[Obsidian: the Age of Judgement] Mask of Shadows

[Matt-M-McElroy]

So, I ran Obsidian and I'm using a variant on the Killer adventure that is available for download on the Apophis Consortium site.

I renamed the investigation company "Terminal Investigations" and the players got these handouts. The first was an overview of the company the characters work for and the second was about the case they would be working on. Three of the players had already run through a variant on the "Silent Red" investigation as presented in "Killer" so I created a new case for the team to look into.

* * * * *

Terminal Investigations

Terminal Investigations is a freelance company involved in numerous corporate actions including security measures, employment background verification and other sensitive operations. Terminal also is heavily involved in criminal investigations for a variety of clients, including assisting the LAW on a variety of cases.

Terminal has recently begun an aggressive recruitment drive and training program for new agents. Since business has picked up beyond previous expectations, the need for skilled investigators is greater than ever before. Agents have plenty of opportunity to prove themselves and eventually lead teams of their on upcoming Terminal case files.

Staff:

Trevor Cole: Neobellum (lead agent) responsible for handing out assignments and evaluating the performance of new employees. Trevor is a driven leader with a fair but firm demeanor.

Victoria Blaine: One of the leading "field agents" working for Terminal Investigations, Blaine is known for her cool head and quick reflexes.

Nicole Warren: One of Terminal Investigations top Veilis (information broker), Nicole has numerous Contacts throughout the Sector.

Tools of the Trade:

Datapad: An electronic information system with a small view screen and laser pen for writing/menu functions. The Datapad can transfer information between other pads and computer terminals.

Digiwatch: A high-tech timepiece that also has sensors to detect nearby radiation and diseases.

E.M.K. (Emergency Medial Kit): A basic set of First Aid tools and supplies. The kit usually contains bandages, pain-killers, a guide book and other gels (burns) and tools (suture needles, scissors).

Neon Stick: A small clear tube filled with a chemical compound that will glow brightly for 20' when activated.

Vidphone: A small hand-held communication device with a small screen, camera and number pad. Vidphones usually have a variety of features including text messaging and caller ID.

Terminal Investigations Sedan: Most teams are assigned a slightly modified sedan for use during a case. These vehicles are company property and any reckless use will count against the Agents' performance.
(15 Hard Armor Points; 15 Marks per Hour; Cost - 15,000 Credits) Included Equipment: Vidphone (stationary); Emergency Medical Kit (basic supplies); Datapad; Basic Toolkit; Investigation Toolkit (disposable gloves, infrared scanner, light sticks)

* * * * *

Case File: 66NC2306BA
"Nathan Clarke"

Terminal Investigations has recently been contracted by BARRETT ARTIFACTS (see file: 07BA) to discover the location of a former employee and thief known as Nathan Clarke. This individual (and possibly his group) is responsible for several missing items from the Barrett Artifacts storefront and warehouse and has thus-far evaded capture.

Trevor Cole is the Agent in Charge for this case and all requests for equipment and/or expenditures will go through his office (4#121).

General Case Details:

- Nathan Clarke worked as a sales agent in the BA storefront for over a year before the theft was know (possible accomplice or security sabotage).
- Barrett Artifacts wants the recovery of several items if at all possible and is willing to pay extra for these items (see file 07BA02).

Specific Case Data:

- Barrett Artifacts does not wish to involve LAW in this case and has advanced Terminal Investigations a special case fee.
- One of the items missing is known as the "Mask of Shadows" and may have links to the Box of Under Kult.
- Other items include journals from the Mystic known as "Chimera" and some unique trinkets recovered from the Wastelands.
- Agents have been given access to Nathan Clarke's apartment in the Drake Building (Sublevel 3). This apartment is leased by Barrett Artifacts. Many of the full-time employees of BA have company lodging. Clarke has not been seen at the apartment for weeks, but their may be clues upon investigation.
- Nytech Storage Facility may contain further details. At least one guard has witnessed Clarke on the premises at odd hours and without proper sales requests.
- "Digital Dimension" is a popular nightclub and entertainment facility where Nathan Clarke regularly spent his off-time. Employees and patrons may have clues to his location and/or allies.

* * * * *

After passing around the two hand-outs mentioned above everyone chose a character. We ended up with:

Monica - Mystic Visionary
Travis - Spiritual Essence
Rob - Corporate Investigator
Jeff - Machine Contractor
Sara - Corporate Suit

It was interesting to see the very different cahracter goals create some tension early on in the session and stick with the "team" all the way through the end. Not to say they didn't work together, but there were some heated exchanges and a little rivalry throughout the game.

The characters worked together using their Contacts and Skills to figure out different parts of the investigation. The folks with a variety of Contacts put them to good use asking for information on the suspect and those with handy Skills (Data, Sabotage, Occult) put them to use trying to figure out various clues about the suspect and the missing items.

Unfortunately the time seemed to get away from us and I had trouble fitting in more scenes into the session. They did not get to explore Clarke's apartment or talk to anyone at Barrett Artifacts that may have worked with him (or been part of his network).

We had some investigation scenes in the nightclub and a confrontation in the warehouse. Both went well, two characters (The Machine and the Mystic) got mixed up in the Machine community and made some new Contacts, the others did some investigation upstairs and made some Contacts of their own...

It was interesting seeing the Machine and the Mystic play off of each other, having very, very different goals (and outlooks) on the seedy Machine community in the basement of the club. Some of the Machines were trying to recruit the very "pure" Mystic into their world and the PC Machine was trying to isolate her somewhat from them...made for some good role-playing.

Regards,

Matt M McElroy
"What Are You Afraid Of?"
http://www.flamesrising.com

[Andrew Morris]

Matt, was this a LARP session using the rules you're working on, or a table-top?

[Matt-M-McElroy]

Hey,

This was a tabletop session. Some of the players were pretty new to the system/setting and I wanted to test this out as a "demo" for some of the upcoming conventions we've got this year.

Regards,

Matt M McElroy
"What Are You Afraid Of?"
http://www.flamesrising.com

[Ron Edwards]

Hey Matt,

One thing that really stands out for me in Obsidian, given many other aspects of the game, is that the rewards/point system is strongly fueled by the Motivations, especially if you use the Luck rules. Have you guys paid much attention to that?

It's a lot more like Spiritual Attributes in The Riddle of Steel than it looks, at first. You rack up a ton of Experience points by playing the Motivations (6 at a pop! for a real blowout), and you use them mainly as Luck rolls, spending only the ones you get for boring reasons ("completes adventure," blah blah) on racking up the scores on your character sheet.

Best,
Ron

[Matt-M-McElroy]

Hey Ron,

The Motivations that the various characters had were one of the driving forces behind the in-character conflict during the game. Sure, they all had the "solve the case" goal as a team working for Terminal Investigations, but there were four different Ethos in the group and it was great to see the players dealing with those differences. The Mystic and the Spiritual Essence were way more concerned about the occult items than the Corporates (who more into catching the crook and earning Rank in the corporation) so it provided us with some great dialogue and some turmoil (which made the players get creative and form some in-group alliances to accomplsih their goals).

Regards,

Matt M McElroy
"What Are You Afraid Of?"
http://www.flamesrising.com

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Matt,

That's well and good from a thespian viewpoint, Matt, but I'd like to know about numbers and points.

How many experience points were handed out, total? Were you passing them out in response to using Motivations? Was that more, or less, than those gained by "finished mission" and similar?

Did people use experience points to bulk up their sheet numbers? Did anyone use them for Luck rolls instead? How did that work out, mechanically - did Luck rolls contribute to success?

Best,
Ron

[Matt-M-McElroy]

Hey Ron,

Using just the core Obsidian book, to my knowledge there are not Luck points in this game. Should we continue to play, the players will get experience points for going after their Motivations during the session. It was one of the strengths of this particular session in that each character strove to fulfill thier Motivations while working the case. The Machine managed to arrange for new cybernetics and more Contacts within the Machine community and the Mystic went out of her way to protect Humanity (even the "bad guys" they were fighting) and the Investigator (Corporate) did a great job of satying on task and looking for the stolen items. One of his secondary Motivations was to prove himself to the boss (he was the newest employee at the Corporation) and the player made sure to keep the NPC boss up to date on the mission status and other little things while the session went along.

Motivations (both the primary one for the Character's Ethos and the secondary indivdual character driven ones) can make or break an Obsidian game. They not only give the characters goals to go after each session but they also encourage conflict within the group.

Regards,

Matt M McElroy
"What Are You Afraid Of?"
http://www.flamesrising.com

[Ron Edwards]

That's interesting, because in my core book, the Luck points are right there at the end of the character creation section. I'm looking at the original edition, and although my revised edition seems to have escaped into the "around here somewhere" area of the house, they were in there too.

So! We have arrived at a version question. Are you using a newer version? If so, which is it?

If we were talking about, oh, vehicle armoring rules, it wouldn't be a big deal. But this is the reward system we're talking about. If a later version of the game has restricted the Experience Point gain/use cycle into the form you're describing, then we are really talking about a major, major revision - practically a different game.

Best,
Ron

[Ron Edwards]

Whoops, forgot - I'm not sure if you've seen my from back in 2001 or so.

Best,
Ron

[daemonchild]

Hmmm...I finally found where Luck points are. (page 56-57 under Optional Experience Uses). We were playtesting the game as a potential con demo, so we weren't awarded XP for this session.

Ron, I see your point about how that would deepen the gaming experience. It most certainly would and, in my opinion, shouldn't be optional. The challenge that I've come across is that Obsidian tends to be a very violent game with lots of combat, so, my goal would most likely be to boost my stats and then, second, use the Luck points--wholly depending upon what type of character I'm playing. If I'm a kultist or a mystic, then I want more rituals. I'm curious to know if other people use that optional rule? I do like the "Descration of a Motivation" mechanics, where you take away points for going against your character motivations. It forces you to really think about how your playing your character.

In this gaming session, I tried playing (another) noncombat character---A Mystic Visionary. So within my motivations my intent is not to go into a room guns a-blazing, nor is it to kill human life--no matter if the people I'm with are into cybernetics or not. There was a lot of character conflict between my character and the spiritual essence, as well as with the other players. When we got into combat, I tried to do everything else but shoot--even though the other players were in a gun battle. It made for a very frustrating experience, if only because playing up my character motivation caused intense conflict within the session. And, when some of my actions didn't work (like calling the wrong contacts) I ran out of options as to what to do. At times we had teamwork, but I felt we all wanted something different (artifacts) and I felt like my character was the odd man out at times. I don't know if it's personal preference or not--but perhaps I like internal conflict better than external as a player?

Matt, would you use the optional mechanic? For this session, what experience points would you reward to whom and why?

[daemonchild]

Ron, do you have any articles or resources I can read on playing a character with "internal" vs "external" conflict?

[Matt-M-McElroy]

Hey,

As this was a demo of the core system elements of the game, I didn't even look at the Optional Experience Rules (and honestly forgot about them since last reading that section). I was sticking mainly with how the system works in regarding to having the characters accomplish actions and what it takes to achieve their Motivations.

After rereading it this morning it still would not have applied to this session. "Luck Points" are awarded as Experience Points, but the Player may choose to change them into Luck Points for the next session of game play, not the current one.

As I menioned up-thread, if we decide to continue this particular storyline I'll be awarding Experience Points as detailed on page 56 of the corebook and discussing the Optional Experience Rules (page 57) with the Players. If we as a group decide to add the Optional Rules into ongoing play then we'll explore Luck Points, Ominous Fate and Destiny. As this was the first session of play they did not have any pools of Experience Points on the character sheets when we started out.

Regards,

Matt M McElroy
"What Are You Afraid Of?"
http://www.flamesrising.com

[Ron Edwards]

Hiya,

I'll be interested to hear more about Luck in the following sessions. It'll be surprising if folks choose not to use it.

One point that Dav Harnish made when we played Obsidian is that he preferred to allow experience points to be spent at any time during play itself. You get them at the end of the session, but in following sessions, you spend'em as you see fit, whenever. This is explicitly forbidden in the first version of the rulebook.

In our game, that led to a lot of skill-increases that were immediately relevant right then and there, and in general, I consider it an excellent rule for a point-based system. I've seen it work well in many games since then.

But even if you stick with the textual rules (and I'm now curious to double-check the revised edition about that if I can find it), maybe you'll be able to see more of the game's potential motor in action in the second session, once all of you have a bank of experience to work with using Luck, as a new part of resolution and tactics.

I'm interested that Matt, you present the intra-party disconnections as a good thing, and Daemonchild, you found it personally frustrating. I'm going to go out on a limb ... OK, blast from the past ...

"I'm sicka this garbage!" (snikt)
"Wolverine! Sheathe your claws!"
(Wolverine grumbles and obeys)

Different people respond differently to this type of interaction during play. For some, it's meat and potatos - why they even came. If there weren't verbal bickering, they wouldn't call it "role-playing." For others, it's a bit of incidental Color to round out whatever it is the characters are really going to do. For still others, it's a distracting pain in the ass. For still others, it's a break in the social and creative contract at hand - "bad play."

I'm suggesting that the issue is not internal vs. external conflict. I'm suggesting, Daemonchild, that the issue is relevant conflict. It's perfectly all right to have characters with differing ethics and world-views (geez, especially in an Obsidian game). But when the situation becomes irrelevant to that character, or constructed in such a way that the character's take on the situation cannot be applied in a relevant way, then there isn't conflict ... and hence, you as a person were not relevant to the play-interactions going on. This isn't about characters, it's about people.

The short-term solution, canonized across hundreds of game texts, is that the GM is somehow supposed to "make sure" that the upcoming situations during play are relevant to every character in some way, or that the characters "fit" the scenario. This works in the sense that intense pressure on an arterial wound will preserve the person's life for a few more seconds. It's OK for demo play.

A more careful treatment of the issue is probably not relevant for this thread, but yes, I can talk to you more about that. Maybe an actual-play thread about some longer-term play would be best.

Best,
Ron

[daemonchild]

Ron,

I think you hit the proverbial nail on the head so to speak. What I want out of one game, and what I want out of a longer campaign right now are the same thing. I enjoy having different character types, provided we all work off of each other's strengths and weaknesses. Personally? I think I'm probably placing too much importance on the one session, I'm drawn to longer campaigns.

I agree with you that this probably warrants a longer-term discussion for an ongoing session, depending upon what game as well. My pick right now for a longer campaign would be a|state for several reasons, if only because I think that the "hope element" warrants longer-term discovery. I'll have to go back and reread some of the actual play threads in this forums, I'm curious about longer-term play for Sorceror and Lacuna I. The Creation of the Mystery and the Girl from Blue City.

M