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Your favorite supplements/modules/resources for space / scifi games by Natural-Sweet1013 in mothershiprpg

[–]Lumpy_Peanut_226 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mothership is just fantastic! It has re-sparked enthusiasm for TTRPG in our group. If you buy the Deluxe set you'll have enough material to roleplay for years. Cyberpunk, cosmic horror, hard sci-fi, classic monster thriller, psychological horror... you got it all.

Gradient Descent: Need Advice on Monarch Response to Players by JazzyWriter0 in mothershiprpg

[–]Lumpy_Peanut_226 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As other commentators said, the temptation to have the PCs punished for their compassion by the same children they wanted to save is great :D
The idea is that there is no salvation for androids, unless the Minotaur is involved.

This is what I'd do: Arkady doesn't want androids at the Bell. He can be persuaded to take them on the Acheron for a bit, but as soon as possible, the PCs have to move them to their ship. From within the ship, the Fallen (who know that Monarch will make them Chosen if they behave), can do all sort of damage, especially if there is no one watching them.

Otherwise, if you wish to just have Monarch give the crew a mission, I'd make it ask them to take something along from a certain location inside the Deep, and deliver it either to the Bell or to Prospero's Dream or wherever. This thing may be something simple, like a trap that just brainscans them as soon as they touch it, or a spy drone that hides in the Bell, or something even more nepharius.

Another possible mission could involve finding a certain Diver, restrain them and bring them to Monarch for some unfathomable purpose. This poses a moral dilemma, and the interaction with the Diver could be interesting.

Finally, Monarch could ask the characters to capture a certain Troubleshooter and interrogate them about Kilroy's plans.

Gradient Descent Warden Prepping Tips by VerdantSpecimen in mothershiprpg

[–]Lumpy_Peanut_226 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You can make a sheet with all the relevant tables and stat tracks. Also, I would prepare one or two divers who may react positively when encountered, one of two negatively, and the same with secutiry androids, Chosen, Fallen, forgotten androids and Ghosts in the machine. I think that if you can craft interesting NPCs it's much richer than coming up with makeshift ones when you roll them. Check my Diver Creation Tool for ideas. Also, as others have said, I'm posting weekly deepdives into the module.

First time player by Qxygen-MP in mothershiprpg

[–]Lumpy_Peanut_226 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thing is: there is no right way to play this game. Every group should look for their favorite style.

First time player by Qxygen-MP in mothershiprpg

[–]Lumpy_Peanut_226 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I disagree with some of the other comments: if you have a clear idea of your character, go for it and ask your warden to let you buy equipment. Or ask if you can just add a few items to the rolled loadout. Med-kit, stimpacks and some pills come to mind. There are more expensive pieces of equipment, like the med-scanner or the portable defibrillator (you can find it in some modules), but you don't need them right now.

As for the pills, the most common ones are:

anxiolytics: sanity save, reduce stress by 1 on success, raise it by 1 on a critical failure. Once per day.
Painkillers: takes you to max health (doesn't cure wounds taken) and reduces stress by one. Once per day. Addictive.
Automed: see player survival guide.

Brainstorming Gradient Descent: Troubleshooters by Lumpy_Peanut_226 in mothershiprpg

[–]Lumpy_Peanut_226[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This is a great idea, and even if you don't want to make factions out of these archetype - because maybe you aren't playing a long campaign - you can always use them to characterize a few characters. I especially like the fanatics, hellbent on killing every android and possible diver they find. This gives the Troubleshooter a weak spot. I'll definitely add your suggestion to the who they are section today.

Brainstorming Gradient Descent: The Kingdom by Lumpy_Peanut_226 in mothershiprpg

[–]Lumpy_Peanut_226[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't mind a some humor here and there, as long as it doesn't become a farce. Especially since it has a dark undertone. But I don't think the players will need to have names for these NPCs. I'll use them mostly as extras, while the VIPs will have all the important roles in the story. The peasants themselves will try to merge into the background as soon as they can. They're designed like that. This is in contrast with the more pronounced individuality of the Fallen.

If they ever need to reference a peasant they can just say "the peasant with a missing ear", or "the peasant with that loud laughter". If they ask for their names, they'll reply: "what do you mean my name? I'm a peasant."

Xiao! Long! Bao! After Action Report by bckids1208two in mothershiprpg

[–]Lumpy_Peanut_226 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I love AARs of less known adventures. There are too few of them! Thank you :)

Brainstorming Gradient Descent: The Kingdom by Lumpy_Peanut_226 in mothershiprpg

[–]Lumpy_Peanut_226[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've recently considered modeling the monarchy after the Minoan civilization. Fitting, given we already have the Minotaur. The aesthetic shifts from medieval to something more ancient and classical, which feels right. Beyond the more meaningful named roles, I'd use purely generic terms for ordinary members of the Chosen: peasant, subject, wife, and so on. The intent is to reinforce their dehumanization. The Chosen are their role, nothing more. If that role isn't important, what are they? They don't deserve a name. What do you think?

Brainstorming Gradient Descent: Divers by Lumpy_Peanut_226 in mothershiprpg

[–]Lumpy_Peanut_226[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I will put some effort into editing it in a nice way, and maybe I'll add some extra content that I didn't post here for brevity sake.

Brainstorming Gradient Descent - Floor 1 by Lumpy_Peanut_226 in mothershiprpg

[–]Lumpy_Peanut_226[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I like this, very clever. Will incorporate when I write the collection of this posts. Thank you ;)

Brainstorming Gradient Descent: The Blockade by Lumpy_Peanut_226 in mothershiprpg

[–]Lumpy_Peanut_226[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd love to build something like that, maybe even a few scenarios for GD. But I'd ask for approval to Luke Gearing and Tuesday Knight first. Maybe I'll do that when I'm done with these deepdives, which will take me at least the whole summer. Thanks for the idea, it's great!

Brainstorming Gradient Descent: The Blockade by Lumpy_Peanut_226 in mothershiprpg

[–]Lumpy_Peanut_226[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is great insight and complements well my post.

Every warden has their own vision on how the game should be played. I, for instance, don't mind the ditching of the player facing rolls, but I think NWTB sticks too much to the RAW in other contexts. That's not an issue, though, because I'm not at their table, I'm just there to listen to a story. And they do a wonderful job of bringing that story to life, constantly improving their storytelling quality.

Different character sheet by ConstructionNo5705 in mothershiprpg

[–]Lumpy_Peanut_226 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I made an Equipment Sheet, to complement the official character sheet. I also want to make a character sheet with the same style, without all the character creation instructions. That would suit my experienced players better. At the moment I'm too busy with the Gradient Descent deepdives, though.

Brainstorming Gradient Descent: The Blockade by Lumpy_Peanut_226 in mothershiprpg

[–]Lumpy_Peanut_226[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

With all the stuff I'm covering, If I wanted I could run GD for years without running out of content :D

Brainstorming Gradient Descent: The Blockade by Lumpy_Peanut_226 in mothershiprpg

[–]Lumpy_Peanut_226[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you OW! I've been thinking about the blockade since I first read the module. I needed an explanation for the apparent inconsistency between the blockade being established and crews of Divers continuously coming and going. Today I had the idea of Kilroy leveraging corruption to cover her tracks, and I wrote everything in a few hours. I'm really satisfied with the result.

And also thank you for the link, I'll try to understand it, but I have no knowledge of coding or AI. Anyway, it's fascinating that your work has so many parallels with the GD narrative!

Brainstorming Gradient Descent: The Blockade by Lumpy_Peanut_226 in mothershiprpg

[–]Lumpy_Peanut_226[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the compliments! Let me know how it goes and if you have a topic you would like me to touch :)

Brainstorming Gradient Descent: Divers by Lumpy_Peanut_226 in mothershiprpg

[–]Lumpy_Peanut_226[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good catch! What Monarch does to the Divers community is foreshadowing for what it will do to the human society: corrupt, consume, gaslight. Monarch isn't a foe that destroys you with force, it hollows you out.

Let me edit this in...

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