ECS201: Advanced Topics in Campaign Tone: Hardboiled
Welcome to Advanced Topics in Campaign Tone 201. I am your instructor for the evening, Professor Jon. The purpose of this course is to encourage discussion of non-standard campaign styles and their applicability to the Eberron Campaign setting. We will expound upon the differences between the canned "Pulp Noir" encouraged by the introduction of the Eberron Campaign Setting. I do not expect that there will be any required materials aside from the ECS, but a class reader will be available at the Student Center for US$50.
So, let's get to business!
The topic of this class will be the "Hardboiled" genre, but before I begin, let me tell you where we're aiming this. All good campaigns need to have an overarching theme (or several, if the campaign is long enough). This theme can be as simple and to the point as "Find the schemas" or as nebulous and far-reaching as "Get out of my mind" (My current campaign's theme, shout outs to my crew that are reading this).
Constructing a good theme is key to creating a good campaign, but I'm going to assume that since you're taking this upper-division course, you paid attention to gamemastering 103, and you know how to create good themes. This series of threads will be about the tone of a setting. Less what the campaign is about, and more about how the campaign feels to the players.
With introductions out of the way, lets have a little rundown of what I consider Hardboiled so that we can start on the same page as far as definitions go. Hardboiled is an action-packed story of either bad or neutral people doing bad things. What they do typically involves as much violence and stylish martial arts as possible, but it doesn't really matter what they're trying to accomplish.
Hardboiled Characters
When starting up a hardboiled campaign, the PCs are typically all members of a group. They could start as low-level gangsters working their way up by crushing rival gangs and pulling of daring heists. Or the PCs could start as detectives or a vice squad for the local constabulary. Either way, the PCs should construct their characters to have a casual relationship with killing, and a willingness to accept violence as the solution to most of their problems.
Hardboiled campaigns are going to trend towards neutral. While evil characters do fit in nicely, most hardboiled action centers around mercenary type characters who fall in the "gray" area of morality. This is not to say that you should discourage people from playing overtly good characters. Just advise them that their character might have a problem when their boss tells them to use "any means necessary".
Intra-player trust is also not entirely required. The possibility of a mole is always a good plot element to introduce. As long as the players interact, but still keep secrets from each other (without causing an intraPC riot...) it's all good.
Hardboiled Encounters
Hardboiled encounters should have a certain feel to them. The PCs should either face similarly outfitted NPC groups (especially groups tailored to exploit a particular weakness of the party), mooks mooks mooks, and the BBEG showdown.
Similarly outfitted NPC groups are rather self-explanatory. To give them more character, have them run parallel to the PCs for a while; doing similar things or things at cross purposes. The PCs should get the sense that they are dealing with rivals, not randomly tossed down adversaries. Also, in the final showdown, allow the NPC group a horde of mooks.
The Big Bad Evil Guy takes on a more paternal role in Hardboiled. They should be kingpins, untouchable puppetmasters in mighty fortresses. The fortress doesn't have to be a physical construction, either. The BBEG could be unassailable because of his social position, or because of a lack of evidence against him. However he is constructed, killing the BBEG should either reveal the real BBEG, or end the campaign. Oh, and the final battle should have a lot of mooks.
Mooks can be anything, as long as there's a lot of them, they don't hit very hard (or effectively) and they go down easy. It's better if they're sentient goons, because Hardboiled is all about dealing with the agents of an organization. Criminal organizations don't typically rely on hordes of skeletons to do their bidding.
Hardboiled setting
Hardboiled really works best in an urban setting. There needs to be a lot of people around so that a significant criminal element can arise (also, this explains why there's so many mooks). Sharn is an ideal place for a hardboiled campaign for obvious reasons. Not-so-obvious places include the capitals of Aundair and Darguun. The former for a Medici italy style of fine dining and slit
throats, and the latter for rumblin' with the goblins.
Wherever you choose to set your campaign, make sure the PCs walk the seedy part of town. Elegance isn't the primary backdrop, unless it's to face the BBEG or to cause mayhem. Standard backdrop themes should be gray, featureless areas (Unless you want to add doves...) or back alleys or rooftops or seedy apartment complexes.
Hardboiled Examples
To get a better feel for "Hardboiled" by all means, read Frank Miller's Sin City, or watch Hardboiled. The genre ranges pretty far, from Reservoir Dogs to The Transporter.
So, let's get to business!
The topic of this class will be the "Hardboiled" genre, but before I begin, let me tell you where we're aiming this. All good campaigns need to have an overarching theme (or several, if the campaign is long enough). This theme can be as simple and to the point as "Find the schemas" or as nebulous and far-reaching as "Get out of my mind" (My current campaign's theme, shout outs to my crew that are reading this).
Constructing a good theme is key to creating a good campaign, but I'm going to assume that since you're taking this upper-division course, you paid attention to gamemastering 103, and you know how to create good themes. This series of threads will be about the tone of a setting. Less what the campaign is about, and more about how the campaign feels to the players.
With introductions out of the way, lets have a little rundown of what I consider Hardboiled so that we can start on the same page as far as definitions go. Hardboiled is an action-packed story of either bad or neutral people doing bad things. What they do typically involves as much violence and stylish martial arts as possible, but it doesn't really matter what they're trying to accomplish.
Hardboiled Characters
When starting up a hardboiled campaign, the PCs are typically all members of a group. They could start as low-level gangsters working their way up by crushing rival gangs and pulling of daring heists. Or the PCs could start as detectives or a vice squad for the local constabulary. Either way, the PCs should construct their characters to have a casual relationship with killing, and a willingness to accept violence as the solution to most of their problems.
Hardboiled campaigns are going to trend towards neutral. While evil characters do fit in nicely, most hardboiled action centers around mercenary type characters who fall in the "gray" area of morality. This is not to say that you should discourage people from playing overtly good characters. Just advise them that their character might have a problem when their boss tells them to use "any means necessary".
Intra-player trust is also not entirely required. The possibility of a mole is always a good plot element to introduce. As long as the players interact, but still keep secrets from each other (without causing an intraPC riot...) it's all good.
Hardboiled Encounters
Hardboiled encounters should have a certain feel to them. The PCs should either face similarly outfitted NPC groups (especially groups tailored to exploit a particular weakness of the party), mooks mooks mooks, and the BBEG showdown.
Similarly outfitted NPC groups are rather self-explanatory. To give them more character, have them run parallel to the PCs for a while; doing similar things or things at cross purposes. The PCs should get the sense that they are dealing with rivals, not randomly tossed down adversaries. Also, in the final showdown, allow the NPC group a horde of mooks.
The Big Bad Evil Guy takes on a more paternal role in Hardboiled. They should be kingpins, untouchable puppetmasters in mighty fortresses. The fortress doesn't have to be a physical construction, either. The BBEG could be unassailable because of his social position, or because of a lack of evidence against him. However he is constructed, killing the BBEG should either reveal the real BBEG, or end the campaign. Oh, and the final battle should have a lot of mooks.
Mooks can be anything, as long as there's a lot of them, they don't hit very hard (or effectively) and they go down easy. It's better if they're sentient goons, because Hardboiled is all about dealing with the agents of an organization. Criminal organizations don't typically rely on hordes of skeletons to do their bidding.
Hardboiled setting
Hardboiled really works best in an urban setting. There needs to be a lot of people around so that a significant criminal element can arise (also, this explains why there's so many mooks). Sharn is an ideal place for a hardboiled campaign for obvious reasons. Not-so-obvious places include the capitals of Aundair and Darguun. The former for a Medici italy style of fine dining and slit
throats, and the latter for rumblin' with the goblins.
Wherever you choose to set your campaign, make sure the PCs walk the seedy part of town. Elegance isn't the primary backdrop, unless it's to face the BBEG or to cause mayhem. Standard backdrop themes should be gray, featureless areas (Unless you want to add doves...) or back alleys or rooftops or seedy apartment complexes.
Hardboiled Examples
To get a better feel for "Hardboiled" by all means, read Frank Miller's Sin City, or watch Hardboiled. The genre ranges pretty far, from Reservoir Dogs to The Transporter.
posted by Jonathan at
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