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I love giant star-spanning campaigns with deeply engaging storylines, NPCs that come alive during play, and chain reaction political implications as the characters bowl through the universe.
But, characters don't always follow the train tracks, do they? As a referee, you have to be able to think on your feet and improvise. And sometimes, everyone needs a palate cleanser -- an episodic session with no connection to epic storylines.
The Referee-Ready Card Decks are intended to fill those gaps or be the basis for an entire, emergent campaign!
Each card in the patron deck looks remarkably like a patron entry in the old 76 Patrons book from Classic Traveller, with a few additions.
Each card contains the following information:
- Type. General class of job (Infiltration in the example)
- Patron Number. On a d66
- Value. Uses a system that allows the referee to target compensation based on their campaign style.
- Expertise. A specific skill that’s essential to the job. Not necessarily required, but the patron may actually be looking for someone rated in that skill.
- Player’s Information. A description of the patron, how the players meet them, a summary of the job, and anything the patron provides.
- Potential Rewards. In addition to the pay, the players might net other valuables, contacts, or even skill bonuses.
- Legality. This is a judgment call, but tells the referee if the job *generally* legal, illegal, or in a gray area.
- Complications. No job is straightforward. There’s a reason these jobs are being offered to strangers. Referees can roll, choose, or mix and match complications.
- Consequences. Long-term results of the job, like enemies, being wanted by some powerful group, or other lasting effects. These might provide the referee with additional hooks.
Each card in the salvage deck is a mini-adventure at destroyed, derelict, or otherwise abandoned site. It may be a wrecked starship orbiting a moon, a debris field, or an abandoned scout base on a desolate planet.
How the characters come to this job is up to the referee, but can easily be paired with one of the patrons in the patron deck.
Each card includes a point-crawl map to either improvise the site through a session or for the referee to develop in more detail if that's their style.
How the characters come to this job is up to the referee, but can easily be paired with one of the patrons in the patron deck.
Each card includes a point-crawl map to either improvise the site through a session or for the referee to develop in more detail if that's their style.
Either way, you can run the whole scenario from the card.
Each salvage card includes:
- Site/Type. General type of salvage. This example is a ship in space.
- Card Number. on a d66
- Value. Uses the same system as the patron cards; a general level of compensation expected from the salvage based on the referee's campaign style.
- Expertise. Each card implies a specific skill that would be useful to complete the scenario. Not required, but probably harder without it.
- Conditions. These affect the whole site. It may be a time limit, a specific piece of equipment to recover, or events that may occur during the salvage operation.
- Point-crawl Map. These mockups have my chickenscratch! I have someone working on some nice point-crawl diagrams. But, the idea is that you have an at-a-glance representation of the site with symbols like entry points, hidden pathways, blocked areas, etc.
- Key. Gives you the quick description of what’s in each area of the point-crawl map.
Back of the Salvage Card
- Hazards/Complications. More curveballs to throw at the characters!
- Prizes. Other potential rewards that the characters could find or parley from salvaging the site.
I have no idea how interested my fellow Traveller/Cepheus Engine referees are in something like this, so I’m starting rather small with two 18 card decks (for a total of 36 cards). The stretch goals will expand both decks to 36 cards each, add a tuckbox (with great art by Craig Brasco!), and some other interesting ideas that I'll keep under my hat for the moment.
The cards are tarot-sized cards (2.75” x 4.75”) with rounded edges, embossed on card stock, double-sided with a low-gloss UV coating. They'll be printed and fulfilled at DrivethruCards. See the video below to see the prototypes. I’m liking the feel, size, and colors (though I’m tweaking a few things after holding them in my hand).
Unless we can get to that tuckbox level, the cards come shrinkwrapped. If we get to that level, they'll be in their own individual tuckboxes with some bonus cards.
Check out this video of my hands...with the cards.
Unless we can get to that tuckbox level, the cards come shrinkwrapped. If we get to that level, they'll be in their own individual tuckboxes with some bonus cards.
Check out this video of my hands...with the cards.
Keep your spacesuit on! The manuscript is written for both card decks. I have layout templates for both. So, delivery should be a fast turnaround.
My expectation is to be done with the entire project on the day that this Backerkit ends and to start delivery very soon after that – within 30 days. The big risk is that Drivethru takes forever on the proof copies of the full decks, but check my previous projects here and on Kickstarter. I communicate everything. Maybe I overcommunicate. I dunno. But, you'll know stuff when I know stuff.
If you’re used to crowdfunding campaigns taking months (or years...or never) to deliver, this one will be fast.
I hope this is something that interests you. I have a few ideas for other useful card decks, but I'd love to see how this one is received.
Thanks for reading -- Paul