From: chedberg@hamp.hampshire.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.cyber
Subject: Weapons and armor can make no difference.
Date: 26 Sep 92 15:30:30 GMT
Organization: Hampshire College
Content-Type: text
Archive-Name: rgc686
Content-Length: 4236


	I agree with several posts recently. I find it is much easier than most
people think to terrorize the players. _Especially_ the "walking tank" variety. 
	There are some simple rules I follow. One: play to the players'
weaknesses. If the big guy with skinweave, body plating, Metal Gear, cyberarms,
and implanted weapons, who carries a Minami 7.62 "Blaze Assault" handcannon,
then...

	Dump Him In a Lake!! See if he can swim! Especially after you hit him
with that nice little EMP grenade, which will burn out anything that isn't
heavily insulated (and I have yet to run across anyone who's bothered to
emp-shield their air supply or gills. ;> ) Make the other players remember how
hard it was to pull his four-hundred pound ass out of the drink while the skags
from Militech are trying to catch them in a crossfire. 
	If you're really sick, make the others remember the look of horror on
his pale, cold face when they pull him out a few seconds too late. Further, as
a few of my players discovered to their horror, there is no such thing as a
shielded Trauma Team snapcard. They were left holding their expiring friend on
the side of Night City Reservoir because there was no way to pump his lungs
free of water due to his armored chest. They all learned a rather personal
lesson about death. Seeing someone shot is different from having him die in
your arms when a little caution might have saved his life. 
	Do things in gory detail. The Attitude of the punker is a defense! They
don't enjoy the violence any more than we do! They just cope a little better
than we do. And only a little, too. Break down those defenses! It is possible.
Use Empathy and Cool. Empathy is not something you can control. High Emp
characters are likely to be traumatised by the deaths of their fellows, even
to the point of losing sanity. Low Emp characters are already on the edge. 
	Play up the disgusting aspects of combat every once in a while. Not
_all_ the time, but every once in a while, if a player loses a Cool roll, then
he _fully_ becomes aware of the fact that the guy next to him just got hammered
in the face by a 5.56, and his brains are all over him, and his empty eyes are
staring up at him, and a death rattle is running slowly out his mouth. Go
overboard! These people suffer constantly from Shellshock! It wears at you!

	Also, a very important aspect of combat is the location of weakness.
Don't undercut the players' armor, Snipe at them!
	Your guys walk out of a building after being paid for a sucessful
mission, or perhaps they're escorting a politico as his bodyguards. Suddenly
there is a crack! One of the players, a large guy in body armor, cries out,
with blood filling his helmet visor. As he tumbles back, the others rush in,
the group medtech dropping on the wounded, and the others pushing the politico
into the car. The medtech watches them roar off. When they get back, the AV is
just getting ready to go back to TT Central. The medtech shakes his head
slowly, androlls back the head on its lolling neck to show the neat hole in the
neck lining of the metalgear where the bullet entered. You can't armor
everything! 
	Remember, the GM can kill the players any time he wants. The idea is
not to test their ability to survive, but to test their ability to cope! Remind
them that they have a character concept which must be lived up to. If you hand
them something emotional, and they don't even pretend to deal with it, then
swipe a few points of empathy. I have always been a fan of keeping my own,
seperate track of players' empathy. After all, psychosis, by its nature, has a
tendency to sneak up on ya! 
	GMing is very difficult. There's always a very personal feel to any
game, and getting your own style down while keeping it enjoyable is next to
impossible. I wish everyone the best of luck. I _still_ have a hard time
harming or killing characters, which can be useful. Nor do I entirely have an
easy time scaring 'em while they stay alive!
						-Doc Goodwrench


P.S.- If you really want to scare the players, I have designed the 2020
Military, which is occasionally very useful for scaring hell out of the
players. E-mail me if you want it, or check back issues of the list, as it was
posted over the summer.