Amusing ways to screw over the PCs, The zen of GM pwnage Options

[Wounded Ronin]

The most amusing way to screw over the PCs in your game is to put obstacles in your scenario which would be very simple to overcome with some basic preparation and planning but which most players nevertheless don't think of. On the one hand they can't really accuse you of evil-GMing you since the problem is so simple and pedestrian, but on the other hand it can be really funny to watch the Gunther Hermann style cybered death machine be brought to a screeching halt by something a fat fifty year old uncybered secretary could have bypassed with 15 minutes of prep time.

Here are some of my favorites:

1.) A reinforced steel exterior door that's locked with an old fashioned key lock. Most players are quick to jot down maglock passkeys or electronics kits but few remember to also purchase a lockpicking kit. This leads to the very amusing Jagged Alliance 2 "stopped by a locked door" paradigm. EDIT: Also, almost nobody remembers to take an actual lockpicking skill.

2.) A reinforced steel locker holding the objective is locked with a high-end combination lock. Same as above unless somebody brought a pair of lock clippers. The players will probably try to shoot the lock from point blank range so be sure to roll to see if the riccohet hits anyone or not. The way I do this is usually a "chaos roll"; I roll one dice and if it explodes twice or more something terrible happens. Even if nothing bad happens you can describe how the riccochet zipped dangerously past someo ther party member. Finally, remember that even if the weapon is suppressed the sound of a slug hitting the metal lock which is loosely connected to a steel locker is probably going to make a pretty loud noise.

3.) There's a large air vent which a PC may attempt to crawl through like in the movies. However, the air vent is filled with dust and tiny dead spiders so the PC looks filthy and ridiculous upon emerging and gets a +1 TN to physical activities for three minutes after emerging due to choking on dust. Furthermore, crawling through the vent is actually extremely noisy, as I believe was demonstrated on the TV show "mythbusters".

4.) There's some area the PCs much navigate which is pitch dark. Watch half the party have thermo vision or low light vision and half not. Furthermore, watch how probably nobody has flares, flashlights, or even swanky tactical illuminators on their pistols. If only they played more Soldier of Fortune II they would have seen the light of a tactical illuminator on your pistol.

5.) There's some kind of brick wall which needs to be climbed over. Watch all the fatties who didn't take Athletics because they wanted to pump up Rifles keep sliding down.

6.) When the PCs are paranoid and holed up in their safehouse have a Mormon in a trenchcoat and suit come knocking on their door looking to convert them. The PCs, being paranoid and seeing someone who looks like a company man, will probably blow him away in a comically grandiose fashion. Watch the PCs who have ethics go into mental breakdowns.

[Marmot]

Half of these are examples from CLUE Foundation situations.

They're also why I habitually pack a miniwelder and a flashlight (if I can't have both, I always always pack the latter).

But yes, they're all funny and legitimate ways to get a laugh at the PCs expense.

[Kagetenshi]

Ethics? Is that some kind of funky Esperanto you're trying to pass off on us?

~J

[warrior_allanon]

all good ideas, especially the last, my GM used to play the Paranoia card on us all the time, we ended up being seriously proffesionally paranoid, it also would have mattered who was present for the game, if the GM's brother or one of his sons friends were there, the probability for an overwhelming lead greeting was good, if they weren't or if they were able to be supressed quickly enough, our electronics tech/face would do the greeting, and then he would at least last long enought to try and get his foot in the door. Now whether he kept that foot or not would be under question, some idiot decided that a hellhound puppy would make a good pet and team mascot, and now Mr Snookums as Mongo calls him is 175lbs pounds of lovable viciousness

[James McMurray]

Dude... Did you just say "PCs who have ethics?" Those exist?

[BookWyrm]

Have their comms beep loudly when they're trying to use Stealth, despite having it set to silent/vibe. Especially if it's the PC's mom. "Oh, oh, oh! Mr. big-time hot-shot shaaaadowrunner has time to go on heaven-knows-what with his runner-buddies, but gawd-forbid he has time to talk to his mother!"

Use the classic 'guard-coming-out-of-the-washroom' gag. Never fails.

Have them run out of ammo in the middle of a firefight. "Didn't you bring reloads?!" "I thought *you* brought the reloads!"

[Kagetenshi]

Have rocks fall on their head, killing them instantly. That one's always a knee-slapper.

~J

[Wounded Ronin]

[Marmot]

Hanging your players for that, like the ability to 'forget' mundane items like flashlights, medkits or even body armor (I've seen it happen) is one of the many ways to spark a rebellion amongst the player population.

[Wounded Ronin]

[Kyoto Kid]

[Marmot]

[Crusher Bob]

The problem with detaisl listings off everything you are carrying is that the players are not experts in shooting, camping, jumping out of airplanes, and so on.

So thier team of runners has to survive in the wilderness for a while during the winter. What stuff do they need, exactly? Did they remember to list toilet paper? Did they bring enough? How much toilet paper is enough, exactly? Hahaha I don't see spare socks on your sheet, monkey boy! It's trench foot for you. Really, how many of you know that slathering your feet in vaseline can protect your feet when you have to wear your boots in a wet climate for a long time? Or to sleep with thier water in their sleeping bags to keep it from freezing? For characters without the wilderness survial skill, this sort of irritant can point out why having the skill is a good idea. For players who have no idea but thier characters should, it's just the GM screwing with you.

That's one of the reasons that I don't like the GM screwing you by exactly what you are carrying. To get a good list, it takes hours of game time to come up with a complete list, unless you can get a good one off dumpshock or the Internet on short notice.

[Kesslan]

Well a good GM will at least take some factors into account. But it's plain common sense for the 'little things'. Like.. ohh.. I dunno. A flashlight when its dark? The proper tools to bring along on run to break in? (There's not many and it's not a streatch to simply carry them all. God knows I do that. I take waht I expect in pouches, and the stuff for unexpected problems goes in the backpack. That way if I expect keycard maglocs but hit a keypad maglog I just set my backpack down, dig out the sequencer and presto! I'm prepared OMG!)

And if you don thave the survival skill but are tryign to survive in the destert etc and your character has no way of knowing about little tricks like that. Then what are you bitching about? If I'm GMing and a player who HAS survival skills forgets some simple commonly known trick or what ever then wow.. theyg et to roll under survival.

I mean obviously you have to give some leeway yes. But I'm sure as hell not going to baby the PCs every step of the way, nor if I'm playing in a game, do I expect to be babied to. If I dont bring enough ammo it's damn well my fault.

[Sphynx]

I think it's the dumbest thing I've heard of, trying to screw the players. Maybe I'm just too old-school, but our objective in gaming isn't to screw or get screwed, it's to tell a story. Putting a door they can't get past is only for when the story would be hindered by them getting past it, and even then, expect the possibility that they will get past it (better to have it hidden).

If your objective is to screw players, just drop randomly orbitting cows on them and be done with it. We rarely ever even count ammo, if it makes the story interesting, the GM just tells someone their last clip went dry, and we auto-assume it's for the story, to make it more interesting in some way. So we look for something to swing or get ready to pistol-whip.

If your objective is to screw the players, I'm guessing that the players aren't going to just nod and flip the pistol into a pistol-whip position when you tell them they're out of ammo. Then again, our group tends to 'screw itself' by someone who doesn't count his ammo just deciding he's out until someone is around to throw him a spare clip or he comes across a weapon.

So anyhows, maybe not a dumb idea, maybe just completely different playing styles, but I wouldn't last long as a player with a GM that was out to screw me. If that's his idea of telling a good story, I'll just find a new GM, or GM myself.

[Crusher Bob]

My main objection is that list making takes away valuable game time. A realistic list of what to carry might take an hour or two to prepare, then a discussion of how the laod will be split between the party and so on. Unless it's really an excuse to give the GM more time or the groups actually enjoys the list making, it's much better to skip over it and get on with the part that everyone actually enjoys.

[Kesslan]

Well personally I never expecitly go out to 'screw' a group of PCs. At least not in any serious way. I mean the thing is some PCs seem to only expect certain things. Now the time of games I run, I very much expect players to track their ammo usage, and even if they dont, I do.

Thats largely because I go in for the slightly more gritty realistic playstyle. To each their own of course. And It's also why when I'm playing a game, I track my own ammo usage.

I will however occasionally throw an unepected locktype etc at a PC group. Afterall there's almost allways -some- way of bypassing said door. Even if in the end, that comes down to either leaving it alone, or bashing it in.

Now and then, I'll even do something, I've seen done in real life. ANd thats put a security door to a room, that's built out of what passes for drywall in SR. Meaning if the PCs think of it.. yeah they can just go through the wall. I just dont do stuff like that on a regular basis.

Reall the mentality I'm seeing from this thread (and i can be totally wrong about this) isnt so much YEAHH! Let's totally screw over the PCs soely to make their lives miserable!

But purely a sort of game of mental chess, where you as the GM try to think of simple, and some times ammusing ways to foil the plans of PCs. Afterall, they are trying to foil your plans constantly, and it can be a good deal of fun for both parties to throw the odd twist at them that isnt harmful, but simply funny or makes them have to stop and actually think about what their doing.

[Kesslan]

[Crusher Bob]

Heh, I don't see any toilet paper on your list, although I guess the notepad could do in a pinch. Time for your PC to shout out, "Help me, Tommy. I've wiped my ass with pre-historic stinging nettle!" <insert evil GM laugh>

[Kesslan]

ROFL.

Well thats because I dont -expect- to be in a situation where I'll nee to use the bathroom, and if i'm on a 'typical run'. If I really need one that badly, I'll damn well go use the one of the corp I'm raiding :grinbig:

If I was expecting a run that would take me out into the deep woods as it were, I would add to the backpack:
Large box of matches
Toilet paper
Colapsable 1 man tent
2x 1l canteens
X days rations (no more than a few days tops unless I was supposed to be out a bloody long time)
Camping cookware set
Spork!
Unbreakable travel mug
bug repellant
2 changes of underwear and socks
Survival saw

And one of those foil thermal survival blankets, and assorted odds and ends. BUt thats what I'd really call one of those 'out of the ordinary runs' where I would infact have to take maybe an hour figguring out what to haul along.

[Sphynx]

Defintiely different playing styles Kesslan. If you went anywhere with that list of gear in our game, you'd not make it through an actual ShadowRun. Our runs are a mix of OceansEleven, JamesBond, and MissionImpossible. You'd never make it in a building without setting off alarms with the Assault Rifle alone, in our games. In our game, the best way to screw the players is to place innocent bystanders in the way.

Of course, the day we walk into a building for a run, and don't know in advance which doors are mechanically locked, time to walk because it's obviously a setup. :P

[Kesslan]

Well keep in mind I set this up as an example of your tipical raid. Oceans Eleven style playing takes god knows how much stuff into account. And it -severely- limits the kinda gear and cyber you can use really. Because eventually that fake ID/lisence is goign to crack and your illegal cyber is going to be noted as such. Not to mention even if it's 'legal' it still draws alot of attention

ANd yeah i'm not about to go on a run where I hvae to steal something from a high end luxury hotel with an assault rifle. If I bring a weapon at all it's gonna be ceramic knives and MADS invisible guns, nanopaste disguises etc.

But stuf flike that you have to plan out ahead of time a great deal, and specificaly customize your gear loadout to the job becuase its likely going to require specialy tools, and ideally your intel should damn well be good enough on the place first before you ever go in for the job to know if you do or not and if you do what that specialty gear is.

[wargear]

As a GM I tend to go with the assumption that Lifestyle covers incidental ammo and maintenance costs. Special stuff is acquired from Fixers, etc. I generally ask for a quick list of what they are taking with them, but leave it up to the players to enforce expenditure. I prefer to let the story flow than get caught up in accountancy.

As a player I tend to religiously keep track of my own and general team gear. I also go with mission specific gear loads, with an emphasis on concealability. If an ordinary guard can spot the gear, is it worth taking? Depends on mission profile, I guess...

[Sphynx]

Exactly WarGear. :P

[Toptomcat]