tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post2802075353503465418..comments2023-05-27T11:14:02.426-04:00Comments on Some Space to Think: Hate the Villain, not the GMAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14216103531396452644noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-86922981801914245662009-11-09T21:22:41.162-05:002009-11-09T21:22:41.162-05:00The problem with #5 is that people evaluate trust ...The problem with #5 is that people evaluate trust through body language and intuition. The players may ignore minor continuity errors or clues because they'll interpret them as a GM slip and when an NPC says "Trust me!" the players hear a GM speaking. As a player, one way I avoid this is to explicitly ask the GM if anything feels funny about the NPC. This either gives the GM to explain the intuitive sense the character has or allow mechanics to determine whether the player character senses a problem or not. As a GM, I'll either ask for some sort of intuition roll or just tell the appropriate players of characters that might pick up on it that something doesn't feel right. Basically, don't expect players to pick up things that they'd intuit as real people through GM acting. Most GMs aren't good enough actors for it and the message can get lost even when the GM is a good actor because the players assume it's a slip in the acting rather than something to be suspicious about.John Morrownoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-55065098692283515542009-11-04T11:57:43.587-05:002009-11-04T11:57:43.587-05:00An example of #1 was the "Signature Weapon&qu...An example of #1 was the "Signature Weapon" shtick from Feng Shui.<br /><br />It guarantees that the only way the player can lose the weapon is if recovering the weapon IS the focus of the scenario.<br /><br />I like it because it lets the player flag "this is important to me" with known ramifications.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391023891253673160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-7264448657661261372009-11-04T11:18:34.105-05:002009-11-04T11:18:34.105-05:00Good stuff as always, Rob.
Re: #4, I always thoug...Good stuff as always, Rob.<br /><br />Re: #4, I always thought a good paradigm was Drizzt and Artemis Entreri. Drizzt was clearly the better duelist, but only slightly, and Artemis, of course, had the benefit of amorality.<br /><br />Another one that pisses the players off is the escape that just defies all credibility, e.g., teleporting away when surrounded after never showing any ability to teleport. This usually born from a DM's grand plans for a villain. Just let him go down. There's always a chance the PCs will leave a window to bring him back more organically, i.e., not killing him. If he does bite the dust, use it as an opportunity to stretch your creative skills and weave it back into the story to make it even better.Justin D. Jacobsonhttp://www.johnraingame.comnoreply@blogger.com