Have you ever seen a posse scared to cross a river? Get your group together and watch
Lonesome Dove, and they will be. Even if they nothing happens, it's the wondering that will make it worth it. To put this into game terms, just one death or even near death in a very inconsequential place in the action WILL (I guarantee this) have a lasting effect. Even if it's a couple of players bickering and one says (in or out of character) "I'll kill you" right then and there, as the GM you should seize that moment and turn it into memorable mment for someone. In my game, the teamster lost the use of his right arm (thank goodness he's left handed) for a good 4-5 game sessions. If they aren't afraid of death (or injury) that leads to a boring game. All bets are off for a Superhero game, though. Not much death there. As a side note, I always make the announcement that "someone is going to die today" to
start our games. It's usually the bad guys, but not always.
Jim Burzelic <zombi_bobb@yahoo.com> wrote:
--- David R Goecke wrote:
> I second that motion! don't let the mooks take out the characters.
> Random
> circumstantial rolls and a scuffle with a few undead railworkers ar
> bad
> character deaths. Mooks, and falling off of balchonies, etc are just
> should just be there to soften the posse up for the big shot. Give
> them a
> good death and they'll never forget it. Give them a lousy death and
> they'll never let YOU forget it. Trust me.
>
Am I seriously the only person in all of Role-playing-dom that doesn't
mind a "simple" death? I realize it is much less exciting to die in a
highway robbery than against the shadows through the mirror. But even
your "average"deaths can be scene inspiring. And as much as this is a
western it is also a horror game. Everyone seems to want to play
games
like they were Fung Shui. That's great and all but dang, the scene of
over-estimating some rail workers, being surounded and when you shoot
them they don't go down, they begin emotionlessly pummeling you with
their hammers and picks and spikes, and all your friends can do is
watch in terror because they are frozen scared.
To me, one of the worst aspects of most games now-a-days, is that
players are confident that they won't die unless it is in an
"important" scene. So basically, the players don't really have to try
at this "game" until they get to a place where they deem the action
"important". Any time before this, it is unfair, and alot of reaction
during these all important scenes is similar. Nobody likes dying. But
when you play a game, just like video games, the character risks death,
meaning the player risks the character's death. It's not fair to have
blue ice just land on your head as you mow your lawn, but it is
completely
fair for a horde of ghouls to mob you and kill in protection
of their hive. The hero knew going in it was dangerous. So should the
player.
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