Trolling for bangs

[lightcastle]

Weel, after many delays and complications, my HQ game has gotten off to a stuttering start.

Having stumbled across the Forge some time ago, I decided to try and incorporate some of the wonderful ideas I have learned here. My players have been suspicious, but willing to try something new.

Now, like many before me, I am asking the group brain here for some help with bangs and ideas.

A little background: The game is set in Karse, 1619, just after the siege. The Lunars have taken over and everything is in flux.

The characters:

1) The Merchant. Born in Northern Sartar, he grew up with Kallyr (the great rebellion leader), who he views with a bit of a crush/older sister idolizing. He didn't directly participate int he 1613 rebellion, but did help out. He's drifted down to Karse, where he has established a merchant house trading in exotic animals. That's the public face. The private face is providing obscure magic and exotic goods for the very rich. He's got a good black market business, now disrupted by the arrival of the Lunars. He mostly thinks himself divorced from his upbringing, but he's always supprted Kallyr, if not the rebellion. He wants to move up to become the main merchant power in Karse.

2) The Scholar. A Sartar patriot and Lhankhor Mhy Scholar, she left her clan young at the call of her god. She studied prophecy and ancient texts and then was called back to become lawspeaker of her clan. She did so, but her tribe (the Kultain) were beset by bad omens. She studied her prophecies and realized that the child of the Tribal King was going to bring doom to the tribe. Realizing only she could act (no one really believed her), she kidnapped the child and left him at the edge of the Troll Woods. Then she confessed what she had done. At her trial, she staked everything on proof that eliminating the child had saved the tribe. The next omen would not happen.  The Lunars crossed into Kultain tribal lands, fulfilling the next omen. She was wrong, and had committed kinstrife.  Making the punishment fit the crime, they bound her and left her in the Troll Woods. She didn't die, rather a Troll found her, cut her free, and escorted her through the woods. She doesn't know why, and it didn't speak any language she knew. She decided she had been saved for a reason and neeede to atone, so worked her way south to Karse to find her old Mentor.
She arrived after the siege, and knows only she wants to redeem herself.

3) The Wizard. From an island still locked by the Closing, he knows nothing of the world outside. Hundred of years ago, his land was sealed against the evils destroying the world by the MageKing. His culture has always been taught the world was scoured clean by the evil, and only they are left. He ascended the ranks of sorcerers and joined the inner circle. There he learned his utopia was maintained by the foulest of chaos rites. He rebelled and was banished to the trackless ocean, but not before he managed to grab the Banestaff - a powerful artifact tainted with Chaos.  He was picked out of the ocean by a passing ship. He has since learned the rest of the world wasn't destroyed, but that the Closing locks the seas. He has sworn to find the power necessary to return to his island and free it from the Mage King. The ship he was on docked in Karse just after the siege and has been trapped there. He is trying to learn about the world and what he might use for his purpose.

4) The Guard.  A member of the city guard of Karse, he was wounded in the siege and therefore spared the slaughter of the city defenders. Always deidcated to the city, he must decide who to support: the Baron, the new Lunar overseers, the rebels?

5) The Assassin: Plucked from her clan as a baby during the invasion of Sartar, she was raised by an army officer until 6, then taken by an assassin cult in the Lunar EMpire. Deadly and focused, she was given an assignment she could not stomach, slew the noble hiring her and fled. She has worked her way down to Karse to try to find her adoptive father and to find out more about her origins among the Heortlings. She hates the Empire, even if she believes the Lunar Way will save mankind.  She has stolen notes about a fearful magic that she hopes to trade to someone fighting the Empire.


That's the sketch version of everybody. I;ve played one short intro session that only included the first 3 people. Anyone willing to toss out ideas and just generally poke my brain to make it work would be helpful.

[Bankuei]

Hi,

Here are some possibilities based on what you've provided(note these are not actual bangs, but seeds that can be developed into bangs by putting forward more concrete situations)

1) The Merchant.  All of his connections are ripe for action.  It's very easy to set him in motion, as he's caught between a lot of powerful groups.  Here's some potential ways to throw some bangs in there:

-"That old thing?"  Something in his inventory turns out to be a big, big deal, either really good, or really bad.  Naturally he discovers this after selling it.  And his rebellion friends want it.  And so does the Lunars.  And everyone is looking at him...

-"I need this, man..." One of his clients regularly gets some potion or medicine that is keeping him alive.  Or maybe just a bad addiction.  Either way, you have a powerful patron who is upset that he can't get his fix.  Maybe even the Lunars came and confiscated it...  And the patron is either going to wreck his shop or totally reveal his shady business unless he gets what he needs...

-"Do this, and we let you go..."  The Lunars discover his business, and are willing to... cut him a deal.  They know he has connections all around for strange magical items, and there is something some higher up Lunar official wants...  The Banestaff.  The Lunars are willing to let him keep his business if he finds this, otherwise...

2) The Scholar.  Everything hinges on her "discovering" what it is she needs to do to atone.  Whatever this thing is, is going to be the character's direction.  Without it... you're just going to get meandering play.  All of her bangs will revolve around this... and how this grand goal intersects with the other heroes.  This atonement should fit her crime... so perhaps redemption lay within stopping kinstrife and restoring a family?  It'd be a good tie to the Guard or the Assassin.

3) The Wizard.  Like the Scholar, everything for this character is based on what will give him power to eliminate the Mage King.  Perhaps it is an artifact possessed by the Merchant?  Or maybe that fearful magic held by the assassin?

4) The Guard.  His support doesn't mean anything if there isn't pressure making him have to choose.  If his family has ties one way, or many ways, and pressure is being applied, that has a pretty big effect on his life.  Don't use the family as "hostages", use them as advocates.  Some might want to support the Lunars, some might want to struggle to the very end.  Use different characters to show the different views, but slam the guard by having them pressure him to make decisions.

5) The Assassin.  Play on the family lineage tip, perhaps even one of her family members is working for the Lunars, or enslaved by them.  Add in a few bounty hunters or other assassins looking to cut the loose thread.

Again, in order to turn these ideas into bangs, you need to figure out an angle on all of the characters.  Characters who are tied into community, relationships, etc, they always have to juggle their own goals with those
of the people who matter to them, and that is always ripe for bangs.   Those who are looking for family, start putting the family out there, right away.

Characters who are without family, from faraway lands, they only work based on the level of involvement they choose to take in a situation- or the level of involvement they are mistaken or believed to be in.  With them, instead of dangling hooks for the players to grab or ignore, if they are mistaken or believed to be something, then it gets interesting.  What happens if the Wizard looks "just like" some famous Lunar who went missing a few years ago?  Or, if he was "prophesied" to arrive for some big hoo-hah reason, and now everyone is looking to him to save them?  Ditto with the Assassin.

Just some ideas :)

Chris

[lightcastle]

Thanks Chris. I'll fill in some details from game one and see how your ideas bounce around my empty skull.

1) The Merchant. All of his connections are ripe for action. It's very easy to set him in motion, as he's caught between a lot of powerful groups. Here's some potential ways to throw some bangs in there:

He is the easiest since he's the most tied. I think he of all the players, understood that relationships create interest the most.

-"That old thing?" Something in his inventory turns out to be a big, big deal, either really good, or really bad. Naturally he discovers this after selling it. And his rebellion friends want it. And so does the Lunars. And everyone is looking at him...

You know, this is probably the most obvious and yet it completely escaped me. I think because the Wizard has the Banestaff (which qualifies as something like this) and the Assassin has secret documents concerning the Crimson Bat, I didn't think of the fact he might have something directly.  An artifact crucial to a certain type of ritual, which could be used by either side, maybe?

-"I need this, man..." One of his clients regularly gets some potion or medicine that is keeping him alive. Or maybe just a bad addiction. Either way, you have a powerful patron who is upset that he can't get his fix. Maybe even the Lunars came and confiscated it... And the patron is either going to wreck his shop or totally reveal his shady business unless he gets what he needs...

He has a ranking member of the Baron's personal guard on the hook with an (as yet unspecified) addiction of some kind.  Definitely something I need to punch.

-"Do this, and we let you go..." The Lunars discover his business, and are willing to... cut him a deal. They know he has connections all around for strange magical items, and there is something some higher up Lunar official wants... The Banestaff. The Lunars are willing to let him keep his business if he finds this, otherwise...

Yeah, this one was already in the works. Although the Lunars, if they found out such an item exists, could go directly to the source, the Wizard.  Mayhaps, since the Banestaff is somewhat "attuned" to the Wizard, they could go to him for something to break that link?

The other thing happening is that the Merchant council is about to come to him asking him to join their slow-down quasi-strike designed to try to prevent the Lunars from installing their own overseers on the docks.

2) The Scholar. Everything hinges on her "discovering" what it is she needs to do to atone. Whatever this thing is, is going to be the character's direction. Without it... you're just going to get meandering play.

That's my fear. Mind you, I trust this player to find something to run with and run with it well.

All of her bangs will revolve around this... and how this grand goal intersects with the other heroes. This atonement should fit her crime... so perhaps redemption lay within stopping kinstrife and restoring a family? It'd be a good tie to the Guard or the Assassin.

Definitely the Assassin I saw.  I have brought someone from theTribe into town. He's tried to get the Merchant to help him bring stuff to the siege at Whitewall. (He's heard of the link to Kallyr, but this guy isn't actually affiliated with her directly.)  The Scholar has been avoiding this guy.  Maybe he recognizes her? Or maybe simply realizes she is an outlaw, and offers her a chance to do something to regain status without realizing who she is?  Also, her Mentor has a gambling and whoring problem and is in debt to a major criminal/black market guy.

3) The Wizard. Like the Scholar, everything for this character is based on what will give him power to eliminate the Mage King. Perhaps it is an artifact possessed by the Merchant? Or maybe that fearful magic held by the assassin?

Both are possibilities, although the Assassin's is linked to the Bat. (Still a possibility.)  Also, his background so mimics that of the Pharoah, that those who long for that GodKing's return are going to start looking for him.  The Pharoah had tremendous power, and he might get access to some of it if he takes on that role.

4) The Guard. His support doesn't mean anything if there isn't pressure making him have to choose. If his family has ties one way, or many ways, and pressure is being applied, that has a pretty big effect on his life. Don't use the family as "hostages", use them as advocates. Some might want to support the Lunars, some might want to struggle to the very end. Use different characters to show the different views, but slam the guard by having them pressure him to make decisions.

This guy may drop out. He gave me the original concept, but I've been unable to get him to come and do chargen and flesh it out.  I will make sure to get some of these push-pulls in, though.

5) The Assassin. Play on the family lineage tip, perhaps even one of her family members is working for the Lunars, or enslaved by them. Add in a few bounty hunters or other assassins looking to cut the loose thread.

I originally thought her family should be rebels, but there is something to be said for the idea they are Lunars. I've already got the bounty hunter lined up.

Again, in order to turn these ideas into bangs, you need to figure out an angle on all of the characters. Characters who are tied into community, relationships, etc, they always have to juggle their own goals with those
of the people who matter to them, and that is always ripe for bangs. Those who are looking for family, start putting the family out there, right away.

Good point. I didn't mind the wanderers, as long as they left me hooks to use, but you're right in that I need to present those front and center early so I can start pulling on them.

Characters who are without family, from faraway lands, they only work based on the level of involvement they choose to take in a situation- or the level of involvement they are mistaken or believed to be in. With them, instead of dangling hooks for the players to grab or ignore, if they are mistaken or believed to be something, then it gets interesting. What happens if the Wizard looks "just like" some famous Lunar who went missing a few years ago? Or, if he was "prophesied" to arrive for some big hoo-hah reason, and now everyone is looking to him to save them? Ditto with the Assassin.

The Wizard's background mimics that of the missing Pharoah, killed off by Lunar Assassins 3 years ago. (That he was killed by Lunars is suspected by some, but no one knows for sure. The Assassin DOES know it is true. She can even name who did it.)  Also, his homeland matches the discription of the missing island of Brithos, home of the most powerful sorcerer Glorantha has ever seen.  Both make him of interest to numerous groups.

The Assassin I am less sure of. I think in her case, giving her leads for the family right off might be a better way to go.
Just some ideas :)

Chris[/quote]

[Mike Holmes]

Can you list the NPCs? That would probably go a long way towards suggesgting bangs. PCs are only half of the equation, situation is the other half. If all we know is that "Lunars are in control" that does provide a little situation, but not enough to really work with.

So who do we have to creat bangs with? Who are our tools, our NPCs?

Mike

[lightcastle]

Absolutely, and my bad for not having done so in the first place.

This isn't everyone because I can't find my notes right now. But it's the people off the top of my head I can think of as having been brought in.

1) The Fat Man (Wilmsfisk the Large)  Major mover and shaker merchant in Karse. He is both head of a leading merchant house ("A humble dealer in spices") and the head of most organized crime in the city, a somewhat open secret.  He is a rival of the PC merchant, obviously, who wants to replace him in both roles.

2) The Mentor.  This is the Scholar's mentor. He's a Lhankor Mhy scholar, teaches the Baron's daughters (and has a very unhealthy attraction to the eldest), and assesses magic items sometimes for the PC Merchant. He also has a gambling and hooker problem, and is deeply in debt to the Fat Man.

3) Ovdur Quickthrow: A member of the Kultain tribe (same as scholar) who lost friends when the Lunars came down. He's a young hothead who now dreams of joining Kallyr and Broyan in WhiteWall. But he wants to show up with some deed under his belt and impress her. He made contact with the PC Merchant (how he got the name is somewhat vague right now).

4) Radjik Shipborne: First Mate on the Grey Brother, he befriended the Wizard when he was fished out of the sea. An old sailor, he's been on boats since almost the beginning of the Opening. I am currently leaning to him being a Holy Country patriot and Pharonic Revivalist, wanting the old GodKing to return.

5) Fazzur Wideread: Governer General of Dragon Pass, and sitting in Karse directing his armies. He will winter here, then head down to southern Heortland for the rest of his invasion.

6) Sir Herik Vinder: Head of the Fabulous Hunting Troupe (MoLaD) and contact of the Merchant.

7) Derek of House Marteau (Local nobleman who bought a Gargoyle Egg through the PC Merchant. It came in on the Grey Brother.)

There are a number of people who show up in one way or another on people's sheets, but haven't yet shown up in game.

6) The Baron's guard.  This is the one who's got some sort of addiction fed by the Merchant. I am also thinking he is the secret lover of the Baron's daughter maybe?

7) The Assassin's adoptive Father. A Tarshite legion commander, now stationed in Karse. He's a good Tarshite Lunar, but mostly a simple army man. He loves her dearly and hasn't seen her since she was chosen for the assassin cult (I am not decided whether or not he knows where she ended up, I don' t think the PC has made a call on that yet.) 10 years ago.

8) The Merchant's Mistress: Totally undefined, but he put her down, so I have her as a tool.

OK, that's about all I can think of as having been specifically mentioned or implied right now. (Obviously, there are some more that aren't focused on yet. Other merchants in the trade ring, contacts in the underworld, the rest of the crew of the Grey Brother --> oh yes, the Captain's fleet is indirectly owned by the Fat Man, but the Captain does occaisional cargo runs for the Merchant PC.)

[Mike Holmes]

OK, good. Now we just apply the following process:

1. Identify two values of the PC.
2. Figure out a way to put them in conflict.
3. Designate an appropriate NPC to create the conflict in the character.

So, for the Merchant player hero:
1. He wants money, but still feels for the rebellion, and hates the Lunars. 2. They'd be in conflict if he could make money by helping the Lunars.
3. The Fat Man seems perfect here. He asks the player's merchant character to start supplying the Lunars with Black Lotus (or whatever) that'll make the Lunar magicians more powerful, and will make them more money.

This, of course, then puts the character at odds too between wanting money, and wanting to supplant The Fat Man. So there are lots of potential resolutions for the player to pursue. (This follows Chris' last bang well, too).

OK, you do the next one.

Mike

[lightcastle]

So, for the Merchant player hero:
1. He wants money, but still feels for the rebellion, and hates the Lunars. 2. They'd be in conflict if he could make money by helping the Lunars.
3. The Fat Man seems perfect here. He asks the player's merchant character to start supplying the Lunars with Black Lotus (or whatever) that'll make the Lunar magicians more powerful, and will make them more money.

Actually, he doesn't hate the Lunars. That's part of his issue. He likes Kallyr. He supports *her*, not the Rebellion.

Since the Fat Man is his rival, let's go the other way with this basic concept.  
Fazzur, having kept his ear to the ground, knows that Kelson (the Merchant) is the man who deals with magic.  He wants Kelson to tap sources about an artifact from the nearbye EWF ruins. Something that will help the Lunars crush the Rebellion once and for all! (Whoops, Death Star moment.)  In return, he offers to help push important new contracts to Kelson. While Lunar merchants will be coming in, "we will need someone the local merchants know to be our go between."

We can make it worse and instead of it being "help the Lunars", we can make it "help this guy who is doing a magical ceremony to kill Kallyr".

Better?

Let's do one for the Scholar.

She's got curiousity issues, she's got guilt issues, and she's got only one person left in the world who supports her after being outlawed.

She finds out about the Mentor's debts is a possibility, she has no money to fix it, but presumably will need to find a way to do so. (Now, SHE hates the Lunars, so we put her in a situation where helping them could get him out of trouble?)

Or, skip that. Ever since getting the prophecy wrong, she's deathly afraid of meddling with prophecies again.  The Mentor, to get out of the debt, agrees to try and decipher a prophecy and asks for her help. (He doesn't know about her problem yet.)

The Wizard: He wants power, (and is proud and arrogant about the power he has) but isn't sure he's willing to tap into the Chaos magic of the Banestaff to amass it.  Option 1) inelegant and violent, but possibly fun. The MageKing he's fled sends a demon after him. Tough to beat without tapping the staff.  Option 2) He thinks the Pharoah may be a previous mage who rebelled against the MageKing. The Pharonic revivalists think he may be the Pharoah reborn but not yet at full strength, and offer to help him regain himself. Does he lie to them to get a shot at that power? (Not sure it's a bang, since I tend to not see him passing this up.) But that would put him in politics, responsible to these people, and make him a target of the Lunars, who don't want the Pharoah back.

I think I need to perhaps offer him paths to power: The Pharonic Revivalists, the Lunars (who understand chaos magic and how to control it), or other sources (the old Dragon Empire ruins nearby, for instance?) Which he chooses and why might be revealing, especially if the implication is choosing one somehow puts him at odds with the others?

[Mike Holmes]

Are you rolling now? Or do you want more ideas?

Have I taught you to fish? I hope so. The point of the three step process is that it's really rather easy - didn't you find it so? You even managed to correct my bad version with just a slight adjustment.

I'm hoping that it is as easy as I find it to be for everyone. Bangs seem somehow elusive to people, when they shouldn't take too much brain-sweat to come up with. I mean, with work you can make better ones than otherwise. But I find that Bangs are great as GM input precisely because they make game prep take so little effort. Sit down, and look at the character sheets for a bit, and then scribble down some notes, and each session should take only about 15 minutes to be ready for.

BTW, this is only one method, there are more. But you're already figuring that out. For example, giving a player a "path to power" is precisely one of the other ways to make bangs. Not only are the choices involved with geting power good for creating the same sort of "dilemma" bangs, but once the character has some power it automatically asks the "what do I do with it now?" question.  


One bit of advice, remember your "basic" values when making bangs. For example, the whole wizard character seems to be all about power, sure. But why does he want power? How does he feel about people? Does he want to dominate them? This brings up all of he relationship stuff from which to create bangs. The old hidden sex keyword. As I've said, a pass by a character of the opposite sex is almost always an automatic bang (no pun intended), for instance.

Mike

[lightcastle]

Are you rolling now? Or do you want more ideas?

I always want more ideas. I'm one of those people who work best bouncing ideas in and around other people.

Have I taught you to fish? I hope so. The point of the three step process is that it's really rather easy - didn't you find it so? You even managed to correct my bad version with just a slight adjustment.

Yup.  I gots me my rod and reel right now. And a net. Fishing is fun! :)

I'm hoping that it is as easy as I find it to be for everyone. Bangs seem somehow elusive to people, when they shouldn't take too much brain-sweat to come up with. I mean, with work you can make better ones than otherwise. But I find that Bangs are great as GM input precisely because they make game prep take so little effort. Sit down, and look at the character sheets for a bit, and then scribble down some notes, and each session should take only about 15 minutes to be ready for.

OK, so that brings us to the bandolier. How many to keep per person? I seem to recall an earler thread where people talked about having a few waiting for when a given character's stuff winds down a bit. (Obviously, some bangs will keep them propelling along for a while.)

One bit of advice, remember your "basic" values when making bangs. For example, the whole wizard character seems to be all about power, sure. But why does he want power? How does he feel about people? Does he want to dominate them?

Ostensibly, he wants power to go back and free his people from the MageKing. But he *is* from a culture that believes wizards are the natural rulers of society. So what he does with the power might be interesting.

This brings up all of he relationship stuff from which to create bangs. The old hidden sex keyword. As I've said, a pass by a character of the opposite sex is almost always an automatic bang (no pun intended), for instance.

Hmm.. The Wizard would be tough just because of the player. He's one of the most asexual humans I know.  The Merchant is ripe for someone other than his mistress making a pass.  The Scholar... I think it would be a good storyline to go with, but she's deliberately playing a character who is not a romantic basket case because she has ended up playing romantic entanglements in all her other games right now.

How about tying bangs together?  For instance, a sage connected to Kallyr comes to the Mentor and the Scholar and asks them to for help researching the Clock of Circadia, an EWF artifact that can affect solar magic. (Which, interestingly, both the Lunars and the Rebellion have access to.)  He suspects it may be the target of Fazzur.  At the same time, Fazzur is offering the merchant the deal above, looking for the same Clock.

Better to tie bangs or not?

Another bang idea.  Quickthrow raids either a Lunar barracks for weapons, or perhaps some of the other merchants for supplies? He then shows up at Kelson's door, admitting he's done it, and demanding help in getting the stuff to Kallyr. (Does Kelson piss off his fellow merchants or his new patrons?)

I want to figure one out for the Scholar and her outlawry. IT seems that I should be able to find something there. (She still loves her people, but she has committed the ultimate sin and can't be accepted back.)

[Mike Holmes]

OK, so that brings us to the bandolier. How many to keep per person? I seem to recall an earler thread where people talked about having a few waiting for when a given character's stuff winds down a bit. (Obviously, some bangs will keep them propelling along for a while.)

I find three is fine. Mostly because you'll discover bangs during play (players and GMs). So, yeah, they can propel play for a long time in some cases.

So what he does with the power might be interesting.

Yeah. Just give him plenty of rope to hang himself with. ;-)

Hmm.. The Wizard would be tough just because of the player. He's one of the most asexual humans I know.

Good point. And you're doing the important thing of keeping the player in mind. So excellent. Still try it anyhow. Might be interesting to see what happens. Worst case, it fizzles, which'll happen sometimes anyhow.

The Scholar... I think it would be a good storyline to go with, but she's deliberately playing a character who is not a romantic basket case because she has ended up playing romantic entanglements in all her other games right now.

Yeah, you have to respect that.

How about tying bangs together?  For instance, a sage connected to Kallyr comes to the Mentor and the Scholar and asks them to for help researching the Clock of Circadia, an EWF artifact that can affect solar magic. (Which, interestingly, both the Lunars and the Rebellion have access to.)  He suspects it may be the target of Fazzur.  At the same time, Fazzur is offering the merchant the deal above, looking for the same Clock.

Better to tie bangs or not?

Better, yes. Those are excellent. The only thing you have to be sure is that your players are ready to have their characters end up potentially against each other, and yet work together as players to play it out.

Another bang idea.  Quickthrow raids either a Lunar barracks for weapons, or perhaps some of the other merchants for supplies? He then shows up at Kelson's door, admitting he's done it, and demanding help in getting the stuff to Kallyr. (Does Kelson piss off his fellow merchants or his new patrons?)

Ooh, very good. Reminds me a little of Mystic River, which I saw last night. What do you do when a friend has done something bad? Excellent. Good example of a "one issue" bang where you put the value up against itself (or, from another POV, from the very generic self-interest value). Those can be tricky.

I want to figure one out for the Scholar and her outlawry. IT seems that I should be able to find something there. (She still loves her people, but she has committed the ultimate sin and can't be accepted back.)

Typically it would be an offer of redemption that, say, prevented her from finding out something important to her scholarship.

Mike

[lightcastle]

Alrighty then. 3 per person as a back up.

I'll have to come back when I have time and see if I can get that done.

I think I will throw a pass at the wizard, just to see what the player does. If it fizzles, it fizzles.

As for the Scholar, it's a shame, since I've seen her play romantic entanglements (she's GREAT at it), but I want to respect her decision.  She's one of those players that feeds off of finding things to react to and putting herself in complicated situations, so I won't be bored, and she'll tell me if she has changed her mind. (This is the player who gave herself "Get into trouble" and "Get out of trouble by the skin of her teeth" as abilities.)

Better, yes. Those are excellent. The only thing you have to be sure is that your players are ready to have their characters end up potentially against each other, and yet work together as players to play it out.

That possibility was explicitly stated in the recruiting for the game.

Ooh, very good. Reminds me a little of Mystic River, which I saw last night. What do you do when a friend has done something bad? Excellent. Good example of a "one issue" bang where you put the value up against itself (or, from another POV, from the very generic self-interest value). Those can be tricky.

I also like this one because it is entirely self-made by the player, really. He wanted an opening scene where someone came to ask him to help Kallyr, but wasn't directly asking for her. He wanted to see when faced with it if he really was going to play this guy as pro-Kallyr, not pro-Rebellion.  He did, but didn't blow this person off. Despite me making it obvious this kid quickthrow was a hothead, a typical boastful Orlanthi who is likely to do rash things, and that this guy had participated in "The Drowning of the Concubines" that helped get his tribe disbanded, the player struck a deal and stalled.  He thought Quickthrow might be useful. He used him as a distraction to get onto a boat he needed to get onto. He assured him he might help in the future.  Well, now that's coming back to bite him on the ass.

Typically it would be an offer of redemption that, say, prevented her from finding out something important to her scholarship.

Yeah. Something like that, but I'm blocking on what, exactly. Mind you, I also have that Troll that saved her.  As far as I am concerned right now, he (I'm thinking probably he) was on an initiation heroquest that she stumbled into. So he was geased/taboo-driven to not harm her. And worse, is now somewhat linked to her because of it.  Not sure how I'm going to play that out, but he WILL show up again.

[Mike Holmes]

Yeah. Something like that, but I'm blocking on what, exactly.

The "what" isn't all that important. We're talking about MacGuffins, to be precise here. These are fun, because you get to be as creative as you like with them.

So, for the information, make it something that just happens to affect one of the other PCs. It's a historical bit that a trader has in a book if she can meet with him and get it, that tells of certain special Lankhor Mhy secrets that can allow a user to enchant scrolls or something, which is useful to the merchant if she can deliver it for him. But the troll returns, and tells her that the human child is OK, having been taken care of by the trolls for some reason, and that she can go back and get it to take back to the village to redeem herself.

Bad details, but you get the idea.

Mike

[Bryan_T]

Oh, great to hear this game is finally starting!  (Also makes me wish my job hunting was leading me back to Montreal so I could come listen in some day, but not to be).

Anyway, one specific thought for the scholar--offer her false redemption.  That is, have an NPC who knows of her situation come offer evidence that she was in fact correct.  The NPC is even willing to go to bat for her, show others that she is innocent.

Then she realizes that it is all a scam.  His evidence is flawed, or invented, or whatever.  

She could be redeemed in the eyes of everyone.....except herself.  Does she take it?  

For added torque on the screw, don't make the error in the evidence obvious until she has been partially redeemed, so she has had a taste of being accepted again, then might have to turn her back on it.

(follow on question of course is: what is the NPC really after?)

--Bryan

[lightcastle]

Bryan:

Anyway, one specific thought for the scholar--offer her false redemption. That is, have an NPC who knows of her situation come offer evidence that she was in fact correct. The NPC is even willing to go to bat for her, show others that she is innocent.

Then she realizes that it is all a scam. His evidence is flawed, or invented, or whatever.

She could be redeemed in the eyes of everyone.....except herself. Does she take it?

For added torque on the screw, don't make the error in the evidence obvious until she has been partially redeemed, so she has had a taste of being accepted again, then might have to turn her back on it.

Now that is an interesting little story to possibly play out.

Mike

Bad details, but you get the idea.

Yeah. I think I've got some idea of what to work with here.