Paving the Road to Hell
Are your players laughing
too much? Do you wish that sometimes you could just get them to stop reveling
over their latest exploits? We can fix that, but it will take a commitment from
you to withhold your sympathies from those sycophantic rule-hawks for a bit.
Pull up a chair, grab a drink and hold your digital screen just a little
closer…we’re going into the mindset of a player…
[Empty Space]
Players, like anyone
else, are products of their environment. Where & how they grew up, what
went on during their week before they arrived at gaming, ands personal
peculiarities are all 100% out of your control (unless you can lock them up in
a closet). I say this because you need to take the advice with the proverbial
grain of salt; messing with players’ heads may have some unforeseen results. I
will not be held responsible for bloody noses or bad tempers.
[The first rule of
RPG Fight Club is…. We’re not LARPing! This is serious, mom!]
Think about your
current gaming party- are you able to clearly distinguish the players as the
good guys and the NPC villains as the baddies? If you answered yes, then you’ve
come to the right place. The first step is admitting there is a problem. Black
and white moral choices are so pre-millennium.
Today’s best ‘good guy’ parties should do good deeds, save the world etc. but
in the process be liable to be blamed for everything. Having to justify their
actions (just a dash, mind you- you don’t want to spoil the flavor) will both
solidify your players’ involvement in the shared world, and leave them open for
your well-timed barb that many monsters are able to justify their actions too.
[Heck, Kanye West
asked for millions…]
In an article I wrote for High Level Games, I mentioned the fact that often times,
NPC’s are treated like second-class citizens. In the real world, this has
consequences. People that are oppressed eventually get fed up with it. What
this looks like historically is: slaves become emancipated, colonies become
independent, and Facebook friends become “unfriended”. Your NPC’s can be a part
of this revolution tradition. Back stabbing, gossiping, theft and deliberate
deception are just a few of the symptoms of our human condition that can be
transferred to your world.
[Think: What Would
Putin Do?]
Your party has a
reputation. There are ripples of effects for each of the powerful artifacts
gained, monsters cleared out, and taverns emptied of booze. These should not be
ignored, nor should your players’ actions towards those “others” living in your
shared world. The people in the town that was destroyed- do they form a lynch mob
to remove the party, or spread rumors about the bad luck the players bring? If
your players go through NPC’s like so much cotton candy after a merry-go-round
marathon, have that well dry up. And make it stark.
[You know nothing,
John Snow]
Get your players second-guessing
their tendencies. Asking them innocuous questions such as “where are you
standing when you say this?” or “who is pushing open the door?” will bait the
trap for players to expect the worst every time you open your mouth. If they
keep killing off plot hooks before you have a chance to use them, have the plot
hooks’ identity concealed. Reveal upon death that… it was someone they wish
they hadn’t killed (or for the less nefarious- someone that they normally
wouldn’t kill). Players second-guessing themselves are a DM’s opiate. Watching
them squirm while trying to hide your smirk will get you through several
requisite haggling sessions about what is and isn’t allowed according to the
rules.
In short, DM’s you
must take the world players expect and turn it upside down. That moral grey
area is your house. Invite the players in to stay a while…at least until their
laughing dies down.
Dustinopolis,
Devourer of Cheese (@devourcheese) writes blogs for the perennially classy
HighLevelGames.ca . He changes his underwear daily.
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