Changing Gears

February 7, 2009 – 6:34 am

Every GM faces a time when his campaign has to evolve or die out.

Similar to that of Darwinism. A organism has to change with his environment, sorry Karen or her environment. changing gears can be down right tough. In fact with my situation I considered quitting. Especially when my star player joined the Navy. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to reveal his first name. Hi there Brad. When Brad left I lost the last of my original core players, he was the heart and soul of my group and was completely irreplaceable. I thought for sure I was going to quit and the game would die just when the players and their characters where reaching what I considered to be the highest level of role-playing I’ve ever had the pleasure of gamemastering for. But I digress, things have to change and people as players and gamemasters have to evolve or die. Metaphorically speaking of course and of course I’m gonna tell you how to do it.

First and foremost identify the most capable player in your group. When your roster changes it necessary to find out who can take charge of the new and often times volatile situation. Then begin the process of finding out what they want to do. Ask them where they would like to see the campaign go and what changes they’d most like to see. Evaluate this and make your judgment. Remember this is a perfect time to introduce new players and characters, but remember that they’re unproven yet. They don’t immediately get to walk in and take over the group especially if the group is well established, they need to take the time and get themselves into the groove of things. Unless you’re willing to start a new campaign, the older players will still be into the original continuity. Then you have two choices.

One “character replacement”, is easiest and often best way to keep things moving. If the group can take the modification just sub out the old pc with a new one and continue on. Sometimes this isn’t possible, the player may have been too integral to the campaign and the stability of the group. Which leaves the gm with the challenging task of “Character Reincarnation”. Which mean this, I have found that it is sometimes necessary to ask a player to take over a old character. It helps to keep the timeline and the relationships between the characters stable. Nothing is more disruptive to a game than to be humming along at cruising speed and then to lose a corner stone pc and have to introduce his/her replacement. If the new player is willing have him run the old character. But I need to add this bit this should only be done if the player is “EXTREMELY GOOD “. They are being asked to player a established personality while bringing life to it in their own manner while keeping it true to the original player. This can be a especially difficult prospect and should only be asked of the experienced role-player or someone who shows a great deal of promise.

Next erase any karma and reputation, this is necessary to let him/her to build themselves into the established role without unduly rewarding them with freebie karma, also record the old character information at the moment of transition for the original player. This is just in case he/she come backs and they want to play again with their old pc. They should still have what they’ve earned. Record the new levels of karma and money acquired after this point becuase it should belong to the new player. If in the event of the original player’s return the character is unmodified by the new adventures after the characters reincarnation. They are exactly where they left off and can resume play after being brought up to speed. The volunteer then takes the acquired karma and money and applies it to their new pc as something they can use, perhaps as a inheritance or a reward handed out at a time the gm selects. This money and experience should be awarded after character gen and thought of as a reward for a favor done. This makes for a fair compromise on both sides the player is doing the Gm a favor by being willing to take a old pc and keeping him/her in the mold from which it was cast. The player is also rewarded in the event he/she is asked to return the pc and with out having everything that was gained lost to someone who had to take a siesta for what ever reasons. After all that the theme of the campaign can begin again, with the new modifications needed to let it evolve. Be it out right replacement, or asking someone to pinch hit with a old pc the group will change, hopefully for the better. Once the modifications are in place and the group’s makeup is stabilized the campaign can retains it’s balance and go foward.

By NightLife | Posted in Shadowrun Lessons Past | Comments (0)

Spouses

February 7, 2009 – 6:34 am

One very consistent problem with the gaming world is the consistency where spouses hate the hobby. Now I don’t mean a dislike, or an “I don’t enjoy what your doing”. I mean a absolute hatred for what ever game you’re in be it SR, AD&D, Magic, Vampire, etc..

You get the idea. While I admit they cost money it’s better than sinking ever dime you make into beer and pretzels. Now to me and several non-gamers this doesn’t make the least bit of sense. Usually it’s a bunch of guys sitting around a table drinking carbonate drinks filled with a hefty dose of sugar and caffeine. While there are extremes where players game almost everyday this isn’t the norm. For the most part the most I’ve ever gamed was two days a week and that was if I was lucky or I felt like it. I’ve seen and participated with people on a number of worse idea to spend a afternoon or evening. An example would be to go down to the local nudie bar and spend fifty bucks on beers and topless dances. While a great diversion it’s eminently cheap. The best way to battle this problem is to explain to your spouse. With enough information maybe you can change their minds or alleviate the misunderstandings about a role-playing game.

Explain that first of all it’s fiction. The story you are involved in doesn’t have any real bearing on the real world. Nothing you do in the game can affect your mental capacity in the slightest. Now I can already hear groan and moan from the audience. Harking back to the times when some messed up kids either got them selves killed or did something equally stupid. One thing you have to remember is that the majority of these people were on drugs at the time and all of them had one from of mental illness. Usually delusional schizophrenia. Which means the sufferer has lost a good portion of their contact with reality. These poor individuals were already heading for a fall. They just happened to play games and incorporated that into their delusional world. They could have just as easily fallen into a c ult or the local drug addicts. Their delusions could just have easily have been based on comic books, violent tv, or the latest horror movie.

Secondly explain that what ever actions your or a companion may take in the game is not really who you are. Right now I’m playing a drug dealer in SR, but that character is so far removed from my real personality it’s ludicrous. In real life I’m a college student who has aspirations of joining the FBI. None of the actions he takes are real or are anything I would dream of doing in my worst nightmare. He’s fiction. He only exists on a piece of paper and was drawn up from the depths of my imagination and law enforcement training.

Also add the aspect when the game is over that piece of paper is placed in a folder and put away. It doesn’t affect my day to day life. When I’m at school I’m there to learn. When I’m on the job I’m there to what I’m paid to do to pay for school. When I’m with my girlfriend I’m there to be with her. My character only comes into my mind when I’m in or discussing role-playing. Not at any other time.

Role-playing also serves as a creative outlet. When I’m creating a campaign I write a basic story with multiple paths it can take. This allows me to create a world filled with the darkest evils and the highest examples of heroic deeds. These stories take many different forms and directions. For the most part they centre around they group needing to stop some ancient evil that has decided to surface again in the world of Shadowrun 2056. Most are based of the Call of Cthulhu game as the main supernatural evils aren’t very well explained and every SR players already knows how to combat them most effectively. Other things include their arch nemesis Mistress Maggan a very powerful vampire in my world who on the Highlander scale rates between Rameriez and Kurgen. She has without a doubt made the teams decker a nervous wreck playing havoc with his life every time he turns around. For the players they get to act of a fantasy where they are powerful enough to do many impossible things. Most have a good depth to their But most importantly, it’s a chance to get together with friends and shoot the breeze and have a general good time. With a showering of bad comments, runs to go and get sustenance and numerous trips to the bathroom. But most importantly it’s usually a lot of fun. But things can get out of hand but these bad spells are short lived and for the most part easily rectified. But as I said 9 times out of 10 it’s all good. People get together and have a chance to have fun and socialise without going to a bar or a dance club and spend large amounts of money.

I do however have to add a negative warning. Vicious things have been known to happen, when spouses aren’t happy. I speak from experience…

By NightLife | Posted in Shadowrun Lessons Past | Comments (0)

‘Getting it on’ or Sex in Role-playing

February 7, 2009 – 6:33 am

Way back in the day ’94 or ’95, round about there, White Wolf did an article about sex in role playing, correctly pointing out that, unless something is wrong with an individual, everyone at one time or another has had, thought about, dreamed about and/or fanaticized about sex. Sex. Simply put, is an integral part of what it means to be human. We as humans use it to express ourselves. Be it love,  primal desire, rage, the need for power over etc. Sex is how we have children, sex is fun and sex just plain feels good.

When players try to RP well they should be trying to bring a wealth of emotions to the table. With most mundane things, it gets glossed over. Considering things like hygiene, players generally assume their pc has an acceptable level of personal hygiene unless it is part of the character not to. Hopefully there aren’t too many people who’d want to take this flaw/negative quality.  But just like in real life there are people who you would swear don’t know what a bar of soap is, or what a razor does, for that matter. However, most people just assume every pc knows what the three “S’s” are Showering, Shaving and Sex preferably in that order. How does this apply to sex, you might ask? Just as much people gloss over the three “S’s”, most players just assume their PC gets a regular amount of sex whether they have a “girlfriend,” or a fixer who knows a hooker. However, it should be known most things shouldn’t be assumed. While it is not necessary to RP taking a shower, it would be a worth one or two karma point if a player said something like, “You know guys we just spent all day slogging around in the sewers. I’m outta here. I need to go and take a shower and burn these clothes.”

:)

Role playing an intimate relationship can be one of the most satisfying experiences and at the same time, one of the most embarrassing and terrifying. I mean, come on, unless the role player is your significant other, or someone of your preferred gender, whose “door swings the same way,” it’s a little difficult to sit there and look into the other person’s eyes, be he/she a fellow role-player or gamemaster, and try to imagine love, let alone lovemaking.

From this, one must ask how best to deal with this touchy subject. The best way is with group consent to make sure somebody doesn’t feel uncomfortable with tact and maturity. However, both you and I know that teenagers are going to act as such. But, unless they start acting out the movie “Kids,” (If you want porno go rent a real one; at least you know the script before hand.) they should be all right. Now if you don’t know what I’m talking about you’re lucky, and skip the movie unless you want to be sickened. Everybody associated with that quasi-kiddy porn should be drug out into the streets and shot in the back of the skull. When I say “Everybody,” I mean the producers, the writers, the director, actors all the way down to the guy who looked into the shot on Tuesday. O.K., I’m done. Back on track all juveniles will act like juveniles and eventually grow out of it; assuming they grow up. Now for the adults here, if we act like a bunch of juveniles, check to make sure nobody is offended, and, if not, feel free to knock yourself out. But, you’re denying yourself a chance to do some real RP.

When RP’ing sex, you have to ask yourself, “Are you just having sex, or, are you making love?” With sex, it’s easy; you and your partner do the nasty. However, if you are making love, it’s a different matter altogether. The emotions are more vivid and deep. Hot and soft in a crazy amalgamation, ending in euphoric security. How does one even begin to describe that? With taste it should go something like this: “You and your partner tentatively touch one another with anticipation at first caressing, becoming more intense. Your eyes lock and know that the next few moments will be filled with the tenderness of love. What was forgotten in day to day life is remembered with white-hot intensity and at the same time the outside fades away. Now that is classy and has taste; nothing like thrusting your purple warrior into her quenching femininity or such nonsense. That is about it.

*Authors note: You’ll notice the lack of mentioning STD’s. You shouldn’t make people worry about dying. After all, it’s 2050 plus. So, unless you’re stupid, don’t worry about it, the worst thing that can happen in 2050 plus is pregnancy and VITAS. One is fixed with the goodies from Man & Machine and the other leads to more adventure than you can possible imagine. Just think about it like this. You’re running the shadows late at night. One of your chummer’s it watching the apple of your eye. You’re fleeing the scene of the extraction. Do you have enough time to stop off and get the diapers before your night ends? :)

By NightLife | Posted in Shadowrun Lessons Past | Comments (0)

Myths in the Shadows

February 7, 2009 – 6:31 am

Many people involved in dark future games have come up with many preconceived notions about how things should work in a game like Shadowrun. Unfortunately many of them are just plain wrong. Some of them are based on the idea the opposition lives in a box never venturing outside to check out the world in which the players live. Remember that the enemy is just as capable of thinking in those round about ways just like the players. Let’s illustrate a sampling of the common myths that player of dark future games believe in.

1. I don’t have a SIN there’s no way they can know who I am or find me.

Wrong. Just because you don’t have a SIN doesn’t mean they don’t know who you are. They may not know your name or a street address but they can find out.

2. I’m a runner a person of the shadows they won’t track me down.

Wrong. If you’ve managed to embarrass somebody enough, or cost the corp too much ¥ they will make an example of you.

3. It doesn’t make any difference if they see me, they can’t ID me.

Wrong. If your caught on tape the investigation will go something like this. The corp will make file with your picture. Next they will look for anything like blood, saliva, skin flakes, hair samples, etc… To make a DNA profile of the runner in question. Cross referencing this with any other data like members of the team, finger prints, voice samples, heat images, height and weight and bits of information from a run. Then the data is stored by the corp and then they wait for other runs to take place slowly adding pieces to the puzzle. If they ever catch you, they’ve got you with your hand in the cookie jar. If you’re ever captured by the police depending on if they feel like it they might justgo send a package to them with this evidence and send you up the river. If all else fails a ritual sending isn’t out of the question.

4. I’ve got a Mafia Don for a contact he’ll help me. We’re tight you know.

Wrong. The Don doesn’t give a damn about you or your team. You’re his contact and things will be at his/her discretion. Treat them wrong and you’ll be waking up to find out that they’ve given you a frontal lobotomy with a .45.

5. The security guards don’t matter waste ‘em.

O.K. are you prepared to deal with the consequences. Remember non-lethals work just as well as lethal tactics and sometimes even better. If you’re caught a murder rap will get you life in prison and possibly the electric chair.

6. Killing cops is a part of the job.

Wrong. Killing a cop is bad policy and just asking for the entire blue brotherhood to take care you with extreme prejudice.

7. It isn’t a run until the Johnson screws you twice.

Only partially. One of the stipulations of the dark future games is that the pc’s are supposed to be street scum. Unfortunately this lead to two notions.

One: The pc’s are scum to so they will be treated as such. this is correct for the first 3 or 4 runs if the players want to be scum let them an go on making it by in the biz by any means necessary. If the want to act like pro’s and conduct themselves in such a manner, treat them like pro’s. Rep’s nice but professionalism will get you farther than a predator loaded with APDS.

Two: The pc’s may start on the low end of the food chain, but they don’t have to stay there. Acting like a psycho will get you out of there and right into the grave yard. Acting like a professional will get you out of there for life.

8. I’m a runner the world doesn’t matter.

Wrong. If there’s no world for the rest of the population to live in you don’t have one either nor anyplace for your stuff.

9. They’re a corp so who care’s.

Each and every single father, mother, brother, sister, etc. who depends on the corp for a paycheck to keep themselves with a roof over their heads and food in their mouths. Pro’s keep this in mind, gutter trash consider this often justifying it as “I hate corps”, so everyone in a corp deserves to die. Sure there’s bad individuals in a corp, but it’s in the upper echelons. The lowly wage slave, or the security grunt isn’t the problem.

10. I have honor I’m a runner.

Maybe. Honor doesn’t mean killing everybody who looks at you funny. It also means that there things you absolutely won’t do. Things like wet work, if that’s abhorrent to you. Generally killing needlessly on a run is a honorless thing. Honor means having a rigid code if it’s too flexible it isn’t a code just a flimsy guideline. A good idea might be to check out the alignment in Palladiums games and decide on one for you pc. A check list of things you won’t do and just how far you’ll go. For more detail check out the codes of chivalry and bushido. While they are extremely difficult to follow they are what was once the pinnacle of personal honor. After that came a looser version of chivalry associated with swashbucklers finally coming to the codes of the gentlemen in the 19th century and last but not least was some of the semi-fictionalized codes of the old west as harsh as the land itself but no less a code.

Dispelling some of these myths will hopefully add a dimension of realism to the games you play in or run. Even I have to admit sometimes the playing the odd Duke Nukem style of role-playing is fun. Runs where shooting everything is the norm has it’s place. Especially in campaigns where the player are gang members or runs which are reminiscent of this scene from my favorite movie.

“Excuse me sir a xeno-what?”

“A xenomorph.”

“It’s a bug hunt.”

Till I get the urge to type again Ciao.

By NightLife | Posted in Shadowrun Lessons Past | Comments (0)