Re: [HoE] Something about a Templar...

[Doctor X <doctorx@aa.net>]

New here, so I'll dive right in.


> > I have to wonder what the goal here is.  If its to kill the character,
> > then just kill him - have someone slit his throat in the night or use
> > a big junker gun or whatever.  The player will be annoyed regardless
> > and will just make another character in the same way - trying to
> > min-max the physical stuff.
> >
>
> I think the idea was the make him put himself into a situation where he
> is badly wounded, but not killed.(something like a sniper going for
> incapacitating shots, hoping the rest of the posse will come out and try
> and save him)  Hopefully then he will be a bit more reasonable in the
> future to avoid being placed into a similar situation.

I've seen this go entirely the opposite direction, though.  The game was
Vampire, the player was out to lower his generation.  I decided to send him
up against a sixth generation vampire (For those who don't know the game,
the lower the Generation number, the more powerful the vampire is.), who
promptly proceeded to teach him a lesson.  His response was to go on a
rampage and slaughter all of the older vampire's human followers.

> > If you want to show the player the weaknesses inherent in this type of
> > min maxing, you need to force the character to use his weaker
> > abilities.  Hit the guy with situations that require Mein or Cognition
> > tests - or whatever he is weak in.  Send the party on a mystery
> > solving adventure that has very little fighting in it, but relies on
> > the often unused attributes.  Find situations where other Edges would
> > have been handy.

I missed the early part of this discussion, but it sounds like we're dealing
with a combat monster who won't allow the Marshall to have any sort of plot
or depth to the adventure.  Fortunately, HoE provides the Marshall with
quite a lot of Deus ex Machina to work with.  This is a setting replete with
radiation, psychic powers and supernatural horror.  Weaken him with rads,
have a Syker alter his mind.  I'm opposed to this sort of thing as a matter
of course, but some people don't understand anything but a good, hard
smack.  Killing this guy is the wrong way to go.  If he comes back Harrowed,
(And if he's a combat monster and knows about the rules for it, he WILL come
back.  Trust me.) then your problems are just beginning.

On the subject of unused attributes and combat monsters, dealing with; did
you know that Swimming is the single most overlooked skill in character
creation?  I bet he sleeps in his armor and carries lots of heavy, metal
weapons, doesn't he?  One trek through a swamp or down the Mississippi
should solve the problem.  (And if you should fall into the Mississippi, and
you see a Cyberpunk character in a Gemini Full Body Conversion with the
Longevity Module stuck in the mud, send him my regards, will you?)

> Investigative adventures make a good change of pace, even if you don't
> do it to put problem characters in place.  I find it harder to come up
> with ideas for them though.  And most pre-written investagative
> adventures end up getting trashed, either from the posse having skills
> not accounted for or by creative application of clues leading to the
> adventure ending early.

That's what red herrings are for.  For a decent investigation, there has to
be a mystery.  the key to writing mysteries is to start at the end and work
your way backwards.  If your campaign is somewhat elaborate, or you've got
the next few adventures planned, plant a few clues to those as well.  Things
that ought to be checked out but are beyond their abilities to do so right
now.

> > Don't get into a "mine is bigger than yours" fight - all you'll do is
> > prove the player right in his own mind.
>
> The GMs is always bigger...

And he's always got more of them.  Like I told a Star Wars group, "If you're
gonna make a character so badass that only Vader even stands a chance, then
guess what?  He's just been cloned a million times, and they're all pissed
at YOU!"

Ran a Cyberpunk game once where a player went for the Omega Frame, MetalGear
and SkinWeave.  (Body of 30, armor at max for non-Punks.  By the way, if I
ever run Cyberpunk for you, and you get SkinWeave, I hate you personally.)
Quickest game I've ever run.  Two muggers jump him at a subway station, he
tears apart with his bare hands, the Cyberpsycho Squad shows up and puts a
railgun round through his head.  Fade out, roll credits.

> > Mike G - The Aussie Mike......
>
> Another Australian!  How many of us are on this list?  I'm in sydney, as
> is Nick (we tend to alternate GMing depending on who can be bothered to
> run something) and I wonder how many other Non-American gamers there
> are.

Does UN-American count?  What if my parents MET in Australia?

Z?,
Dr.X
----
"The law, in it's majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to
sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread." -Anatole
France