From:	Jacob Engstrom <sabredanz@****.COM>
Subject:	Re: Dice Pools and Stardom
Date:	Fri, 8 May 1998 21:45:16 EDT

On Fri, 8 May 1998 18:44:10 -0500 Sheldon Rose <scrose@****.COM> writes:
>Jonathan Andrews wrote:
>
<SNIP>
>As do I and I've used the same things to make the storyline work.
>What comes to mind on this is an old says it's not the teller but the
>tale. PRG's should be interactive stories in which folks are having
>fun.
>If numbers and number crunching become an ends and means of
>themselves.
>The storyline all to often suffers IMO...

I personally have the view that a story is created in during the telling,
not from a pre-written script.
Perhaps I am over influenced by Gaelic Folklore and Literature, or
perhaps I just deride the american film and "$4.95-dreadful" industry.
While I enjoy them on their own, I do not wish them to be recreated in my
games.
While characters are supposedly "larger-than-life" I, personally, draw
the line at "larger-than-reality".
yes, this means that sometimes your Street Samurai Combat Monster DOES
get put flat on his back by a 14 year old ganger with a shotgun. To me,
shadowrun starts with characters getting out of the gutter or down from
their Ivory tower beginnings and by taking great risks put it all on the
line to make their fortune and survive on the streets. Sometimes that
means dieing on the streets. Does that detract from a character? In my
opinion, no. Its the way reality works, even the altered reality of
shadowrun.
No, I do not Live To Kill Characters. If a character dies against
overwhelming odds, one of three things happened.
1) The character forgot they WEREN'T invincible.
2) While dieing, the rest of the party figures his survival isn't that
important. Remember that SR damage rules almost always leaves characters
with an hour before they die.
3) I screwed up and overmatched the party. My fault Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa,
Mea Maxi Culpa.

Does this mean that I let the Arch-villain die early in a story due to a
lucky shot etc. ?
If I was dumb enough to let him be exposed that early on, Damn right I
do. Remember, he has friends, connections, allies, and the same chances
at survival as characters do.
Killing a character or villi an doesn't end a story, it just takes it in
a different direction.

If I explain this with my players and let them start with some of their
second string disposable I don't care about this character that much
characters, they often find they like it. The sense of urgency,
desperation, how much these guys are REALLY putting on the line, is
better captured.

If anyone would like to contact me about this philosophy or ways to
"save" characters without Fudging, feel free to contact me at
sabredanz@****.com

Sabredanz