Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Gamemasters' Lounge => Topic started by: Flagnine1 on <08-17-11/1612:24>
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So the basic premise of this run is that a rich entrepreneur daughter has fallen in love with a trideo (or other media) cast of shadowrunning. She manages to find a fixer that will work with her. because of her location and what she wants her fixer contacts your fixer. The job is to fake kidnap her while in route to or from school. Protect her during her time slumming. Do a simple hit on a rival warehouse. And ransom her back to daddy.
during the kidnap part the players have to somehow stop the car take out the bodyguard and driver without killing them and get the girls and be gone before the authorities show up. The car is a typical sedan.
The team is offered 10,000 for a successful kidnap and can keep the ransom which should be around 50,000
for the warehouse part the girl either needs to tag along and generally get in the way or be left alone and get kidnapped by a local gang.
next is the ransom the key here is not getting traced back too. but the father has raked up a bunch of debt and cant pay. The daughter and heiress says that to get the 50,000 now they need to off the dad and collect the insurance, thus the team needs to make it look like an accident.
if successful the team will get the money and two contacts, the high society fixer and the girl.
any thoughts or tweaks would be appreciated.
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I like the concept...it's got a lot of hooks.
Of course, I tend to use those hooks for various Evil GMtm plot twists. ;)
If the dad isn't in on it, you could do a lot of nasty stuff. Calling in a team of heavy hitters to get the girl back seems like a reasonable reaction. Also, whoever Daddy owes that debt to might see this as an chance to grab the girl for themselves.
You used the phrase "take out the bodyguard" and stated that they weren't supposed to kill anyone during the grab. Why just one bodyguard? Is the bodyguard a total badass? If left alive, is said badass going to go all Man on Fire and hunt the team with implacable badassery?
And, of course, it goes without saying that the daughter should be an utter, unmitigated, royal pain in the backside. ;D Insisting on coming along, being a total pampered whiny git, and a massive liability that has their payday firmly in her clutches. Even more problematic, maybe she's on board with the idea of killing off Daddy, but when it comes time to do the dirty deed, maybe she has a change of heart - who does the team really work for? Mommy? And can they assassinate Daddy in cold blood while Darling Daughter is watching...not just watching but "on the team"? She could totally ghost them.
Oh, I'm liking this scenario more and more... :D
-Jn-
Ifriti Sophist
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Heh. Or Daddy could think he's in on it, or even BE in on it. It's a setup for the trideo shadowrun team which is doing a defense/rescue.
... is darling princess an only child, or is there a backup heir waiting in the wings and trying to pull strings?
You're right, this has lots of hooks on which to hang a story.
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When the girl suggests killing daddy, is it in despiration so the runners let her go, or is just much more of stone, cold, *****, the team might have previously thought. Cause if she is, she will have had plenty of opportunity to collect blackmail info on them for later....
Also i'm totally stealing this idea. ;)
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I also like the idea and I'm going to "borrow" it for a session or two down the road. A lot of possibilities within it. :D
+1 for the idea!
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I'm glad you guys like it.
First off daddy doesn't know whats going on. Its meant to be an escape from an over protective father (no mother no siblings)
The bodyguards are set up right now as having the same stats a lonestar member and a Triad member SR4 pg 283-284. The no kill thing is because both the body guard and driver have been with her for several years and she more wants to give them the slip not hurt them.
the whole kill the father thing comes in the fact he is basically running the buisiness into the ground and the Heir is having none of it.
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the whole kill the father thing comes in the fact he is basically running the buisiness into the ground and the Heir is having none of it.
Sounds like a desperate man with nothing to lose who just might do something crazy. Maybe Dad is an ex-runner....
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I like...
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the whole kill the father thing comes in the fact he is basically running the buisiness into the ground and the Heir is having none of it.
Sounds like a desperate man with nothing to lose who just might do something crazy. Maybe Dad is an ex-runner....
If so, the Shadowrunners of the group better come prepared. He may have more than a few tricks up his sleeve....
Though if he's an Ex-shadowrunner. Maybe HE wouldn't have any hesitance to shoot his own daughter. (though if that's true i'm not sure why he would pay the ransom.... <.<)
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the Shadowrunners of the group better come prepared
And that is the joy of knowing your group. Maybe I've been lucky, but I can usually predict with relative accuracy what my players are going to do.
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the Shadowrunners of the group better come prepared
And that is the joy of knowing your group. Maybe I've been lucky, but I can usually predict with relative accuracy what my players are going to do.
^ I know what you mean there.
If I face them with a moral quandary, a lot of the time they take the "heros way" out. >.> I don't think any of them are cold hearted killers unfortunately, when they need to be.
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If I face them with a moral quandary, a lot of the time they take the "heros way" out. >.> I don't think any of them are cold hearted killers unfortunately, when they need to be.
My group never had any moral issues dealing with things violently or criminally. But I decided to throw them a curve ball one time when they needed to beat some information out of a dock worker (Who the Elven "Bio-Ninja" had met before and hated, as the guy stole his sword. To be fair, said sword was in his CHEST at the time.), when they lay in wait at his house, only to find a bowling ball-sized hole in the wall.
The Pixie flew through, and found a crying woman, severely beaten. Throwing the job to the wind, they head to the next door apartment (Having figured out what the "Bowling Ball" had really been), and tried to open the door. Not only did it have five physical locks on it (Which the Pixie couldn't open from the inside as they were the "Double-Key" type), but the door was literally nailed shut from the outside.
The group decided to lay in wait in a different apartment altogether for someone else to come home. They didn't even bother asking questions as the beatdown happened.
They got an extra point of Karma, and, I had already factored in a previously-mentioned situation where there was overtime at the docks, so they were still able to get the info they needed, although they had to change approaches.
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If I face them with a moral quandary, a lot of the time they take the "heros way" out. >.> I don't think any of them are cold hearted killers unfortunately, when they need to be.
My group never had any moral issues dealing with things violently or criminally. But I decided to throw them a curve ball one time when they needed to beat some information out of a dock worker (Who the Elven "Bio-Ninja" had met before and hated, as the guy stole his sword. To be fair, said sword was in his CHEST at the time.), when they lay in wait at his house, only to find a bowling ball-sized hole in the wall.
The Pixie flew through, and found a crying woman, severely beaten. Throwing the job to the wind, they head to the next door apartment (Having figured out what the "Bowling Ball" had really been), and tried to open the door. Not only did it have five physical locks on it (Which the Pixie couldn't open from the inside as they were the "Double-Key" type), but the door was literally nailed shut from the outside.
The group decided to lay in wait in a different apartment altogether for someone else to come home. They didn't even bother asking questions as the beatdown happened.
They got an extra point of Karma, and, I had already factored in a previously-mentioned situation where there was overtime at the docks, so they were still able to get the info they needed, although they had to change approaches.
I must be missing something here, what was the bowling ball? A cannon? a head bashing through the wall? o.O'
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Now, what if they had decided to rough him up for info, without the prior history, and broke into his home to find a couple of kids and wife?
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A crying, beaten woman locked in apartment whose door has been NAILED shut, and has a hole in the wall about the size of a person's head (Or a bowling ball.). There were also other holes in the wall that didn't go all the way through, about the size of a fist or other portions of anatomy (I hadn't mentioned that in my previous post, sorry.).
If you're missing something, I'll point it right out: Spousal Abuse. Physical, social, and psychological.
Worst part was that I had her begging them not to hurt him, as he "Didn't hurt her too bad.", "Only did it when she deserved it.", and "Was a good provider."
One finally lead her to a taxi and intimidated the driver to drop her off at a shelter and ensure she got in under pain of "Hear that guy screaming in there? You'll wish you were him."
I wanted to drive home the point that corporations and dragons weren't the only monsters the group was going to have to face... And, also, to show that the more things change...Now, what if they had decided to rough him up for info, without the prior history, and broke into his home to find a couple of kids and wife?
That was planned for another game, but the campaign fell apart. And would have brought up the question, "Now, are YOU monsters as well?"
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A crying, beaten woman locked in apartment whose door has been NAILED shut, and has a hole in the wall about the size of a person's head (Or a bowling ball.). There were also other holes in the wall that didn't go all the way through, about the size of a fist or other portions of anatomy (I hadn't mentioned that in my previous post, sorry.).
If you're missing something, I'll point it right out: Spousal Abuse. Physical, social, and psychological.
Worst part was that I had her begging them not to hurt him, as he "Didn't hurt her too bad.", "Only did it when she deserved it.", and "Was a good provider."
One finally lead her to a taxi and intimidated the driver to drop her off at a shelter and ensure she got in under pain of "Hear that guy screaming in there? You'll wish you were him."
I wanted to drive home the point that corporations and dragons weren't the only monsters the group was going to have to face... And, also, to show that the more things change...Now, what if they had decided to rough him up for info, without the prior history, and broke into his home to find a couple of kids and wife?
That was planned for another game, but the campaign fell apart. And would have brought up the question, "Now, are YOU monsters as well?"
Ok, NOW i get it. xD Must be my hair color (heh i'll let you guess that one).
I thought you were saying the woman was an evil powerful something being locked in that room and nailed shut from the inside. <.< I would think that means whatever is in there you DONT want to mess with. But that story works too, and i'm sure my group would want some time to give the guy a "taste of his own medicine".
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A slightly relevent note, I recently did a run where they were looking for members of a certain gang. Through a contact, they got the number of a gang members younger brother.
They then broke in there, beat up the gang members girlfriend, pushed the gang member out a window, stabbed the younger brother in the arm, then shot them all after interrogation and torched the house, setting the neighbor hood on fire.
The younger brother was 15...
I need to instil some humanity in my players...
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If you're missing something, I'll point it right out: Spousal Abuse. Physical, social, and psychological.
Worst part was that I had her begging them not to hurt him, as he "Didn't hurt her too bad.", "Only did it when she deserved it.", and "Was a good provider."Now, what if they had decided to rough him up for info, without the prior history, and broke into his home to find a couple of kids and wife?
That was planned for another game, but the campaign fell apart. And would have brought up the question, "Now, are YOU monsters as well?"
Ok, NOW i get it. xD Must be my hair color (heh i'll let you guess that one).
I thought you were saying the woman was an evil powerful something being locked in that room and nailed shut from the inside. <.< I would think that means whatever is in there you DONT want to mess with. But that story works too, and i'm sure my group would want some time to give the guy a "taste of his own medicine".
Were this a Pure-Fantasy game, yeah, I'd agree with you. Those are major signs of "Do Not Let Out!". But this was in a tenement, not a dungeon. (You could tell because it wasn't as well built.).
My group complimented me on how well I did it, but were also a little freaked at how I was able to do it at all... I can't blame them at all for feeling that way, actually.
I need to instil some humanity in my players...
Maybe they're playing the humanity that is appropriate to the dystopian world they live in?
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A slightly relevent note, I recently did a run where they were looking for members of a certain gang. Through a contact, they got the number of a gang members younger brother.
They then broke in there, beat up the gang members girlfriend, pushed the gang member out a window, stabbed the younger brother in the arm, then shot them all after interrogation and torched the house, setting the neighbor hood on fire.
The younger brother was 15...
I need to instil some humanity in my players...
Start by instilling fear of consequences. Obvious hooks start with asking how many members of the neighborhood are retired shadowrunners, or are primary contacts for other shadowrunners. If it was a "protected" neighborhood (KE, for example) this is splashy enough that PR overrides cost. Bring in the more expensive teams and start a serious trail.
Heck, it might get the whole team "hung out to dry" (negative quality).
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A slightly relevent note, I recently did a run where they were looking for members of a certain gang. Through a contact, they got the number of a gang members younger brother.
They then broke in there, beat up the gang members girlfriend, pushed the gang member out a window, stabbed the younger brother in the arm, then shot them all after interrogation and torched the house, setting the neighbor hood on fire.
The younger brother was 15...
I need to instil some humanity in my players...
Sounds kinda like the opening to the movie The Crow. Almost as if something might come back from the dead to extract vengeance on the runners.
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That.... Is an amazing idea...
Have I mentioned I love the people here?
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Sounds kinda like the opening to the movie The Crow. Almost as if something might come back from the dead to extract vengeance on the runners.
"The dead should stay buried, boy. What comes back ain't right. Even when they do come back right, they ain't right all the way, no way no how." - Me GMing Deadlands
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They then broke in there, beat up the gang members girlfriend, pushed the gang member out a window, stabbed the younger brother in the arm, then shot them all after interrogation and torched the house, setting the neighbor hood on fire.
The younger brother was 15...
I need to instil some humanity in my players...
Many fun ideas from people before this post. Take inspiration where you may!
Funny story that's relevant:
Some few years ago, back when I was in my SR prime, the team's Decker sort of had this very strange thing wherein he'd sometimes carelessly leave his cyberdeck lying around (nobody ever understood why). So, inevitably, this one time, he goes and retrieves it only to find it had gone missing. The Runners team up with him to track down the thief which eventually leaves them out into the sewers.
Soon enough, they come upon something of an alcove whereupon a bundle of blankets and covers seems asleep what with steady breathing and the form rising and lowering rhythmically. The Deck's in plain sight, slightly a-ways a good third of it sticking out from beneath the bundle. Now, you can imagine the Decker was pissed off, so, without much thought other than retribution, he empties his APDS-filled Ingram Smartgun on the sleeping form. Retrieving the deck, he tosses the blankets... only to see a mucked-up and quite dead sleeping ten year old kid.
This would have been the beginning of a plot-hook with that particular street kid having more street sense than most folk (sort of, but not immediately, inspired by the character "Newt" in the movie Aliens). As a GM, I learned a valuable lesson: having important gear stolen from careless Runners is possibly not the better way to start up a scenario. As a player, the Decker learned that not everything in Shadowrun is about shooting first and asking questions later.
But, yes, you mention your group gladly shanking a 15 year-old. That may demand a bit more attention to hammer into them a sense of realism in that the characters they portray ought to "feel like actual people" and the persons who people the game world should also feel real enough to be convincing. If you manage this, then maybe they will begin to feel a bit more humane -- or, at least, more sympathetic towards others.
Regardless, teaching them a messy lesson involving an angry ghost or specter (or possibly also involving some fun with their remains returning as Corps Cadavre hounding the PCs -- the ghost of your 15-year-old might've struck a pact with someone (or some thing)). Make it fun, feel free to harass the characters, take the time to have the lesson taught, build on it (might be something you want to stretch out into subsequent storylines -- not the ghosties or beasties, but maybe they'll attract the attention of someone or some thing that's Karma Incarnated) but remember to have fun, for yourself and your players.
Or!
Have that 15-year-old be friends with my Street Sammy Elf Girl Who Has A Thing About Protecting Street Kids And Who Has Vowed To Avenge The Death Of Her Friend (kidding :P)!
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Was the 15-year old an ork or troll, 'cause that's full grown for them. They might not have known the difference.
Of course, said fifteen year old, and his ganger brother, have a major contact: Said Gang. They're not going to be pleased.
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>.> if I was in either of those groups and playing my first character, I'd have probably shot the person who killed or shanked the kid. (>.> that is if the 15 year old wasn't putting up a real threat. If he had a gun than it might warrent a little roughing up) xD
Holy cow some of your guy's groups have no morals. (in fact my first character having only shot 2 bullets in like 4-5 sessions was quite a feat considering what my group was like. (I had like 3 notoriety because of them and i hadn't done a thing!) Curse my crazy group. xD
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One of my Players constantly points out that his character has never fired a shot yet. Point to everyone: "Dead. Twice.", points to himself: "Still alive."
Of course, that doesn't take into consideration his being arrested, left all his Contacts flapping in the wind when his CommLink was compromised... And then there's Baron Von Vanderpluffe from the Dark Forest Troll Kingdom...
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One of my Players constantly points out that his character has never fired a shot yet. Point to everyone: "Dead. Twice.", points to himself: "Still alive."
Of course, that doesn't take into consideration his being arrested, left all his Contacts flapping in the wind when his CommLink was compromised... And then there's Baron Von Vanderpluffe from the Dark Forest Troll Kingdom...
Heh, a similiar fate to my character though it would have happened even if I had shot. (>.<)
Though my contacts weren't comprimised in fact I got a dective promotted for dropping the man a tip to double check my friend's murdered body. The offical cause of death was "Heart attack". <.< That's because a mage tried to make it look that way when she came to get him. Poor Sod. If only I could have found him sooner.
Regardless, i made up a knowledge skill (or thought i did). Human Anatomy(or was it biology?). rolled it with edge just in case. (3 knowledge + 7 edge) got five hits) So informed my dective Karin that he should double check the autheticity of that claim because a "shot to the back of the head, doesn't cause a heart attack."
>.> that's just fishy even without knowledge of anatomy.
Anyways he gets promotted and then I suddenly disappear.... <.< into the dragons nest.... (most of my contacts probably just assume I keeled over and died.... nope. Thirteen years later.... <.< "Hey Karin, how's it going buddy? You still a Lieutenant now?"
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Now, what if they had decided to rough him up for info, without the prior history, and broke into his home to find a couple of kids and wife?
That was planned for another game, but the campaign fell apart. And would have brought up the question, "Now, are YOU monsters as well?"
One of my PCs? Yes. Yes he is. And he knows it - he's trying to get better.
The real question...is he trying to become a better person...or a better monster?
The other one looks like a monster (in an expensive suit) but really, he's quite benign...you know...by our team's standards. (There was the whole "clubbing gang members like baby harp seals" incident, but that was self-defense.)
-Jn-
Ifriti Sophist
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>.> if I was in either of those groups and playing my first character, I'd have probably shot the person who killed or shanked the kid. (>.> that is if the 15 year old wasn't putting up a real threat. If he had a gun than it might warrent a little roughing up) xD
Holy cow some of your guy's groups have no morals. (in fact my first character having only shot 2 bullets in like 4-5 sessions was quite a feat considering what my group was like. (I had like 3 notoriety because of them and i hadn't done a thing!) Curse my crazy group. xD
Now, maybe I'm overly cold, but if I was in a violent situation with a person with gang affiliations/gang membership who'd hit puberty in a bad area, I wouldn't wait to see if I had a weapon, as he probably does and the first I'd probably know about it is its being used to injure someone I care about. Admittedly, my personal reaction would be to bug out, but if I were a Shadowrunner then the kid would be going down. Preferably non-lethally admittedly.
What gets me is I'm not sure there was any need for a fight at all from what Bane said, or setting the whole neighbour hood on fire...
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>.> if I was in either of those groups and playing my first character, I'd have probably shot the person who killed or shanked the kid. (>.> that is if the 15 year old wasn't putting up a real threat. If he had a gun than it might warrent a little roughing up) xD
Holy cow some of your guy's groups have no morals. (in fact my first character having only shot 2 bullets in like 4-5 sessions was quite a feat considering what my group was like. (I had like 3 notoriety because of them and i hadn't done a thing!) Curse my crazy group. xD
Now, maybe I'm overly cold, but if I was in a violent situation with a person with gang affiliations/gang membership who'd hit puberty in a bad area, I wouldn't wait to see if I had a weapon, as he probably does and the first I'd probably know about it is its being used to injure someone I care about. Admittedly, my personal reaction would be to bug out, but if I were a Shadowrunner then the kid would be going down. Preferably non-lethally admittedly.
What gets me is I'm not sure there was any need for a fight at all from what Bane said, or setting the whole neighbour hood on fire...
lol did they set the whole neighbourhood on fire? I must have missed that part. XD
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"Some people just want to watch the world burn..."
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You haven't seen the big hit have you? Where the father spent all his money on making a movie about himself, and the daughter ends up helping the incompetent kidnappers? What you need to sneak into your run is a trace buster buster :)
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The Big Hit, proof that choosing your contacts wisely is always important!
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Its 2073, surely they have the Trace Buster Buster Buster now.
Sigh...now my next dying baddy that is going to betray the team must have a speech about watching the dolphins swim.
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Actually it could have some rather comedic shadow run themes for a nice light hearted breather in between dark and menacing runs. In any case the plot of this run seemed vaguely reminiscent in certain aspects. I can still remember the name of the ridiculous movie in the movie.... I think it was Shiro and the Golden Spray.
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The real question...is he trying to become a better person...or a better monster?
Maybe it's just me, but when I play RPG's there has to be an element of the hero in it for it to be enjoyable. I don't enjoy morally bankrupt games. Even if it's the flawed hero, I think that little vestige of morality is what turns a game into an epic story.
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I once had someone wonder why the character that crossed over between stories (With different protagonists) "Went Evil".
I had to point out that this was how he reacted to a lot of different people as "The Hero", and was no different at all. In fact, he was even nicer.
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The real question...is he trying to become a better person...or a better monster?
Maybe it's just me, but when I play RPG's there has to be an element of the hero in it for it to be enjoyable. I don't enjoy morally bankrupt games. Even if it's the flawed hero, I think that little vestige of morality is what turns a game into an epic story.
Agreed - if he were Evil, he's not even an anti-hero, he's just a villain.
The actual backstory on is particular guy is fairly involved...he got where he is for all the right reasons, but at the end of the day, he is not longer the hero he set out to become...he's a weapon with no safety, and just enough conscience left to know he is a monster.
The SURGE event just made it official.
-Jn-
Ifriti Sophist
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The real question...is he trying to become a better person...or a better monster?
Maybe it's just me, but when I play RPG's there has to be an element of the hero in it for it to be enjoyable. I don't enjoy morally bankrupt games. Even if it's the flawed hero, I think that little vestige of morality is what turns a game into an epic story.
Agreed - if he were Evil, he's not even an anti-hero, he's just a villain.
The actual backstory on is particular guy is fairly involved...he got where he is for all the right reasons, but at the end of the day, he is not longer the hero he set out to become...he's a weapon with no safety, and just enough conscience left to know he is a monster.
The SURGE event just made it official.
-Jn-
Ifriti Sophist
The road to ruin is paved with the best intentions. :D
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The road to ruin is paved with my slain foes!
And mimes. Lots of mimes.
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The road to ruin is paved with my slain foes!
And mimes. Lots of mimes.
A guy I once knew had a saying....
Headbutt the mimes, and pile drive the midgets.... <.<
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Dangle them over the scorpion pit with a sign reading, "Learn the words!"?
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The road to ruin is paved with my slain foes!
And mimes. Lots of mimes.
Surreal moment for the day:
I've actually had a conversation with Marcel Marceau.
-Jn-
Ifriti Sophist
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Surreal moment for the day:
I've actually had a conversation with Marcel Marceau.
-Jn-
Ifriti Sophist
No, wait, let me guess. He said, "NO!", right?
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Surreal moment for the day:
I've actually had a conversation with Marcel Marceau.
-Jn-
Ifriti Sophist
No, wait, let me guess. He said, "NO!", right?
I don't really recall...something about whatever they were paying me, he would double it, blah blah blah...you know...the usual. :)
-Jn-
Ifriti Sophist