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EPIC adventure question

Slink182

SOC-10
I'm looking for ideas/resources to randomly construct adventures that follow the EPIC system (details would be highly preferable). This is for a pet project of mine for randomly generating 3-5 act (3-8 scenes per act) adventure seeds.

Any ideas, folks...?
 
The EPIC adventures use a different system? I'll have to look into this. (Let's see -- there's the CT system, the MT system, the Null Era system, the T4 system, the T5 system, the GURPS system, and the T20 system. Have I missed any?)
 
No, it's a framework to write adventures similar to DGP's "nugget" format. Not tied to any game system.

http://www.traveller5.com/EPIC.html

QLI's EPIC adventures (and most of their non-EPIC brand ones as well) follow this framework but are written for the CT and T20 game systems. (though you could adapt them easily enough to other published Traveller game systems using the BITS task system)

Casey
 
Thanks for the explanation! In a way, I'm almost sorry that it ISN'T another Traveller system -- I'm getting rather used to the idea of "a new year/a new Traveller system."
 
Originally posted by mormonyoyoman:
I'm getting rather used to the idea of "a new year/a new Traveller system."
Well there's always the non-published conversions.
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BESN, BRP, Fudge, Hero, Risus, Storyteller, etc. though since the BESM one was in the online JTAS it's kinda been published.

Casey
 
casey, I didn't know that there was a thing called a EPIC this new info for me will help me organize my thoughts better thanks Wa11eye
 
Originally posted by Casey:
No, it's a framework to write adventures similar to DGP's "nugget" format. Not tied to any game system.

http://www.traveller5.com/EPIC.html

QLI's EPIC adventures (and most of their non-EPIC brand ones as well) follow this framework but are written for the CT and T20 game systems. (though you could adapt them easily enough to other published Traveller game systems using the BITS task system)

Casey
I've already pulled this page down. Although it provides a framework to work from, it doesn't provide enough ideas/objects/tidbits to populate the structure with.

Which would be the whole idea of a random adventure generator anyway.

I'm already looking at the following for mining of information to populate the framework:
- The Big List of Plots
- another list of plot cliches (think if was originally from usenet)
- an old 1st ed. AD&D DM adventure toolbox

But these won't necessarily provide the needed information. Which is why I'm asking if anyone can point me to other potential sources.
 
The hardest part is that the really good ideas probably aren't going to be given to you, since some might be wanting to use them in their own campaigns first, and others might be wanting to write and submit it to QLI for publication.

May I recommend that you google Traveller adventures published on the Web, and reverse engineer them into the format you are looking for? There's a ton out there, and you'll come up with a lot of classic ideas that will recombine under your proposed generator.

Also, you can register with the JTAS ezine, and go through the archives for the amber zones and adventure ideas to be found there. There's a ton of them just waiting for you. I highly recommend it, as it's very cheap and offers a lot of information for joining.

Hope this idea helps,
Flynn
 
Originally posted by Casey:
QLI's EPIC adventures (and most of their non-EPIC brand ones as well) follow this framework but are written for the CT and T20 game systems.
Is Stoner Express actually useable for CT without major modification/suspension of disbelief?
 
Originally posted by Vargas:
Is Stoner Express actually useable for CT without major modification/suspension of disbelief?
Seems to be. Has CT and T20 tasks listed and the NPCs are statted out for both systems. Looks like the ships are in T20 format but I don't think it would take much to make them in HG. (toggling a switch in HGS?) EA2 is written in the same fashion. I haven't run either EA in either game system yet though.

Casey
 
Originally posted by Slink182:
I've already pulled this page down. Although it provides a framework to work from, it doesn't provide enough ideas/objects/tidbits to populate the structure with.

Which would be the whole idea of a random adventure generator anyway.
I used the quick reply form to respond to another poster's question about what EPIC is. I was not responding to you directly.

I'm already looking at the following for mining of information to populate the framework:
- The Big List of Plots
mmmm S. John Ross goodness. :D :cool: I suggest you use your CT Utility and some of the other programs out there and generate away on the Patrons and other encounters. ^_^ Mine the CT encounter tables, the CT Patron etc. books, and BITS 101 books. Heck I even have a Gamelords book on Startown or somesuch.
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And if you're just looking for ideas you don't have to restrict yourself to Traveller sources. (some of Atlas Games d20 books come to mind for example and some of WEG Star Wars books as well; I'm sure there are others)

Offhand The Eaglestone collection has the Burrito files and the Starport info has some Encounter tables as well. Sites like Freelance Traveller and Travellercentral have similar collections of NPCs useable as mooks or patrons along with other goodies. Even this site has some things along those lines. I would also recommend Traveller's Aide #4 (TA4) as it has stats for 76 mooks and some light adventure seeds as well (T2- and CT stats).

However I'm not sure how a random generator would allow for the links between sections using the EPIC framework.

HTH,
Casey
 
Casey: The general idea for the generator would be to class all items into one of the five EPIC hooks (info, push, pull, etc.). Each hook would act as the basis for a scene, with each scene containing randomly generated items/locations/events (with a certain level of control so things don't get too wonky). The GM could ignore some scenes if they can't be logically included, but it's there as an option.

Acts would include a background/introduction, the story portion, and a climax/resolution. More story acts could be included to make for longer adventures. The generator would fill in scenes for the acts, and each act may have an overarching theme itself. The entire adventure would be a seed that the GM could then fill out in detail or adlib along the way.

Well, that's what I envision, anyway. Whether or not I can make it work is another matter altogether. :rolleyes:
 
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