I want to start my campaign of Edge of the Empire off in an imperial prison where the PCs have to escape but I have no idea how to make it difficult but still possible for them to get out, should I plan for every eventuality? I don't want it to be a game of find the pre-dug tunnel or an exercise in frustration.
Does anyone have tips or ideas on how to make it interesting? Any help is welcome, I've only done one session of any Star Wars RPG before.
Set their escape attempt during a major crisis, like a natural disaster or civil war, which is dividing the attention of the prison authorities. Give them holes in the system created by the crisis that they can exploit.
>>44560053
You don't plan, you steer. Come up with some basic ideas, and be prepared for the PCs to defy expectations. What characters do they have rolled? Maybe they'll form a prison gang and riot, maybe they'll steal a nigh-infinite amount of spoons to tunnel out, perhaps they'll kill a guard and wear his uniform to imitate a prisoner transfer. Just go with the flow, and be ready to work with anything.
>>44560108
>>44560093
Is it worthwhile somewhat planning out the areas of the prison or just ad lib to try and work with the situation?
>>44560166
As someone with next to no experience, I'd say plan the areas out. No need to go full detail. Just be sure to know where things are, lay out a general map, especially if you're somewhat of a rookie. Losing track of what's where doesn't seem the best thing to happen.
But take what I say with a grain of salt. I never DM'd and only had like 2 or 3 DnD sessions so far, and they were mostly combat-centric, so I dunno.
Seduce the guards.
Failing that, tell them you are a personal agent of Sheev, or that you actually are Sheev, and this is all a test, training exercise or ruse. Sheev is just that kind of guy, that they'd believe you and wouldn't risk impeding you.
>>44560300
>>44560053
Watch some prison break movies- work details, various disruptions, failure in staffing etc or as >>44560093 suggested, some sort of major disturbance which creates that hole they can scurry through.
Hell, worst comes to worst, rebels often target jails to get their own people out.
>>44560053
Read out of the abyss for reference
Nice campaign
>>44560471
Do you have any suggestions or is it just general advice to watch movies that feature a particular element of a session?
>>44560558
Well you have to come to the table with some work yourself as well before any suggestions...
What type of prison, where is it located, how secure is it, what environment is it in, how many are in it, how many guards, why are the PC's there etc
>>44560643
> Type of prison
I was considering it being a mid to high-level security, thus the players being wanted if they escaped and giving something to push and drive what actions they take
> Where is it located
I've still yet to fully work that out, but most likely on a planet rather than a prison ship
> Security
A mixture of technology and man-power, slightly better than average but weakened due to overpopulation
> How many prisoners/guards
Original idea was it to be sort of a dead end prison, where they chuck those they don't want to think about so it's got massive problems with overcrowding and thus staff problems at the same time
> Why are the PCs there
I was thinking of keeping this intentionally vague for the players to think of how they individually ended up there and for them to becoming a group in order to escape.
>>44560053
Generally, there are two ways to escape a prison.
Silent, and violent.
Whatever option they choose, make both switchable at the very instant.
If they choose silent, and they are discovered, they should be able to shoot their way to freedom, if they go loud and they are about to be overwhelmed, allow them to hide somewhere.
The same happened in the star wars movie. When Luke and Han saved Leia, they went silent first, then violent as they reached the prison, then silent again after the garbage disposal, and then loud again as they fled.
Don't make it a 'once they see you it's over' or 'you can't hide now! They know where you are!'.
BE CAREFUL.
My worst roleplaying experience ever was in an 'escape the prison' scenario. Apparently the GM had one (and only one) possible escape method available, and we just didn't see it. We spent 12 hours in that prison, never even advancing towards escape. God fucking hell that was terrible.
Ultimately, try to make it so that even if the party fails to escape there's still interesting stuff going on, and consider having an imperial officer hiring them for a 'suicide squad' kind of deal if they fail to escape by themselves.
>>44561139
And I mean 12 RL hours, three full sessions. I still don't know how they got out, because I left after that.
>>44560053
Have the players come up with a plan, then just when they're about to start breaking out, rebels break in an free everyone while getting one of theirs out.
>>44560053
Just don't name your characters anything stupid like Kylo or Lord Snook.
