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Reyus Graven
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Joined: 10 Oct 2007
Posts: 41
Location: Anacortes, Wa
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 Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 4:12 am Post subject: Boss killers. PC McSlayer the NPC boss killer |
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This is mostly a topic just to see if other people have the same issues as I do.
I have been running many games from back when I was 12. However once I got into the teens I would have a group of good players....but one who is just plain great. So great is this one person that even with non combat charaters always manages to out-think, out-plan, and out-maneuver your boss characters.
I thought at first it was just a fluke but even after I moved there always seems to be one person who just has that Knack for axing your baddies boss.
I am a reasonable GM though. Unless a person is too important to my campaign or I can't reasonably give a good reason for him to have survived (more so if the PC's plan was good) I tend to let him die and improvise from there.
I just want to see how many other of you GM's out there have a person like this. Then we should get them into one room and release a rancor or something  mostly just kidding about that last part. mostly..... 
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Orgaloth
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Joined: 23 Sep 2003
Posts: 3754
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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| Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:18 am Post subject: |
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I've had that situation, and its always better to go with the flow I've found.
I've also been that player. I've found that LARP actually helped me work out plots and other means of obtaining character goals. It also helped me in the GMsituations as I was able to come up with more elaborate plots (when you have to try and out think 50+ people you get pretty good at it).
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cheshire
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Joined: 04 Jan 2004
Posts: 4834
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| Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 9:42 am Post subject: |
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My wife always ran into that problem when I was her player. It was terrible for her when another friend of mine was with us; he was a really quick thinker.
There are a few tricks you can pull, but they tend to be the sort of things that only work once. For example, once they take down the boss without a fight, someone even bigger and meaner steps out of the shadows to say (with an extra helping of melodrama), "He was only a pawn in my game. You pitiful fools have only created a minor nuisance. We shall meet again another day... MUAHA HA HA!" And then he leaves the scene.
It gives them the satisfaction of completing their mission, while discovering that there really is something more challenging ahead. |
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Reyus Graven
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Joined: 10 Oct 2007
Posts: 41
Location: Anacortes, Wa
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| Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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| cheshire wrote: | My wife always ran into that problem when I was her player. It was terrible for her when another friend of mine was with us; he was a really quick thinker.
There are a few tricks you can pull, but they tend to be the sort of things that only work once. For example, once they take down the boss without a fight, someone even bigger and meaner steps out of the shadows to say (with an extra helping of melodrama), "He was only a pawn in my game. You pitiful fools have only created a minor nuisance. We shall meet again another day... MUAHA HA HA!" And then he leaves the scene.
It gives them the satisfaction of completing their mission, while discovering that there really is something more challenging ahead. |
The one problem with that plan is the whole. He was only a pawn in that game.....Gasps as PC McSlayer shoots him off the balcony with a awsome longshot. Typically I use holograms or illusions to avoid loosing 2 bosses in one evening.
Sometimes I can really twist things up for um. Depends on the circemstance. I always play my big bosses with an err on caution. I tend to make sure the PC's wont be able to have the slightest chance of blasting him when hes busy doing his talking, also it doesn't hurt that they will never find him alone. Big bad Villians with the arrogant trait dont seem to live long.
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Jedi Skyler
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Joined: 07 Sep 2005
Posts: 8440
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 3:26 am Post subject: |
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Plus, worst-case, you throw Vader up against them-especially if they're Jedi. Usually they start scrambling and hollering, "S#$T!!! He's coming for us!!!!"
 I mean, it's not like they can actually KILL Vader, right? Not unless you are running an Infinities campaign... |
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Reyus Graven
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Joined: 10 Oct 2007
Posts: 41
Location: Anacortes, Wa
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 3:34 am Post subject: |
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| Jedi Skyler wrote: | Plus, worst-case, you throw Vader up against them-especially if they're Jedi. Usually they start scrambling and hollering, "S#$T!!! He's coming for us!!!!"
I mean, it's not like they can actually KILL Vader, right? Not unless you are running an Infinities campaign... |
Typicaly in RPG's I try and avoid cannon character cameos. Yeah though I remember my friends when they had their old GM. They were ambushed by stormtroopers and for some reason Vader showed up. Some of them are like oh @#$@ its Vader. Course someone thought they were smart and threw a Thermal detonator at him. Course it never left the guys hand. Then he was force pushed through the doors and the blast door shut....
Vader would be an awsome trump but he would have bigger fish to fry in most cases. I have to justify someone like him being in a place most PC's go. I guess if they knew something important that would be a huge threat to the empire or did something crazy like almost succeeding in assassinating the emperor might get his attention.
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Jedi Skyler
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Joined: 07 Sep 2005
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 5:20 am Post subject: |
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Well, I mention it because I run a LOT of Jedi characters, and I've had Vader pop in on them more than once...
A Force-user is a HUGE deal-one definitely worthy of Vader's attention. |
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Reyus Graven
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Joined: 10 Oct 2007
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Location: Anacortes, Wa
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| Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 7:13 am Post subject: |
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| Jedi Skyler wrote: | Well, I mention it because I run a LOT of Jedi characters, and I've had Vader pop in on them more than once...
A Force-user is a HUGE deal-one definitely worthy of Vader's attention. |
True but hes one guy in a whole universe. No matter how powerful he is in the force he can't be everywhere at once. A force user is dangerous but that wouldn't stop them from sending their usual Jedi hunting people. Now if that force user managed to kill quite a few of those then I would imagine he would get involved. Obviously a jedi user that can beat his elite force of jedi hunters then would be a great threat worthy of his attention.
I do say though Vader is a real good trump for Jedi characters. Then again so is a star destroyer. Lets see them force block about a billion turbo lazer blasts with their freighter....
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