I think of the “Grim Rule” from Arkham Horror LCG a lot when I’m running a horror game like mothership. If there is ever any ambiguity, go with whatever outcome is worse for the players at the time. I don’t use it to punish my players but rather to keep the tension up while still rooting for them to succeed.
One of my roleplaying mantras is "The great thing about ttrpg's is that the players don't really have to know the rules, and the GM doesn't really have to follow them."
1. For a way in which my players recently surprised me... They had just taken over an underground chapel that was serving as the base for an enemy criminal organization. The takeover was messy, and by the end there were a few dozen bodies. Because this was a very tight city setting (Doskvol), there aren't good ways to clear bodies out so they decide to dissolve them in acid. And what do they do with the fumes produced? They aerosolize some propellant in with the fumes, vent it through the sewers up into a known base of operations, and ignite it as the first step to an assault. It happened to work very well, removing a large chunk of the enemy's force. 2. Theater of the mind tip as a GM in an initiative-less system, try to practice moving the spotlight. Unless your players are super dialed in to each other, some will be more vocal and more expressive than others. It's often your job to find logical stopping points to switch between characters. For example, let a character have a quick back and forth duel with an enemy, but introduce something that changes their status quo, assuming the player doesn't. Maybe the enemy pins down or trips the character? Time to switch to a different character. And see what they're doing.
I think of the “Grim Rule” from Arkham Horror LCG a lot when I’m running a horror game like mothership. If there is ever any ambiguity, go with whatever outcome is worse for the players at the time. I don’t use it to punish my players but rather to keep the tension up while still rooting for them to succeed.
Alan, i'm stealing your "freestyle" technique. You are a legend!
This was a great conversation to listen to! Lots of great tips too. Loved the shoutout to Dungeoncraft, which is another great channel with tips!
Thanks for watching!
One of my roleplaying mantras is "The great thing about ttrpg's is that the players don't really have to know the rules, and the GM doesn't really have to follow them."
Let's do it!
1. For a way in which my players recently surprised me... They had just taken over an underground chapel that was serving as the base for an enemy criminal organization. The takeover was messy, and by the end there were a few dozen bodies. Because this was a very tight city setting (Doskvol), there aren't good ways to clear bodies out so they decide to dissolve them in acid. And what do they do with the fumes produced? They aerosolize some propellant in with the fumes, vent it through the sewers up into a known base of operations, and ignite it as the first step to an assault. It happened to work very well, removing a large chunk of the enemy's force.
2. Theater of the mind tip as a GM in an initiative-less system, try to practice moving the spotlight. Unless your players are super dialed in to each other, some will be more vocal and more expressive than others. It's often your job to find logical stopping points to switch between characters. For example, let a character have a quick back and forth duel with an enemy, but introduce something that changes their status quo, assuming the player doesn't. Maybe the enemy pins down or trips the character? Time to switch to a different character. And see what they're doing.
B-TEAM FOR LIFE! VIVA LA REVOLUTION!
😘 Fruntil, comrade!
Fruntil, General Secretary x
Logan and Alan have great rapport. This episode went too fast!
5 rounds of combat eh... cribbing on me eh