Jarvis/Laslow is dead!

[Baniak]

Blaine died. PCs got into his flat and they noticed Jarvis escaping through a window. There was a very exciting chase which ended in a dark alley - Jarvis vs 3 investigators (which managed to catch him). He had to less MP to disappear so he pulled out his alien pistol and shot - miss - one PC gets his revoler and *BOOM* critical hit, Jarvis is dead.

As for a 300 yrs old mi-go assassin I thought much more of him, but after Blaine's murder he had too less MPs on him, so casting a spell was out of question.

I didn't expect that to happen, but it did, cause i didn't want to push on artificial Jarvis' escape.

What now? There is a cemetery scene coming in which he should materialise next to Clark and threat with an electric gun. Who do you suggest as a replacement? Clarrisa maybe?

[morganhua]

Clarrisa looks like a good choice.  Players may hesitate in shooting her.  She should try to hide whatever weapon she has in something like a pillow case or burlap bag.  Don't give them an easy out by letting them see her carry a weapon openly.

[Cthulhus_Voicemail]

Did the players explicitly destroy the brain? If not, the Mi-Go could install Jarvis in another body.

[morganhua]

I would think bringing Jarvis back again so soon would be punishing the PCs for some lucky die rolls.  Jarvis can come back later in the series, but I assume it'll take time to put his brain in a different body.  In my games, if the PCs get a lucky break, they should benefit from it.  The Safe House and the time it takes to abduct Prof Learmonth seem to indicate that brain extraction is a lengthy process.

[Cthulhus_Voicemail]

Good point, I hadn't thought of the timing angle. Clarissa would be a good replacement. Another option, depending on how chummy he's been seen to be with Wilmarth, could be Akeley/Noakes - having been given a taste of Mi-Go academia, he might be desperate to keep in their good graces to ensure his own continued access.

[Baniak]

Thank you all. My players already noticed her strange manly behaviour (scratching her groin or buttcrack and then smelling the fingers, that's what men do, right?), so they are suspicious about Clarissa, but she will do fine as a new semi-leader (besides profesor Harrold/Dafne).

On 23.05.2016 at 9:35 PM, morganhua said:

In my games, if the PCs get a lucky break, they should benefit from it.  The Safe House and the time it takes to abduct Prof Learmonth seem to indicate that brain extraction is a lengthy process.

I agree about the dice results. Why should I push on not giving them benefits of good/lucky rolls. But what do you mean later? Do you suggest that now, without Jarvis, things will go slower and that should be a part of these benefits?

On 23.05.2016 at 8:55 PM, Cthulhus_Voicemail said:

Did the players explicitly destroy the brain? If not, the Mi-Go could install Jarvis in another body.

He got punched in the face (after getting an extreme-success-shot in his arm. He was knocked down and got hit in his head on a garbage can, spilling blood on the pavement. I assume his brain was not destroyed and I have plans for his return

But, my fellow GMs, I have another problem. How would you solve it?
PCs killed a student (Laslow/Jarvis), probably somebody's seen them. The climax of the story is coming (fire, amnesia etc.) and would you additionally put police and detectives following PCs? Or maybe should I put suspects strait to jail? Who will then finish the story? Now I have 3 out of 5 characters from ep. I (2 were turned into migo agents), and if 2 of those 3 will go to jail, maybe the rest wont be interestedy in the story - "We weren't in Cobb's Corners, it's not our business".

[sverbridge]

5 hours ago, Baniak said:

But, my fellow GMs, I have another problem. How would you solve it?
PCs killed a student (Laslow/Jarvis), probably somebody's seen them. The climax of the story is coming (fire, amnesia etc.) and would you additionally put police and detectives following PCs? Or maybe should I put suspects strait to jail? Who will then finish the story? Now I have 3 out of 5 characters from ep. I (2 were turned into migo agents), and if 2 of those 3 will go to jail, maybe the rest wont be interestedy in the story - "We weren't in Cobb's Corners, it's not our business".

Bring them in for questioning, scare the crap out of them, and let them go with a "we'll be watching you" type thing, unless of course they somehow incriminate themselves and then it is game over.  Or you could have them in for questioning, get ready to lock them up, and then it is a all hands on deck for the police as all hell breaks loose on the MU campus and everyone in the force heads over there ASAP, perhaps forgetting to lock the jail cell, or leave the keys in reach, something like that...

[morganhua]

5 hours ago, Baniak said:

But, my fellow GMs, I have another problem. How would you solve it?
PCs killed a student (Laslow/Jarvis), probably somebody's seen them. The climax of the story is coming (fire, amnesia etc.) and would you additionally put police and detectives following PCs? Or maybe should I put suspects strait to jail? Who will then finish the story? Now I have 3 out of 5 characters from ep. I (2 were turned into migo agents), and if 2 of those 3 will go to jail, maybe the rest wont be interested in the story - "We weren't in Cobb's Corners, it's not our business".

I would have the PCs make individual luck rolls.  Depending on whether it was night, if campus was crowded, or less crowded, I would have each individually be spotted based on some difficulty roll.  e.g. if at night or they had made sure it there was no one there, maybe give them a bonus die.  If broad day light on busy university campus or street, they must make a hard or extreme luck roll.  A luck success means that student wasn't spotted and identified.  Otherwise, someone saw them and level of luck determines if they could be individually identified.

How I would play this out?

Give the fingered players a lawyer.  When the body goes to autopsy, have the lawyer tell the players, "One of your university buddies played a great prank.  Laslow's brain is missing, they can't determine the cause of death."  The law will still try to get them for battery, but not murder.  Or maybe manslaughter.  The fingered players should still be placed on suspension until the conclusion of the "murder" investigation, but they're not expelled.  So, that way the PCs can still continue with the adventure, but the cops, bad guys, etc will be watching them.  Have the Dean of Students give them "the talk" about expulsion.

On PCs not interested in investigating.  There's an unwritten contract between players and GM.  You should remind your players of this.  There's a great article on this (I'll need to dig up the link).  The GM is supposed to provide an interesting story and engage the players.  The players are required to come up with some reason to be involved in the story. The GM is not required to shoehorn them into the story.  If the PC is not interested, then I would tell the player, "That PC happily goes on his way living an uneventful and peaceful life, roll up a new PC that might be interested in this scenario."  If the player refuses, then drop the player from the game and get a new player.  I've seen players at cons that say, "Oh, my PC wouldn't do that.  I'm role playing realistically.  Nope.  Not investigating, not going there, no way, no how."  So, my question is WTF is that PC doing in the game and why are you as a player here.  You've read the scenario description in the con booklet.  If this game isn't for you, you may want to leave and find another game.   I have no other game and will not change the game just for you.  I have other players who are interested in this game.  Now, one time, I was in a game and the player was a lone wolf and didn't want to work with the other players, so the GM in a stroke of genius had the top villain recruit the PC to join his side.  It worked and the player stayed.  In the end, the PCs won and we got to kill him with the top villain. That was extremely satisfying.  :-)

Edited May 25, 2016 by morganhua

[Baniak]

On 25.05.2016 at 6:42 PM, morganhua said:

On PCs not interested in investigating.  There's an unwritten contract between players and GM.  You should remind your players of this.  There's a great article on this (I'll need to dig up the link).  The GM is supposed to provide an interesting story and engage the players.  The players are required to come up with some reason to be involved in the story. The GM is not required to shoehorn them into the story.  If the PC is not interested, then I would tell the player, "That PC happily goes on his way living an uneventful and peaceful life, roll up a new PC that might be interested in this scenario."  If the player refuses, then drop the player from the game and get a new player.  I've seen players at cons that say, "Oh, my PC wouldn't do that.  I'm role playing realistically.  Nope.  Not investigating, not going there, no way, no how."  So, my question is WTF is that PC doing in the game and why are you as a player here.  You've read the scenario description in the con booklet.  If this game isn't for you, you may want to leave and find another game.   I have no other game and will not change the game just for you.  I have other players who are interested in this game.

This is very helpful. Could you please dig that article up? Thank you in advance.

[morganhua]

19 hours ago, Baniak said:

This is very helpful. Could you please dig that article up? Thank you in advance.

http://lookrobot.co.uk/2013/06/20/11-ways-to-be-a-better-roleplayer/

It was rule 4.  Here's a short quote:

FOUR. Take full control of your character.

“My character wouldn’t do that” is a boring excuse, a massive NO to the game’s story on a fundamental level. It’s a point-blank refusal to participate.

[joggiwagga]

Thanks morganhua for looking up the link!

[morganhua]

The follow up article is quite good too:  http://lookrobot.co.uk/2013/06/23/stanislavski-vs-brecht-in-tabletop-roleplaying/