Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
Blade Runner is showing on Encore right now as I write this. I've grown to love this show. I saw the Final Cut recently, and I'm stunned at how beautiful that remastered show is still today, almost 30 years after it came out.
I'm one of the ones who prefer Dekard's voice over, though. And, I like the uplifting ending. I also like Roy calling Terrel "⌧er" instead of "father". Those are some of the things are changed or missing from the Final Cut, so from my point of view, it isn't the ultimate version.
I was thinking, though, that if one wanted to explore more of the BR universe, maybe play a short campaign, a GM wouldn't haven't to wait for an official Blade Runner rpg. He's got all the makings for a BR game right at his fingertips in the form of Classic Traveller.
This harkens back to the day before the Imperium, when Classic Traveller was just called Traveller. It was a game system designed to re-create a multitude of science fiction settings, as you know.
When you pick up CT, you're not locked into playing in the Third Imperium or a 3I variant.
Blade Runner wouldn't be a hard game to set-up at all. You've got all the ingredients already.
Characters. You'd have to create some careers for the players when doing chargen. You can find some police careers in various CT magazines, including the JTAS. You can also follow the rules in JTAS and make up your own Blade Runner career. It shouldn't be too hard. Alter one of the existing careers, or, simply go through the movie and the CT skill list, picking which skills a Blade Runner are likely to have. Construct a career.
Deckard uses Streetwise many times during his investigations in China Town. He uses Computer skill when using the machine in his apartment to examine the picture that he took from Leon's place. He uses air/raft skill when piloting the skimmers. He uses Linguistics when understanding Gaff speak. And, of course, he uses that bad assed pistol he has that blows big holes in things its bullets strike. That's a weapon skill, of course.
And, we can assume that Deckard has some skill that we may not see used in the film. Maybe he knows a little first aid (Medic). Working as a detective before becoming a Blade Runner, he's probably got some skill in Administration. Go through the movie and look at the CT skill list, picking what is logical.
Also, don't just look at the Deckard character. Deckard is just one individual among many. Take a look at Holden, Gaff and Bryant and the other characters. Bryant, the police captain, must have Admin skill. Gaff may even have some Emissary type skill--so don't forget to look at the CT Alien skills, too. If Gaff doesn't use Emissary, then he might be using Carousing.
Rules. For the most part, you'll use existing Classic Traveller rules without change. But, the Blade Runner universe may require a particular house rule here or there. It may require some universe-logic adjustments.
An example of a rule change might come in using Book 8 - Robots to create the Replicants. That tech (to create the Replicants) in original Traveller would be quite high. Maybe TL 16. Looking at the movie, though, we can see that the TL is lower than that. So, the GM would have to make an (easy) adjustment.
Read the From The Management section of JTAS #2. There, LKW shows GMs how to use existing Traveller rules to create new ones. The example he gives shows how to extrapolate details from a laser carbine, making a laser pistol.
Universe-logic adjustments may come in the form of specific Traveller tech or environment. The Jump Drive may not be possible in the BR universe (we don't know from the story). Aliens don't seem to be existent in the BR universe.
The GM will have to deal with these as they come up. Also note that, a good Blade Runner story may involve growing the universe. Maybe, as the campaign begins, the Jump Drive has been invented and man is starting to explore outside our solar system. Or, maybe alien contact has been made, leading to the creation of vast armies of Replicant soldiers, all with longer life spans--giving the Blade Runners much more work (and adventure to get into) as some of those Replicant soldiers go rogue.
GMs should always keep their games interesting and exciting. Don't be afraid to think outside of the box. The unexpected is often very entertaining.
Environment. The Striker vehicle design system can easily replicate (pardon the pun) the vehicles we see in Blade Runner. If you want to set your Blade Runner game offworld, maybe on the moon or Mars, you might want to delve more into traditional Traveller fare. As mentioned in the last section, the GM will have to determine is the BR universe has invented artificial gravity. If it hasn't, then the GM needs to keep that in mind when designing these environments (probably with the help of Book 6: Scouts).
Story. The sky is the limit. What, for me, makes the BR universe so intriguing is that there is so much unexplored. What's it like offworld? One could take a look at some Traveller 2300 supplements, or High Colonies (an out of print game set in the solar system without any type of drive that would easily take people to other stars), and draw ideas from there.
Plus, there are some Blade Runner novels (3 of them by K.W. Jeter) and several comics that can be perused and sifted through.
If you want to keep with the noir-ish detective type story evident in the movie, then simply find an old noir-ish pulp fiction novel and "update" it for use in the future BR age.
I've always thought of making a BR story where the players are Blade Runners sent after Deckard and Rachael after the movie ends. I like the moral question that will pose itself if the players are sympathetic with Deckard and his love Rachael. Deckard would be an unknown quality in the story--he might be an enemy of the PCs if they end up killing Rachel. He could be an ally if he PCs decide to turn against the law and help Deckard.
I thought it might be neat to reveal to one player, secretly, that he has started to suspect that he's a Replicant. He doesn't know. I thought that this might be particularly effective if he player was extremely gung-ho about capturing Deckard and killing Rachael. What a reversal.
And...I also thought that I'd screw with that player's head, not revealing the truth. Maybe he's starting to think he's a Replicant, but he really is human! Maybe it's his conscience getting to him!
A great game can be had with this.
Don't forget that there are other types of characters in the BR universe besides Blade Runners. Traditional military types (soldiers, marines, naval men) could be the focus of the story.
Heck, a GM could make everyone roll up characters using the Other career. Off the top of my head, maybe a character is operating an all-night news stand. It's a quiet night. And then, in the middle of the street, two men burst out into the streetlight and rain, busting on each other, one screaming, "Hey! Help me! He's a Replicant!".
The PC can decide to help or watch. Either way, a gun goes off. One of them drops. The one still standing turns to the PC, holding his gut, bleeding, saying, "Help me."
And, even though the one standing says that the other is the Replicant, how can the PC know? That's how the adventure would begin. Does the PC help him?
And, from the GM's point of view, is the wounded person a Replicant or a Blade Runner? Either way, the story will lead in an interesting direction.
The GM can also combine universes. I've always thought that the universes of the movies Blade Runner, Outland, and Alien could all be the same. With a few tweaks, here and there, the GM is hardly likely to run out of story ideas. Don't forget to look at other science fiction game, too. You can adapt them to the BR universe, or you can expand the BR universe using the ideas in those games. For example, expand BR with some cyberpunk. It might fight.
Or, how about other Philip K. Dick stories? Like taking Minority Report and setting it in the Blade Runner universe? The PCs are thought cops, and all of a sudden, we're bringing in the Traveller psionics rules.
The point is: There's lots of ammo to make a very interesting story and game--even a campaign--with just the CT tools that are provided.
Go ahead and drop the Blade Runner idea all together and change over the the Battlestar Galactica universe. Taking the same ideas I detail above, it can be done.
I'm one of the ones who prefer Dekard's voice over, though. And, I like the uplifting ending. I also like Roy calling Terrel "⌧er" instead of "father". Those are some of the things are changed or missing from the Final Cut, so from my point of view, it isn't the ultimate version.
I was thinking, though, that if one wanted to explore more of the BR universe, maybe play a short campaign, a GM wouldn't haven't to wait for an official Blade Runner rpg. He's got all the makings for a BR game right at his fingertips in the form of Classic Traveller.
This harkens back to the day before the Imperium, when Classic Traveller was just called Traveller. It was a game system designed to re-create a multitude of science fiction settings, as you know.
When you pick up CT, you're not locked into playing in the Third Imperium or a 3I variant.
Blade Runner wouldn't be a hard game to set-up at all. You've got all the ingredients already.
Characters. You'd have to create some careers for the players when doing chargen. You can find some police careers in various CT magazines, including the JTAS. You can also follow the rules in JTAS and make up your own Blade Runner career. It shouldn't be too hard. Alter one of the existing careers, or, simply go through the movie and the CT skill list, picking which skills a Blade Runner are likely to have. Construct a career.
Deckard uses Streetwise many times during his investigations in China Town. He uses Computer skill when using the machine in his apartment to examine the picture that he took from Leon's place. He uses air/raft skill when piloting the skimmers. He uses Linguistics when understanding Gaff speak. And, of course, he uses that bad assed pistol he has that blows big holes in things its bullets strike. That's a weapon skill, of course.
And, we can assume that Deckard has some skill that we may not see used in the film. Maybe he knows a little first aid (Medic). Working as a detective before becoming a Blade Runner, he's probably got some skill in Administration. Go through the movie and look at the CT skill list, picking what is logical.
Also, don't just look at the Deckard character. Deckard is just one individual among many. Take a look at Holden, Gaff and Bryant and the other characters. Bryant, the police captain, must have Admin skill. Gaff may even have some Emissary type skill--so don't forget to look at the CT Alien skills, too. If Gaff doesn't use Emissary, then he might be using Carousing.
Rules. For the most part, you'll use existing Classic Traveller rules without change. But, the Blade Runner universe may require a particular house rule here or there. It may require some universe-logic adjustments.
An example of a rule change might come in using Book 8 - Robots to create the Replicants. That tech (to create the Replicants) in original Traveller would be quite high. Maybe TL 16. Looking at the movie, though, we can see that the TL is lower than that. So, the GM would have to make an (easy) adjustment.
Read the From The Management section of JTAS #2. There, LKW shows GMs how to use existing Traveller rules to create new ones. The example he gives shows how to extrapolate details from a laser carbine, making a laser pistol.
Universe-logic adjustments may come in the form of specific Traveller tech or environment. The Jump Drive may not be possible in the BR universe (we don't know from the story). Aliens don't seem to be existent in the BR universe.
The GM will have to deal with these as they come up. Also note that, a good Blade Runner story may involve growing the universe. Maybe, as the campaign begins, the Jump Drive has been invented and man is starting to explore outside our solar system. Or, maybe alien contact has been made, leading to the creation of vast armies of Replicant soldiers, all with longer life spans--giving the Blade Runners much more work (and adventure to get into) as some of those Replicant soldiers go rogue.
GMs should always keep their games interesting and exciting. Don't be afraid to think outside of the box. The unexpected is often very entertaining.
Environment. The Striker vehicle design system can easily replicate (pardon the pun) the vehicles we see in Blade Runner. If you want to set your Blade Runner game offworld, maybe on the moon or Mars, you might want to delve more into traditional Traveller fare. As mentioned in the last section, the GM will have to determine is the BR universe has invented artificial gravity. If it hasn't, then the GM needs to keep that in mind when designing these environments (probably with the help of Book 6: Scouts).
Story. The sky is the limit. What, for me, makes the BR universe so intriguing is that there is so much unexplored. What's it like offworld? One could take a look at some Traveller 2300 supplements, or High Colonies (an out of print game set in the solar system without any type of drive that would easily take people to other stars), and draw ideas from there.
Plus, there are some Blade Runner novels (3 of them by K.W. Jeter) and several comics that can be perused and sifted through.
If you want to keep with the noir-ish detective type story evident in the movie, then simply find an old noir-ish pulp fiction novel and "update" it for use in the future BR age.
I've always thought of making a BR story where the players are Blade Runners sent after Deckard and Rachael after the movie ends. I like the moral question that will pose itself if the players are sympathetic with Deckard and his love Rachael. Deckard would be an unknown quality in the story--he might be an enemy of the PCs if they end up killing Rachel. He could be an ally if he PCs decide to turn against the law and help Deckard.
I thought it might be neat to reveal to one player, secretly, that he has started to suspect that he's a Replicant. He doesn't know. I thought that this might be particularly effective if he player was extremely gung-ho about capturing Deckard and killing Rachael. What a reversal.
And...I also thought that I'd screw with that player's head, not revealing the truth. Maybe he's starting to think he's a Replicant, but he really is human! Maybe it's his conscience getting to him!
A great game can be had with this.
Don't forget that there are other types of characters in the BR universe besides Blade Runners. Traditional military types (soldiers, marines, naval men) could be the focus of the story.
Heck, a GM could make everyone roll up characters using the Other career. Off the top of my head, maybe a character is operating an all-night news stand. It's a quiet night. And then, in the middle of the street, two men burst out into the streetlight and rain, busting on each other, one screaming, "Hey! Help me! He's a Replicant!".
The PC can decide to help or watch. Either way, a gun goes off. One of them drops. The one still standing turns to the PC, holding his gut, bleeding, saying, "Help me."
And, even though the one standing says that the other is the Replicant, how can the PC know? That's how the adventure would begin. Does the PC help him?
And, from the GM's point of view, is the wounded person a Replicant or a Blade Runner? Either way, the story will lead in an interesting direction.
The GM can also combine universes. I've always thought that the universes of the movies Blade Runner, Outland, and Alien could all be the same. With a few tweaks, here and there, the GM is hardly likely to run out of story ideas. Don't forget to look at other science fiction game, too. You can adapt them to the BR universe, or you can expand the BR universe using the ideas in those games. For example, expand BR with some cyberpunk. It might fight.
Or, how about other Philip K. Dick stories? Like taking Minority Report and setting it in the Blade Runner universe? The PCs are thought cops, and all of a sudden, we're bringing in the Traveller psionics rules.
The point is: There's lots of ammo to make a very interesting story and game--even a campaign--with just the CT tools that are provided.
Go ahead and drop the Blade Runner idea all together and change over the the Battlestar Galactica universe. Taking the same ideas I detail above, it can be done.
