supposed to be doing regardless if they show up or not. It makes the world seem like it's going on with it business with or without the PCs, more alive for me I guess. Almost invariably, when I plan a plot around one of my players, they flake on that game and it's just lame to run without them. I rarely kibbosh on what a player wants to play. If they want to play something off the wall, so be it. It's their PC and their imagination. One of my players in my current GW game is an A.I. from an old amusement park and is determined to get the park back up and running. As he exists only as a conciousness, he can download himself into various computer systems, make copies of himself, and hack into robots and other machines. He gets confused sometimes when he has multiple copies of himself running around, but it makes for a fun game, which is really the only thing I shoot for. I leave it up to the players to work it out together as to what kind of community they're from, or if they're from different areas, it's up to them to work out how they're together now. Now, granted my GW group are seasoned players, but the group of newbies I'm breaking in this weekend will need a little more hand-holding, one guy still has trouble understanding a game that has no "winning or loosing" so to speak, but I'll come up with a scenario that has a win/loose outcome. As for rulebooks, I simply ignore what I don't like. I didn't care for the mutation tables in the corebook, so I used the one from Omega World. If someone wants to play a plant, it's ok by me. I liked the loot lists from older GW versions, so I use those for my game. Hell, I liked how Stephen King had lightsabers and killer sneetches (Harry Potter) in Wolves of the Calla, so I tossed them into my GW game. Clearly, I'm very loose when it comes to rules and run/play more narrative games, but however one does their game, I'd never let the rules fence in an interesting character or idea.
#3 zombiegleemax May 11, 2004 21:58:02	I do like Darth does. Usually I start with the characters getting together. I ask them why they are together and how they met. It helps center the group, a little. Then I get my adventure going, bad guy, deed of daring do, etc to get the characters moving in a direction. Notice I said A, not MY, direction. Usually the people I play with will not follow a plot line unless you tie them to a boat and float it down river. So I see what they get into then start planning communities and societies for them to run into, hide in, what have you. From there I see what I need and try to make enough so that the party has things to do for the next few days when I can then make up more stuff for them to find. Easy.
#4 lissa May 12, 2004 17:50:03	PCs have to have a point of origin, a place they come from. I've created 5 different communities for my campaign. So far I have one player who wants to play so far. He picks one of the communities as his home and creates a character based on the genotypes available there. Then I ask him if he wants to accept a job from someone or strike off on his own and what his PCs goals are. There are vaults to find, enter and explore. Ruins to loot or avoid. People to deal with. Stuff to discover about the world. And hopefully more people to join the campaign.
#5 zombiegleemax May 12, 2004 22:02:48	True, true. But have you ever had your group up and say, "Oh heck. Can I be from Alpha?" And the next player say, "Can I be from Rome?" and the next say, "Can I be a Jedi?" Ok, I exaggerate but if you make up the community there is no guarantee that the players will take one which means a set of communities that would cover all possiblities. Too much work for a campaign start when I could be working on the adventure itself. I try and have the group itself tell me how they got together or who they are to save me some work. Then I can get the places where they are going to be worked up. It saves a step or two as most players don't mind being the mysterious stranger when they hit town. Just a thought or two.
#6 zombiegleemax May 21, 2004 16:35:04	Did you find more players??? How's the campaign going???
#7 lissa Jun 04, 2004 16:45:48	Haven't started the campaign yet and don't know how many will show up at the first session. I think I'm prepared for almost anything the players throw at me. Don't know for sure.
#8 zombiegleemax Jun 10, 2004 20:09:48	I would like to hear about active campaigns. How is your coming along?