Gamemaster Evaluation

[admiralducksauce]

The child needs to be protected and observed.  The demon, when it approaches, will need to be fought, with whatever allies and weapons can be mustered.  I forsee an epic battle in the never-never, or some sort of ritual excommunication taking place in heavily warded holy sanctum.

Hell yes.  Sneak into the creature's lair and slay it as Beowulf did, or dare the bastard to come to you and make your stand, like Assault on Precinct 13.

[EldritchFire]

I know what my PC True Believer would do he would kill the child and claim he was sending her soul to god to save her from the corruption of Satan because the soul is eternal and life is ephemeral (He would spend a session convincing himself of this perhaps with scripture or alcohol).

Indeed, that would be a bitterpill to swallow.  :p

Sorry, couldn't help myself!

-EF

[Drachasor]

Indeed, that would be a bitterpill to swallow.  :p

Sorry, couldn't help myself!

-EF

I think Harry would burn someone trying to do that with eldritchfire.

[BumblingBear]

I think Harry would burn someone trying to do that with eldritchfire.

Harry also has a blind spot towards family, children, and women that's about a mile in diameter.

I don't see the issue, honestly.  If the character is a follower of the White God, that is the God who has specifically instructed the tribes of Israel to put women and children to the sword.  Children being precious is a Western idea, not a Biblical one.

The character could either

A. figure that nobody is really innocent after they can talk

or B.  figure that sending a child to the afterlife with a clean, pure soul is far better than having it corrupted or eaten by a demon.

If the PC wanted to find another way, they'd probably be trying to be more creative.

It honestly sounds like the player chose a character that he didn't really want to play.  I agree with others that you're not being unfair, OP.  It actually sounds like an interesting story line.

As long as you give the character room to move, offer choices, compel appropriately, and allow the character to find information pointing in the right direction, the problem is not you.

If the player is really lost, perhaps you could offer a compel as a nudge in the right direction.

[Oriande]

Thanks everyone for their various insights and advice. It has been very helpful.  I had not previously considered such things as the player being agnostic as possible factors.  I finally had a chance to talk to him last night and while he did not choose to confide what is really bothering him, he did say that I shouldn’t worry about it and gave the impression that it was not, or was only peripherally game related.  He also agreed that this type of conflict is and should be part of role-playing, and even went on to reminiscence about similar situations he himself had devised as a GM.   

Meanwhile, other players are also involved in the current plot and have devised solutions like those proposed by Drachasor and UmbraLux. The doctor who now the child’s  foster mother and wants to legally adopt her has decided to have “Ellie” baptized in her own church, thus dedicating her to God in order to counter any demonic influence and protect both the child and her right to make her own choices.  In fact, she insisted on explaining it all to the child first, and asking her consent.  [The girl agreed on the condition that she wouldn’t have to live at the church and was allowed to bring her stuffed rabbit to the ceremony.]

The other question which was addressed was that of the child’s soul; did she have one? was it / or could it be claimed? Two PCs, the Doctor and the Ghostspeaker, clearly agree with Paynesgrey on this question and don’t understand why the others are harboring doubts. The Focused Practitioner is doing research, and the Were-cougar (who is taciturn at the best of times) seems to be ignoring the whole debate and just guarding the child and her home.  By the end of the session, it appeared that the True Believer had decided to join him. His character reported to the local head of his order and declared that for now, he intended simply to watch.

So, overall the dilemma/test  has become more protracted than I initially expected, but since the sword he wants to claim is the sword of patience/endurance that may not be inappropriate. I also like Ren’s suggestion for the final test if that is not too difficult for the player who remains somewhat distracted, but did seem more connected to both his character and the group. 
I guess we’ll have to see what happens, and if one of the other characters does become responsible for the kid… well, the cult is still out there, and her natural mother, and who knows who else might take an interest?

[Paynesgrey]

"Only if she could bring her stuffed rabbit to the ceremony."

That's pure gold.  Love it.

Wanna really see if he has patience and endurance, able to handle curve ball? 

Lawyers. 

The natural mother or the cultists lawyer up.  No skulking child stealers in the bushes, no luring with The White Van, no poison apples.  Child services shows up inquiring in response to reports that the child's best interests aren't being served.  She appears on milk cartons as "missing."  The mother or a cultist with "documentation" that he's the legal guardian show up crying on your equivalant of the Larry Fowler Show.  And then Petition to return custody, representation and "research" being provided pro bono by some Evil Law Firm like Wolfram & Hart for some nefarious and unknown reason.

[sinker]

"Only if she could bring her stuffed rabbit to the ceremony."

That's pure gold.  Love it.

Wanna really see if he has patience and endurance, able to handle curve ball? 

Lawyers. 

The natural mother or the cultists lawyer up.  No skulking child stealers in the bushes, no luring with The White Van, no poison apples.  Child services shows up inquiring in response to reports that the child's best interests aren't being served.  She appears on milk cartons as "missing."  The mother or a cultist with "documentation" that he's the legal guardian show up crying on your equivalant of the Larry Fowler Show.  And then Petition to return custody, representation and "research" being provided pro bono by some Evil Law Firm like Wolfram & Hart for some nefarious and unknown reason.

I love that idea, however if the player is having a hard time as it is....

[Paynesgrey]

Good point, particularly if the issue is based on real-life emotional matters.  Although you can always stick the idea in a jug for later use... 

[Katarn]

Wanna really see if he has patience and endurance, able to handle curve ball? 

Lawyers. 

The natural mother or the cultists lawyer up.  No skulking child stealers in the bushes, no luring with The White Van, no poison apples.  Child services shows up inquiring in response to reports that the child's best interests aren't being served.  She appears on milk cartons as "missing."  The mother or a cultist with "documentation" that he's the legal guardian show up crying on your equivalant of the Larry Fowler Show.  And then Petition to return custody, representation and "research" being provided pro bono by some Evil Law Firm like Wolfram & Hart for some nefarious and unknown reason.

My God.  That's brilliant.  If you think your player can handle it, DO IT.  It's the end to a series of difficult tests, encompassing many aspects- ones worthy of Sword.

[Oriande]

The natural mother or the cultists lawyer up.  No skulking child stealers in the bushes, no luring with The White Van, no poison apples.  Child services shows up inquiring in response to reports that the child's best interests aren't being served...

I really like this idea. It might even help by shifting the focus to another player, the Doctor who would be the central figure in a custody battle while allowing the True Believer to lurk on the sidelines watching for demons. [Assuming he doesn't just go homicidal on the cultists]

The mother or a cultist with "documentation" that he's the legal guardian show up crying on your equivalant of the Larry Fowler Show.  And then Petition to return custody, representation and "research" being provided pro bono by some Evil Law Firm like Wolfram & Hart for some nefarious and unknown reason.

Especially this bit. And since the mother is already suspected of being an unfit parent -- the child was originally found abandoned, suffering from voluntary mutism and malnutrition -- let's make it a cultist claiming to be her unknown father.  What are the players going to say? "He's lying. He can't be the father. Her father is dead. I've talked to his ghost!"

Then I suspose the "Larry Fowler Show" arranges DNA testing.  Hmmmmm... How accurate are those tests?  Would a maternal Uncle (assuming involvement in the cult is a family tradition) be close enough genetically for the tests to come out positive?  Or does our law firm just fudge the data?

[wyvern]

I'd have them fudge the data; it wouldn't make for a good story if the PCs dig in to investigate... and then find out that the data is exactly as presented and there's nothing worth having pursued in that direction.  Of course, make sure that some NPC brings up the "near relative" option, so that the PCs won't know from the get-go that it's being fudged.

[Paynesgrey]

DNA tests, done properly are quite accurate.  But databases can be hacked, results switched, and all manner of mundane and mojo-ical skullduggery can take place.

[toturi]

Do your characters have any Aspects with respect to a legal approach? Would the child and the characters acting as her guardians not have proper documentation? Would the characters not have covered the legal aspect in the first place or made it much much more difficult?

[Paynesgrey]

If the right bureaucracies are infiltrated or even have just one or two employees who can be suborned, fake pedigree and custody papers would be pretty simple to cook up.  Same goes for the electronic paper trail.  It would take resources and an understanding of the involved social agencies, but with the right connections and some happy joe money bucks, I could provide certifiable "proof" that not only are you my firstborn child of the sex opposite your real sex, but also that you've signed a Power of Attorney allowing me to commit you for your own good... It's easy to get a bureaucracy to crap out pretty much whatever you want if you know how to feed it.  Then the party that gets there the firstest with the mostest lawyers is likely to win, at least initially.

[Oriande]

Do your characters have any Aspects with respect to a legal approach? Would the child and the characters acting as her guardians not have proper documentation? Would the characters not have covered the legal aspect in the first place or made it much much more difficult?

Yes... maybe and it's complicated.  We already had the custody question playing out in the background, involving legal claims and issues from two different states.


You see, the mother (cultist) tended to regard the kid primarily as property to be dedicated, sold or sacrificed as she chose. The father [listed on the birth certificate as unknown] was a Changeling who when he discovered this, managed to steal the child away through the Nevernever at the cost of his life.
The result was that the girl was found in New Mexico apparently abandoned, no known identity (and no matches on missing children databases) and showing signs of abuse/neglect.  She became a ward of the state and Betty, the doctor PC, became her foster mother and legal guardian.

Since then, the mother has come forward claiming custody working through the court system in her home state as well as behind the scenes with cultist minions lurking in the bushes.   Betty has hired both a lawyer and a PI. She has also been is taking the child to a therapist and working closely with Social Services – in short doing everything right to advance her petition to adopt. 

Now, we get to add the evil law firm and whole media circus – although I doubt Betty would consent to appear on television.  Still, that won’t stop nosy reporters from ambushing her outside the court, or at work or possibly even at her home.