dspott
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The more joyful things you find, the more space you realize needs to be filled with that joy.
Posts: 24
Preferred Game Systems: D&D5e, Masks: The New Generation, Classic Battletech, Battletech: A Time of War
Currently Playing: D&D5e, Classic Battletech, Battletech: A Time of War
Currently Running: D&D5e, Masks: The New Generation, Classic Battletech, Battletech: A Time of War
Favorite Species of Monkey: Yoda
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Post by dspott on Sept 21, 2017 5:58:55 GMT -8
Does anyone have any tips for if a player exits the situation before the surprise demon can drop the "I am your father" bomb?
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Post by weaselcreature on Sept 21, 2017 6:41:32 GMT -8
Hold Person?
But other than giving them no escape to allow the bad guy monologue, it's a tough situation because you don't want to take away player agency.
Maybe the Demon can send a message or phonecall or Sending spell (whatever your genre) to finish his message?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2017 9:32:51 GMT -8
I think it goes back to the perception-roll advice that: if the players and characters need the information, find a way to make it happen. Don't let them running away from the plot-bomb derail what you're going to do. Find another way to work it in.
Do they flee and leave NPCs? Let the baddie kill most of the other NPCs and leave one alive and severely damaged with a message.
Speaking from experiences I've had, sometimes too the Big Reveal isn't as memorable to players as other things. So sometimes, it's easy to put too much focus on it or if it doesn't happen the way you visualize, to feel it failed. But, you know your players. In the immortal words of Tim Gunn: make it work.
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Post by leatherneck on Sept 21, 2017 9:39:32 GMT -8
I had this happen when I was revealing a players background plot twist that his father wasn’t his father after all. The player was inattentive and half way through said his PC was going to town to drink. I asked the player if he wanted the reveal or not. I told all the players that if the answer is “not”, then we were done with RPG for the night and I would pull out a low intensity game. I explained that if they are uninterested in what I am running we can always play something else.
So, stop your game right there and ask if they want you to go on or should you pull out a non-RPG game to finish gaming time with.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2017 19:17:41 GMT -8
I'm witcha, Leatherneck. If the player is inattentive for the whole game, I'd just be like F it all. If it's just one session they're distracted, delay it. I took the email as something even as small as 'finished the combat and exited the area, completely missing the dossier laying out all the evidence for Plot Reveal'
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HyveMynd
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Preferred Game Systems: PbtA, Cortex Plus, Fate, Ubiquity
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Currently Running: The Sprawl
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Post by HyveMynd on Sept 21, 2017 21:04:04 GMT -8
Does anyone have any tips for if a player exits the situation before the surprise demon can drop the "I am your father" bomb? Are we actually talking about the PLAYER having to leave the game before a big reveal, or their CHARACTER leaving. Because girl howdy there is a world of difference.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2017 0:02:48 GMT -8
Does anyone have any tips for if a player exits the situation before the surprise demon can drop the "I am your father" bomb? Are we actually talking about the PLAYER having to leave the game before a big reveal, or their CHARACTER leaving. Because girl howdy there is a world of difference. And if it's the character why did they leave? If they've run away from a surprise demon because they think they're about to get stomped that's a big plot point in and of its self.
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dspott
Initiate Douchebag
The more joyful things you find, the more space you realize needs to be filled with that joy.
Posts: 24
Preferred Game Systems: D&D5e, Masks: The New Generation, Classic Battletech, Battletech: A Time of War
Currently Playing: D&D5e, Classic Battletech, Battletech: A Time of War
Currently Running: D&D5e, Masks: The New Generation, Classic Battletech, Battletech: A Time of War
Favorite Species of Monkey: Yoda
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Post by dspott on Sept 22, 2017 5:11:14 GMT -8
The scenario is that its a team oriented game (Masks) so I needed to single out some members, one at a time at different points, and i was wondering if there were any contingencies for if they chose (sensibly to stay with the group).
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2017 5:18:33 GMT -8
The scenario is that its a team oriented game (Masks) so I needed to single out some members, one at a time at different points, and i was wondering if there were any contingencies for if they chose (sensibly to stay with the group). I guess again my vote is still 'find a way for that reveal to happen anyway'. It may not have the spark you imagine, but it's better than letting an active plot just stagnate. That being said, the 'staying sensibly with the group' reminded me of something they've been talking about on Fear the Boot lately, the issue of being true to the character versus staying with the group to make it easier/etc. In the last L5R campaign I was playing in, there came a situation where it was absolutely sensible to split the party and spread out resources to hit multiple things at once. However, the other players, from so many years of gaming, refused to split the party, because that's Rule One in gaming. And I argued a bit because it was L5R, there was no overt threat to us, there was no reason to send everyone with my courtier to get aid when the rest of the party could have tracked other leads. I talked to a friend who played in that game and he agreed; using a real life example, let's say setting up for a surprise party, everyone wouldn't pile in a car and run errands. One guy'd go get the keg and one guy'd go get whatever etc, and if anything came up you can text or call people. Tl;dr Make it work, cap'n.
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Post by leatherneck on Sept 22, 2017 10:54:53 GMT -8
The scenario is that its a team oriented game (Masks) so I needed to single out some members, one at a time at different points, and i was wondering if there were any contingencies for if they chose (sensibly to stay with the group). I suggest an out-of-character discussion. Tell them you have plots (use the word plot) to highlight PCs, but it requires some group splitting and even individual action. Assure them, you are not out to hurt their characters. You can tell them that you want to experiment with some story ideas (use the word story) and would appreciate that they play along. If your players are half as XP mercenary as mine, dangle extra XP for All the players if the go with your stories.
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Post by jonas on Sept 30, 2017 22:47:03 GMT -8
Does anyone have any tips for if a player exits the situation before the surprise demon can drop the "I am your father" bomb? I think it would be hard to pull off a way for the demon to tell it in a future encounter. "Excuse me young man - *coff coff* - I had to tell you a really important thing last time, before you ran away, and that thing was..."I think it's better to let the character find the information in a totally different way - maybe reading some ancient tablet or seeing a prophetic vision. It will make both the player and character look back at the demon encounter in a new and interesting light. And even if the demon had planned (and maybe even looked forward to) dropping the bomb on the poor character in the first encounter, you can make the demon pleasantly surprised by how it all unfolded. Imagine a second encounter, where the player have found out for himself that the demon is his father. "I actually tried to tell you last time, but couldn't have fathomed that my spawn would've been such a coward. *smug smile*"
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SirGuido
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Post by SirGuido on Oct 1, 2017 7:09:48 GMT -8
Sometimes having a big plan is more of a detriment than running a game as you go.
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