Hi,

Any suggesions on how to run a game where the characters are exploring a ship the equivelent size of a rogue trader without mapping anything/everything? For example I have a list of interesting rooms/places/events and just want the players to find those semi-radomely otherwise the rest is abstracted away.

Thanks!

An abstract way is to actually build a ship using the Space and Power Continuum listed for whatever ship you desire. Like a Sword Class Frigate has 40 Space and 40 Power, or a Universe Mass Conveyer has 100 Space and 70 Power (don't have my books right in front me so the numbers are definitely off).

So, say you have the Sword Class Frigate. Well, you put 1 Mars Macrocannon and Lance on it, a Trophy Room, Barracks, Lighter Bay, Servitor Reclamator, and a normal Bridge, Shield, Engine, and Crew Facility before you run out of space and power. Now you have the basic areas that they can explore.

Or, if you already have ideas of places for them to explore, make the components fit your description. Say you had the idea of the them stumbling into an area where their is murals, paintings, and statues of the Emperor. Well, this would corresponded to the Temple component, so add that onto the ship.

Will add more later, got busy.

You just need to implement Bioware writing by thinking on their feet.

Have you ever played a Bioware game? You know how there are three to five options to respond to a conversation? Have you ever replayed the game? There can be three to five reactions sure but mostly all they get is a slightly different immediate response before matters launch directly into exactly the same situation. This is why you SHOULDN'T map that whole space hulk of yours even for yourself, because you'll box yourself in. Being a GM is about 30% bull and always has to be, you need to learn to bull. You have to railroad them down the overarching scenario without them seeing the tracks and after each week you have to lay a few new tracks in response to what they did last week because it will have ****** a few of the old ones.

So here's what I've found from my experience, write out those monsters and encounters and key moments and just find on your feet natural ways for whatever the hell they do to lead back into them in some way write those events so they're choke points or logical consequences to exploration. Then if a few end up not happening regardless don't sweat it shelve the fuckers and do them on the next adventure. On my last module I wrote the players didn't meet the scary irradiated fishpeople, but with a little work I can probably cram those fishpeople into some future thing. Maybe they'll become bug people or fish aliens but whatever you have to take those kernels and bull some fluff around them moment to moment.

Hi,

Any suggesions on how to run a game where the characters are exploring a ship the equivelent size of a rogue trader without mapping anything/everything? For example I have a list of interesting rooms/places/events and just want the players to find those semi-radomely otherwise the rest is abstracted away.

Thanks!

So you've made realistic apporach. That's right. If you've got a spaceship resting for a 3000 years in an asteroid field, those few rooms/places/events among the labirynth of corridors are the only remains of it's former life and glory.

The easiest way is to provide clues. My last derelict ship was crashed on a tundra world and after couple thousand years covered by a glacier. Primitive descendants of it's former crew made it their sanctuary and placed waystones that showed way to the bridge, engine room and couple other places.

I also provided a map for a section of the ship, but it was altered by slow progres of the glacier. You can never have too much fun.