Hey guys, Im planning a campaign for Starfinder (a sci-fi TTRPG) once it comes out. I'm thinking about doing some sort of space Anabasis – the players represent the crew of a ship in a small fleet sent in an offensive expedition to a foreign system... only to suddenly receive information that their patrons/empire suddenly collapses.
Unable to warp back home (because the destrucion of the empire's hub prevents them from jumping back), they need to inch their way back to a warp station (I'll make some options of routes they can take to four or five jump points).
Any ideas for a setting of this type? How can I make the inching back more interesting/entertaining?
Here's a breakdown of what I'm planning so far:
- Campaign starts in a large hub of Empire A, who is waging a war against Empire B.
- PCs are the crew of a scout sheep tasked to join a fleet.
- Their mission: there's an uncharted sector (Sector X henceforth) near Empire B's system. Empire A has bargained with a secretive enclave (The Enclave henceforth) that operates in Sector X to make a warp point operational in that system. The idea is to bring the fleet into Empire B's system unnoticed, to stage a surprise attack.
- The PCs meet some other crews and their captains. Perhaps I can introduce some memorable characters here.
- Mission goes underway. Fleet warps into the Sector X point.
- They meet representatives from The Enclave. They are distrustful and unwelcoming. They want them out of Sector X as soon as possible. The deal they have with Empire A is just to make the warp point operational to ENTER the Sector. Enclave uploads maps of the sector to the fleet and tells them to march into Empire B's system before they outlive their welcome.
- The fleet advances through Sector X. PCs do some reconnoitering, some minor encounters, with the heft of the fleet behind them in case things go south.
- While traveling, there's a magnetic pulse that hits the whole fleet. All ships start having some issues with their systems, comms and navigation systems are fried, defensive systems borked.
- In search for materials for repairs, PCs and some other ships maneuver away from the fleet towards a nearby planet.
- They find what to fix their ship with, but suddenly start receiving comms: the fleet discovered that the issues with their equipment was due to a virus installed by the Enclave on their ships. Enclave fleet is approaching them quickly!
- Enclave communicates with all ships: sadly, Empire A has collapsed, after a violent revolt in their home system lead to their leadership being overthrown... but the new leaders are not too keen on paying up the HEFTY amount they had promised The Enclave to do this maneuver. So The Enclave will collect their payment from the scraps of this fleet after they destroy it. Surrender or die.
- PCs and some other ships run away from the battle.
- PCs and other ships are now a small group... PCs still scout ahead and drive the plot, other ships behind them are a resource for them to maintain – they need to keep their morale to have them still provide support for them. The other ships could be attacked or infected by weird space creatures.
Any ideas????
Yeah, I'm thinking the first level happens in the Empire hub, just so they get to know the politics. Probably a bar brawl with some of the afflicted people in the Empire (who then bring it down), maybe rooting out some enemy spies in the city (poorly armed and undernumbered).
This is a really ambitious idea and I like it a lot. But, I would heed Fardragon's recommendations, though if you know your group well enough to know they can adhere to this type of campaign, it could work out; just make sure you talk to them ahead of time to manage expectations about being members of an organization so they can plan their backgrounds accordingly. Having said that though, again, doing as Fardragon suggests will give your PCs more perceived freedom, which is what they will likely want if they are like a lot of the groups I have seen. After all, the PCs society has collapsed and their fleet is mostly destroyed. They would have to reorganize things just for the sake of survival.
Getting them to care about the collapse of the empire is key. Your last post about spending 1st level in their empire and getting them to care is a great idea to handle that. But, I would emphasize interactions with and about NPCs that remain in the empire, other NPCs that come along only to die with the fleet, and a third group of NPCs that come along and are only surviving thanks to the PCs will drive home a great deal of drama and investment for the PCs, both in terms of time and emotion. Make sure that there are NPCs that are very memorable in all three of those groups I mentioned so that you give your PCs hope for the survival of those they left befind, a need for revenge and justice for those that died, and a need to keep caring about the ones that have lived.
Right, I'll get working with the cast then.
Though I'd really like some ideas for things that will go on, and maybe an overall arc, to their return.
What could be a cool plot to see unfold as they make their way out?