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Systems & Settings => Rolemaster => RMSS/FRP => Topic started by: Rerednaw on July 01, 2020, 08:05:40 AM

Title: Recommended intro-level starting scenario?
Post by: Rerednaw on July 01, 2020, 08:05:40 AM
Ideally a quick-start with pregens would be nice.  Just looking for a way to get some other folks into the game.  If no quick-starts then recommendations for a level 1-5 adventure(s)?

Cheers and thanks!

Oh I'd be running RMSS most likely (since roll20 has a character sheet).
Title: Re: Recommended intro-level starting scenario?
Post by: Rerednaw on July 01, 2020, 08:48:55 AM
I did find someone did a nice quickstart...but it is in German.  Working on translating it...seems workable. But would still like suggestions.  :)
Title: Re: Recommended intro-level starting scenario?
Post by: Witchking20k on July 01, 2020, 12:40:18 PM
There are a couple of Shadow World adventures drivethruRPG that might be good. What setting books do you have available?
As for pre-gen characters...you can always use the NPC table and interpret them as characters for an intro adventure.
If you'd like a lighter intro to the concepts of RMSS you can use MERP (which also has a CharSheet on Roll20). MERP can be transitioned into RM2/RMclassic easily (which I would recommend).
Title: Re: Recommended intro-level starting scenario?
Post by: Rerednaw on July 03, 2020, 07:02:40 PM
I have a few of the Shadow World books.
Ideally a quickstart would either be setting neutral or provide enough details in a sidebar or introduction. 
I would have a small village with even some fairly mundane tasks that use static maneuvers or contests. 
Examples:
“My prize pig escaped!  Please track him down and bring him back in one piece!  Oh and is anyone good at mending fences?”
“Bruno, the town arm wrestling champ, wagers a round of beers if you can best him 2 out of 3 times in an arm-wrestling match...”
That sort of thing... :)

And then lead into a quick exploration of a small ruined tower, a cave, or maybe clearing out the basement of the town inn...which used to be a thieves guild till they stole from the wrong necromancer who turned them into skeletons, etc...


 
Title: Re: Recommended intro-level starting scenario?
Post by: Spectre771 on July 04, 2020, 06:33:43 AM
I did a series of intro adventures to bring 5 players into a campaign.  Two of them were completely new to RM.  One series of adventures involved the Thieves' Guild and two of the players.  Player 1 was the dupe.  He was approached by a guild member who said the player had potential and there is a small test if he'd like to try it.  The player had to steal a small item from a tavern at one end of town and make his way to a tavern at the other end of town without being caught.  He was told there were other initiates attempting the same task so he had to be quick, not get caught, and possibly stop any of the others from succeeding.

Player 2 was the actual Guild's interest.  His task was to ensure his mark succeeded in getting from Tavern A to Tavern B.  The catch, Player could not know anything at all about any assistance from Player 2.  If Player 1 found out about Player 2's assistance, he would be disqualified.

This led to a series of really comedic events that simply could not be scripted.  We were crying from laughing so hard.  Player A started by posing as a dish cleaner (who actually washed dishes back then?) to get into the tavern. He 'accidentally' tripped, spilling the dishes all over the floor to create a distraction, then snagged the item and ran.  He made it to another store to steal clothes to disguise himself.

Player 2 had to stop the dupe from grabbing the item ( I believe it was a small statuette), he had to prevent another initiate from shooting Player 1 with a crossbow.  The skills for level 2 players were pretty low, so there were a lot of missed attempts and partial successes.  It was like watching the Keystone Cops of the thieving world.

The skills they had to use were many and varied:  Stalking, Hiding, Silent Kill, Hide Item, Disguise, Sprinting, Sense Ambush Assassin, Silent Kill, Weapon Skill (Blow Gun), Thrown Weapon, Improvised Weapon, Brawling, Surveillance, General Perception, Acting, Duping, Streetwise,  etc.
Title: Re: Recommended intro-level starting scenario?
Post by: Twistor on July 17, 2020, 07:36:32 AM
I did a series of intro adventures to bring 5 players into a campaign.  Two of them were completely new to RM.  One series of adventures involved the Thieves' Guild and two of the players.  Player 1 was the dupe.  He was approached by a guild member who said the player had potential and there is a small test if he'd like to try it.  The player had to steal a small item from a tavern at one end of town and make his way to a tavern at the other end of town without being caught.  He was told there were other initiates attempting the same task so he had to be quick, not get caught, and possibly stop any of the others from succeeding.

Player 2 was the actual Guild's interest.  His task was to ensure his mark succeeded in getting from Tavern A to Tavern B.  The catch, Player could not know anything at all about any assistance from Player 2.  If Player 1 found out about Player 2's assistance, he would be disqualified.

This led to a series of really comedic events that simply could not be scripted.  We were crying from laughing so hard.  Player A started by posing as a dish cleaner (who actually washed dishes back then?) to get into the tavern. He 'accidentally' tripped, spilling the dishes all over the floor to create a distraction, then snagged the item and ran.  He made it to another store to steal clothes to disguise himself.
...

I'm now tempted to do this myself! Sounds hilarious!
Title: Re: Recommended intro-level starting scenario?
Post by: Witchking20k on July 17, 2020, 02:47:22 PM
How many players? Pest control is always a great intro adventure. Have the PCs tasked with eliminating a nest of Giant Wasps or Ants or Rats in a rickety old barn that a local farmer has just won in a poker game. You can have the challenge be a "reverse dungeon" as the PCs go higher into the barn the floor become treacherous (use some detect/disarm traps to locate/make safe) and the closer you get to the nest the more intense the resistance will be. The cagey farmer could be an ex-adventurer with a bad leg. He can reward them with a few old healing potions and maybe he has an old map or tip for them to follow up on afterwards? I'm not sure if you've heard of a 5 room dungeon - but I would personally use that format:

Here are the 5 rooms:

1. The Entrance: that typically has a guardian of some type (as the creaky old barn door opens the PCs alert a swarm of vermin and are attacked)
2. The Puzzle or a roleplaying challenge: Rotted floor boards (detect & avoid or fall in) reveal a secret cellar with what may be an ancient alter in it and animal bones scattered about (you can use this as a RP challenge or puzzle containing a clue to a future adventure maybe). Also, try using environmental challenges like dusk making it difficult to breath and see.
3. The Setback or a trick of some sort that impedes the heroes: The staircase leading to the 2nd story is rotted (it will crash to the ground under the weight of a PC), they must find another way to get to the 2nd story (climbing etc).
4. The Boss Fight room that provides a climax to the delve: make a "boss" monster vermin add +20 to OB/DB increase the size of their attacks by 1 degree.
5. The Reward; which in this case would be a few healing potions and an NPC contact (but I like to use harvesting chitin or venom from insects too)

Thats my 5 minute, 5 room "reverse dungeon" for a level 1 party.
Title: Re: Recommended intro-level starting scenario?
Post by: Spectre771 on July 18, 2020, 08:07:45 AM
I did a series of intro adventures to bring 5 players into a campaign.  ....
...

I'm now tempted to do this myself! Sounds hilarious!

It was a riot.  Because of their low skills and sometimes lack of skills, they had to think on the fly a lot.  The best made plans...  With each player doing what they could to not be noticed as they made their way across town went way better than I could have ever planned.



How many players? Pest control is always a great intro adventure.

I did this as well for another group of players new to the game.  They were looking for work and they were told the inn keeper had some work to hire.  When they arrived, the few patrons inside were all glum and and quiet.  The owner explained that she had a "big rat problem" in the basement and she couldn't get any more ale from storage.  This explained why so few patrons and why they were glum.  :)  When she announced that "these fine people are going to help us with our big rat problem" they all cheered and started laughing, and if the players rolled General Perception high enough, saw a few of them placing bets.

When they entered the basement, they noticed it was much warmer than it was upstairs (this adventure took place in the far north where it was very cold).  At the end of the wall was a fairly large hole and 2 glowing eyes.  As they approached, a single giant rat emerged.  As we are using elemental magic from Elemental Companion, it was a heat elemental rat with several newborn rats clinging to it.  Its crits did additional heat crits.  It was a level 5 Giant Rat.  Hilarity ensued.
Title: Re: Recommended intro-level starting scenario?
Post by: Ruffie on August 04, 2020, 01:22:26 PM
You could look into the old Merp-adventures. They are mostly compatible with RMSS/RMFRP and they are mainly set for players levels 1-10. They are not always easy to get a hold of in some parts.
Title: Re: Recommended intro-level starting scenario?
Post by: Aspire2Hope on August 05, 2020, 05:47:02 AM
I would suggest grabbing the VsDM quick start - no not to play using VsDM (although it is a good system), but the quickstart PCs are easy to convert to your flavour of RM and come with a sensible range of skills and character types for adventuring. The adventure has a good fantasy flavour being a quest and having a nicely defined start and finish.