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Message no. 1
From: shadowrun@******.com (Paul Devisser)
Subject: Using Enemies...
Date: Thu, 7 Nov 2002 13:44:53 -0500
A question to the GMs out there...

How do you use Enemies?

Based on the backgrounds I finally managed to wring from my players, I am in
the process of building their enemies... A few that I've worked up will
easily be integrated into storylines... but others are definately going to
take some creative wrangling on my part.

Does anyone have methods for bringing enemies into the current thread they
have in their campaigns?

The SR Companion does provide a rather nice example of using enemies in a
distant location, but what if the enemies that are made from a character
background are in a region that the PC simply won't be going back to? As
mentioned in another thread in response to a comment I had made, forcing the
PCs down a path rarely works..

Any suggestions?

Epilogue



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Message no. 2
From: ValeuJ@*************.navy.mil (Valeu John EMFA)
Subject: Using Enemies...
Date: Thu, 7 Nov 2002 09:11:20 -0800
> How do you use Enemies?
>
> Based on the backgrounds I finally managed to wring from my players, I am
> in
> the process of building their enemies... A few that I've worked up will
> easily be integrated into storylines... but others are definately going to
> take some creative wrangling on my part.
>
> Does anyone have methods for bringing enemies into the current thread they
> have in their campaigns?
>
> The SR Companion does provide a rather nice example of using enemies in a
> distant location, but what if the enemies that are made from a character
> background are in a region that the PC simply won't be going back to? As
> mentioned in another thread in response to a comment I had made, forcing
> the
> PCs down a path rarely works..
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Epilogue
>
>
[Valeu John EMFA]

Ok, so your PCs aren't going to the villians. How do you change
this?
Simple. Maybe the characters get a rep and it somehow reachs the
enemy in
question. Or maybe the runners get shown on some random news
footage that
the villian sees, making it possible to locate them. (KSDF can be a
bitch at times).

EM3 John Valeu
-AKA- TimeKeeper, Nocren
Message no. 3
From: York.GA@******.gc.ca (York.GA@******.gc.ca)
Subject: Using Enemies...
Date: Thu, 7 Nov 2002 14:42:47 -0500
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Paul Devisser [mailto:shadowrun@******.com]
>Sent: Thursday, 7, November, 2002 13:45 PM
>To: Shadowrun Discussion
>Subject: Using Enemies...
>How do you use Enemies?
>
>Based on the backgrounds I finally managed to wring from my players, I am
in
>.the process of building their enemies... A few that I've worked up will
>easily be integrated into storylines... but others are definately going to
>take some creative wrangling on my part.
>
>Does anyone have methods for bringing enemies into the current thread they
>have in their campaigns?
>
>The SR Companion does provide a rather nice example of using enemies in a
>distant location, but what if the enemies that are made from a character
>background are in a region that the PC simply won't be going back to? As
>mentioned in another thread in response to a comment I had made, forcing
the
>PCs down a path rarely works..
>
>Any suggestions?
>
>Epilogue

Everyone in the world is related through 6 degrees of separation. For every
enemy the characters have it is only a small matter for them to be linked
through a friend or relative to someone nearby. I am not sure if this is an
urban myth but it seems a plausible tool for an industrious GM to use...

Coyote
Message no. 4
From: korishinzo@*****.com (Ice Heart)
Subject: Using Enemies...
Date: Thu, 7 Nov 2002 11:08:26 -0800 (PST)
--- Paul Devisser <shadowrun@******.com> wrote:
> A question to the GMs out there...
>
> How do you use Enemies?

Enemies, like Contacts, are a gift to GMs from the
Elder Elemental Evil Powers That Be. I use them like
you might use say, the main sourcebook of SR...or
dice. In other words, all the time, to great effect.
:>

> Based on the backgrounds I finally managed to wring
> from my players, I am in
> the process of building their enemies... A few that
> I've worked up will
> easily be integrated into storylines... but others
> are definately going to
> take some creative wrangling on my part.
>
> Does anyone have methods for bringing enemies into
> the current thread they
> have in their campaigns?

Unless you publish the adventure thread ahead of time
where the players can read it, or use off the shelf
moduels with no modification, you simply rewite the
plotline to incorporate the enemy. I once had a
player take a suit as an enemy. Julian Stark, as I
recall. Just your average smooth corp slimeball. I
believe the enemy was supposed to be fairly powerful,
but too busy to focus on the PC very often. Kyle
Morgan (with sidekick Perianwyr) made a very good
Julian Stark (with sidekick Perianwyr). And it
seriously changed the flavor a few SR modules for us.
Same goes for the player who took an elven hitman as
an enemy. Blackwing, Serephael...same difference. I
usually don't commit villains to paper (even their
names, until after the PCs are made and I have scanned
their backgrounds/contacts/enemies/edges/flaws/20
questions/etc. I like to build my campaigns around my
players and their characters.

> The SR Companion does provide a rather nice example
> of using enemies in a
> distant location, but what if the enemies that are
> made from a character
> background are in a region that the PC simply won't
> be going back to? As
> mentioned in another thread in response to a comment
> I had made, forcing the
> PCs down a path rarely works..

Don't force the PCs down anything. Force your
plots/antagonists/etc down the path the PCs are
taking. :)

> Any suggestions?

*points up message* ;)

======Korishinzo
--for my birthday, I want a box of Enemies ;p

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Message no. 5
From: shadowrun@******.com (Paul Devisser)
Subject: Using Enemies...
Date: Thu, 7 Nov 2002 15:08:01 -0500
----- Original Message ----- > > A question to the GMs out there...
> >
> > How do you use Enemies?
>
> Enemies, like Contacts, are a gift to GMs from the
> Elder Elemental Evil Powers That Be. I use them like
> you might use say, the main sourcebook of SR...or
> dice. In other words, all the time, to great effect.
> :>
>
> > Based on the backgrounds I finally managed to wring
> > from my players, I am in
> > the process of building their enemies... A few that
> > I've worked up will
> > easily be integrated into storylines... but others
> > are definately going to
> > take some creative wrangling on my part.
> >
> > Does anyone have methods for bringing enemies into
> > the current thread they
> > have in their campaigns?
>
> Unless you publish the adventure thread ahead of time
> where the players can read it, or use off the shelf
> moduels with no modification, you simply rewite the
> plotline to incorporate the enemy. I once had a
> player take a suit as an enemy. Julian Stark, as I
> recall. Just your average smooth corp slimeball. I
> believe the enemy was supposed to be fairly powerful,
> but too busy to focus on the PC very often. Kyle
> Morgan (with sidekick Perianwyr) made a very good
> Julian Stark (with sidekick Perianwyr). And it
> seriously changed the flavor a few SR modules for us.
> Same goes for the player who took an elven hitman as
> an enemy. Blackwing, Serephael...same difference. I
> usually don't commit villains to paper (even their
> names, until after the PCs are made and I have scanned
> their backgrounds/contacts/enemies/edges/flaws/20
> questions/etc. I like to build my campaigns around my
> players and their characters.
>
> > The SR Companion does provide a rather nice example
> > of using enemies in a
> > distant location, but what if the enemies that are
> > made from a character
> > background are in a region that the PC simply won't
> > be going back to? As
> > mentioned in another thread in response to a comment
> > I had made, forcing the
> > PCs down a path rarely works..
>
> Don't force the PCs down anything. Force your
> plots/antagonists/etc down the path the PCs are
> taking. :)
>
> > Any suggestions?
>
> *points up message* ;)
>
> ======> Korishinzo
> --for my birthday, I want a box of Enemies ;p

I quite agree about writing enemies that conform to the players, not forcing
players to conform to enemies. And I always create a one paragraph blurb
that describes the enemies... the following is an example of an enemy I am
creating to deal with a player that too often acts the part of a munchkin...
I figured that this enemy could be a proper foil...

Prue (hf, Street Samurai)
Rating: 1 · Power: 1 · Motivation: 3 · Knowledge: 0
Prudence Schoen grew up in a Dutch Mennonite community in
Pennsylvania. She ran away at age 13 after being sexually abused by her
uncle. She ended up in Philidelphia, and after bouncing around a bit was
taken under the wing of Grady Steeles, a self-proclaimed street samurai.
They began a relationship, and she started learning the skills she needed to
survive on the shadows. After a few years they had developed a good
reputation. The crew they built was just starting to earn some serious nuyen
when they ran afoul of a UCAS military unit that was protecting a base in
Philadelphia. The team was wiped out, and she fled to Boston. She has
learned the identity of all the members of that unit, and will take them all
out.

Base concept is she hasn't yet turned her sights the PC (troll street
sammy)... This one will be rather easy to integrate into the storyline...
just have to be down the road aways after the PC does a few things that will
trigger alarm bells somewhere.

But not all enemies are as easy as that to come up with... as you mention,
character background is the key. I don't use published modules... unless
there is a general consensus from the group that they would like to play
it... after all, all my players have about 4-6 years of playing SR under
their belts... they know most of the published material. And we all prefer a
more free-flowing type of structure where their actions drive the storyline.

I guess my driving question is how do you bring enemies into play that
shouldn't logically be anywhere near the character, given that character's
background?

Epilogue


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Message no. 6
From: uptoic@***********.net (Aethelwulf)
Subject: Using Enemies...
Date: Thu, 07 Nov 2002 14:52:16 -0700
Paul Devisser wrote:

>Does anyone have methods for bringing enemies into the current thread they
>have in their campaigns?
>
>The SR Companion does provide a rather nice example of using enemies in a
>distant location, but what if the enemies that are made from a character
>background are in a region that the PC simply won't be going back to? As
>mentioned in another thread in response to a comment I had made, forcing the
>PCs down a path rarely works..
>
>Any suggestions?
>
>Epilogue
>
>
aside from the other advice youare gettting and probably will still get,
don't forget that the enemies are real people, and probably citizens who
are more legitimate in society than the runners.

they can hire investigators to track down the runners, they can just
happen to get transferd to the corp ofiices in the sprawl the characters
are in and happen to see the character on the street, a butterfly flaps
its wings in brazil and the character turns the cornter to come face to
face with the hit team send to geek him and they are looking equally
surprised that the information that their target would just happen to be
there at that time..... (don't you just love chaos theory? :P)

don't be afraid to use coincidenc and weirdness :) I remember one
episode of kung fu the legen continues where the son peter spent the day
with caine, and 3 times in the episode they were attacked by ninjas, and
the third time peter asked: "who are these guys and why are they after
you" and cain said "I do not know"... ;)

Aethelwulf
Message no. 7
From: davidb@****.imcprint.com (Graht)
Subject: Using Enemies...
Date: Thu, 07 Nov 2002 14:54:10 -0700
At 01:44 PM 11/7/2002 -0500, Paul Devisser wrote:
>A question to the GMs out there...
>
>How do you use Enemies?
>
>Based on the backgrounds I finally managed to wring from my players, I am in
>the process of building their enemies... A few that I've worked up will
>easily be integrated into storylines... but others are definately going to
>take some creative wrangling on my part.
>
>Does anyone have methods for bringing enemies into the current thread they
>have in their campaigns?

I just use enemies as an idea comes to me. Sometimes an enemy is created
but I never get a good idea to use them. Sometimes I do. Sometimes the
players create an opening for me that I can use.

When I first started GMing I tried to exploit enemies. Now I don't sweat
it and let my campaign develop as it develops.

However, I do place my enemy/antagonist NPCs into two catagories:
individual and group.

The individual antagonist is dangerous in that he can focus his attention
on the PCs quite well. However, if the PCs defeat him, they are in the clear.

The group antagonist isn't as focused as the individual is. However, if
the PCs defeat and individual or small part of the group, the group will
survive and will keep coming. Groups tend to be very persistent.

>The SR Companion does provide a rather nice example of using enemies in a
>distant location, but what if the enemies that are made from a character
>background are in a region that the PC simply won't be going back to?

Bravo to the PC for being smart :)

> Any suggestions?

Be flexible and willing to let go of enemies :) Be patient and wait for
opportunities to present themselves.

--
To Life,
-Graht
ShadowRN Assistant Fearless Leader II
http://www.graht.com
Message no. 8
From: grenaldi@*********.net (Joshua Mun)
Subject: Using Enemies...
Date: Fri, 08 Nov 2002 00:33:54 -0500
Paul Devisser wrote:
>
> A question to the GMs out there...
>
> How do you use Enemies?
>
> Based on the backgrounds I finally managed to wring from my players, I am in
> the process of building their enemies... A few that I've worked up will
> easily be integrated into storylines... but others are definately going to
> take some creative wrangling on my part.
>
> Does anyone have methods for bringing enemies into the current thread they
> have in their campaigns?
>
> The SR Companion does provide a rather nice example of using enemies in a
> distant location, but what if the enemies that are made from a character
> background are in a region that the PC simply won't be going back to? As
> mentioned in another thread in response to a comment I had made, forcing the
> PCs down a path rarely works..
>
> Any suggestions?

To force the party down a particular path is of course the wrong answer
as you have correctly surmised. As for enemies that are distant, I have
found that bringing only one or two into the story is enough to make the
players jumpy enough to make the others appear more menacing. The trick
is to show them that you can if you want to make any enemy appear thus
they fear all enemies and act accordingly. Enemies are there to throw
wrenches in the works or to punish a character that is getting out of
control. They are a reality check. You don't have to plan to you all a
characters enemies, just keep in mind that they exist and insert them
when appropriate. Using to many enemies bogs the game down just as
using to few makes the game boring. Focus on the ones that easily fit
your campaign and leave the rest out there to frighten the players.


--
--------------------
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as long as most of the researchers remain 'communists'."
- Dr. Pekka Himanen (The Hacker Ethic)

"Do not fear death so much, but rather the inadequate life."
- Bertolt Brecht
Message no. 9
From: Gurth@******.nl (Gurth)
Subject: Using Enemies...
Date: Fri, 8 Nov 2002 10:59:50 +0100
According to York.GA@******.gc.ca, on Thu, 07 Nov 2002 the word on the street was...

> Everyone in the world is related through 6 degrees of separation. [snip]
> I am not sure if this is an urban myth

Nah, that just applies to Kevin Bacon ;)

--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
I know all this and more
-> Probably NAGEE Editor * ShadowRN GridSec * Triangle Virtuoso <-
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Message no. 10
From: davidb@****.imcprint.com (Graht)
Subject: Using Enemies...
Date: Fri, 08 Nov 2002 15:46:23 -0700
At 10:59 AM 11/8/2002 +0100, Gurth wrote:
>According to York.GA@******.gc.ca, on Thu, 07 Nov 2002 the word on the
>street was...
>
> > Everyone in the world is related through 6 degrees of separation. [snip]
> > I am not sure if this is an urban myth
>
>Nah, that just applies to Kevin Bacon ;)

Gotta agree with Gurth on that one. The Onion even linked Kevin Bacon to
Al Qaeda http://www.theonion.com/onion3840/ ;)

And I'm probably linked to every person on the planet thanks to Kevin. My
mom once met George Bush (Sr.) in person, who has met many celebrates if
not Kevin Bacon himself, which makes me 8-9 steps away from anyone :)

I have no idea how to link this to Shadowrun... wait a sec. Kevin Bacon in
Trapped with Charlize Theron, who was in Sweet November with Keanu Reeves,
who was in Matrix.

:)

--
To Life,
-Graht
ShadowRN Assistant Fearless Leader II
http://www.graht.com
Message no. 11
From: loneeagle@********.co.uk (Lone Eagle)
Subject: Using Enemies...
Date: Sat, 09 Nov 2002 18:42:28 +0000
At 01:44 PM 7/11/2002 -0500, Epilogue wrote:
>How do you use Enemies?
><Snip>
>Does anyone have methods for bringing enemies into the current thread they
>have in their campaigns?

We don't start the PCs off with enemies. Instead we're nasty, in the
current campaign the PC's favourite fixer, a southern gentleman by the name
of Doc (yes as in Doc Holiday) a very good fixer, a world class dealer in
information with a contact list a mile long was recently turned into an enemy.
One of the PCs screwed up badly and in attempting to dig them (and a lot of
other people) out of the hole another PC interfered (without knowing it) in
the schemes of the Vampire conspiracy. This led to the Fixer (a level one
contact for most of the players a level 3 for my character) being "picked
up" by the vamps.
Boom, here's a major enemy, at least most of the time, he knows vast
amounts about all of the characters and uses it to really annoy them. He
isn't quite as impossible to defeat as he seems (well he is but...) He
doesn't actually want to kill them. He's watched and controlled, he must do
all he can to eliminate them... but he's still their friend at heart, so he
rebels a little (exactly what they expect him to do) and uses these minor
rebellions to cover larger ones. It's given the PCs an opportunity to
survive long enough for the important vampires to loose interest.
But until that point he makes them all paranoid, sends annoyances and
attacks their way, all with the full knowledge of everything they're
capable of, every resource they can bring to bear.
It's seriously cool!


--
Lone Eagle
"Hold up lads, I got an idea."

www.wyrmtalk.co.uk - Please be patient, this site is under construction

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