Hey all, I’d love some feedback on this campaign idea I have. I would be looking online for a group of players, rather than an inperson or people I know in real life game. I’ve had some mixed luck in the past with online rpg groups, so any advice to help advertise to get the a good group of players would be great.
In short, I am imagining a Deadwood style “spice rush” planet in space to start out with.
This is what I have so far for the description for an ad:
"It is two years after the death of Jabba the Hutt and the destruction of the second Death Star. While the New Republic attempts to form a new government, the underworld fights over the scraps of Jabba’s great empire. The Hutts’ once strong grip on their territory is loosened as great clans turns to infighting, slave species rise in rebellion, and rival criminal gangs like Black Sun and Pyke Syndicate make their moves.
During this period of chaos, news spreads of a newly discovered rich vein of spice on the planet Topa trigged a rush of all sorts beings to make wealth out of the new vein. Located in the Sespe system along the Sisar Run, it is in the Periphery region which straddles both Hutt space and the Outer Rim.
Dusty and lightly populated, boom towns have sprung up almost overnight in Topa as different factions vie for the wealth promised by the spice.
For one reason or the other, you find yourself in Vlosa city on Topa. You receive a message from a Mujjo the Hutt, inviting you to his nearby palatial stronghold. He promises wealth and power if you accept, along with an unstated threat if you refuse.
This campaign is inspired by morally grey Westerns like The Man with No Name and Deadwood. The campaign is not to establish the New Republic and bring justice to the galaxy. It is to survive and get rich, if possible. Your character must be willing to get their hands dirty and work with scum and villainy. You don’t have to be evil to work for the Hutts (look at Han Solo) but it helps.
That said, no murder hobos. The game will be character driven, so roleplaying will play a big role along with things like combat. New players are welcome, as long as you are willing to learn and grow with us.
The game is based on a canon, mixed with EU to fill in the gaps."
Any thoughts on how to improve my description, and most importantly the world and ideas around it, would be greatly appreciated it.
That sounds like an awesome setting. All in all, it looks good. Just go with your gut, ask for help if needed go off your players, and incorporate the characters into the game as much as you can.
Thanks, appreciate it! I maybe should have made it clear this is my first star wars dm, and I’ve only dmed twice before (D&D). Trying to include character’s stories is something I am still working on, so that is great advice.
Excellent point! I was thinking maybe Imperial Remenant, but now I wonder if New Republic agents would fit better in the time period… Maybe make them agents hired by the New Republic rather than the NR directly in case the players have some sympathy (in or out of character) for the Republic.
Yeah, if the players are bounty hunters then I would have the New Republic harass them instead of the Empire since it is in ashes.
Also, just to clarify this is the period after Mandalorian season 2 right?
If it’s New Republic era, then I think a couple visiting NR Marshall’s would be very appropriate. Don’t make them push-overs, but very skilled so they can come back from time to time and be a long-time nemesis/rival. They would have to be skilled since they are operating without any real support from the New Republic.
I could see a player even considering going New Republic after a time? Perhaps working with the Marshals secretly?
The period is 2 years after Endor. So that is 3 years before Mando season 1. I wanted to leave things open by setting it in a period that canon hasn’t covered really. But it is certainly heavily influenced by Mando.
And yeah New Republic Marshalls makes a lot of sense. It would definitely be a possibility for them to end up working with them, great idea.
One last question before I post this. Most of the campaign postings have application that prospective players need to send in. Any advice about how to go about doing that? Or do I even need it to begin with?
You needn’t plan out so far into the future because a lot can change from your original plan in 1 session. Just plan one or two sessions in advance and if needs be, make a few adjustments depending on what happens during these first sessions.
Maybe the players accidentally started a war between 2 rival clans. Incorporate that into the enemies and storyline. Did the players need something that one of the clans needed? Well, throw in a side mission to earn the clan’s trust.
I could go on but we don’t have eternity to use talking.
All in all, stick with your gut. My biggest tip for building a story.
Edit: I’ve just now realized that this doesn’t really answer your question.
This all looks very interesting! Well done. I hope that carries over into the actual game, and not just the conceptual stage.
As for application, I just ask for characters. If you want an application “form,” I’d suggest just some basic biographical information and game info. Here’s an example:
You can always ask the character sheets in a certain format like myswrpg, oggdudes generator, etc. You have a lot of work and responsibility, make your life easier by choosing the optimal way for You.
I got a crew, seems like a good group. Made everyone’s character yesterday with Oggdude’s, makes it so much easier. Next week is the first real session, looking forward to it!
