Author Topic: Wardens are not the cops  (Read 3911 times)

Offline sinker

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Re: Wardens are not the cops
« Reply #15 on: March 21, 2011, 09:24:14 PM »
It occurs to me that if you're really having issues with the players looking to the wardens to solve problems you could point out to them what that would look like.

Player: "We call in the wardens."
GM: "The wardens solve all the problems, although not likely to all of your satisfaction. Well, that was fun. Goodnight everyone, drive safe."

To be serious though, if your players are trying to have someone else solve the problems then it seems like they might be having issues getting involved. That's a problem that can be resolved by sitting down with your group and talking to them about what would get them excited. Do they need a personal angle/reason to be involved? Are they feeling lost/do they need more info? Do they want to be doing something else?

Offline devonapple

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Re: Wardens are not the cops
« Reply #16 on: March 21, 2011, 09:37:02 PM »
As an outside example: in "Call of Cthulhu," investigators delay calling in the mortal authorities until absolutely necessary, for a few good reasons. 1) The mortal authorities are usually woefully unequipped to deal with a given supernatural threat, and 2) this lack of understanding may mean that the investigators get locked up, unable to oppose the evil force they were facing.

While reason 1 usually doesn't apply to the Wardens, reason 2 is still a fine motivator. DFRPG protagonists are routinely set up to look suspicious, and well-intending but thorough Wardens can easily tie up a player group while precious time trickles by. Most groups are probably motivated to avoid the Wardens simply out of a sense of self-preservation: it is easier to face a tribunal when the mystery has been solved.
"Like a voice, like a crack, like a whispering shriek
That echoes on like it’s carpet-bombing feverish white jungles of thought
That I’m positive are not even mine"

Blackout, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets