GL_X Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Our hero group is small, three guys. There is a large shadow group, that knows everything about us, trying to get us to help them kidnap people. We refused and they started hitting back, the hurt someone close to our weakest member and are going after the middle strength member. We've been trying to figure out a way to get this group off our backs, but we have no way of tracking the group down, or finding any information on them. After our middle member is me as the groups strongest, we've racked our brains trying to figure out something, anything to stop them besides folding and helping them kidnap people. Can anyone suggest anything besides giving in or just standing back and saying do your worse? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsalwayssunny Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Re: Need some serious help Maybe you can put all your DNPCs in safe houses or something...? "No way of tracking them down" seems like it must be wrong...there should always be a way for the PCs to prevail (in my opinion, anyway). Can't really say more without knowing what your GM is thinking, but if it's as bad as you describe it doesn't sound like a very fun game (again, in my opinion). Are you enjoying the scenario? I hope someone out there is cleverer than me and can solve this for you! --Kap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xavier Onassiss Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Re: Need some serious help Do you have any idea what they plan to do with the kidnap victims? In this case I'd almost be tempted to pretend to go along with them, depending on what their plans are. There are a couple of ways to work against them while going through the motions of helping them: 1) Put a tracking device on the kidnap victim, so you can find out where they're taking him, what they're up to, and oh yeah, rescue him before they do anything unspeakable. 2) Kidnap a "ringer." If one of your members could be convincingly disguised as the person as they want kidnapped, try that. Then you can trick them into willingly taking one of your team members back to their HQ, or wherever they're taking the kidnap victims. And don't forget the tracking device from option 1) above. Of course they'll ask where the "missing" team member is -- just tell them he refused to go along with the kidnapping scheme. 3) Go along with the kidnapping scheme, wire the kidnap victim to explode, and blow everyone up after you hand him over. Number three isn't very heroic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Re: Need some serious help 1. What is the general "flavour" of the campaign and its setting? 2. What do your characters know about the shadow group? Who are they and what do they want? 3. What members of the shadow group have your PCs interacted with, and what do you know about them? 4. Does your group have anyone with investigative skills or useful contacts that can help you learn more about the shadow group? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsalwayssunny Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Re: Need some serious help Say, how do they contact you to make these threats? If there's no way to track them I'm assuming it's not in person. --Kap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Re: Need some serious help There is a large shadow group' date=' that knows everything about us, trying to get us to help them kidnap people. [...'] We've been trying to figure out a way to get this group off our backs, but we have no way of tracking the group down, or finding any information on them. Ideally a GM should always have multiple ways (at least two) for the PC's to go to the next act and be generous with whatever they come up with (if they find him via PS: Florist, who cares?). If you haven't stumbeled upon one by now: That is eiher a railroad plot, or the GM expects a specific kind of roll or that you (the players) remember something very specific he once said. My brother used to do that. When you point him out that this situation is hopeless/railroaded/unclear and he says somethign around "you need to think about it", it's propably that one piece of information from 3 sessions ago that nobody remembers or maybe nobody even noticed. Or he never even said it and just misremembers saying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin2 Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Re: Need some serious help Go along with the request. Find out who they want to be kidnapped. Do your homework and kidnap them with as minimal force as possible (no vast property damage or killing anyone). Plan 1: Explain to the person you kidnapped (in the kindest way you can) that you are in a bit of a bind and that infact you are sort of being kidnapped yourself and want to help both them and yourself. If they are powerful industrialist / politician etc join forces and use their contacts and money to ambush the kidnapers with the combined resources of yourself and who ever you kidnapped. Plan 2. If the person is only small fry kidnap them and then arrange with the police or any contacts to hide them and then say they "accidently died" and who is next? Keep doing this until you come up with a better plan or you get to Plan 1 and ambush the more powerful group. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsalwayssunny Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Re: Need some serious help Ideally a GM should always have multiple ways (at least two) for the PC's to go to the next act and be generous with whatever they come up with (if they find him via PS: Florist, who cares?). If you haven't stumbeled upon one by now: That is eiher a railroad plot, or the GM expects a specific kind of roll or that you (the players) remember something very specific he once said. My brother used to do that. When you point him out that this situation is hopeless/railroaded/unclear and he says somethign around "you need to think about it", it's propably that one piece of information from 3 sessions ago that nobody remembers or maybe nobody even noticed. Or he never even said it and just misremembers saying it. What he said. My friend and I were once in a game such as Christopher described. Nothing we attempted did us any good. It seemed like the GM was more interested in having a perfect scheme for the villains than in having a fun superhero game. Eventually we just had our heroes do a suicide mission, taking the campaign with them. Hopefully your situation is not like that! --Kap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheQuestionMan Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Re: Need some serious help I and my characters tend to react badly to this kind of action. I and my characters general response is to agree to do their bidding and then follow them outside and gut them like a fish. I have personally never had to as most people sense the danger they are in when threatening me. My characters however have on multiple occasions left the GM staring at me and on one satisfying Werewolf the Apocalypse Convention Game got up left the room and stepped outside. From inside we could hear the GM banging his head against the wall. Never insult a Shadow Lords honor or he might use 13 Rage Dice and a dedicated combat monster Werewolf. Not wise ever for an uber powerful Were Jaguar. <<>> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsalwayssunny Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Re: Need some serious help Gutting them like fish is one option, but not if you intend to remain a superhero rather than become a wanted criminal yourself. I guess it all depends on the genre you're playing in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csyphrett Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Re: Need some serious help i have been in several games like this. One of them was Cyberpunk 2020. The gm had a guy that couldn't be tracked or hurt by the conventional weapons of the setting. I remember dropping an elevator on this individual and blowing him up with a tank gun. At the end of the session, the group of us were like that was a waste of time. you have a limited amount of options. Go along with the scheme. Go along with the scheme and sabotage it. Alert the media and police to your whereabouts at all times. Turn it into a charity thing. Arrange a meeting. Find out whatever you can about your contact and broadcast it everywhere. Arrange a meeting. Kill or disappear the contact. Do whatever you can to stymy this group with what little clues you have. Tell your gm that he needs to produce a write up of this group and some kind of plot or adventure scenario and explain how this group with vastly more resources would not be interested in your trio. Unless your group is special in some way, I doubt any conspiracy would try this type of adventure. And see if you can get him to watch Batman the animated Series and Brave and Bold so he can see how a superhero game should be. CES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balabanto Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Re: Need some serious help Step One: Tell the police what's going on! Step Two: Tell the media what's going on! They can't focus on you when everyone is suddenly looking for them. Step Three: Cooperate with the police! These people have files on dozens of people who may know more than you do! Step Four: Follow the money! This is a time honored trick that usually works. If people are being paid to do this stuff, as soon as you get ahold of him, search his wallet, his ID, and find out where the money comes from and goes to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnia Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Re: Need some serious help Does your GM have a "Me vs. players" mentality? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahuna's bro Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Re: Need some serious help turn the matter over to the police its clearly an extortion scheme on your foes part Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamstreamer Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Re: Need some serious help This kind of thing seems to frequently happen in Burn Notice, though the unknown enemy eventually appears/is discovered. Sometimes, it was just a matter of waiting for the shadow organization/individual to make a mistake. I agree that more information would be helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lapsedgamer Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Re: Need some serious help GM 101: The PCs should never be powerless any longer than necessary to move the plot forward. The PCs powerlessness should rarely be the method of moving the plot forward. Any downturn in their fortunes should be balanced out by some sort of reward down the road. Depending on the personalities involved, the wait for that reward should not be that great. It depends on just how sadistic the GM is trying to be to me. Will going along with the plot result in a dead body with you to blame? If you do decide to go all vengeance is mine, will your characters end up red smears? I wouldn't immediately go to the police, as any shadow organization worth its salt has co-opted the legitimate government at least to some extent. The media might be an option, but it depends on how deep the conspiracy runs. Besides the satisfaction of gaming is having your PCs fix their own problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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