Last Sunday, Characters Were Prepped.
To begin with, I now have 7 people playing. I have sat them all down and told them that they need to go into this with a different mind set and not to always stick together for a few reasons. They were happy with that and are going to abide by the request. But a new problem cropped up and as I think about it now, needs to be addressed.
They have set themselves up like they are expecting the need to fight themselves out of places like Brendan Fraser in the Mummy. Let me break it down a little.
Character 1 - The prostitute
So my younger sister, who is the only one who hasn’t played, decided she wanted to be a lady of the night, which is absolutely fine, I am glad it was her that chose that over my brother! Off the top of my head, she is one of the only ones which has not loaded her ass out for massive gun fights. I think she has a small pistol, she wanted pepper spray, but it wasn’t until today I noticed there was a mace option, a small blade and a necklace to garrote. I am perfectly fine with all of those, because as an escort (a high end one as she chooses to be), those are the kind of items she would be carrying daily. I will remove the knife in place for a mace spray, purely because I didn’t realize the need for a different fight skill for garroting. Other than that, she is gravy.
Character 2 - Artist
My older sister has chosen an artist. A great choice and has chosen a photographer as her artistry type. I am glad someone has taken some focus on photography because I can make use of that. As far as weapons go, I think she has a small pocket knife and that is it. Maybe a small pistol, but cannot be 100% sure. No issues with this character at all.
Character 3 - Doctor
Sister-in-law has chosen to go with a doctor, for the healing! This is going to be really beneficial, she has participated in both games and seen the consequences of not having great healing ability. For weapons, much like the artist, a knife and pretty sure a pistol.
Now the Problem Characters
The Undertaker
Not sure what possessed my dad to choose this one, but I welcome it. They have some good profession skills like driving and with 7 players, a hearse will be very handy transporting them all! BUT, the weapons. Aside from the usual, blade and pistol, he went with a double barreled shotgun… I didn’t think too much of it to begin with, I was fielding questions from all over the room. But it has occurred to me, the same as it has for the others, how and why would they have such weapons on them. Having one to protect his funeral home or what ever is fine. But it isn’t something someone would be carrying around with them day to day. I am going to have to nix that item, at least to begin with, explain that it isn’t something they would be carrying around with them, nor would they be going to places investigating with a double barrelled shotgun down their trouser leg.
The Missionary
Here is my brothers one. When he first mentioned it, I thought great! I know he is going to cause some issue of some kind, but at least being a God fearing kind of person, that should restrict him a little bit. He decided he wanted the artistry of a wood whittler, and thus has a whittling knife with him. I have no problem with that, but I will force upon him the moral implications of using the weapon for harm, he doesn’t know that yet, but it will happen. How do I know this is going to happen? Well as part of his backstory, being a missionary, he was in the jungle preaching God etc. etc. That means, he has a machete… huh? I did try arguing the point and asked why he would have one and the fact he was in the jungle, justifies it. I left it there, because other people, but I will be nixing that come game day. Much like the double barreled shotgun, it isn’t something he will just be walking around with, he isn’t going to know when something bad is going to happen, not to mention his missionary status. It has to go.
The Spy
My nieces boyfriend chose a spy, not sure why, but I have a feeling it is because of this… For his weapons, he said he has 2 pistols, one being a service pistol and a smaller backup one. That is fine, it makes sense. I will allow that. The next one though told me exactly where his thought process was… A garrotte watch… Spies are not all like James Bond and this is not a Bond film. More Austin Powers or Johnny English if anything. But much like my sister and her necklace, I will be nixing this weapon purely on the back of no skill for it! I will have to get into his head that he isn’t a super spy. He is built to spy on other countries, not save the damsel and save the world. Not to mention, he isn’t going to want people to know what he is.
The Mob Boss
My younger sisters faïence decided this is what he wanted to be, the picture that popped into his head, carrying a violin case around with a tommy gun in. I was going to allow it, but again not something that really happened… Also he has a pistol and a sawn off shotgun. Way too much for some mob boss that is being lumped into a group of other people. I don’t think that he has considered that he will be in a group of every day people and not sure a mob boss will openly display who and what he is. Much like the garrotting weapons though, while I will have to check, I think the only shooting skills he has is pistol and shotgun/rifle. So I will let him keep his sawn off and pistol, but will be removing the tommy gun. The sawn off is much more likely, it is easily concealable.
So That is That, But There Is More
I think the only person I noticed doing this was my dad. He spent quite a while mulling over what skills he wanted, which is fine, but I noticed he was trying to choose things other people didn’t have so as many bases could be covered as possible. I had to remind him a couple of times that, firstly, this is represents your character, not a member of a team. Secondly, while trying to pad out missing skills, if people separate, or die or what ever, then key skills will go missing. This is something I am going to have to monitor I think, if we were playing Pathfinder or something, then yes, I am all for covering all the bases, but this isn’t, so that mentality has to be watched.
I don’t want to dissuade my players from having their choices, but I don’t want them thinking too much about the future and the fact it is a game to win. I think they will have more fun being hampered by real world rules and expectations, rather than trying to be a hero, having fire fights and being equipped like Rambo. I am not going to go out my way to put them in a position where the only option is to shoot their way out or make it so it is a ride or die situation. I want to focus on the investigation, mystery and horror aspect of it. I want them finding clues and solving puzzles. If by a couple of games in, they want more action, then I will taylor it to be more pulpy, I will have to introduce that kind of play into it. I am fine with that, but I think challenging them in this way and get them thinking will be more fun. I will explain this to them too, I will tell them that is what the focus is going to be, but if they get to a point where they want more action, to say and we will switch things up.
We will see, but for now I need to reign things in for the start.
Until next time, much love <3