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The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: Mr. Death on October 08, 2012, 03:49:04 PM

Title: "Well, they're screwed"--PCs getting in over their heads.
Post by: Mr. Death on October 08, 2012, 03:49:04 PM
So, after last night's game, I thought it might be a fun thread to talk about times in your games where the PCs suddenly found themselves in well over their heads, whether they realized it or not. So if you've been a PC and you realize that your pure mortal cop just stepped on a dragon's tail, or you're a GM who finds a player accidentally provoked the end-game boss, put it here.

I'll start since, as I said, this is inspired by something that's happened in my game, which is at 12 refresh currently.

In the Scenario up to now, an apprentice-wizard PC has been framed for breaking the First Law and is in hiding from the Wardens. She's been collecting components for a spell to clear her name, while a friend of hers had to be rescued from a White Court vampire, so she sent her boyfriend, another PC who's a reformed thief now working with the FBI, who only learned about the supernatural the day before.

In the course of rescuing the friend, he stumbles on another wizard looking for the apprentice, but realizes she's not doing so on the up and up and follows her. Eventually, he tracks her to the scene of the crime, and sneaks up on her with a grapple (declaring she was Unaware and tagging that).

I was not expecting this, so I gave the player a fate point for the self-compel (one aspect deals with not knowing about the supernatural and the PC seriously didn't know what he was getting himself into).

Now, normally the grapple would put the PC at an advantage, if only momentarily--except the PC only has a Might score of 1, and rolled a total of 0 on the grapple. The wizardess he snuck up on is, unbeknownst to him, a -16 refresh character whose spells start at 6 shifts rolled from 5 or 6 depending on the element. And the thief has a Superb dodge roll and Great attacks, but a three-box physical stress track, no armor, no Discipline score and only a Weapon:1 knife to fight with.

Next week's game is going to be very interesting.
Title: Re: "Well, they're screwed"--PCs getting in over their heads.
Post by: Tedronai on October 08, 2012, 05:58:53 PM
Just remember that Concessions are a metagame concept and decision, and one that can be made before the attack is actually made, and everything should go well enough.
Title: Re: "Well, they're screwed"--PCs getting in over their heads.
Post by: Lamech on October 08, 2012, 06:56:43 PM
Quote from: Tedronai on October 08, 2012, 05:58:53 PM
Just remember that Concessions are a metagame concept and decision, and one that can be made before the attack is actually made, and everything should go well enough.
Remember kids, concessions save lives. If you ever find yourself about to be eaten by the Shagnasty insult it and run away.
Title: Re: "Well, they're screwed"--PCs getting in over their heads.
Post by: Mr. Death on October 08, 2012, 07:06:44 PM
Quote from: Tedronai on October 08, 2012, 05:58:53 PM
Just remember that Concessions are a metagame concept and decision, and one that can be made before the attack is actually made, and everything should go well enough.
Oh, I'm not worried about whether things will work out. I'm just deeply amused by the situation that's been created, and looking forward to seeing if and how the player deals with it. I'm hoping to see some creative declarations and compels.
Title: Re: "Well, they're screwed"--PCs getting in over their heads.
Post by: PirateJack on October 09, 2012, 08:00:42 AM
Not so much a 'he's screwed' moment, but still fairly humorous from the second session of the campaign I'm running.

One of my players (a sorcerer hitman specialising in summoning/binding and spirit evocations) decided it would be a good idea to sneak through a police station to the evidence locker, where a few personal effects of a murdered Summer Sidhe (Puck, of a Midsummer Night's Dream fame) are being held. He gets down to the locker easily enough with a couple of illusions and a veil, and into the room where the personal effects are. At this point I surprise him with an Unkindness of Unseelie Ravens, which are down there for basically the same reasons he was.

It's the perfect opportunity for me to introduce the Winter side of the equation for this campaign, so I figure I'd have them talk before any action goes down. Let him get a feel for what they're up to and perhaps strike up a commonality. They go with the classic 'State thy business!' line, at which point my player says the absolute worst thing you could possibly say to a bunch of Winter thieves. "I'm here to protect Puck's belongings from falling into the wrong hands."

Naturally I could only play it one way. Every single raven in the room went mad with hatred and attacked him. Lucky he was still under his veil, otherwise he'd have been pretty well savaged. He took them all out by tagging the Steel Shelves stage aspect and setting up a huge air evocation to smash up the place.

Currently one of the ravens is a hostage of the group and is undergoing an interrogation (of sorts) with a drug addict PC. >_>
Title: Re: "Well, they're screwed"--PCs getting in over their heads.
Post by: Mr. Death on October 17, 2012, 08:23:59 PM
I think the only thing more fun than seeing the players get into trouble is seeing them get out of it.

For an update, the fight went about as well as I could've hoped--the player managed a couple "false sense of security" maneuvers on the wizard and landed a blow, but ended up with a set of bruised ribs courtesy of a hurled trash can, and that coupled with a glimpse of the wizard's spellcasting power (namely that she was casting from 6 and hurling Weapon:4 spells at him) had the player taking a concession to GTFO.

But what the player doesn't realize is...
(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: "Well, they're screwed"--PCs getting in over their heads.
Post by: Lavecki121 on October 17, 2012, 10:04:03 PM
I happened to be absent at this particular session but when I rejoined I was told about this, not really an over your head ideal but it drastically changed the game strategy.

We had a major NPC player in our game who was inciting fear but keeping the balance of war(our city had the aspect "Cold War" or something like that). The PC's showed up and challenged him. One of our Players decided that the best course of action (Because I guess he was strong even for a pure mortal) was to leap at him, grab him, and dive out a window.

While the PC managed to survive due to recieving new powers (the PC was previously mortal) The plot character died and now the city has the aspect "All out War", or something close to that.
Title: Re: "Well, they're screwed"--PCs getting in over their heads.
Post by: Addicted2aa on October 18, 2012, 12:41:31 AM
Quote from: Lavecki121 on October 17, 2012, 10:04:03 PM
I happened to be absent at this particular session but when I rejoined I was told about this, not really an over your head ideal but it drastically changed the game strategy.

We had a major NPC player in our game who was inciting fear but keeping the balance of war(our city had the aspect "Cold War" or something like that). The PC's showed up and challenged him. One of our Players decided that the best course of action (Because I guess he was strong even for a pure mortal) was to leap at him, grab him, and dive out a window.

While the PC managed to survive due to recieving new powers (the PC was previously mortal) The plot character died and now the city has the aspect "All out War", or something close to that.

He had already taken emissary of Power. He had wings and villain was about to peace bounce (didn't really understand concessions as a thing at the time) so he jumped out the window after him and powerbombed him into the pavement, taking all his consequences, and choosing that moment to manifest his Toughness power(We were in the middle of making the change and he had told me to surprise him with powers, so I would reveal them at the speed of plot)
Actually that probably was an over there head moment had I stated the Villain Correctly. Ah well, live and learn.