Hello. In the last year, I've moved to a new area and have recruited players to participate in a game I'm running. Out of the 4 of them, only 1 has table top experience.
It's been interesting to say the least. Yesterday, I sent out an email to the players to address an issue the more experienced player brought up-- The hasty violence of the new guys. It seems that the three new guys, and ESPECIALLY two of them, are keen on killing anything and everything that might oppose them. They definitely connect with their characters violent tendencies, but have no real desire to set themselves up for long term success... which, IMO, is a big loss for the party as a whole. Especially since two of them (the most violent ones) aren't geared towards combat as a primary role.
The way it's hurting them the most is they aren't keeping any friends or contacts--they just want to go kill the loose ends. They had an inside man at a shipyard, wanted to kill him. They had a local bounty hunter who adored them, wanted to kill her. I usually play hands off as a GM, and thankfully my experienced player has talked some sense into them sometimes. They just aren't seeing the long term game the way I've come to over the years. And make no mistake... there have been PLENTY of mobs and bad guys for them to kill.
I sent out an email addressing the issue... and hopefully it will improve. All the players are pretty mature IRL, so I'm expecting improvement. Any thoughts?
What I actually came to ask for was advice on a campaign twist. Here's the background:
The characters have done two pretty significant jobs for a laborers union boss (a Weequay) on Ryloth-- he runs the work force of a shipyard the ripped off. They got to keep the ship and his union had a whole new ship to build.
Now, in my notes, the union boss is actually an ISB agent... and his original mission was to use the heroes as assets to undermine the Hutts monopoly on the local drug export. However, due to the paragraphs above (since the heroes have made many enemies on Ryltoh), they'd like to move away and get a fresh start--so here is what I'm thinking.
The boss is still an ISB agent... and his mission is to have the new flagship of the Sullustan Home Guard (a Marauder Class Corvette) stolen. This will allow Imperial intervention into SoroSuub security, and the Empire can use the Home Guard not just for the defense of Sullust, but for their goals in the region.
My agent will approach the heroes with the same job offer as before: Steal the ship. Payment is the ship, and it's good business for the union because their employer will get the contract for the new one. He will set them up on an abandoned mine he used to work out not too far from Ryloth but away from prying eyes. He can even throw in a line about the first job being a test.
Now HERE is where I need help (sorry for the long windedness!): In a proper setting, after the heroes steal the ship, ISB would run them down and take it from them. I don't want to yank it out of the heroes hands after 4-5 grueling sessions of leg work though. What are my options without breaking realism?
I was thinking have the heroes uncover the truth about the agent, but I'm unsure how.
Thoughts and comments welcome. Thanks guys.
EDIT: I think, instead of Union Boss being ISB, I'm going to have him be a Rebel Sleeper. Using the heroes as assets under the cover of being head of a Union still makes sense... and given SoroSuubs cooperation with the Imps at this time, the job is a reasonable one.
Unlike before, the heroes will be hired to steal the ship FOR the union, not as their own prize. (It may seem like a stretch for a cover story... but it can be said that the Union needs a well defended, mobile logistics head that can carry their "army" of skilled workers from job to job and not be tied to the success of this company or that company.) Their payment for the job will be negotiated before the heist itself. When they've done it, though, the Union Boss will be exposed a Rebel Agent and arrested by ISB right in front of them. This will give them another reason to flee the empire, it will make the ship properly theirs and it will introduce (and possibly tie them to) the Rebel Alliance in a tangible way.
(Knowing my players, I'm predicting they'll attemt to rip off the Union Boss anyways--no harm, no foul though. They might try to sell the ship... and I'll cross that bridge when I get there.)
I'm also thinking of moving away from a Marauder and giving them something like a big beefy transport with lots of cargo space for smaller vessels and lots of Customization Hard Points. That gives them something to upgrade and pour cash into and is a lot less conspicuous.
Edited by Aerilyn84