 April 1, 2012 - 7:34am | First off I have no prior experience with this before you brought it up. However, I did play an HS18 freighter load of Car Wars and even made my own arenas. In theory an arena game should be fun to play over and over but I don't think so in an RPG format. With Car Wars you got to try a new vehicle almost any time and then kept it interesting the only way that will apply here is new character each time . What I do think will work is first module opens with an arena combat much like Warriors of White Light started off with fairly mundane naval duties of ship inspections and about the third ship they encounter smugglers. So I would propose an adventure with ONE (or possibly two but most likely one) arena encounter and the adventure takes place while their visiting the planet for the event, the event is sort of incidental to the real adventure. Travelling to events on different planets is the pretext to have these adventures. Action is decidedly AD, not KHs. You could easily write a 3-4 module series. Each module could have one arena battle. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
April 1, 2012 - 7:46am | These adventures would work like a TV serial, team is recovering in locker room or celebrating a win at a bar and needy NPC approaches looking for help. City style adventure most likely and less of the dungeon crawl. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 April 1, 2012 - 2:43pm | Jugger sports team ship breaks down, characters assist in fixing it up. Might make long-term friends. Later on the characters get in trouble in a large city, the Jugger team is across the street at the bar enjoying a few drinks, they either spot the characters or one of them runs over to the bar to seek help - Juggers come over and mop-up the bad guys.  |
April 1, 2012 - 5:09pm | The Big List of RPG plots by S. John Ross, who edited the Pyramid for STeve Jackson Games would be a great resource to mine for story ideas. http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/blueroom/plots.htm I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 April 1, 2012 - 9:19pm | I feel the dog skull should be adapted to some local SF creature. I'd really like to get clikkclikk's take on this. -iggy |
 April 2, 2012 - 4:52am | Good idea with the skull! Should maybe be something from the Yazyrian original fauna, or, when considering when Jugger came up (during fleeing the homeworld) maybe something readily available on the their way. let's think it over ... I mainly thought of Jugger as a general background and encounters for adventure settings, or as an arena game as a smaller part of an adventure (like the race on Volturnus). Yet Jedions idea wirth the modules with different arenas has quite some flavour indeed ... BTW, Sorry I just saw that the 30th anniversary logo slipped through on the document. Since I am in a hurry, I will remove it with the next update except if it is OK to include it. Last game played: Somewhere in the 80th (Vrusk by heart) -- fond of Jugger, a "post-apocalyptic" sport |
 April 2, 2012 - 7:44am | It's perfectly okay to include the logo. The idea was for it to go on anything produced this year. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
April 2, 2012 - 8:20am | Still catching up, dog skull? You could yous the wyvole, its vicious and yazirian in proven. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
April 2, 2012 - 8:22pm | Wyvole would work and would make the skulls valuable too because as a rescued species from the homeworld they may be rare. This could make the game both loved and hated by the Family of One. I watched the first few minutes of the movie on youtube and it looked like the skull was freshly cleaned. I can see yazirians making a ceremony of killing the wyvole, decapitating and skinning the head and removing the tongue, brains, and eyes. Then the sponsoring group would present the skull for play by placing it in the center of the field. I still want to hear if clikkclikk has an animal in mind. Note: A good picture of the wyvole is in sfman 15. -iggy |
April 3, 2012 - 12:44am | Well, I am no judge for the specific animal best suited for it, since I do not have a proper overview on the newer stuff yet. But Wyvole sounds fine to me. I could imagine that the type of the skull is a symbol for the quality of the tournament: Being worth something and being packed with Yazirian history, Wyvole would register as quite a valuable game trophy for high-level tournaments. One extreme thought: Maybe the absolute top challenges are played with Sathar skulls (they have skulls, I assume?). To us, it sounds quite barbaric since Sathar are, after all, a sentient race, yet if we view them as most hated enemies to Yazirians this might exactly fit to their mentality, might it not? Also, it lowers the danger of viewing Yazyrians as big cuddle bears ... And imagine, a Sathar skull would be a trophy that would instill fear on others just by looking at it. Last game played: Somewhere in the 80th (Vrusk by heart) -- fond of Jugger, a "post-apocalyptic" sport |
April 3, 2012 - 5:27am | They (the sathar) do not have a skeleton. Instead, they support their bodies hydrostatically, by pumping liquid into the segments so they become hard. Sounds like a lot of pressure in a body segment for a sathar, wonder what sort of a gusher happens when they get punctured by a bullet? Must have an instant or near instant clotting mechanism. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
April 3, 2012 - 6:28pm | I like the idea of different skulls for different levels of play. I'd say that even non-yazirian animals would be used for play in tournaments so that the world hosting the game is represented in some way. I do think that yazirians would include some form of gliding element in the game in it's most ancient form. Any idea of what the yazirian word for jugger would be? -iggy |
April 4, 2012 - 2:08am | The Sathar "skull" still has some approach to me. Imagine what shock it would be for your basic Frontier citizen to see a Yazirian team showing one of those proudly on a ritual stake ... Since they do not seem to have a skeleton, it could be stuffed. Even more frightening ... As for the world: Any hint which world would be most traditional now, since the Exodus? I think that could be the place of the most important events. BTW,updated rules sketch. Last game played: Somewhere in the 80th (Vrusk by heart) -- fond of Jugger, a "post-apocalyptic" sport |
April 4, 2012 - 4:15am | My take on Hentz and Fo1 is that Fo1 is seriously about top down control and this doesn't really jive with a free wheeling clan culture so I view Fo1 as a recent historical development. You also need something big for it to have risen to its place of dominance otherwise it would have grown slowly in influence. A major societal disruption like the Star Exodus is exactly the thing that would have allowed it to rise to its position in the modern Frontier. Since it seems to be asserting societal changes I generally interpret that as being at least a little anti-older clan traditions. Yast, in recent fan material (not all of it mine) has been cast as ground zero for very traditional yazirians. Guna Garu is a mix of traditional clan Yaz and Fo1, Scree Fron is traditional but astrographically they rely on goods passing through Hentz so they are mindful of Fo1 is and are careful to not rock the boat. Go with Yast as hotbed of this sport, with Guna Garu, and Scree Fron following next in importance, then Gran Quivera as low man on the totem pole (its a mixed race colony). Triad could have this but its Yaz population is a very small percentage though blood sports are popular there among the under class the influence of humans in Triad's version of Jugger rankles the sensibilities of Traditional Yazirians. In fact Triad could be the origin of the name Jugger which is also a bit of an offence to traditional sensibilities. Outer Reach sees Jugger completions sponsored by one crime Lord or another but these are not sanctioned. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
April 4, 2012 - 9:25am | Addendum: Laco has exhibitions staged there. There are unsanctioned matches on Outer Reach. A Triad, Gran Quivera, Laco, and Exib (moon) Jugger federation. Then there is a Yast, Guna Garu, Screen Fron, Gran Quivera circuit and then a "super bowl" is held between the two. Laco has regular exhibition games but other worlds like Pale and Minotaur with large population see occasional exhibition games looking to expand interest in the sport and cash in on proceeds a large population can bring. EDIT: Laco has a few semi pro teams and its a conveint stop between Triad and Gran Quivera. Most exhibitions occur at places like Minotaur, Clarion, and Pale where there hasn't been any serious interest in it yet but the hope is to develop it there as these places have heavy populations and if the sport caught on they would generate substantial proceeds. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
April 4, 2012 - 7:59am | I was looking for the name that yazirians would call jugger. -iggy |
April 4, 2012 - 9:30am | I was looking for the name that yazirians would call jugger. who had that Book of Many Names software? The sathar head issue is one that I think wouldn't fly as possession of sathar specimens and sathar equipment if probably illegal and any such would be confiscated by STar Law, Space Fleet or some other appropriate authority (No doubt both Streel, PGC and Wartech are in possession of such at secret development labs somewhere). From time to time sathar hardware does turn up on the black market as quite a bit was left on Laco, Pale and Volturnus as well as some of it being left in the Liberty system. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
April 5, 2012 - 2:37am | The sathar head issue is one that I think wouldn't fly as possession of sathar specimens and sathar equipment if probably illegal
True. Yet at the battle of Volturnus, for example, Sathar casualties were quite high (so Sathars seem to be engaged in the front line at certain events). I could imagine if Yazirians would have taken part in the battle, it is entirely possible to assume that the one or the other more traditional-clan-oriented Yazirian took parts of their enemies as trophies (not tech, just body parts), would it not? Question is whether the possession of such non-tech would be illegal everywhere, or whether ist would be legal just at Yazirian worlds due to their warrior culture. Maybe the teams would carry those not openly anywhere else? As for the name ... no idea ... something guttural and powerful sounding, it seems ... Last game played: Somewhere in the 80th (Vrusk by heart) -- fond of Jugger, a "post-apocalyptic" sport |
April 5, 2012 - 4:00am | I see what you're saying, clikkclack, I think it would be illegal but one of this things that most people pretend not to see. Very touchy thing to try to confiscate a clan trophy when traditional yazirians are involved. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
April 7, 2012 - 1:25am | ... excellent idea, as always. That would add to the flavour for sure ... imagine a player charcter party is sent out to really confiscate one of those, ordered by an over-enthusiastic Star Law judge ... they woudl find themselves a. knee-deep in trouble or b. knee-deep in tournaments ... Sounds like an interesting seed for adventures, maybe? I don't stick to the idea of a sathar's trophy, yet if it would offer an adventure opportunity, all the better. It could be expicitly stated that the GM has to decide whether he wants to make use of this option or whether the idea is simply aborted. Last game played: Somewhere in the 80th (Vrusk by heart) -- fond of Jugger, a "post-apocalyptic" sport |
April 7, 2012 - 7:42am | What if the yazirian name for the game was jhugh'r, the common (not scientific or proper) yazirian name for the jugular vein of an animal. In the initial years of the game animal was killed for the pre-game feast by cutting it's jhugh'r before decapitating it. Humans who took to watch the sport but could not properly pronounce the name so came up with jugger. Resistance by the Family of One lead to yazirians using the name jugger as a code name to not draw the attention of Family of One representatives. I'm implying here that humans have problems with pronouncing yazirian growl forms properly. But yazirians have little trouble pronouncing human sounds. -iggy |
April 7, 2012 - 7:52am | @iggy: great idea, love it. @clickclak I already started a thread in the Yazirian civil war project detailing the adventure seed except it an over zealous clergy not star law. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
April 7, 2012 - 10:44am | @iggy and @jedion love that input - very good idea indeed. I will just have to train the corrrect spelling of Juh ... iugh ... jugger ... oh blast ... to update the paper! Thanks for your thoughts! Last game played: Somewhere in the 80th (Vrusk by heart) -- fond of Jugger, a "post-apocalyptic" sport |
April 7, 2012 - 10:49am | Note I mentioned jhugh'r is the common word. It is like a human saying ain't or booger or rut where they should be pronouncing the word root. A proper yazirian does not use the word jhugh'r but rather ya-jhu-ng-ugh'r which translates to the head vein through the neck, ya(head)-jhu(vein)-ng(through)-ugh'r(neck). Saying jhugh'r a lot is a sure way to cause other yazirians to think you have no education which reflects on your clan poorly. -iggy |
April 10, 2012 - 12:34am | Iggy, I included your input in the current working paper. Sounds good. Last game played: Somewhere in the 80th (Vrusk by heart) -- fond of Jugger, a "post-apocalyptic" sport |
May 24, 2012 - 2:06pm | Just was off for some time due to the birth of my second son ... I hope I will manage to update the PDF file over the week-end, and maybe prepare some other stuff there. Ah yes, first live StarFrontiers session awaits at monday, after over 20 years, that will offer good impressions ... Last game played: Somewhere in the 80th (Vrusk by heart) -- fond of Jugger, a "post-apocalyptic" sport |
May 24, 2012 - 6:04pm | Just was off for some time due to the birth of my second son ... Congrats I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 May 25, 2012 - 12:49am | A new little vruskling. Congratulations. |
June 14, 2012 - 5:25am | Thanks all! He will strengthen our rows, as Vrusks always do :) judging by their level of activity, both are already trying hard to impersonate vrusklings indeed. As for Jugger, I am just kicking out the Jugger Stamina system and am about to repalce it with skill checks. No reason to introduce a new damage system just for this ... keep it simple ... Some tricky bits still there. Let's look. PS. And yes, it was a feast to play good old SF again. Even though it was the first Volturnus module. Boy, you still remember a lot after twenty years ... Last game played: Somewhere in the 80th (Vrusk by heart) -- fond of Jugger, a "post-apocalyptic" sport |
October 7, 2012 - 1:37pm | Just a quick note, I haven't forgotten or abandoned the project, I have just a lot of stuff on my mind. But I really hope I will have a new version and a small text up during this winter. Last game played: Somewhere in the 80th (Vrusk by heart) -- fond of Jugger, a "post-apocalyptic" sport |
