Continuing to get into trouble with the crew of the White Dwarf. with Scum and Villainy using GameMaster's Apprentice (GMA) as my oracle and random tables. Following on from the Starging Scenes.
Scum & villainy solo - intro | start | partway | finish | all rolling solo
Disclosure - I'm a DriveThru RPG affiliate
Thoughts on Scum & Villainy
scum & villainy notes | gm's apprentice | starting scenes | characters | factions
Adding to previous the Thoughts on Scum & Villainy. Following on from last post I asked about Devil's Bargains in solo on Reddit and got a few responses. I've been using an Action / Adjective + Theme / Focus for inspiration.
Scum and Villainy has become one of my favourite systems, but think it can be lots to take in when playing solo. Sometimes you have to work hard to come up with consequences, situations, and ways forward. Not from a rules perspective (which is also sometimes quite alot to track), but from a narrative point-of-view.
For house rules for S&V solo I'm using milestone XP, giving each character and the ship an advance (from any track) after every 2 jobs. Just so I don't have to track XP.
This can always be a think in solo, but many games have a stronger sense of what should happen, either via the rules or the narrative. Guess I need to re-watch some of the classics of Firefly, Guardians of the Galaxy and Red Dwarf
If I was doing this again I'd consider a crew with 2 characters. It's ok with three but S&V is the type of game that would also work with a Crew of 2. Or just one, but I prefer multiple characters for a crew-type rpg like Scum & Villainy, Blades in the Dark or D&D.
There's a couple of things I really like for playing solo in general. One is Clocks for tracking long term projects and events that might happen. The other is Fortune Rolls for things I'm not certain about. This is pretty much the same as asking the oracle if something happens, but just with d6s.
Using GameMaster's Apprentice
scum & villainy notes | gm's apprentice | scenes | characters | factions
Also got to use GameMaster's Apprentice, building on previous thoughts.
The thing I'm finding with GMA is that it's easy to use. Because there's so much info, if I don't find inspiration from obvious place (Names or Location) I can find it from something else (NPC Vice, Heard, a Keyword).
The only thing I'd like a bit more help with is traits for NPCs beyond vices and Virtues. But I guess I could use more of the Action / Adjective / Theme for that.
For some of it used a fiction book (don't remember title) which was fine but not as good as GMA for generating ideas. (flick through the book to find a word or two to use as keywords / actions / themes).
Adventures of Gwydion and Crew of the White Dwarf
scum & villainy notes | gm's apprentice | scenes | characters | factions
Continuing on from Starting Scenes.
The narrative character is Gwydion Lister, the spacer Mystic of the crew.
Scene 7 - The Player of the Game (Free play; Basset - Stress 3, Sapphire - Stress 3, Gwydion - Stress 1, Heat - 2)
Things are coming together for the White Dwarf. Our second successful job has given us unity and purpose. The Shimmer is fascinating for all of us, and Basset is into it deep. We've got some new crewmembers on board and things are running smooth. Venkant and his gang were useful and Sapphire is confident they'll stick with us for at least a few more jobs. And I've been having vivid dreams of great games and gambles coming up in my own future. The Way speaks to me...
The Shimmer Cult tell the crew of the White Dwarf of a orbital beacon around Warren, said to have some Precursor tech. Given two metal cylinders with liquid Shimmer, they need to get into the beacon's core.
One of Sapphire's contacts (Mala) fills in details of the beacon. It has a small maintenance crew and a HappyBall Court. Gwydion is a fan and player of HappyBall, a sport controlling teams of HappyBots and using the Way. That gives them there in, as they contact the beacon and setup a game between Gwydion and the champion of the beacon.
(last checkbox filled on "Precursor Manifests to Sapphire). Sapphire is on the bridge of the White Dwarf when curtains close and she's enveloped briefly by shimmer bugs. They are curious and find a home in her weapons, which are covered in a film of rainbow netting...
Scene 8 - HappyBall Beacon (Job 3 - The Beacon; Gambits - 2, Basset - Stress 3, Sapphire - Stress 3, Gwydion - Stress 1)
HappyBall is a game I've played a couple times before. And now I get to play it against skilled opponents. Each player controls a team of HappyBots using the Way, using them to score points by getting the HappyBalls into the right configuration or goal. It's a tactical game but spectators love it too when bad things happen to the HappyBots. If I play it right it might be the start of a professional career...
(Engagement Roll - Success) Gwydion and his "coaching staff" land at the orbital beacon, Gwydion starting the game and Basset sneaking off to find the central core. Sapphire back on the White Dwarf. Finds it but guarded by a hulking humanoid xeno which is made up of silky strands. Basset lurks and looks for opportunity to get past, but only makes the xeno a little suspicious (Study roll, situation goes from Controlled to Risky)
[Flashback - Basset telling Venkant and thugs to come in a little later and make a scene] Venkant and his thugs enter near where the xeno guards, looking for somewhere to sit and gamble. Basset uses noise as cover to sneak up to the core, but has to hide in a corner as the xeno guard starts seeking anything suspicious.(Sneak roll, start clock...
CLOCK - Basset Discovered: ☑☐☐☐
(Was stumped about next, so asked GMA and got Release Aberrant)
[Flashback - Sapphire talks to her contact Manda about acquiring a virus to confuse systems. on a Critical, she gets a potent experimental virus]
Basset is getting stressed, looks for somewhere to plug in virus, but a human comes in to ask Venkant and thugs if need refreshments. (clock at 2 of 4). Waits for refreshments to arrive and sneaks off to use another terminal. Assistant notes door open and thinks it strange. (Sneak roll, Gambits 1, clock at 3 of 4) Basset notices a cat watching him..
[Flashback - Gwydion training at HappyBall] At the HappyBall court, Gwydion and opponent wear HappyBot rigs, controlling teams of HappyBots. His opponent is Akippe, an obese human with a large red eye implant. and a skilled HappyBot player. Gwydion has the upper hand in early stages (Attune roll).
Basset calms the cat (Sway roll, takes a devil's bargain, prompts of "Destablize Religion", somehow changing message to be broadcast, Gambits 2) and cat takes to the scoundrel. Virus is released, which subverts security but leaves HappyBall game running. Sapphire takes control of systems (Hack roll, Gambits 1) without any problems.
With the HappyBall game, Gwydion is pushing opponent hard, using his HappyBots in aggressive fashion (Scrap roll, controlled position)
Basset finds way to outside of the orbital beacon with Sapphires help (Sneak roll with assist) and finds where core connects to external transmitters, but distracted by thoughts of the Shimmer Cult (suffers Level 1 Harm - Distracted). The cat watches from viewing window, some of it's fur Shimmering.
[Flashback - Gwydion showing Basset what he needs to do, using holo-sim and the Way (Attune roll for Gwydion with assist, Gambits - 0]
Basset takes care and loads in Shimmer Cylinders, starting the transmission. Takes longer and Sapphire spots the hulking xeno guard coming near.
Back at HappyBall game, Gwydion pushes for the win, (Attune roll, devil's bargain of additcted to Happyball) helped by kinetic power smashes opponents HappyBots and has first serious game victory. (Start Clock at 0 of 4 - HappyBall challenge from dangerous player)
All activity on the beacon disrupted by aftermath of the game. Thugs cheering and absorbed in it. The transmission goes out spreading word of the Shimmer Cult, although with a cat-shaped head.
The White Dwarf flies off, with a happy crew and a new cat on board.
Scene 9 - HappyBall Dwarf (Downtime and freeplay, Basset - Stress 6, Sapphire - Stress 6, Gwydion - Stress 6, Heat 2)
HappyBall is taking over my thoughts! All I can see when I sleep are HappyBots. It's just a matter of time now before I can give up this life and become a full-time HappyBall pro...
Crew get paid by the Shimmer Cult and Sapphire sells some data she found on the beacon. The Cobalt Syndicate contact them and setup new job, to hunt down a mercenary with a bounty on them from the Maelstrom. Virilus (feared, honest, pirate hunter) is in the Iota System, protected by Ashen Knives.
Gwydion plays HappyBall obsessively, with a few breaks to clear shimmer bugs from the ship. Basset fully in with the Shimmer Cult (finishes clcok of Understand the Shimmer Cult) and has a vision of where Shimmer gate might go (gutwrenching acceleration, technical buzz), a place of great speeds and confusion. Sapphire indulges in baths and spas, then rehires Venkant and an upgraded gang (Quality 3 hirelings) and secures a hovercar to use in their next job.
Sapphire hears news of other factions. Gwydion looks for next HappyBall match and Basset keen to figure out Jump Gate of the Shimmer.
The Shimmer is interested in Sapphire, with bits of it infecting her cloak, infusing it with bright colours. She thinks it's interested in her Ur-bot workings.
Back to work, Sapphire contacts her friend Limbo on planet of Indri. Gives her celebrity gossip but not much else useful. Turns to Lex, a crew contact, who tracks down Virilus the merc. Group struggle to find a way to get to target, until they manage to track him down when he leaves safety to meet someone at a cafe, but with little time to prepare.
Scene 10 - City Ambush (Job 4 - Terminate the Merc; Gambits - 2, Basset - Stress 1, Sapphire - Stress 1, Gwydion - Stress 3)
Indri is a place I'd happily spend more time. Others complain of the smog and pollution, but that's just a sign of industry. Anything worth making is made here for the Procyon sector. Warehouses, factories, metal and grime. And surely lots of people interested in watching a HappyBall game.
(Engagement roll - aided by contact Limbo, hindered by lack of time to prepare - Success) Lie in wait for mercenary Virilus and his Ashen Knife escort in smoggy streets. Streets quiet as a protest going on nearby. Gwydion and Basset in position with Venkant and thugs. Sapphire nearby with the hovercar if needed. (Asked GMA question about Virilus, found out he's an ur-bot)
From piles of scrap Gwydion opens fire (Scrap roll, Gambits - 1) with perfect shooting. Ashen Knives scatter but Virilus still stands, mechanical face exposed. Basset jumps from hiding, shoving blade into merc, (Skulk roll, controlled position), taking electrical backlash. Gwydion moves with superhuman speed to plunge psy-blade into Virilus (Scrap roll). The mercenary's body is destroyed, but strangely a ghostlike bird emerges from it and flies away.
Sapphire coordinates the thugs over comms to pin down the Ashen Knives (leads group action with Command). Gwydion takes the ur-bot's head and they retreat into the streets, then flying away in the hovercar. (Start clock - someone comes for the ur-bot's head 1/6)
Scene 11 - In the Docs? (Downtime; Basset - Stress 2, Sapphire - Stress 1, Gwydion - Stress 6, Heat - 2 in Rin)
So this is what I've left the mines for? To kill targets in the street, paid by others to do their messy work? No doubt they're not great people, but there's got to be more to everything. Maybe the life of a HappyBall player isn't such a bad idea...
Hear that the Ashen Knives won't cause any trouble. The allies of the knives, the Maelstrom pay for the bounty, glad to be rid of a known pirate-hunter. But they are noted in the Iona system (5 Heat - Iona), returning to Warren
Gwydion loses self in gambling, HappyBall and trying to understand the Shimmer Gate and how it relates to the Way. Sapphire goes to re-hire (miss on Acquire Asset roll) Venkant and his thugs, but has to settle for another gang (Quality 1). Finds out they've had a better offer of work! She does get a newer hovercar and clears last bits of trouble on Warren (Heat 0 - Warren). Basset spends time with the Shimmer Cult, securing the services of a priest of the Shimmer and recovering from shock.
Hear from Cobalt Syndicate contacts that the Maelstrom no longer so hostile, but to stay out of trouble with them. The pirates have got something else big going on. Then hear from the Cult of Shimmer that they've managed to unblock the gate and could maybe, possibly, send someone through to see where it goes....
Next Scene - Into the Shimmer Gate
Character and Notes
scum & villainy notes | gm's apprentice | scenes | characters | factions
Crew Notes and Clocks
Heat 0 (Rin), 5 (Iota). Creds - 4
- Someone comes for the Urbot Head (Pirate Hunter). ☑☑☐☐☐☐
- Understand Shimmer Gate ☑☑☑☐
- Gywdion Challenged by Dangerous HappyBall Opponent ☑☑☐☐
Gwydion Lister
Spacer Mystic, vice of Gambling. From an asteroid mining family (crystals). Brash, addicted to HappyBall and considering life as professional player. Stash 5
Attune 2, Command 1, Consort 1, Rig 1, Scramble 1, Scrap 3
Abilities - The Way, Psy-blade, Kinetics
Friends (Close) Hicks, a mystic good supplier (crystals); (Rival) Blish, a fellow mystic; Laxx, xeno; Rye, unrequited love; Horux, former teacher.
Sapphire
Manufactured (urbot) Speaker. vice of Luxury. Brought up by a reclusive noble as their heir. Prefers a low profile, Stash 5
Command 2, Consort 2, Hack 1, Helm 2, Skulk 2, Doctor 1
Abilities - Air of Respectablity, Favors Owed
Friends (Close) Arryn, a noble; (Enemy) Je-Zee, a diplomat; Manda, guild member; Kerry, doctor; Limbo, matchmaker and fixer
Basset
Xeno (Caninite) Scoundrel. vice of Faith (always trying a new one). Aliens species with a suspicious similarity to dogs. Troublemaker, convert to the Shimmer, Stash 5
Scramble 1, Scrap 1, Skulk 3, Study 2, Sway 2
Abilities - Serendipitous*, Tenacious, Devil's Own Luck
Friends (Close) Rhin, a smuggler with solid contacts; (Pain in the ass) Battro, a bounty hunter looking for Basset; Nyx, moneylender; Ora, info broker; Jal, ship mechanic.
(Basset was going to have dog-themed xeno powers, but after looking at the sparse guidelines I stuck with just the scoundrel abilities)
The White Dwarf
(Name inspired by Red Dwarf, the British games magazine and the star!)
Cerberus-class ship. Daring reputation. Gambits - 2*
Crew 1, Comms 2, Engines 2, Hull 1, Weapons 1
Upgrades; Long-range scanners, jump drive, grappler arm, particle cannons, nexus link, brig, stun weapons.
Abilities: Deadly
Crew Gear: Recon Drone
Favourite contact - Lix, a Caninite xeno who smells out people with bounties
Other contacts - Stacey Weathers, reporter; Arlox, syndicate leader and former assassin; Ishi, weapons dealer; Jezri, fixer.
Factions and NPCs
scum & villainy notes | gm's apprentice | scenes | characters | factions
NPCs
- Art. Mysterious ur-bot, follows Basset, silent, inherited from first job
- Sephua. Sibling of Cobalt Syndicate leader. Thug, daring, envious, gambler,
- Venkant. Thug leader from Warren, grumbling
- Limbo. Matchmaker, urbot and fixer on Indri (contact of Sapphire)
- Akippe. Glutton, huge red eye implant, HappyBall player beaten by Gwydion
Factions and Faction Clocks
The factions are the most important part of the game world. So here's a brief overview of them in the White Dwarf setting.
- Cobalt Syndicate (+2), Rank I. Labour union turned to smuggling. Allies with Maelstrom and Cult of Shimmer, enemies of Ashen Knives.
- Unify Labour Force ☑☑☑☑☑☑☐☐☐☐
- Cult of Shimmer (+2), Rank I. Factory workers from an asteroid with a Precursor ruin. Try to spread worship of the entity they've found there. Allies of the Cobalt Syndicate. Have managed to unlock access to a jump gate but don't know where it goes.
- Control Shimmer Gate ☐☐☐☐
- Nightspeakers (+1. owe a favour), Rank II. Sinister mystics seeking particular Precursor artifacts.
- Quietly gain Aleph Key ☑☑☑☐☐☐☐☐
- Ashen Knives (+0), Rank III. Decadent syndicate focused on gambling, drugs and pleasures of the flesh. Allies of the Maelstrom, Enemies of the Cobalt Syndicate.
- Acolytes of Brashkadesh (-1), Rank I. Wear same garb and take same name. One to convert a power plant to their religion. Enemies of the Ashen Knives.
- The Maelstrom (-2). Rank III, Band of ferocious space pirates hiding in a mysterious nebula. Allies of Ashen Knives, Cobalt Syndicate and Nightspeakers. Powerful enemies and also dislike the crew of the White Dwarf. The Rimmer is one of their ships, dislikes the White Dwarf.
- Seize Jump Gate ☑☑☐☐☐☐
Finishing Up
Both Scum and Villainy and GameMaster's Apprentice have been fine to use. An enjoyable solo play so far!
