Hi folx,
Here is an odd question to the Referees out there....
What is your favorite galactic conspiracy?
I'm afraid I do not use the shattered imperium setting, I set it up in
classic Trav time ie 1102-3 pre fifth frontier war Spinward marches and
Foreven Sector (foreven is my own designed sector comprised of amber zone
articles and other adventure planets)
As a ref I like to set the players up against something very powerful
such that their actions can have galactic implications.
I generally start them off with something small low power when they run
into the tip of the tentacle of a BIG plot...
As they progress they gain power and gradually learn what's going on
until they work their way to the heart of the octapus.
Is there anyone else who likes this style?
I am curious what big plots against the galaxy someone else has come up with.
Here is mine (One of my ex-players will read this and say Ho! HO! so that's
what was going on. {Hi Steve! How do I send you mall?})
Colonel Baremkatalasche' was the head of SORAG, the Zho covert operations
organization for Spinward Marches & Ikar (Foreven). He worked his way up
the ladder believing that eventually, the Consulate woul;d defeat the
Imperium and bring the benefits of their way of life to the poor oppressed
Imperials, before they strangled the way of life of all good and right
thinking Zhodani.
Upon reaching the top he then was let in on the Consulate plan for control
of the Imperium. There would be no conquest. No liberation. The Consulate
simply planned for the cold war to go on indefinately. All the operatives
he had seen give their lives were completely wasted. All the efforts.
All the death pain suffering... All for nought.
Something had to be done.....
He gathered his allies in SORAG, Naval and military intelligence and has now
defected to a faction in an Imperial client state. This faction is willing
to take over the government and swing to the Consulate on Baremkatalasche's
say so.
The Plan
Baremkatalasche' is building up the client state's fleet by using the defecting
Zho ships as pirates. Stealing ships and valuables to fund the states war
effort. When they are prepared they will begin attacking Imperial and
Zho ships to start a war.
At the moment the Consualates plans are not ready for war for another five
years. The premature start of the fifth frontier war will result in a
horrible Consulate Defeat.
Once this is accomplished, Baremkatalasche' will return to the Consulate
now with a powerful Consulate ally and begin preparation for the Sixth
Frontier war... And when the Consulate knows it must strike and strike hard
there will be no more half efforts to conquer the Marches. The Sixth
Frontier War will destoy the Imperium utterly!!!!! HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!
(evil cackling in the background)
With this going on there are lots of ways to get the players involved.
One time I had them running weapons but the money was secretly going to
fund the plot...
One time the players ran into a slave gathering expedition where the
slaves and profits were going to go to the plot...
One time I hired the players to raid an ancient site (but the artifacts
were going to the conspiritors...
One player was a scientist, I kidnapped him and put him in a work camp
similar to the village in the TV series the Prisoner...
Nobody has yet made it close to the heart of the conspiracy (I've
moved before they quite made it there)
Any way, This is the big plot I have used in the past and probably will
continue to use.
I liked the Zid Rachele Society plot to take over the Imperium. The reason
I don't use the civil war imperium is I like to make it so that the
characters can do something big that will effect the big picture. With
Lucan and friends running around with BatRons, it's tough to really do
anything unless you want to give your players a FLEET! (NOT ME!!!)
The Sadistic thing about this plot is that the players (if they are
successful) will stop the Fifth frontier war from happening early.
But they won't stop it from happening...
On the bright side think of how many billions of man-years of peace they can
buy for all Humaniti.
Anyway, I'm curious what you guys may have used or would like to use.
So what do you say, If your players read TML I'd like to hear your plots
anyway by personal mail if possible (I'd really appreciate it.)
Thanks,
Mr. Scott