"Shadows of Dawn" Dual GM Campaing Dark Side vs Light Side

My Fanforce just ended what I think was an original and finely executed campaing. Here's how it worked. We had two DMs and two sets of players. One group was light side, the other was dark side. The DS was composed of a Marauder, an Inquisitor and a bounty hunter, the LS hasd a Jedi Padawan and two soldiers. All human except the marauder who was a Kel Dor and one of the soldiers (my character!) who was a Gamorrean.

Here's what's interesting about this campaign, set just before ANH, it was really two campaing's running parallel. Both teams had a different set of objectives that parallel and/or conflicted with the other. During most of the campaign, we didn't see face to face, but the actions of one team affected another and we did cross paths briefly a couple of times.

The short version:

We, the lightsiders, began is Alderaan and got mixed up with Bail Organa and the nacent Rebellion. Our Jedi was the stepson of one of the last Jedi knights, a friend of Bail, who was training his son in secret. We did a couple of missions for the Rebels, including destroying a communications base. We got back home, we worked and lived in a shipping company's base, to find our home destroyed and our boss, the Jedi, decapitated along with the body of a guy in Mandalorian armor. Back at Rebel HQ, Imps attacked the base and we got pushed back (in a scene very similar to the Imp attack of the Tantive IV in ANH) into a Sith temple. Inside the Sith temple, we saw the other team for the first time, and for a time worked together to get out of the temple. It ended with three vs fights where we got pit against each other. I fought the Jedi Inquisitor and beat him to a pulp. We also got rid of the bounty hunter in a fight that involved high flying acrobatics and blaster fire.

In an epic duel, the Marauder and our Jedi confronted each other. It was revealed that the marauder had killed our boss and was carrying his head around. Our Jedi died valiantly fighting the evil marauder.

The campaing ended with my character savign a sith artifact from...Darth Vader...

Meanwhile, the DS group began by being sent on a mission by Palpatine himself. They had to kill our boss the Jedi. Here's the catch, they also had secret missions which involved killing each other! They spent the whole campaign trying to accomplish their mission while trying to kill each other. Remember the mandalorian armor I mentioned before? That was the body of the bounty hunter. He was killed by the marauder. He came back to life through the possession of a Rebel soldier's body. (Our GMs didn't want him to miss out!)

It was an unique and cool experience. Yesterday we had the gran finale where everybody sat together for the first time. While the DS was stronger, they were defeated by their arrogance and their lack of teamwork. The LS worked flawlessly as a team and we beat them.


Here's a pic of Hoggar aka Hog, my character in this RPG. He ended up as a lvl 4 soldier that carried a pair of blaster pistols and a vibro axe. He was fairly smart for a Gamorrean and actually worked as the team's tech and medic. He is extremely good natured, fond of cursing and doesn't drool...much


[image=http://netdial.caribe.net/~orinoco/hoggar.jpg]

 

Nice summary, Spike. Even if it reads like the summary of the summary.

GM of the Light Side here. Spike is a veteran RPG'er and it showed, not only on the development and actions of his character Hog, but also in helping out the other less experienced players that were in his team with the game mechanics. Not only did it help them be more successful in the game and achieve their ultimate objective, but it also increased their enjoyment of the game.

This was in essence an experimental campaign, with extremely intricate connections between the parallel sessions. For us the GMs, it involved a lot of patience and careful planning of even the smallest details, some of which were only apparent to the most observant players.

Thankfully, it was a lot of fun and worth every effort involved.

 

Whoa. Sounds amazingly cool. Exactly the kind of thing I've always wanted to be a part of (but only if no Heads of Vecna are involved, of course). Did you keep write-ups of the different sessions? I'd love to see them.

 

I'd have to check if the GMs kept notes. It was something very cool. Really!

 

Wow that sounds awesome. I'd love to see the notes if you guys have them.

I can only imagine how complicated and precise that had to have been to plan.

 

This sounds very cool and fun.
Extremely good idea, but not suited for long-term campaigns I think.
However, this is the most innovative idea I have heard in a long time. My hat's off to you guys.

And the Hog character rules! How 'bout some stats?

 

I handed over Hog's character sheet to Spike, so he should be posting his stats here shortly. Here is the First Act of the Light Side branch of the Campaign:

Act I ? First Light at Dawn

This might very well be the small stone that turns into a giant snowball as it rolls down the snowy mountain. Bail Organa has decided it is time to make a move against the oppressive hold of the Empire. He has decided to investigate further on the rumor that the Empire is involved in illegal arms trade on his planet, which if true, would be totally unacceptable. The agreement that Alderaan remain a peaceful planet must not be abused by any party.

As Bail makes his preparations to leave for a routine Senate meeting at the Imperial Center, he ponders on the decision of who will fire the first shot. His mind turns to his good friend Borhan Llor, administrator of a local trading company called Borhan's Transports. Borhan is very well aware of the rumor that the Empire is stockpiling illegal weapons on a remote warehouse, and will be glad to work on a mission that might help discredit the Emperor and reveal his true intentions before the Imperial Senate. His company might just be dedicated to the shipment of cargo to destinations all around the galaxy, but he and his employees are very capable of undertaking tasks on the ground as well.

Borhan is also a Jedi Master in secret, who has been training his adopted son Rann I-Kanu in the ways of the Force. Bail is among the very few people who know this. Borhan has decided that Bail?s mission will be perfect training for Rann, and decides to take him along. To aid them in this endeavor, a mercenary named Ghoular Massan has been hired. He has done missions for Borhan in the past, and has agreed to escort Rann and him inside the Imperial warehouse.

Carved on a mountainside along the remote Altor chain lies the facilities of Borhan?s Transports. As Ghoular discusses the specifics of the mission, he looks down at the hangar through a transparisteel window. A mid-sized cargo transport enters the hangar through a wide opening that leads to the wilderness outside. As the ship lands in its appointed space, Rann exits the cockpit. He remembers that his adoptive father wanted to talk to him about the special mission as soon as he returned from this delivery. He enters the lift that takes him to the upper story offices, and walks into Borhan?s office. Each one takes a holorecorder, with which they should take images of their findings. Borhan tells him they are leaving in an hour, so Rann decides to go to his quarters to rest and get a change of clothes. Ghoular also has temporary access to a guest room, and he heads there after his business with Borhan is done.

The rooms contain plain furnishings, but serve their purpose well. After a few minutes of resting in their quarters, Rann and Ghoular head to the lobby at the top floor of the facility. The lobby is adorned with exotic holopaintings and models of transports and other types of starships. In the center of the room lies the round reception desk, where Dhala is talking to some customers. As Rann walks by he greets her, but quickly decides to leave her to her business, as the customers seem somewhat unhappy. Ghoular and Rann walk up to the security checkpoint in the lobby entrance, and as they talk to the guards, Borhan steps out of the lift. The transport that will take them to the Imperial warehouse has arrived. It is time to go.

The driver takes them down a desolate road in the Alderaan wilderness. Soon they find themselves inside a deep forest, as the night falls all around them. They reach the side of a mountain, where one of Borhan?s agents is supposed to have secured them an entrance to the facility. The transport stops and the three step down, getting ready for any opposition. They approach the door in the mountainside, but it does not open. Borhan wonders if they have been set up. He decides not to think about that and to move on, Treading silently around the side of the mountain, they find a second door. As they app

 

Here is the First Act of the Dark Side branch of the Campaign:

Act I - The Summoning

The time is set during the Empire's glory days. This is a time of opression and persecution. A perfect time for the Dark side to claim what has been denied to them for eons.

In the midst of Imperial Central 3 of the most dangerous beings in the Galaxy are summoned to the Emperors chamber. In there they are trapped and forced to battle three battle droids in total darkness to prove their worth. Completing their test the lights uncover the three beings standing atop the rubble that where their opponents. An elegant Keldor adorned by a Indigo Robes and a silver mask. A darkened bounty hunter who cares little for this silly task and finally an uncommon imperial officer that appears from behind the throne of the emperor with a rapier in his hands.

The emperor applauds their cunning and scolds Vader for ever doubting them. He then goes on into briefing them of a small uprising that has begun in lower Imperial Central. The 3 warriors are dispatched on a hurry for the first one to complete this task shall be the only one rewarded.

They arrive to a transport that they have been supplied and taken to the lower part. There they behold and ambience of despair and lonelyness. The group separates. The Bounty Hunter leaves alone, the Keldor and Officer go together. Upon these two roads they find different things. The Keldor and Officer are ambushed by a pack of Noghris, they engage in a battle where the officer nearly looses his life.....
On the other side the BH faces a group of smugglers. He battles them for a while but ends up holding one for hostage while the others are forced to disarm. After some heavy questioning resulting in the death of one of the men. The BH follows them into the warehouse where the group disbands and runs away. There the leader, a sleazy smuggler known only as Xaros Grey, begins to bargain for his life. The BH unimpressed realeases a shot that inadvertedly lets loose the cargo that Xaros was smuggling. Now the streets are infested by wampas. Xaros is then forced to leave thru and alternate route, here the BH is tricked and Xaros manages to escape.

The group then meets in front of some housing complex and begin to pinpoint where the target is. After arduos attempts and different methods to get the people to open doors (sabotage, barging in, Tapping comunications and an awkward Imperial Survey) They manage to find the place. There a family and a group of friends enjoy a friendly game of sabbac. The game is disbanded and the house owner shot thru the head by the BH. The wife was brutally murdered and the children burned alive. The Keldor swiftly followed his objectives and took the head of the leader and his child. When they tried to run away they where attacked by wampas. The Keldor and Officer managed to escape while the BH fell in the middle of a heated Wampa vs. Nexus battle. He was saved bye Xaros Grey who was reclaiming his goods.

After that a strong race began between the Keldor and BH. They where pursuing each other thru the streets of Imperial Central while trying to get the items for the bounty.

The Keldor victorious arrived in front of the emperor. He received his prize and then the emperor scolded the others for being poor at their task. After a public show of force and discipline conducted by the emperor by killing the little girl. The group was instructed to destroy the last remaining threat in the galaxy..........a Jedi Master. Each was instructed on the whearabouts and why they where chosen for this endeavour by a holo-projector.

 

Jan, Hog's ship is the Millenium Swine.

I'll post his stats soon.