"Yeah, sure you can. Wait, WHY?", Your best GM-Ambush Options

[Simon Kerimov]

Since the GM crowd is getting their kicks out of the "Wait, you want us to WHAT?" and the Best Swerve threads, I figured I would ask for the rest of us:

What was the most amusing gm-ambush you ever pulled?

Most of mine seem to revolve around C-12 and trying to solve a problem (kill it with fire).

[Blade]

We had to get data from a chip inside a briefcase that was in a hotel room in Spain (we were in Seattle). It was the GM's first game as a GM so we went easy on him and explained to him the 3 ways we had to finish the run without leaving Seattle, or even the meet with Mr. J.:
1. Go there in astral with a spirit and have the spirit carry the briefcase back to us.
2. Create a fake order to the local police to get the briefcase for an investigation and have it sent somewhere we can pick it up.
3. (IMO the best one): hack the maintenance drone, have it open the briefcase, take the chip, put it in the telecom unit, download the data and have the drone put everything back where it was.

[Jhaiisiin]

Edit: Ambushing the GM. Whoops.

Best one we ever did was when the GM built up this heavily fortified building, made it 8 stories tall, and put the item we needed on the 8th floor. He expected us to go from the ground up, fighting through dozens of guards. We levitated to the roof, killed a couple people, grabbed the stuff and ran. GM was very much "Ummm, damnit."

[Mäx]

Edited away for redundancy. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Jhaiisiin]

Indeed. Edited to a Players ambushing GM story. Will repost that in the swerve thread maybe. It's early, I'm tired. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

[Ascalaphus]

Our GM had designed a house with some guards in it, and a computer server in the top floor. The building had sturdy walls and mage somewhere in the middle. The building had a faraday cage. We were hired to steal stuff from the computer.

So we used Shapeshift to turn the scrawny adept into a rat, gave him a laser-transmitter tied to his tail. He snuck in through the toilet; a juicy spirit with Concealment helped him get past a thick door.

Meanwhile, my mage had shapeshifted into a magpie and was perched outside the window, looking into the server room. When I saw the adept was in, I stopped maintaining his Shapeshift. He installed the laser transmitter, our remote hacker did his job, and then I shapeshifted the adept back to rat again.

Lesson to the GM: windows => line of sight.

[Draco18s]

"I call my bound Force 6 Air spirit and ask it to Control Weather to cover our getaway."

I should note that "getaway" here involved sluggishly navigating an oil tanker up Puget Sound where there's only one exit to the ocean.

On the other hand, the hurricane did keep the GM from using helicopters to attack us.

[Jaid]

Our GM had designed a house with some guards in it, and a computer server in the top floor. The building had sturdy walls and mage somewhere in the middle. The building had a faraday cage. We were hired to steal stuff from the computer.

So we used Shapeshift to turn the scrawny adept into a rat, gave him a laser-transmitter tied to his tail. He snuck in through the toilet; a juicy spirit with Concealment helped him get past a thick door.

Meanwhile, my mage had shapeshifted into a magpie and was perched outside the window, looking into the server room. When I saw the adept was in, I stopped maintaining his Shapeshift. He installed the laser transmitter, our remote hacker did his job, and then I shapeshifted the adept back to rat again.

Lesson to the GM: windows => line of sight.

for several editions now, tinted building windows have been fairly standard fare for just this reason. the people inside can see out fine, but the people outside don't get to see in, normally.

[KarmaInferno]

for several editions now, tinted building windows have been fairly standard fare for just this reason. the people inside can see out fine, but the people outside don't get to see in, normally.

Not only that, first question that popped into my head was "why the hell are there windows in a server room?"

Usually it's a environment-sealed interior room with tons of cooling.




-karma

[Draco18s]

Not only that, first question that popped into my head was "why the hell are there windows in a server room?"

Usually it's a environment-sealed interior room with tons of cooling.

And in the basement.

[Doc Chase]

And in the basement.

That's just stereotyping, and stereotyping is wrong. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[AStarshipforAnts]

Let me preface this by saying I had no idea what I was doing at the time. I was not familiar with the setting enough to realize what was going on.

Mine are all from the same plot arc, with the same character: a hacker with an augmented logic of 9, edge of 3. We were using the optional rules from unwired for hacking rolls (skill + attribute, limited by program rating--except for when edge is used). After interacting with a weapons dealer who gave the team grenades (among other things) from the 1960s several times, I gave my character one rank in knowledge: archaic weaponry right before a game. All of the other players saw me do it. We just forgot to mention it to the GM. That session, the GM threw a suitcase nuke from the 1950s at the team.

Me: I can totally take care of this.
GM: You aren't even there.
Me: I'll overlay instructions on the street sam's cybereyes. It'll be like paint-by-numbers. But, with a nuke.
GM: So you're defaulting to logic for this?
Me: No, I'm using my knowledge: archaic weaponry skill.
GM: What.

Earlier in the story arc, the GM had my hacker unknowingly redirect a small nuke for a client. This is before I really understood the setting and knew that it was a good idea to check up on what exactly you're doing. The team found out later that the hacker had redirected one of Lofwyr's nukes. OOPS. After the suitcase nuke, we came across some missile launch codes that our Johnson (who had just preformed a triple-cross against us and his boss) had managed to trick us into acquiring for him. Uncool.

The hacker decided that this could not stand; this guy could not be the only one with these codes.

GM: So, what are you going to do about that?
Me: I'm going to send those codes to someone who will know much better than me what to do with them. And I owe him a nuke, anyway.
GM: Wait wait what.
Me: I attempt to hack my way as far up the command chain of Saeder-Krupp as possible. When I get as far as I can, I'm leaving the missile launch codes and an apology letter for my previous nuke-related behavior.
GM: Ok.
Me: And I'm using edge.
GM: Alri--
Me: ALL OF IT
Dice clatter for like...three minutes. Sixes exploded all up in the place. I rolled well that day.
Me: 26 successes.


And, more recently:

Me: Will you let me get an active skill in Rube Goldberg Machines?
GM: Sure, why not--wait. Why?
Me: 8D

[Doc Chase]

That's what he got for accepting me as co-GM and me witnessing the roll. I honestly thought Knowledge: Archaic Weaponry wasn't going to be used that game!

[kzt]

Not only that, first question that popped into my head was "why the hell are there windows in a server room?"

Not everywhere. For example, the Chicago police department HQ has it's data center on the second floor with windows that look out at the street. (or did in 1998 or so when they moved into that building.)

[LurkerOutThere]

Errr if your GM allows you to use archaic weapons, especially at rank 1, to cover suitcase nukes that's not GM ambushing that's picking on the retarded kid.

[Doc Chase]

Errr if your GM allows you to use archaic weapons, especially at rank 1, to cover suitcase nukes that's not GM ambushing that's picking on the retarded kid.

Classy.

Considering the character in question had a Logic of 9 and the weapon itself was built in the 1960's, we felt it applied.

[Ascalaphus]

for several editions now, tinted building windows have been fairly standard fare for just this reason. the people inside can see out fine, but the people outside don't get to see in, normally.

I know that, but the GM didn't, so I had no choice but to exploit his ignorance...

[Trevalier]

The Freak Squad was chasing a guy carrying an Item of Interest; he was on a motorcycle, and we were riding on autoricks (motorcycle-driven rickshaws we'd acquired). He's got a big head start, but my watcher spirits are on him, relaying info as we try to catch up. Somewhere behind us, some Azzies are trying to get their van started while the TM's machine sprite dances a fandango on its systems. The watchers inform me that the quarry has hit a completely immobile traffic jam on a bridge, and has ditched his motorcycle to proceed. The other mage guesses that he has another bike stashed on the far side. If we leave our transport behind, we'll have to find something on the other side, losing considerable time.

I start weighing my options, specifically by asking the GM how much an autorick weighs. While he's researching, I double-check a spell description, add up my Sorcery dice pool, and do some math. When he gives me a figure (about 600kg), I suggest a reasonable figure for the total weight of the team in addition to the autorick, and he agrees. I tell everyone to hang on, I'm going to levitate our ride. I roll the dice (with Aid Sorcery and edge), scoring an amazing number of hits--more than enough successes to fly us along at about 55 mph. One of the other guys starts humming the E.T. theme, and off we go. We catch up with the quarry easily, grab the McGuffin, and fly off into the night. On our magic rickshaw.

Fortunately, our GM is a good sport, and rewards creative approaches, so he didn't upgrade all the ambushes and interceptions he had planned with helicopters. Then again, maybe he was just laughing too hard.

(I should probably post the rest of the story over in the Pink Mohawk thread. Our GM said he was going to, but I haven't seen it yet.)

[LurkerOutThere]

Classy.

Considering the character in question had a Logic of 9 and the weapon itself was built in the 1960's, we felt it applied.

I'm going to take knowledge skill weapons, and while i'm at it I'll take future weapons and archaic weapons. Suddenly I know every weapon ever created, see my point? The logic of 9 doesn't even enter into it.

[Doc Chase]

I'm going to take knowledge skill weapons, and while i'm at it I'll take future weapons and archaic weapons. Suddenly I know every weapon ever created, see my point? The logic of 9 doesn't even enter into it.

You okay? You've been fairly kvetchy across more than a few threads. You're also blowing this waaaay out of proportion, so I'm a touch concerned.

[Martin Silenus]

Our GM invented a really cool set-piece for a run: a super-zeppelin based on a kind of advanced aerogel. Really neat idea: solid vaccuum-packed matrix that weighs almost nothing. "You can take a rocket launcher to it, and it will just take a little bite out of it." He boasted.

Some time later, I ask: "The availability on demolisher nanites is only about X --think we could scare some up during our prep time?" He says: "Sure."

We were all coming from 3rd ed DnD, so I think he was expecting the destructive capability of demolishers to be based on the volume of the thing you're trying to destroy --5' cubes and all that. It's actually based on the mass. In tons.

[LurkerOutThere]

I'm fine and apologize if I came off as other wise. I've just seen similar threads and they always revolve around the same things, usually exploiting an overly permissive GM or exploiting a lack of GM knowledge. Neither of those situations are usually that entertaining to me at least.

[Simon Kerimov]

Our party had a pretty good GM-Ambush recently, but our GM is adept at rolling with the punches and stabbing us with our successes later, so it works out karmically.

We had been hired to break into a building owned by one Rainbow corp, a subsidiary of Horizon. Long story short, we break in and find that this is a re-education center for Knight Errant that allows Rainbow corp to study the effects of personality rewrite using a super advanced PAB machine. The machine was the size of a shop in itself, and bigger than a normal facility when you take into account the rows and rows of clone tubes.

We rescued the current subject and skedaddled out when the clones all woke up and wiped out the Rainbow security forces. They were acting like a bio-drone swarm, and were being controlled by what we are guessing was an AI (we haven't found out yet). Well, my character thought the PAB machine was pretty cool, so he asked the party to steal it. Our mage hit the Object Resist threshold for a highly complex nano-manufactured machine and gave it feet. Presto, we now have a bleeding-edge PAB machine designed to rewrite personalities.

Our GM used it to screw us brilliantly a few runs later, but that's a different story.

[Doc Chase]

I'm fine and apologize if I came off as other wise. I've just seen similar threads and they always revolve around the same things, usually exploiting an overly permissive GM or exploiting a lack of GM knowledge. Neither of those situations are usually that entertaining to me at least.

I can understand that. Like I said, just a touch concerned. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Traul]

The watchers inform me that the quarry has hit a completely immobile traffic jam on a bridge, and has ditched his motorcycle to proceed.

This looks strongly like GM fiat to save your asses. Hard to take credit for ambushing him after that.