Preventing Tragedy at the Theater

Hard to believe it’s the 9th day of NaNoWriMo (partially because it feels like this has been going on for ages and yet it also feels like it just started; or maybe I’m just super rusty when it comes to writing regularly). This is a plot hook I used for a Scum and Villainy one-shot…that turned into a multi-session mini-campaign that’s still in need of resolution. So if you’re playing in that, perhaps skip the GM Tips and Tools section of this post. Or don’t. I’m not the boss of you.

Your Crew is called upon by higher-ups in the Resistance for an especially delicate rescue mission. The show that has taken the galaxy by storm, Space Opera: The Musical The Series – A Space Opera is preparing for its final night with the original cast, and a real who’s who of the Hegemony will be there. Among them is a well-known politician and merchant known for sympathizing with the outer worlds of the Empire, an act which draws the ire of his contemporaries.

Rumor is someone within the Hegemony has hired an assassin to make history repeat itself with regards to politicians and misfortune at the opera.

Your Crew is promised transportation to the asteroid on which the theater resides, but finding your way in—coming up with cover stories, determining the means by which the hit is going to be carried out, and how your Crew will prevent this tragedy—is all up to you.

Can your Crew save the sympathetic figure in the Hegemony from those he has made the mistake of trusting, or will a subpar performance not be the only tragedy to unfold?

GM Tips and Tools

This doesn’t lend itself well to a one-shot due to the kind of prep that goes into it, though if you manage to run it as such I tip my hat to you. My best estimate is this works best as a two to three session mini-campaign.

Clocks are your friend. Count down critical details such as arrival time for the various Hegemony goons, the hired hitmen, and the various actions of the actors. The closer it gets to showtime, the greater security will be which in turn will limit the players in how they can enter the venue, blend in without drawing suspicion, and prevent the assassination attempt.

I played this with more absurd tones, as evidenced by the example name given for the show above (I used something similar after a player—one of my GMs—put me on the spot by asking for the name of the show). It can work well with a more serious tone, but as is the case with any game it’s important to establish what kind of tone is expected by the table.

Partial successes lead to some really fun narrative opportunities here, like the Crew getting caught by miscellaneous actors or waitstaff and then having to sort that out (or, if you’re one of my players, addressing it by scaring the hell out of an NPC).

Regardless of the approach, be sure to have fun along the way with your players. Scum and Villainy lends itself well to GM fun due to no rolls being needed on the GM’s part – play into the players antics (or lack there of) narratively. Have fun, enjoy your space crimes, and—as always—good luck and godspeed.