shadowfox
2009-05-12, 11:04 PM
I was sitting on my couch the other day, watching Ocean's Eleven, when this idea hit me... It would be really awesome if, as a PC, I could pull off a stunt like that (well, that's my own opinion, at least). So, I started thinking about it, and I'm considering running it.
In essence, what I'd do is run it as a one-shot campaign; they are given an objective, given certain resources and/or funds, and I let them loose. The only two winning conditions that they would have to meet would be 1) to successfully complete their mission, and 2) to not get caught.
Now, I know I'd have to do a lot of preparation... As an example, and to keep with the spirit of Ocean's Eleven, their goal would be to rob a casino vault on the night of a major boxing fight. Now, there would be obvious problems with accomplishing that to begin with, but, if all the PCs work together, they should be able to accomplish the seemingly impossible task.
What I'd end up doing would be using the d20 Modern system, and, as my inspiration is from Ocean's Eleven, they'd be con men and criminals of various backgrounds. Some fast-talkers, some impersonators, some pickpockets, and maybe even a demolitions person. As the DM, I'd play the role of, well, the mastermind of the idea itself. I'd lay out what, at that moment, the known hurdles are (as more will inevitably pop up as time goes on). Based on that, I'll have each of the PCs make a character not only to their liking, but also have them actively participating in the creation of the group's ability makeup as well (communication between PCs in my D&D group is almost unheard of; I've just never been able to get them all together in one place to make their characters).
Now, in my group, the extent of giving control to PCs goes as far as tactical ability. We're generally given a mission, and follow through with that. Although I play with plenty of intelligent people (even if the intelligence doesn't show in one or two of them), we tend to be very straight-forward in terms of plans, and I tend to be the most creative (and by "creative," I mean "tactical").
Um... Really, what I'm asking here, is this: can this work? I'll come up with the givens beforehand. They'll know, at least, the basics before they start (and then uncover more information through research), and if they mess up enough (but not too much), then I'll have the system react accordingly (ex: hacking attempt failed; company increases digital security). What I'm worried about is how the PCs will handle this. From the pool of players... they're largely the type take things from a simple approach. Very straight-forward and, sometimes, blunt. I have the feeling that this could be a very, very fun and memorable campaign for them, or it could quickly fall to pieces.
So... Comments or advice?
In essence, what I'd do is run it as a one-shot campaign; they are given an objective, given certain resources and/or funds, and I let them loose. The only two winning conditions that they would have to meet would be 1) to successfully complete their mission, and 2) to not get caught.
Now, I know I'd have to do a lot of preparation... As an example, and to keep with the spirit of Ocean's Eleven, their goal would be to rob a casino vault on the night of a major boxing fight. Now, there would be obvious problems with accomplishing that to begin with, but, if all the PCs work together, they should be able to accomplish the seemingly impossible task.
What I'd end up doing would be using the d20 Modern system, and, as my inspiration is from Ocean's Eleven, they'd be con men and criminals of various backgrounds. Some fast-talkers, some impersonators, some pickpockets, and maybe even a demolitions person. As the DM, I'd play the role of, well, the mastermind of the idea itself. I'd lay out what, at that moment, the known hurdles are (as more will inevitably pop up as time goes on). Based on that, I'll have each of the PCs make a character not only to their liking, but also have them actively participating in the creation of the group's ability makeup as well (communication between PCs in my D&D group is almost unheard of; I've just never been able to get them all together in one place to make their characters).
Now, in my group, the extent of giving control to PCs goes as far as tactical ability. We're generally given a mission, and follow through with that. Although I play with plenty of intelligent people (even if the intelligence doesn't show in one or two of them), we tend to be very straight-forward in terms of plans, and I tend to be the most creative (and by "creative," I mean "tactical").
Um... Really, what I'm asking here, is this: can this work? I'll come up with the givens beforehand. They'll know, at least, the basics before they start (and then uncover more information through research), and if they mess up enough (but not too much), then I'll have the system react accordingly (ex: hacking attempt failed; company increases digital security). What I'm worried about is how the PCs will handle this. From the pool of players... they're largely the type take things from a simple approach. Very straight-forward and, sometimes, blunt. I have the feeling that this could be a very, very fun and memorable campaign for them, or it could quickly fall to pieces.
So... Comments or advice?