From owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Mon Oct 11 10:29:09 1999 Return-Path: Received: from lists.io.com (majordom@lists.io.com [199.170.88.15]) by pyramid.sjgames.com (8.8.7/8.8.7) with ESMTP id KAA09221 for ; Mon, 11 Oct 1999 10:29:08 -0500 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by lists.io.com (8.9.3/8.9.1a) id KAA06922 for in_nomine-digest-outgoing; Mon, 11 Oct 1999 10:26:32 -0500 Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 10:26:32 -0500 Message-Id: <199910111526.KAA06922@lists.io.com> From: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com (in_nomine-digest) To: in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Subject: in_nomine-digest V1 #1359 Reply-To: in_nomine-l@lists.io.com Sender: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Errors-To: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Precedence: bulk in_nomine-digest Monday, October 11 1999 Volume 01 : Number 1359 In this digest: Re: IN> no dinero Re: IN> no dinero Re: IN> no dinero Re: IN> no dinero ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 9 Oct 1999 21:39:22 -0500 (EST) From: Neel Krishnaswami Subject: Re: IN> no dinero Liam wrote: > >i'm finally getting round to running IN again after a bit of a hiatus, and >thought it was a good time to finally use the revelations books. i'm >probably going to run the no dinero story first, but something occured to >me, isn't it a bit light on celestial npcs? surely somewhere the size of NY >is buzzing with them. is this deliberate or am i supposed to come up with a >bunch of other npcs to turn up? The adventure just has the NPCs essential to the plot, so if you want some others you should make them up (and/or lift them from other sources). A word of advice about No Dinero, though: if you have angelic PCs, be prepared for them to just blast through Loki's plot with a single good die roll -- it can all fall apart for him if a Malakite, Mercurian or Seraph gets a good resonance roll when they meet him. It might be a good idea to weave No Dinero into a background thread of another adventure, so that it's there to texture the game world rather than bear the bront of PC investigation. - -- Neel Krishnaswami neelk@alum.mit.edu ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 10:14:29 -0500 From: Uncle Wolf Subject: Re: IN> no dinero Neel Krishnaswami wrote: > > Liam wrote: > > > >i'm finally getting round to running IN again after a bit of a hiatus, and > >thought it was a good time to finally use the revelations books. i'm > >probably going to run the no dinero story first, but something occured to > >me, isn't it a bit light on celestial npcs? surely somewhere the size of NY > >is buzzing with them. is this deliberate or am i supposed to come up with a > >bunch of other npcs to turn up? > > The adventure just has the NPCs essential to the plot, so if you want > some others you should make them up (and/or lift them from other > sources). > > A word of advice about No Dinero, though: if you have angelic PCs, be > prepared for them to just blast through Loki's plot with a single good > die roll -- it can all fall apart for him if a Malakite, Mercurian or > Seraph gets a good resonance roll when they meet him. It might be a > good idea to weave No Dinero into a background thread of another > adventure, so that it's there to texture the game world rather than > bear the bront of PC investigation. > Personally, I used the Fog of Superior Proximity [Resonances tend to fail when dealing with info about Superiors and their motives and plans, and Loki counts as an Ethereal Superior, in my book]. Hope that idea helps. Tom Timberlake, Cadre Cherub of Heaven - -- "Strange blood, howl again, for now we know to well Better a friend on paths unknown, than to be alone in Hell!" --"Strange Blood" "A Wolfrider's Reflection", various artist ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 17:56:27 -0400 From: Douglas Muir Subject: Re: IN> no dinero >Liam wrote: >> >>i'm finally getting round to running IN again after a bit of a hiatus, and >>thought it was a good time to finally use the revelations books. i'm >>probably going to run the no dinero story first, but something occured to >>me, isn't it a bit light on celestial npcs? surely somewhere the size of NY >>is buzzing with them. is this deliberate or am i supposed to come up with a >>bunch of other npcs to turn up? The latter. As few or as many as you like. >A word of advice about No Dinero, though: if you have angelic PCs, be >prepared for them to just blast through Loki's plot with a single good >die roll -- it can all fall apart for him if a Malakite, Mercurian or >Seraph gets a good resonance roll when they meet him. Yes. One way to deal with this is to have Loki only show up as a bystander, or standing next to someone who seems more suspicious. Also, keep in mind that the shape-changing thing lets him assume new identities pretty easily. If his pseuod-Role as skinhead leader is blown, he can pop back up as a cop, a bartender, what have you. He's quite ruthless enough to kill a real cop or bartender and take their place... If he doesn't want to deal with disturbing the Symphony and disposing of a body, he may just take a one-shot, one-appearance Role. As a celestial from out of town, even. >It might be a >good idea to weave No Dinero into a background thread of another >adventure, so that it's there to texture the game world rather than >bear the bront of PC investigation. Alternately, try running No Dinero with human PCs! Works very well, provided that your players are willing to accept some casualties. I ran it recently as an intro to the IN system. Here's my plot tree, which you may freely swipe and modify to fit. Step 1: PCs are called together by their angel patron, a Merc. A human NPC has died mysteriously near No Dinero. The police rule her death an accident, but Heaven knows better: an angel nearby heard the Symphonic disturbance, and knew that she'd been killed by something from beyond this plane. The dead NPC was a Soldier; emphasize her friendship with at least one of the PCs. This will draw them in and get them motivated to examine ND and the neighborhood. Loki killed her, of course; he's just warming up. Step 2: Investigating around the club, PCs encounter one or more Hellsworn. Hell is investigating the mysterious death, too. The demon-cop is in charge of these bad boys. Have the demon corner one or more PCs, then have the Merc step in to save them. Emphasize what a nice guy the Merc is. Loki will appear on the sidelines at some point, watching with interest. Next day, one of the Hellsworn turns up dead. You may wish to frame a PC for it, or not, but at least make them nervous about it. It's Loki again, of course. If the PCs want refuge, let them hang out at Zadkiel's Tether for a bit, and meet the NPCs there. Step 3: Have the Merc go to investigate ND. He can order the PCs to do one or more other tasks while he does this, or (if they're under investigation) just lie low. He'll use the Song of Form to alter his vessel's appearance... to an African-American model, unfortunately. "Unfortunately" because this will give Loki a golden opportunity; he'll sic his skinheads on the Merc in an alley behind ND, and have them beat the angel to death. The angel will attempt to defend himself with Songs, but Loki will counter this; at the end, he'll even try fighting his way clear (to warn the PCs and other angels that something is very wrong), but all this will do is add a couple of points of Dissonance to his Trauma (ouch). If you've run this right so far, the PCs should be suitably upset and annoyed at having lost two friends to (presumed) demonic action. Give them some clues (planted by Loki) pointing towards the demon-cop and any other demons around. Step 4: Have the demon-cop killed in some suitably spectacular fashion. Ideally, this might be just as the PCs, and/or some angels, are getting ready to confront him... you can frame them for his killing with the police, with Hell, or with both. The old "break into the apartment, find him dead, start to examine the scene, suddenly the police come rushing in the door" chestnut can be used to good effect here... substitute the Game or some Hellsworn for the police if you like. In all fairness, give them a clue or two that someone is manipulating things. Beyond this it'll more or less run itself. Heh. Enjoy. Doug M. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 15:15:20 +0100 From: "Liam" Subject: Re: IN> no dinero From: Uncle Wolf > > Personally, I used the Fog of Superior Proximity [Resonances tend to > fail when dealing with info about Superiors and their motives and plans, > and Loki counts as an Ethereal Superior, in my book]. Hope that idea helps. > yeah, maybe. i don't know whether i'd consider him on a level with a superior, but if anyone could slip through angelic resonances it'd be the god of trickery liam ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #1359 ******************************** The material here is (C) 1999 Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated. All rights reserved.