Grand Theft Auto(Airship?)-based Eberron game [Archive] - Wizards Community

Grand Theft Auto(Airship?)-based Eberron game [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
RadicalTaoist
11-15-04, 03:52 PM If you were to run or play in a game inspired by and similar to the Grand Theft Auto series of video games, how would you do it? What would you include and what kind of atmosphere would you shoot for?

Thank god Eberron doesn't have anything like combine harvesters.
BuddyL33
11-15-04, 03:55 PM What's with all the video game threads?
RadicalTaoist
11-15-04, 04:01 PM Series I run, not unlike ieattrollsforbreakfast's Eberron Monster of the Week series in the Classes, Races & Monsters board.
Only bumped the Silent Hill thread because it was ignored.
ThanisKartaleon
11-15-04, 04:15 PM It would be best to set the entire thing in Sharn (especially now that the book's out). Properly, Grand Theft Skycoach. I don't have the Sharn book yet, so I can't reference the multitude of gangs in it, but I know there has to be a few. One (maybe Daask?) would be the "Columbians" of the bunch, the constant antagonists of our rogue antiheroes. First they'd be working for a changeling brothel, then after reaching the upper echelons of that group they'd betray the party, who would retreat into the protection of the elven mafia (if there is one). Eventually they'd get to meet the owner of the Sharn Inquisitive. That's about all I've got without having the Sharn book. Hope it helps.
Alhandra's Feisty Destrier
11-28-04, 01:34 PM Thanis is right on.

The idea of doing jobs for gangs fits right in, up to high-profile heists in Dragon Towers, Skyway 'girl deliveries', and down to a Goblin 'chop shop' in the Cogs..... :)
RadicalTaoist
11-28-04, 01:44 PM I'd stopped updating these threads because people lost interest.
The link is still in my sig, though.
ThanisKartaleon
11-28-04, 03:15 PM I'm actually pretty interested in this, I just lack the sharn book, so I can't help all that much beyond vague ideas. I'm waiting for the FF Tactics thread, that one really fits Eberron.
Alhandra's Feisty Destrier
11-28-04, 03:44 PM I'll see what I can add after I've finished reading Sharn.
papytofu
11-28-04, 05:12 PM In not so long, i'll do a GTA campaign. It will be set in Sharn, but the PCs will not be able to be anywhere at the beggining. Some corrupted guards (ala C.R.A.S.H team from San Andreas ) are making them work for them by infiltrating a gang ( i'll wait the sharn sourcebook ). After they'll meet a menager ( kent paul-like) who work for the orc ball team of sharn and have some problem. They will also meet a warforged veteran ( ala Phil cassidy). And a old hag ( a la auntie poulet). I plan to make a heist mission ( every good GTA have one) at the biggest bank of Sharn. Also I plan that they steal a Airship but these two things are for the end.

First they need to win the trust of the gang, but this gang his being manipulated by a bigger boss ( a mind-flayer) that force them to sell a drug on the street this drug make the ones who take it obedient like a slave. That what I thought about for the moment. Any comments?
RadicalTaoist
11-28-04, 06:10 PM I'm actually pretty interested in this, I just lack the sharn book, so I can't help all that much beyond vague ideas. I'm waiting for the FF Tactics thread, that one really fits Eberron.Want to take control of the Eberron Video Games thread series? Go ahead and make it, I stopped making it because I felt people lost interest.
nyysjan
11-29-04, 01:46 AM how do you drive a skycoach anyway :confused:
ThanisKartaleon
11-30-04, 06:06 AM how do you drive a skycoach anyway :confused:
Triangle to get in, X for airspeed, square for reverse, R1 to stop, L1 to listen to either the Silver Flame or the Orcball channel; R3 to start the passenger pickup mission, L3 to sound the airhorn. :P

If it's in the Sharn book, I wouldn't know (my fiancee won't let me get it 'cause it's too close to Christmas)

I'd guess a Profession (Aircabbie) check. It's probably got some sort of magical thing-a-ma-jig created by Cannith to use the manifest zone powered by an Eberron shard embedded in the keel, but the driver would still have to adjust for airspeed, move the rudder, etc.
If it's powered by an elemental bound Khyber shard, then it would be more Charisma based.
nyysjan
11-30-04, 09:15 AM if it is in the sharn book i haven't found it and trust my i've looked
RadicalTaoist
11-30-04, 07:20 PM Well, first you make attack rolls vs. the previous driver :schemes:
Edymnion
11-30-04, 07:29 PM Yeah, it would have to be skycoaches in Sharn.
You know, as actual Airships are about as rare in Eberron as working space ships are in the real world. Yeah, they exist, yes, there are dozens of them. Yes, a private company just won the X-Prize for a completely civilian made re-usable space vehicle.

Of course, the idea of actually being able to hyjack a space shuttle is pretty darn far fetched...
ThanisKartaleon
12-01-04, 04:48 AM Of course, the idea of actually being able to hyjack a space shuttle is pretty darn far fetched...
Well, that could be one of the last "missions" the party goes on. Gets them out of the Sharn, where they've been trapped for whatever reasons. Hope somebody's got a Lyrandar dragonmark!
ThanisKartaleon
01-06-05, 06:11 AM Okay, well I've got Sharn now (whoo!), so let's get this one rollin'!

Instead of a direct translation from the game to Eberron, something more abstract. What we're going for in these threads is not to re-enact the game, but to swipe a few good ideas and end up with something that gets the "feel" of the game. So, breaking down the two GTA games I have played (III & VC), I get this:

[party] is betrayed by a trusted ally. This ally may be powerful to begin with, or they may gain their power upon betraying the party. The party, left for dead or in dire straits otherwise, must rely on an unconventional new ally, who sets them on the path of attaining increasing power, wealth and property. The party must deal with a few setbacks and at least one new traitor in their own ranks before finally confronting the original traitor.

This theme works best if the party is relatively new and unknown in Sharn, and in keeping with the theme, illicit actions, especially the highjacking of Skycoaches, should be, um, encouraged. Paladins need not apply.

As an example, the trusted ally could be Elaydren d'Vown. She decides not to pay the party for retrieving the first or second schema. She leads the party out onto a bridge while talking, then gives them a bag of what appears to be gold, but is mere illusion; the bag contains a stone enchanted with a contingent antimagic field. The contigency is whenever the bag drops 5 feet suddenly. Elaydren disappears into a crowd, and the thugs she hired from the Tyrants emerge and attempt to bull rush the party off of the bridge. Obviously any attempts to cast feather fall fail if the thugs are successful, but after a short (say 20 ft.) fall those who got pushed crash into a skycoach. The antimagic field, still active, causes the skycoach itself to then start falling, until the bag is thrown from it. The party has approximately 3 rounds to do this before impact (terminal velocity).

The owner of the skycoach, a hobgoblin, is of course freaking out this whole time, even more so because he was taking dreamlily when the incident occurs. In fact, the coach is filled with dreamlily - the owner was on his way to a den to deliver the stuff. He offers to help the party if they keep quiet, and it is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

This is just an example, mind you; others could probably think of better ones; heck I don't even cover what happens if the party is victorious against the Tyrant thugs. But I think you'll get the picture.
nihility
11-30-05, 07:21 PM :p

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
RadicalTaoist 11-15-04, 03:52 PM	If you were to run or play in a game inspired by and similar to the Grand Theft Auto series of video games, how would you do it? What would you include and what kind of atmosphere would you shoot for? Thank god Eberron doesn't have anything like combine harvesters.
BuddyL33 11-15-04, 03:55 PM	What's with all the video game threads?
RadicalTaoist 11-15-04, 04:01 PM	Series I run, not unlike ieattrollsforbreakfast's Eberron Monster of the Week series in the Classes, Races & Monsters board. Only bumped the Silent Hill thread because it was ignored.
ThanisKartaleon 11-15-04, 04:15 PM	It would be best to set the entire thing in Sharn (especially now that the book's out). Properly, Grand Theft Skycoach. I don't have the Sharn book yet, so I can't reference the multitude of gangs in it, but I know there has to be a few. One (maybe Daask?) would be the "Columbians" of the bunch, the constant antagonists of our rogue antiheroes. First they'd be working for a changeling brothel, then after reaching the upper echelons of that group they'd betray the party, who would retreat into the protection of the elven mafia (if there is one). Eventually they'd get to meet the owner of the Sharn Inquisitive. That's about all I've got without having the Sharn book. Hope it helps.
Alhandra's Feisty Destrier 11-28-04, 01:34 PM	Thanis is right on. The idea of doing jobs for gangs fits right in, up to high-profile heists in Dragon Towers, Skyway 'girl deliveries', and down to a Goblin 'chop shop' in the Cogs..... :)
RadicalTaoist 11-28-04, 01:44 PM	I'd stopped updating these threads because people lost interest. The link is still in my sig, though.
ThanisKartaleon 11-28-04, 03:15 PM	I'm actually pretty interested in this, I just lack the sharn book, so I can't help all that much beyond vague ideas. I'm waiting for the FF Tactics thread, that one really fits Eberron.
Alhandra's Feisty Destrier 11-28-04, 03:44 PM	I'll see what I can add after I've finished reading Sharn.
papytofu 11-28-04, 05:12 PM	In not so long, i'll do a GTA campaign. It will be set in Sharn, but the PCs will not be able to be anywhere at the beggining. Some corrupted guards (ala C.R.A.S.H team from San Andreas ) are making them work for them by infiltrating a gang ( i'll wait the sharn sourcebook ). After they'll meet a menager ( kent paul-like) who work for the orc ball team of sharn and have some problem. They will also meet a warforged veteran ( ala Phil cassidy). And a old hag ( a la auntie poulet). I plan to make a heist mission ( every good GTA have one) at the biggest bank of Sharn. Also I plan that they steal a Airship but these two things are for the end. First they need to win the trust of the gang, but this gang his being manipulated by a bigger boss ( a mind-flayer) that force them to sell a drug on the street this drug make the ones who take it obedient like a slave. That what I thought about for the moment. Any comments?
RadicalTaoist 11-28-04, 06:10 PM	I'm actually pretty interested in this, I just lack the sharn book, so I can't help all that much beyond vague ideas. I'm waiting for the FF Tactics thread, that one really fits Eberron.Want to take control of the Eberron Video Games thread series? Go ahead and make it, I stopped making it because I felt people lost interest.
nyysjan 11-29-04, 01:46 AM	how do you drive a skycoach anyway :confused:
ThanisKartaleon 11-30-04, 06:06 AM	how do you drive a skycoach anyway :confused: Triangle to get in, X for airspeed, square for reverse, R1 to stop, L1 to listen to either the Silver Flame or the Orcball channel; R3 to start the passenger pickup mission, L3 to sound the airhorn. :P If it's in the Sharn book, I wouldn't know (my fiancee won't let me get it 'cause it's too close to Christmas) I'd guess a Profession (Aircabbie) check. It's probably got some sort of magical thing-a-ma-jig created by Cannith to use the manifest zone powered by an Eberron shard embedded in the keel, but the driver would still have to adjust for airspeed, move the rudder, etc. If it's powered by an elemental bound Khyber shard, then it would be more Charisma based.
nyysjan 11-30-04, 09:15 AM	if it is in the sharn book i haven't found it and trust my i've looked
RadicalTaoist 11-30-04, 07:20 PM	Well, first you make attack rolls vs. the previous driver :schemes:
Edymnion 11-30-04, 07:29 PM	Yeah, it would have to be skycoaches in Sharn. You know, as actual Airships are about as rare in Eberron as working space ships are in the real world. Yeah, they exist, yes, there are dozens of them. Yes, a private company just won the X-Prize for a completely civilian made re-usable space vehicle. Of course, the idea of actually being able to hyjack a space shuttle is pretty darn far fetched...
ThanisKartaleon 12-01-04, 04:48 AM	Of course, the idea of actually being able to hyjack a space shuttle is pretty darn far fetched... Well, that could be one of the last "missions" the party goes on. Gets them out of the Sharn, where they've been trapped for whatever reasons. Hope somebody's got a Lyrandar dragonmark!
ThanisKartaleon 01-06-05, 06:11 AM	Okay, well I've got Sharn now (whoo!), so let's get this one rollin'! Instead of a direct translation from the game to Eberron, something more abstract. What we're going for in these threads is not to re-enact the game, but to swipe a few good ideas and end up with something that gets the "feel" of the game. So, breaking down the two GTA games I have played (III & VC), I get this: [party] is betrayed by a trusted ally. This ally may be powerful to begin with, or they may gain their power upon betraying the party. The party, left for dead or in dire straits otherwise, must rely on an unconventional new ally, who sets them on the path of attaining increasing power, wealth and property. The party must deal with a few setbacks and at least one new traitor in their own ranks before finally confronting the original traitor. This theme works best if the party is relatively new and unknown in Sharn, and in keeping with the theme, illicit actions, especially the highjacking of Skycoaches, should be, um, encouraged. Paladins need not apply. As an example, the trusted ally could be Elaydren d'Vown. She decides not to pay the party for retrieving the first or second schema. She leads the party out onto a bridge while talking, then gives them a bag of what appears to be gold, but is mere illusion; the bag contains a stone enchanted with a contingent antimagic field. The contigency is whenever the bag drops 5 feet suddenly. Elaydren disappears into a crowd, and the thugs she hired from the Tyrants emerge and attempt to bull rush the party off of the bridge. Obviously any attempts to cast feather fall fail if the thugs are successful, but after a short (say 20 ft.) fall those who got pushed crash into a skycoach. The antimagic field, still active, causes the skycoach itself to then start falling, until the bag is thrown from it. The party has approximately 3 rounds to do this before impact (terminal velocity). The owner of the skycoach, a hobgoblin, is of course freaking out this whole time, even more so because he was taking dreamlily when the incident occurs. In fact, the coach is filled with dreamlily - the owner was on his way to a den to deliver the stuff. He offers to help the party if they keep quiet, and it is the beginning of a beautiful relationship. This is just an example, mind you; others could probably think of better ones; heck I don't even cover what happens if the party is victorious against the Tyrant thugs. But I think you'll get the picture.
nihility 11-30-05, 07:21 PM	:p