New month, new update – and it’s a sweet one, marked by the last of the layout drafts!
Layout Previews
The previews below are the last of the chapter layouts! We just need to string them together, and we’ve got books. I realize that’s not as simple as it sounds since we still have to correct all the errors you’ve reported, replace all the page XXs with actual references, construct the table of contents, build a comprehensive index and so on, but we are finally coming in for a landing.
These final previews include both the cetacean future history and character chapters, which contain the best material from Ancient Echoes and some of my favorite artwork in the new books.These previews also include an all new, albeit short, chapter on what I think is important when playing RPGs and running Blue Planet in particular. Nothing groundbreaking I suppose, nothing old Poseidoners don’t already know, but worth reviewing, especially for those newer to the hobby.
Final Character Sheet
Speaking of final previews, I also wanted to share the most up-to-date version of the character sheet. Barring the discovery of any oversights by our loyal error-hunters, this should be the sheets' ultimate forms.
With the sheets and these final drafts, you now have access to everything you need to dive headfirst into a fully formed Recontact campaign! Enjoy!
Per usual, the full previews will follow in a Kickstarter, backers-only update.
Storm Surge Playtest
It’s hard to express how much fun it’s been running the playtest of the Storm Surge adventure. The way the three story lines have become increasingly interwoven is making it challenging to keep things on course, but it’s lending such texture to the story that it feels more real than anything I have ever run before.
Through a clever ruse, the GEO agents managed to free the Songless prisoner they themselves had captured, posing as the transport crew and staging an in-flight attack that left them crashed in the sea. They carefully positioned Ocean Gate as an essential ally as they rescued and transported the boy home.
A rare night off in Haven turned into a tumultuous emergency when the EMP blast from the Incorporate thread blacked out the city. They were quickly recalled, becoming part of the HCIS investigation. Specifically, given their recent mission, they were ordered to determine if there was any native connection to the bombing. It was a great moment when they were able to collect biometrics on one of their own Incorporate characters and make themselves the target of a massive manhunt.
The campaign has become so immersive that the players spent an hour of game time using their GEO operative characters to investigate their Incorporate security characters, even though as the players of both, they already knew everything that had happened! It seemed like they just wanted to experience that part of the story from the alternate perspective. They enjoyed making clever use of the future tech and techniques at their disposal, and it was super-fun to watch them get so into it that at one point they actually seemed to forget they were hunting themselves.
Another highlight was when the Songless freedom fighter they had liberated reached out and invited them to a clandestine rendezvous. Given the unique resources of the Songless (see last month’s Campaign Archetypes preview), what they really want is good PR, and this is something HCIS can absolutely pull the strings to get. As it turns out, quite un-coincidentally, they have the ideal voice in their vlogging character from the native thread, providing the perfect opportunity to restart the cycle in returning to that thread.
Can’t wait for next week!
