Just out of curiosity I went and reread "The Argon Gambit".adventure. I don't recall ever doing this adventure with any of my groups. I was wondering if anybody did, and what their experiences were.
"The Argon Gambit" classic adventure
- Thread starter Blue Ghost
- Start date
I'm doing a little thinking here. We didn't use the adventure as written as I recall, but it inspired another similar adventure where the party in question had to ferret out some racketeering, and all the various illicit industries that went with it. I can't remember much of it.
Anyway, when I reread the actual written adventure I was kind of interested who else had done it.
Anyway, when I reread the actual written adventure I was kind of interested who else had done it.
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Wow, no one else. Interesting.
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
I have looked at it but was never tempted to run it. A wee bit too Machiavellian for me. Just did not buy the premise.
Thanks for the replies. The crime thing was what got us, which is why we used it as a template to expand and tweak it some. Instead of the guys breaking into the villa, they became gangbusters, and went after major vice rings.
It was also interesting in that it didn't involve starships, but had a couple of FGMP-15s in it. An interesting read.
It was also interesting in that it didn't involve starships, but had a couple of FGMP-15s in it. An interesting read.
back when Classic Traveller WAS Traveller
I ran a friend through this one way back when. As I remember, we were young enough to not care about committing crimes or the consequences of angry and powerful enemies. He tried the subtle approach till the fusion guns came out. Then he went "super sneaky" and spied on the location of the heist for two days and planned his 'attack'. He stole a grav bike and drove it out to a commercial vehicle rental location and loaded the grav bike into an ATV and drove out of town. He used forged ID papers to conceal his identity; nice skill to have and a lucky high skill check roll. He camped out for one night and drove back into town from a different direction and promptly crashed into the mobster’s house and came out guns blazing. The ATV was jury-rigged to overload the electrical system to create a fire (and hopefully an explosion) to destroy incriminating (to the PC) and slow down pursuit or maybe even kill the Bad Guy.
Oddly, this cunning stratagem failed to deliver the incriminating evidence in a timely manner. So it was hop on the grav bike and haul butt to a rail station to board a commuter train out of town while the ship departs (tricky and foolhardy PC!) with the plan to hide for a month on planet till the Scout returns.
Had fun with him scurrying around mining towns and mining pits and finally trekking on foot over a mountain pass back to the Star Port, always one step ahead of local police, thugs and corporate security. The crew noted the extra security and plain cloths lookouts watchimng the Star Port so they delivered some spec cargo at a loss and snuck him back in slung under the wheeled truck while everyone examined the empty cargo container.
Complete failure of a mission but still Good Times.
I ran a friend through this one way back when. As I remember, we were young enough to not care about committing crimes or the consequences of angry and powerful enemies. He tried the subtle approach till the fusion guns came out. Then he went "super sneaky" and spied on the location of the heist for two days and planned his 'attack'. He stole a grav bike and drove it out to a commercial vehicle rental location and loaded the grav bike into an ATV and drove out of town. He used forged ID papers to conceal his identity; nice skill to have and a lucky high skill check roll. He camped out for one night and drove back into town from a different direction and promptly crashed into the mobster’s house and came out guns blazing. The ATV was jury-rigged to overload the electrical system to create a fire (and hopefully an explosion) to destroy incriminating (to the PC) and slow down pursuit or maybe even kill the Bad Guy.
Oddly, this cunning stratagem failed to deliver the incriminating evidence in a timely manner. So it was hop on the grav bike and haul butt to a rail station to board a commuter train out of town while the ship departs (tricky and foolhardy PC!) with the plan to hide for a month on planet till the Scout returns.
Had fun with him scurrying around mining towns and mining pits and finally trekking on foot over a mountain pass back to the Star Port, always one step ahead of local police, thugs and corporate security. The crew noted the extra security and plain cloths lookouts watchimng the Star Port so they delivered some spec cargo at a loss and snuck him back in slung under the wheeled truck while everyone examined the empty cargo container.
Complete failure of a mission but still Good Times.
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
That sounds like a rollicking good adventure!
of course
Those were good times; the name of the Serpent Class Scout Ship (from the Paranoia Press book) was "The Black Adder" so you can guess how often one "Cunning Plan" or another backfired or otherwise went pear shaped.
"No one is more surprised than I to find our cargo (of illegal arms) had been accidently off loaded while on approach to the planet and burned up on entry into the thin atmosphere of the world's 2nd moon."
For the record; the Bad Guy from this adventure did suffer serious injuries from his own goons due to an (un)fortunate cross fire circumstance. And yes, several shrubs were injured or destroyed...
Those were good times; the name of the Serpent Class Scout Ship (from the Paranoia Press book) was "The Black Adder" so you can guess how often one "Cunning Plan" or another backfired or otherwise went pear shaped.
"No one is more surprised than I to find our cargo (of illegal arms) had been accidently off loaded while on approach to the planet and burned up on entry into the thin atmosphere of the world's 2nd moon."
For the record; the Bad Guy from this adventure did suffer serious injuries from his own goons due to an (un)fortunate cross fire circumstance. And yes, several shrubs were injured or destroyed...
I never ran it, but did plunder/re-work it on occasion.
Among my issues with the adventure as written, the idea that Imperial marines would use FGMP-15 guns to incinerate a few thugs in a downtown alley beggared disbelief. I also had concerns about my ability to present, and my players' consequential ability to unravel, the somewhat convoluted plot.
I definitely had Gambit pegged as one of those adventures in which the players would finish their involvement without knowing the full truth of what had been going on.
Among my issues with the adventure as written, the idea that Imperial marines would use FGMP-15 guns to incinerate a few thugs in a downtown alley beggared disbelief. I also had concerns about my ability to present, and my players' consequential ability to unravel, the somewhat convoluted plot.
I definitely had Gambit pegged as one of those adventures in which the players would finish their involvement without knowing the full truth of what had been going on.
Hey whipsnade, where've you been?
I find some of the classical adventures an odd mix. Different, and I think that's part of the attraction of the game; you could do all forms of stories instead of spelunking caves and castle basements.
I find some of the classical adventures an odd mix. Different, and I think that's part of the attraction of the game; you could do all forms of stories instead of spelunking caves and castle basements.
Hither and yon. I've been doing a lot of projects in an industry I never really dealt with before so I've been back at the books.
They're definitely an eclectic mix. Back during COTI's early days, myself and a few others worked on thumbnail descriptions of the classic adventures. We were repeatedly struck by the different tenor found in many of them.
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
Good to see you around, Whipsnade. 
Good to see you around, Whipsnade.
Thank you. I've been homeschooling myself with regards to my latest/biggest client's industry. That, plus the everyday work I've been doing for them left me with little free time.
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