I've got a nicely bedded in campaign now and everything is running pretty smoothly (good balance of PCs, some memorable NPCs, over arching plot and a sinister machiavellian villain to tie it together).

However for our next session only two (of 4-6) players will be available and I (knowingly) ended the last game on a cliff hanger, which I really think *deserves* the majority of the party to be there to see the resolution.

Therefore I'm planning to drop in a one off session for the remaining players which will focus on a pair of Arbitrators on Port Wander (one a local officer the other a Calixian Marshal who has followed a felon to the Port). The investigation should play out with them tracing his path (cracking heads and busting scum in the process) until they discover, at the end of the game, that he left port on board the players ship.

This will then foreshadow an ongoing plot about the felon (and accused cult leader and heretic) actually being a member of the crew - in fact the players may discover clues which will hint to them (as players*) which NPC crew member he might be.

Anyone tried anything similar before? This is in a way a "trial run" as in a few weeks I'm planning to spring a switch on teh whole group and have them play a squad of Astartes who they have been running away from recently so that they can see "the other side" and discover what they are really after and prepare them for when they come face-to-face (and face a mutual, greater, enemy)

*I'd stress that the guys (& gal) I run for are very good at separating "player" and "character" knowledge. So They get teh benefit of seeing the "bigger picture" even though their regular characters will remain in the dark.

Sweet! sounds like an excellent idea - and one I could certainly use in my campaign - one of the PCs IS a heretic, and traitor, and spy for xenos, and has already stated he wants an Inquisitorial character from Hostile Acquisitions as a nemesis. Added bonus - that player will be away for the next few weeks, BWAHAHAHAHA

Nice

For clarity I should point out that the PC Explorator is an Arch-Heretek, the PC RT (son of the Warrant holding NPC) talks to ghosts and is studying Forbbiden Lore:Daemonology from a Malefic Codex, the PC Arch-Militant is an Untouchable and the Void Master is a Wyrd….the Dynasty flagship is packed with xenotech and they regularly entertain visiting Stryxis traders….

They are going to be spoilt for choice as to who the Arbites are after….

Nerd King said:

heehee. I hope the Arbites get a discount on mass purchases of "Stakes, For Burning On"

I run a Dark Heresy campaign with six players as my 'primary' game. If too many of the players can't make a session, we used to have to cancel the game; this was leading to some long gaps between game sessions. So, to fill the holes, I started an episodic Deathwatch campaign- allowing those players who can make it to get some gaming in, playing out self-contained one-night Killteam missions (that occasionally relate to the events in the main DH campaign).

My players did something similar. When DH was just out they decided to all play nobles from a house that was just all but wiped out by the Inquisition for dealing in xeno artifacts. Their players were allowed to live and work as acolytes for the inquisition only because they were the ones that reported their own family. Fast forward to my current RT campaign. Lo and behold there is something called the Cold Trade that fits in perfectly with the background they thought up for their DH characters! It didn't take them long to decide that the inquisition didn't manage to kill their entire house, but left one ship alive with the heir to the dynasty on it. So now their DH characters are working with the Inquisition to thwart the plans they make with their RT characters. The RT characters meanwhile are oblivious to the fact that their dynasty had traitors amongst their own ranks.

Awesome idea, I love it and want to say go for it! Adds a nice little extra layer of suspense to the adventure.

I used to run a Vampire (White Wolf/World of Darkness) campaign where I actually inserted sessions with one or two of the players, when they had their own plans (vampires can be conniving and backstabbing bastards), they would often end up creating sub-plots for each other by scheming for gain while teaming up to handle something to big to solo .

If this pans out and you want to introduce a little scheming: start working with notes (of course in moderation) to your players: hand a note with a transmission with info from the "cops" to only the lord captain, and another to one of your other players (arch-militant or something). With some luck one will want to catch the villain and the other will want to work with him for some perceived gain

@drhoz: sorry that I read your comment, I like the GM forums as an ex-GM but skip your posts cause of spoilers, but couldn't help reading this comment… I'll keep it to myself (although others might already know, dunno). If the player listens to me carefully he might realize Netzach's ideas on the matter btw (enemy: eclesiarchy; and i'm pretty close to heretek the way I see Netzach (knowledge is power, faith is for those without a mind)

edit: to make it interesting you could have the felon be accused of being involved in the cold trade. Rumors are he is in the possession of the schematics for a powerful piece of xenotech…

NetzachBenetek said:

that's ok, the rest of the party aren't exactly pious either. Just look at Marzu…

I try not to, I'm worried about wardrobe malfunctions….