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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Autumn / Shatterglass <laughingcrow@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Poe)
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 1996 03:13:45 PST
Point well taken., Cats. [she smiles and waves] I think that major
magical naughtyness is bestused in moderation. Corporate threats and
the like are just as deadly if played well on the GMs part. There
shouldn't be any need to toss Horrors at the players every time they
turn around just to keep them entertained.

--Autumn
Message no. 2
From: Tim Cooper <tpcooper@***.CSUPOMONA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Poe)
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 1996 17:51:23 -0800
On Sat, 14 Dec 1996, Autumn / Shatterglass wrote:

> Point well taken., Cats. [she smiles and waves] I think that major
> magical naughtyness is bestused in moderation. Corporate threats and
> the like are just as deadly if played well on the GMs part. There
> shouldn't be any need to toss Horrors at the players every time they
> turn around just to keep them entertained.
>
> --Autumn

Actually that's exactly the _wrong_ way to use a terrifying enemy. If
he/she/it pops up every adventure, then it just becomes routine..the best
use of something "horrific" (not necessarily a Horror..which I wasn't
talking about in earlier posts..) is when they aren't expecting it, it
throws them off balance.

I've done something of that nature twice and both worked out fairly well.
Give the PC's a "normal" plot, something that fits in well with what
they've been doing recently...then BAM! hit them with something that they
are not prepared to deal with. The less they know about it the better.

Experience tells me that my PC's will expect a fair amount of Corporate
back-stabbing and trickery (conventional stuff)..so every once in a while
I throw them a curve ball...

~Tim
Message no. 3
From: Autumn / Shatterglass <laughingcrow@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Poe)
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 1996 03:38:10 PST
EXACTLY!

I've never used a Horror... But I've tossed Major Magical Evil at my
players a couple of times... As you say, when they're expecting
something entirely different. [grins] 'Point is, you don't NEED to use
the Major Magic Big'n Nasties very often. You can do quite enough
evilness with more mundane threats. Personally, I tend towards that
place where the coporations meet the underworld... I've had very good
luck with the Mafia connections, for example....
Message no. 4
From: Marc A Renouf <jormung@*****.UMICH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Poe)
Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 19:06:51 -0500
On Mon, 16 Dec 1996, Tim Cooper wrote:

> Experience tells me that my PC's will expect a fair amount of Corporate
> back-stabbing and trickery (conventional stuff)..so every once in a while
> I throw them a curve ball...

Yeah, like an honest Johnson or a run that *actually is* as
simple as it's made out to be. Fosters paranoia and keeps people
guessin' :)

Marc
Message no. 5
From: Tim Cooper <tpcooper@***.CSUPOMONA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Poe)
Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 20:23:48 -0800
On Wed, 18 Dec 1996, Marc A Renouf wrote:

> On Mon, 16 Dec 1996, Tim Cooper wrote:
>
> > Experience tells me that my PC's will expect a fair amount of Corporate
> > back-stabbing and trickery (conventional stuff)..so every once in a while
> > I throw them a curve ball...
>
> Yeah, like an honest Johnson or a run that *actually is* as
> simple as it's made out to be. Fosters paranoia and keeps people
> guessin' :)
>
> Marc
>

I've always wanted to do one like that. Nothing devious, just a clean
honest run...of course I'd have to keep throwing little inuendo's toward
the contrary in...let them spot undercover agents or other runners or corp
security or hear rumors that have nothing to do with them at all...:)

Thanks for reminding me!

~Tim

Further Reading

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Thwap!