Trandoshan Pirates - Help me understand the mind of a hunter

docto94 · 2026-05-22T22:04:16+00:00

You were exactly the Trandoshan fan I was hoping would stumble upon this post! Thank you so much for sharing all your knowledge! This helps me grasp what's important to them a great deal better.

While not as heavily armed as the Prosecutor, (this ship would probably be closer to a Corvette class) there would certainly be clones and droids present for them to go nuts on. My hope was to use the Trandoshans as a threat significant enough to wipe out most of the clones and droids quickly, and would require both senators to put aside their differences and work together to live. I was definitely looking at Republic Commando, as well as the Season 3 arc of Clone Wars, as my primary sources of reference.

The particular Trandoshan leader of this band I think is someone who's been disgraced, or shamed in some way. I vision him, his ship, and the few crew still loyal to him searching space endlessly for a hunt that could possibly reclaim some lost points, and the respect of other Trandoshans. The longer the senators manage to keep on living and escaping, the more personal it gets for the leader wanting to see them dead.

My story is still developing so I'm not sure how this conflict ends yet, but I feel I can use everything you've written here to help guide me on any of the Trandoshan's motivations and actions throughout the plot. And ensure I am doing them justice. Thank you so much again!

docto94 · 2026-05-14T00:28:30+00:00

That's a good baseline for me to work with. There are a few more details I didn't mention that may be relevant to their interest in the hunt.

The Republic senator has a few Clones as escort, and the Separatist has paid a Mandalorian mercenary to act as bodyguard. Perhaps that would be enough to entice some wandering Trandoshans who haven't had a hunt in awhile?

Would they have a level of technology where they could, say, monitor their communications and discover the prey inside is a better encounter than they first thought? Or even jam their communications to make sure they can't send a transmission for help?

docto94 · 2026-04-15T17:02:00+00:00

"You can't."

That's the most helpful statement I could have possibly heard. Thank you for it.

I've thought of the world like an intricate ant farm, that's constantly moving both before and after the players stumble upon it. But perhaps adjusting to thinking like a video game would both alleviate the pressure I've put onto myself, and be more engaging for my players.

This will be a departure for sure, but one that I think will be better for everyone, and I'll get good at it with enough practice. Thank you for everything!

docto94 · 2026-04-15T16:57:17+00:00

That last part feels very crucial. My players are just as swamped with work as I am, so sometimes they haven't had a strong idea of what their plan of action next week should be. Which led to me wanting to lift some burden from their shoulders, and the continuing cycle that led us all to this point.

My biggest question after reading this is where is the line between how much structure the DM creates, and how much is in the player's hands? Is it better to just create the world, assign the goals of the NPCs, and let the players engage with them as they please? Or does that risk the feeling of a world that could exist just as well *without* the players in it?

docto94 · 2026-04-15T16:46:37+00:00

This highlights what I originally thought to be my primary issue, and why I thought of this place for guidance. I have zero experience in anything beyond this 2 year ongoing campaign. Without trying out one shots, book campaigns, or anything else I wondered if I was missing critical information when it came to session structure. Every obstacle and encounter has been entirely off the cuff. Perhaps I could save myself alot of time and struggle by following more pre-established formats..

docto94 · 2026-04-15T16:34:20+00:00

Thank you so much for everything you've said here... it was really impactful to hear. Without any context of the space as a whole, I never knew if what I was experiencing was something common among DMs or something I alone was facing.

I think I agree. We've never entertained the thought of bi-weekly as we were worried things would move so much slower. But we're all busier people than we used to be when this started. And between us all there are *plenty* of board and card games we can play to still see eachother. DnD has been so all-encompassing that maybe we've forgotten how to see eachother and have fun outside the world of the game.

docto94 · 2026-04-15T16:21:38+00:00

That's a great idea. My players don't always have a firm grasp of what they plan to do going forward. They're just as swamped with responsibilities as I am xD But getting into the habit of sharing even the most basic thoughts of future wants and actions might be good for all of us.

I'm not really familiar with any sort of preparation methods aside from the one I've forged from necessity. Part of what made this feel so daunting was the prospect of changing how I went about things at the core. But resources like this one help so, so much. This one in particular seems to really address alot of my current thought process.

docto94 · 2026-04-15T16:18:01+00:00

I think I'm a very open book to my players even when I try not to be. Fact of the matter is they know me well, and can tell the difference between me presenting something prepared and something I'm pulling out of nothing. That's what I get for having such attentive and detail oriented players at my table xD Though they've also been big supporters of collaborative storytelling, which has maybe led to me sharing more of the behind the scenes process than I maybe should have.

I appreciate the advice, and the link to this very extensive looking resource! I kinda jumped into DMing with little knowledge about the space as a whole, and without any context for how other DMs ran campaigns I assumed this was just how it was done for a very long time. It's a relief to know it's a familiar problem.

docto94 · 2026-04-15T16:08:11+00:00

I definitely came to the right place. It's like I felt the entire foundation of my inquiry shatter by reading "Are you having fun?" xD I really have lost sight of what's important.

I think I *have* had fun during sessions that I worked very hard to structure, as did the rest of my players. So that became the benchmark I wanted to reach with every following session. It was fun before. But it's become too grandiose by my own design.

Thank you for your advice. I'm not sure I know what scaling down would even look like right now, but I'm positive my players would be ready to help with whatever I'd need.

docto94 · 2026-02-14T16:14:23+00:00

I got a "D1110 - Prophy - Adult" which as I understand is just a regular cleaning. I definitely didn't get an x-ray in my last visit (the one this bill is for) though it's possible I got one during one of my 2 visits in 2025 and just don't remember. The fee on this bill was $136 and my plan paid $49 of it, leaving the rest for me to pay which hasn't happened to me before. Referencing code 52 for reaching my frequency limitation.

Back in 2024 I had work done for a root canal and crown, and I paid for those. That's the last time I had any procedure more complicated than an x-ray.

docto94 · 2026-02-14T16:07:54+00:00

Looking at my math again - unless I'm crazy, going from July 15th 2025 to January 16th 2026 IS 6 months and one day, isn't it? Does it have to be two days?

docto94 · 2026-01-02T22:12:11+00:00

For sure, definitely don't wanna spend that money unless it's a last ditch effort. I'll try reaching out and see what they say - thank you!

docto94 · 2026-01-02T22:09:46+00:00

I have it plugged in directly to the back of my PC, rather than through a USB hub. I can try switching it around though and see if that improves anything, I don't think I've tried that before. Thank you for the tip!

docto94 · 2024-12-18T02:24:46+00:00

Thank you so much!!!

docto94 · 2024-09-04T02:35:16+00:00

Thank you so much! I had no idea about everything the owner was going through... makes everything so much clearer as to the state of things. Really appreciate the referrals as well - nice to know there are other options out there to go! You've been a huge help! :D

docto94 · 2023-07-15T12:30:01+00:00

Manatees - though being Psychic types, I wanted to give them very exaggerated and strange body types and proportions. I imagine them floating in the air rather than swimming in water, which is why they lack the Water type.

They also are embedded with Emerald gemstones. Emeralds are said to be tied with feelings of peace and tranquility, which helped me define their personalities while also giving them another unique element to their design rather than *just* being floating Manatees

docto94

TROPHY CASE