I think it was Colonel Mustard (Imp. Marines, Ret.) in the dining room, with a candlestick.
Role of STEWARD aboard ship
- Thread starter LtBennett
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I think it was Colonel Mustard (Imp. Marines, Ret.) in the dining room, with a candlestick.
Daidoji Dave
SOC-12
Speaking of butlers, this article has some ideas for a Steward character: https://www.gq.com/story/rich-billionaires-butlers-servants One big takeaway is you can be a servant without being subservient. Dignity is expected, even when dealing with ridiculous requests.
It's not the article I went looking for, though. I read something years ago that emphasized being prepared to handle requests and solve problems you hadn't been given a heads up for. So if your principle was going on a day trip on a yacht, the butler would, without ever saying anything, prepare for a longer trip in case it turned into one, and have everything he needed for that on hand.
At a meta-game level, if I was GMing I'd let a steward roll, well, Steward to have just the right thing on hand (small, reasonable, not guns or PC equipment) to meet a passenger request without tracking it. Kind of a min-ship's locker, but only for small sundry items, not adventuring equipment. If you're not the GM you may not get that, but you can get partway there by stocking extra liquor, tobacco, VR programs, needle and thread, a few books and games, and so on on your character sheet.
I ran some sessions with players as the purser, security staff and maintenance crew of the ISCV King Richard (FASA). For the longest time, no player thought about the access and relative invisibility a steward enjoyed.
And yes, the butler did it.
I've been considering running a game online, which would be a first for me. Never mind my last live game was almost 15 years ago. I worry whether I can manage the easy narrative style and timely turnarounds I've seen. Then there's my hemming and hawing over rules (leaning to CEFTL), platform (COTI PbP, Roll20, or Discord), and setting (3I/OTU, ATU, or "it's just one game - wing it").
Winged Cat
SOC-10
I have written up a murder mystery set on a passenger liner, though it's only 300 tons. Three of the characters (1 PC + 2 NPCs) are chefs, and meant to be able to talk shop - especially when those skills let them play forensic analysts (the body was prepared for consumption). Other stewardly details come into play as well.
I'm thinkin'. Quit staring. it's rude.
So let's quantify this, hypothetically:
- tagline: stewards. in spaaaaaaace!
- rules: CT, CE, or CEFTL, with unrepentant artistic liberties
- mode: PbP, ideally broken into acts and scenes
- players: one to three. More than that, and :xh:
- pace: relaxed (my free time is sporadic)
- setting: luxury passenger liner, and its ports of call
Questions, I'd have some:
- PC(s) is (are all) steward(s)?
- What's the tone? Hijinks Ensue, or GrimDark? I'd prefer a reduced emphasis on armed/ranged combat, so high law levels in port
- adventure
- thriller
- mystery
- comedy
- horror
"Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Corridor Sector?"
Winged Cat
SOC-10
Actually, one of the chefs is an aslan, and the setup may lead some to suspect he did it in the kitchen (while the other chefs were asleep, or otherwise occupied).
The murder victim is one of a pair of k'kree, who were barely keeping it together with each other's help. K'kree rapidly sicken and die when all alone.
In other words, depending on how the scenario goes, the second k'kree may be indirectly murdered via murder (of the first k'kree).
Iron Chef: Survivor.
...two things that can probably never be tastefully mixed.
Stick it on the King Richard - nice big luxury liner. And at a guess, most of us probably have the deck plans already.
A sort of murder on the Love Boat. And one of the stewards is nicknamed Gopher
A sort of murder on the Love Boat. And one of the stewards is nicknamed Gopher
I always liked Larry Niven's nostrum that dining, hygeine, and reproduction/sexytimes are things that should not be on display between sophont species.
Sometimes stewardship demands open minds, closed mouths, and a strong stomach.
sounds good to me. I'd suggest two or three players rather than just one, group interactions greatly increase game dynamics.
depends on the workload you can handle. all stewards would be more cohesive and make for a cleaner story line, but a mix of characters would enable more dynamic opportunities. I've heard of games where players run multiple characters - (say) a group of steward characters, and a group of of ship's working-class personnel characters, and a group of officer characters, with the players switching between them as the action develops. sort of an upstairs/downstairs thing.
you could start with all stewards, and then expand later if the storyline calls for it and the players are up to it.
could go with both. have to make clear though which mode you're in.
sounds good to me.
all in turn, as the fancy strikes you and the players prove capable.
It is on the 1st Apocrypha CD from Far Future.
Looking back, I'm surprised at how entirely uncritical I was of a SWIMMING POOL on a starship. Every idea I have nowadays about that pool turns into an Irwin Allen movie.
But three theaters, a casino, an arboretum (in SPAAAAACE), and the Promenade... gotta be several somethings I could do there to vex the "help". And no "service corridors". None. Nada. That makes some tasks deliciously delicate to handle.
And I need to re-read "Kitchen Confidential".
A sort of murder on the Love Boat. And one of the stewards is nicknamed Gopher
The only murder I've thought about would occur... wait, can't tell.
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