Last Flight of the Red Sword (LFRS)

question
#1

Hello! So I’ve finally convinced my group to play something else than 5e!
And to start on the right foot, I’ve decided to run ICRPG Warp Shell: Last Flight of the Red Sword.

So I’m done with the basic prep., I’ve reorganised some bullet points so that I could more easily remember things. Nothing major.

I’ve added a lightless Warp Shell in the distance, as a hint of the time fold~

And now I’m thinking that the maximum Target Number could be 15? What do you guys think? At the docks it rises by 1, then in every other room except for the corridor.

Another thing I’m wondering is: could I make other reptoids with different roles? I know this is just a one-shot but, at the same time, if I’m going to turn this into a campaign I’d like to perhaps hint at the kind of infantry that the Darkstars create out of their new slaves! I’m thinking the usual runner, slasher, exploder, etc.

My approach would be to perhaps specialize that “ceiling runner” ability/trait/feature to adapt it for each kind of infantry? What do you guys think?

Ah, yes! And for prying doors, I will have a group check: must beat 30 all together. So everyone rolls together to open those doors… unless a player is busy opening a chest or whatever: don’t forget about those vile solar flares! :smiling_imp:

#2

I think multiple types of reptoid mutants is an excellent idea. Do it! :metal:
For the doors, instead of having a combined roll against a high target use your Efforts. Give the doors one heart and let them use Basic if barehanded or Tool (Weapon) if they have something to help the task. Make the check against the Room Target, roll for Effort. Once they’ve done 10 Effort total (one heart) the door is busted open.

#3

Ah, I just want them to dedicate themselves to opening the door~
Then again, I could lower the needed check to 20 so that a single team member has a chance to open it while two of them together is almost assured if there is danger that a teammate must keep away from the door. And if all three (or more) heroes work on the door, it could be opened easily!

#4

Why? What is the purpose of having closed doors on Red Sword, beyond the single door where the players have to have a key? Doors only slow things down for what is generally an exploratory adventure. Unless a locked door moves the story along in some meaningful way, I recommend omitting it. That being said, if you’re hellbent on having a door players have to pry, turn it into a trap of some sort. A door malfunctions and thuds shut, and then the reptoids come pouring out. You can probably pull that off once. Otherwise, I’d stick to the script running Red Sword.

As for enemy variety, that’s perfect and awesome. Also, I might go 12, 13, and 14 for a rising target over the course of the session, with no more than 14 by the end if you’re running six point builds.

#5

• It is written that doors are easy to pry. I assume easy in the sense that they still have to roll for it. There is a chase scene later on in the book, so that is most likely their puspose.

• The doors also have the assumed job of doing the same thing from the ones in Resident Evil or some other horror games: create tension as the players do not know what they will find behind it.

• It’s something else to do while someone opens the chest~

“turn it into a trap of some sort. A door malfunctions and thuds shut, and then the reptoids come pouring out. You can probably pull that off once.” That is actually a good idea that I will implement! :smiling_imp:

#6

In my last LFRS game I ruled that some doors can be opened with a single STR ATTEMPT (pry open), with a single INT ATTEMPT (hack open); some may require a single :heart: of INT or STR EFFORT. Why go all these trouble? I wanted to be prepared for any circumstances that may come up to spice things up for them.

Like @Alex said and always says, there is no point to delay players just to delay them. But creating time pressure while they are otherwise occupied (like a reptoid attack from the vents in the ceilings) makes things interesting.

Science Bay door had :heart: :heart: :heart: to hack, to discourage them (but not make it impossible) from going there first without visiting medbay. My players started to hack it, but one of the impatient ones went to investigate the medbay. Things unfolded and the hacking attempt was interrupted. They had to kill the Gargantua first and then opened the science bay door with the mag card as intended (but not without some complications).

Preparing a handful of complications beforehand helps the game (any game) to run smoothly and hopefully with more excitement. My players killed the Gargantua in 5 lucky actions so they ‘killed’ that room without the expected bang but I made some adjustments to create that excitement later with other ambushes and whatnot.

I created Mutated Brute Reptoids which have :heart::heart: and attack twice (mechanically two reptoids in one body). I did this because my players were smart enough to look at the crew manifest and had learned that the total crew complement of the ship is 35 and they already had killed 8 of them or so. I had to make due with my remaining number of bad guys lol.

Solar flares were enough of a flavor for me to not bother with creating any more different reptoids but that can easily be done if one wishes so.

#7

Yeah, I’m already quite good at running games! I know how to forge scenes and exciting plays!
The idea of that reptoid is also pretty good, I’ll consider it! :smiley:

The doors are obstacles like other things, I won’t rely on them, I have to make a variety of them.

#8

lol… Guess the blood on the floors and signs of combats could also explain some less numbers of reptoid remaining too :wink:

Hmm, did the mutated Brute Reptoid have also two heads, @Khan ?

#9

Exactly. I deducted the remains of reptoids scattered around the ship from the total as well and that left me with a low number. I rolled 4d20 out in the open for the whole crew complement and only got 35 lol.

Sadly, no. They could have been ettins in space; a truly missed opportunity. :blush: