Running All's Quiet at Owl Con 2023

[Warshield73]

Title Says it all, OwlCon the best Houston area gaming convention, and probably my favorite after POH, is coming back for 2023 after 2 years of absence due to plague.

The last convention was 2020 and I ran Operation Minotaur to great success so this year All Quiet on the Western...What?

I see all the pregens from Kyle are still on HoBTS so all I really need to do is check over the characters, print them off, re-read the adventure in the Rifter and prep my notes. I think the hardest part here will be deciding what parts of this game I will do in the four hours (really 3 and a 1/2) that the convention allows me.

As this is only the second time I will be running BTS, and my first running this adventure, any advice or suggestions are appreciated.

[Mr. Jays]

First off....Awesome!

Second, when I have ran it at conventions, generally it takes 4 hours for the first mission. The second and third usually takes another 4 hours. So, you are looking at 8 hours total running time. Since you only have 4 available, I would just do the first mission

[Warshield73]

First off....Awesome!

Second, when I have ran it at conventions, generally it takes 4 hours for the first mission. The second and third usually takes another 4 hours. So, you are looking at 8 hours total running time. Since you only have 4 available, I would just do the first mission

Thank you, I was thinking along these lines already but it is good to get some confirmation. I will probably rewrite Mission 1 a little just to add a few things to the encounters and maybe give it a sense of closure but other than that I think I will just run M1 as is.

[Mr. Jays]

First off....Awesome!

Second, when I have ran it at conventions, generally it takes 4 hours for the first mission. The second and third usually takes another 4 hours. So, you are looking at 8 hours total running time. Since you only have 4 available, I would just do the first mission

Thank you, I was thinking along these lines already but it is good to get some confirmation. I will probably rewrite Mission 1 a little just to add a few things to the encounters and maybe give it a sense of closure but other than that I think I will just run M1 as is.

You could also run just missions 2 and 3 and say that another group obtained the German files.

[Warshield73]

First off....Awesome!

Second, when I have ran it at conventions, generally it takes 4 hours for the first mission. The second and third usually takes another 4 hours. So, you are looking at 8 hours total running time. Since you only have 4 available, I would just do the first mission

Thank you, I was thinking along these lines already but it is good to get some confirmation. I will probably rewrite Mission 1 a little just to add a few things to the encounters and maybe give it a sense of closure but other than that I think I will just run M1 as is.

You could also run just missions 2 and 3 and say that another group obtained the German files.

Which would you recommend? Would 2 and 3 be more fun for the players.

[Mr. Jays]

It depends. Mission 1 has more combat and has more planning required on the part of the players. It also has little supernatural content. Missions 2 and 3 allow some combat and include supernatural elements. If you want the players to get a better feel for what BTS is like, missions 2 and 3 are better suited. They also have a more dramatic ending. However, mission one can leave them wanting more and possibly want to play the rest of the adventure with you at a later date or buy Rifter 84 to see how it ends. I personally would run both parts in separate blocks and hopefully everyone interested in the ending would join for part 2. It depends on what you think would fit best for you and your players.

[Warshield73]

It depends. Mission 1 has more combat and has more planning required on the part of the players. It also has little supernatural content. Missions 2 and 3 allow some combat and include supernatural elements. If you want the players to get a better feel for what BTS is like, missions 2 and 3 are better suited. They also have a more dramatic ending. However, mission one can leave them wanting more and possibly want to play the rest of the adventure with you at a later date or buy Rifter 84 to see how it ends. I personally would run both parts in separate blocks and hopefully everyone interested in the ending would join for part 2. It depends on what you think would fit best for you and your players.

Ok Something to consider. I had been making some notes for possible changes to part 1 to add more supernatural elements but just jumping to part 2 or 3 might work better.

I had considered running the entire thing in two sessions at the convention the only problem is that the convention is only two days with three sessions on Saturday and two on Sunday. I am only running 4 total. People are kind of hesitant to sign up for a two party and I am already running what is effectively a two-part Rifts adventure on Saturday. Still, I did consider going back and cancelling one of my other games and making this a two party but they have opened up for signing ups so I have to go with what I have.

I will have to look it over but I will probably run mission 1 but with a few changes to add in some supernatural.

[Warshield73]

Owl Con was this weekend and I ran All's Quiet this morning. I went with running mission 2 and 3 as it had a fair mix of sneaking around and the final battle looked satisfying.

I had 8 players (I had set the maximum at 9 so almost full). The players skewed older, my other two games had actual teenagers in them, and only 3 of them had ever played PB before, none had played BTS.

Mission 2 went way long as the players had a hard time understanding any of the military concepts and I think I did too many prowl rolls. They also got confused as too which monster was which and what they were vulnerable too.

If I run this again, which I think I probably, I will have to make some changes as it is they never got to explore the 5th pit or encounter the lifeforce drinkers. We had to end the game during the battle to capture the hell hounds. My first option is to reduce the numbers of pits the PCs need to recon from 6 to 4, eliminate all prowl rolls except around and in the pits themselves, and eliminate the dimensional ghouls and maybe the Dybbuk too.

The other option is to run two sessions, a clearly marked part one and part two, the problem is there is no good place to break during mission 2. I had considered moving the discovery of the LFD lair (pit 5) to the beginning of mission 1, maybe they discover it on the way to the German base and encounter LFDs while leaving the base. This cuts a lot from Mission 2 and should allow it and Mission 3 to be finished in one 4 hour session.

Over all great adventure, and thanks again for those characters, people loved them, and you have sold me on the Ordinary Person in BTS.

[Mr. Jays]

You are quite welcome. I'm glad you and your players enjoyed it!