 January 3, 2009 - 7:36am | Well we just wrapped the Crash on Volturnus module (and we aggreed to take a moth off an run some fantasy- RPG ADD) but I've been mulling over the end of the campaign and I was currious about how other GMs ended the Volturnus campaign? Some of my thoughts: 1. If the players succeed have a very Star Wars-esk award ceremony where the eorna give them the "Star Crystal of Volkos" -their highest decoration making them the only living holders of this award. Its a story reward and should be good for a free drink and some deference from eorna NPCs. Truane's Star should also award them some commendation as well but not as important as the Star Crystal. I'll have Col. V. Jamison survive and be promoted within the Truane's Star military making him and important/connected NPC that will be favorably disposed to the PCs (the eorna will make jamison CnC for the big battle) and they'll have that "brothers in arms" relationship to jamison so that will be good for an invite to the officers club and "a drink on the general" plus some advice from him during future encounters. 2. Personally I favor the eorna recovering their egg ship and restarting their society. I see them scrambling to re-organize and rebuild and cutting deals allying themselves with the UPF as an independent ally. while offering trade concessions and mineral rites to mega corps in exchange for major help in rebuilding infrastructure. To that end the eorna ambassadore to Truane's Star will approach the PCs asking them to become the initial crew of the new Volturnus Space Militia, taking command of the assault scout that was ordered. They will be offered dual citizenship on volturnus, a generous salary, plus total exemption from income tax or any future ship registration fees should they eventually get a ship of their own (after all they are the saviors of the planet and the eorna are really hard pressed and need their help). If they accept- an deal was cut for them to attend the Royal Marine Accademy on Clarion for ship operations training and that will let me run some or all of the Warriors of the White Light module. (it also lets me transition to the Beyond the Frontiers campaign though the Eleanor Mores module will be run using pre-gen characters while the PCs are doing their training on Clarion- once the mayday is sent relief ships from Clarion will arrive including the regular PCs. The PCs will be able to accrue quite a military record with with awards and commendations from two militias plus Volturnus and maybe the UPF all as story rewards without tying the party down to a particular nor a strick command structure. 3. Eventually the PCs will end up back at Volturnus for further adventures - Mechanons revolt- and sathar agents giving musket technology to Volturnus natives and sparking a war of genocide by the edeskatai against the ul-mor(for killing their gods) I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
 January 3, 2009 - 8:30am | My Volturnus campaign ended in a big space battle and a mass ground offensive; UPF/allied militia vs. Streel/Truane's Star/PGC/Star Devil/Sathar, with the end result being the annhilation of the Star Devil's organization(save the Star Devil, aka Louis Jameison, who fled) and the planet being administered as a UPF protectorate. "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
 January 3, 2009 - 10:53am | Did Louis start up another organization? |
January 3, 2009 - 11:56am | My Volturnus campaign ended in a big space battle and a mass ground offensive; UPF/allied militia vs. Streel/Truane's Star/PGC/Star Devil/Sathar, with the end result being the annhilation of the Star Devil's organization(save the Star Devil, aka Louis Jameison, who fled) and the planet being administered as a UPF protectorate. WOW that's a different take on the adventure- did you go that route because the players already knew the adventure? and what was the ultimate fate of the eorna- slow death as they all died out or went insane? I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 3, 2009 - 12:05pm | Yeah, wanted to shake my players up a bit. 'Sides, it would offer one possible explanation for Jameison's and Grod's disappearance, and I got tired of the Sathar as big, bad, baddy aliens behind everything angle. The surviving Eorna left Volturnus for a lost colony elsewhere in the Frontier(yes, I know what the modules said, but.....)....didn't have the heart to kill em off, but I didn't want an ultrapowerful race in the campaign, even as NPCs...this seemed the best comprimise. Louis went on to a long and infamous career as a Truane's Star naval "advisor" for the Sathar forces, reappearing in my take on The War Machine, commanding a battle carrier dubbed...the Star Devil III. "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
January 3, 2009 - 12:27pm | ... but I didn't want an ultrapowerful race in the campaign, even as NPCs...this seemed the best comprimise. Louis went on to a long and infamous career as a Truane's Star naval "advisor" for the Sathar forces, reappearing in my take on The War Machine, commanding a battle carrier dubbed...the Star Devil III. Nice use of the Jameison NPC! I've certainly been influenced by the game over at Black Hand Gang- but I'm with you on the powerful NPC race so while its true the eorna have some tech the PC races don't have I plan to have them always running on an air of desparation- like a harried parent with kids always getting into trouble (ooh that reminds me of someone - oh yeah ME!)- all the creche raise eorna that haven't absorbed "classic" eorna culture plus the native races that were suppose to replace the eorna now becoming the "red-headed step children" of the planet and complications between them not getting along with each other and resentment toward the eorna for meddling with their genes & cultures. Pluse the money grubbing mega corps looking for angle to exploit- booze and drugs in exchange for cheap labor etc. In fact I think I'll be placing limits on the eorna so that their only real tech advantage will be in genetics and some biosciences and that they let other areas decay so that they are forced to rely on UPF/ mega corp produced goods and services so that I'll end up with a setting much like the rest of the Frontier planets but with the unique tweaks that Volturnus has. If my group hangs in there for 3 campaigns I'm thinking to have the eorna produce and experiental ship with a not so reliable cloak based off their old tech for a "Satharmeggedon" Campaign where the PCs go searching for the Sathar home world based of info developed during the Beyond the Frontier Campaign. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 3, 2009 - 12:44pm | Hmm, you have some interesting ideas as well, jedi. "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
January 3, 2009 - 12:45pm | Sorry for back to back post but another idea struck me as I was posting the previous comment: With the volturnus modules being so well played, you could collect stories like wills that differ form how you played the modules and then run a rifts/star gate style campaign where the PCs end up in alternate universes where the story of Volturnus played out differently. one where their ship is void jumping and it switches universes with an identical ship & crew- just as they determine their location they're hailed by the Star Devil and chewed out for being late and ordered to support the attack on the Serena Dawn. The PCs will already know how the Volturnus modules played but now they're faced with the question of what do they do with this knowledge in this universe where their dulicates are wanted criminals. They manage another jump and find a Volturnus carved up buy Streel and PGC and the native races are oppressed and exploited they do another jump and find a volturnus destroyed by the sathar and or a Sathar colony. another jump and they find a volturnus run by the mechanons and the native races have a pathetic resistence organization kind of in the vain of the Terminator movies. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 3, 2009 - 12:47pm | Hmm, you have some interesting ideas as well, jedi. Hehehe, Will, you are a game master after my own heart. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 3, 2009 - 12:50pm | Only cos I've had PCs who made me the GM I am today...:D "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
January 3, 2009 - 12:53pm | Sorry for back to back post but another idea struck me as I was posting the previous comment: With the volturnus modules being so well played, you could collect stories like wills that differ form how you played the modules and then run a rifts/star gate style campaign where the PCs end up in alternate universes where the story of Volturnus played out differently. one where their ship is void jumping and it switches universes with an identical ship & crew- just as they determine their location they're hailed by the Star Devil and chewed out for being late and ordered to support the attack on the Serena Dawn. The PCs will already know how the Volturnus modules played but now they're faced with the question of what do they do with this knowledge in this universe where their dulicates are wanted criminals. They manage another jump and find a Volturnus carved up buy Streel and PGC and the native races are oppressed and exploited they do another jump and find a volturnus destroyed by the sathar and or a Sathar colony. another jump and they find a volturnus run by the mechanons and the native races have a pathetic resistence organization kind of in the vain of the Terminator movies. Or another, where the Eorna are the not so benevolent masters of Voltunrus, and the Mechanons are the leaders of the other races forming a resistance against them. Yes, Mechanons as heros...whod've thought.... "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
January 3, 2009 - 12:58pm | Well, I'd have to put a twist on the name John Connor and give it to a mechanon! I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 3, 2009 - 4:00pm | Okay, jedi, here goes. The PCs happen upon a running gun battle between Streel Corp. goons and a lone Human male, about 16, 17, who doesn't look long for this world. The PCs break up the fight, but too late for the Human male, who expires after delivering a cryptic message along the lines of "Volkos...secret....in the crystals...seek out...thinkers...." An autopsy reveals he's not Human, not even a cybot, but an android, of a design no roboticist in the Frontier's even remotely familiar with.... Thereby hangs the tale "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
January 4, 2009 - 6:03pm | Thereby hangs the tale you should write a novel ;) I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 4, 2009 - 7:31pm | Working on a couple now. "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
 January 5, 2009 - 10:11am | Nice information everyone. Thanks for sharing. My ending wasnt anywhere close to as thought out as any of yours. I did a starwarsish award ceremony. The Eorna closed off the system, but couldnt really enforce it, so it becomes a protectorate of Truanes Star, until the Eorna can get back on their feet. Eventually leading to a Mechanon Revolt. The Eorna and Mechanon's will eventually contact the pc's for assistance. The pc's loot as much as they can, get some mineral rights, but it amounts to small shares that will be a steady source of income. They didnt trade off any of the data concerning the Star Devil. They wanted to start chasing down his other bases. Thus was going to start the Hunt for the Star Devil campaign. But work schedules changed and we never got back to it. Time flies when your having rum. Im a government employee, I dont goof-off. I constructively abuse my time. |
 January 6, 2009 - 7:53pm | I've pretty much always ran the game as written, although I added a few twists each time. Most recently I had the players discover a crash landed pirate scout ship that was salvageable. Gave them something to work towards in future games (money earned to fix the thing) and eventually learn how to use it. Prior runs I added allied characters that the party runs into throughout the play, such as surviving first expedition characters (to replace fallen comrades) or disgruntled Star Devils just to cite a couple examples. But the final battle of SF:2 does define the party's future: heroes or disappointments to the Frontier (I did have one group that failed miserably LOL). One constant is Louis V. Jameson dies in my campaign (as written in the modules), although his daughter Valerie Louise Jameson figures in prominently with the Star Fighter Corps. (Brilliant twist BTW on the earlier post where Jameson is the Star Devil, I like that one!) |
January 8, 2009 - 6:26pm | Sea-Mor?! Doubtlessly in conjunction with a race called the Buttz..... Seriously, Shadow, some good ideas there, especially the Eorna fighters...hmmm, maybe in another run-through of Volturnus, the PCs stumble onto a hangar full of strange fightercraft underneath Volkos, and, sooner or later they have to fly these puppies against the Sathar invasion fleet(or even the Truane's Star fleet....) (Brilliant twist BTW on the earlier post where Jameson is the Star Devil, I like that one!) Thanks, it just came to me, and I ran with it...boy, were my PCs surprised..... "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
January 9, 2009 - 8:54pm | Concerning the eorna fighters; I would go with a hull size 2 gun boat that would let the players stay together kind of like the assault scout was designed to be used by a group of PCs I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 10, 2009 - 4:24am | Funny you should mention the HS:2 designation for Eorna fighters. I just dug out my old high school era SF notebook (what can I say, I'm a pack rat). After filtering through a lot of munchkin-grade material that I'd wished I hadn't rediscovered, I found my original Eorna Fighter stats:
Essentially a mini-assault scout. The laser turret evolved into my modern day Pod Laser Turret...a down scaled LB with a 40K km range. The way I see it, PCs could take roles as gunners and/or techs aboard the craft, manning the weapon systems and fixing damaged systems while the eorna pilot maneuvers through the battle. Sea-Mor?! Doubtlessly in conjunction with a race called the Buttz..... Yep, the Buttz...distant cousins to the Edestekai. Instead of three eyes evenly spaced about the torso the Buttz have three, well...you know. Sorta like eyes. Brown eyes, that is. If I hadn't already fleshed out the pirates in my campaign to the extent that I have, I'd really consider adopting that Jameson twist. I'm actually still in awe over that one. If I ever run the Volturnus trilogy again, I may utilize it... Actually the more I think about it, if you've ever seen that one SF site (I realy wish I had it bookmarked)that tells of PGC financing the Star Devils to thwart the Streel/Truane's Star operations, it really goes hand in hand with that conspiracy. |
January 10, 2009 - 9:48am | Actually the more I think about it, if you've ever seen that one SF site (I realy wish I had it bookmarked)that tells of PGC financing the Star Devils to thwart the Streel/Truane's Star operations, it really goes hand in hand with that conspiracy. I think that was mentioned in the Dragon article "The Volturnus Connection." Just remember the line Jameison uses when the PCs meet him for the first time: "I already know who you are.[turns and draws his blaster, as his goons cut off the PCs exit] You'll never leave Volturnus alive...." "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
January 10, 2009 - 12:57pm | All this talk about Jameison being the Star Devil has me thinking... I may just want to rewrite my back story. Yet I think I'd like to have Jameison's Identity as the star devil go undetected by the PCs and develop a relationship with him as a major npc. I was planning for him, with is military experience to be tasked as CnC for the big battle at the end, he out ranks the PCs and their role is as trouble shooting special forces team. currently the star devil is in bed (figuratively and literally) with the Streel manager that has been working with the pirates, code named Orchid. So if Jameison goes undetected and works with the PCs for the big battle and returns to Truane's Star as a hero with a promotion to general there will be the loose end of orchid knowing who he is (she slept with him) so with Jamesion helping the PCs to tie together the clues about Orchid's identity and his suggestion that "I want her head on a pole, will you help me?" and he pulls strings so that he and the PCs get to run her to ground where she's gone into hiding but at the very last as she's surrendering jameison shoots her to protect his secret. Jameison goes on to be an important NPC and when the truth is discover down the road when the PCs have taken for granted that Jameison is their friend the betrayal will cut even deeper. Yes, I think I like that. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 11, 2009 - 8:09am | In a word, wow.... "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
January 12, 2009 - 3:47am | Yeah Will...you really opened the Louis V. Jameson brand can of worms. Look for the (un)official TSR SF:2a "Aftermath of Volturnus: Dealing with the Devil" module coming soon. |
January 12, 2009 - 5:54pm | Starring Sister Orchid(not with Jimmy Cagney). Seriously, that sounds like a good idea. Hell, we might just make a game of it. "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
 January 13, 2009 - 1:38pm | FYI, I updated and fleshed out some of the races in the pages of the StarFrontiersman - namely the Kurabanda, Ul-Mor, and the Eorna themselves... making efforts to re-balance them to match the other (player-usable) races. Perhaps some usable ideas can be assembled for your campaign from those pages. <insert witty comment here> |
January 15, 2009 - 11:35am | Yeah Will...you really opened the Louis V. Jameson brand can of worms. Look for the (un)official TSR SF:2a "Aftermath of Volturnus: Dealing with the Devil" module coming soon. And the sound track will be "Running with the Devil" I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
January 15, 2009 - 6:14pm | Or "Highway To Hell...." "You're everything that's base in humanity," Cochrane continued. "Drawing up strict, senseless rules for the sole reason of putting you at the top and excluding anyone you say doesn't belong or fit in, for no other reason than just because you say so." —Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stephens, Federation |
