User:Asmodeus
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| Reddit Username | Asmodeus |
|---|---|
| Timezone | GMT+2 |
| Country | Finland |
| GM Level | 3 |
| GMP Tracker | [1] |
" ʜᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴛʀᴇᴍʙʟᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴs, ᴋɪɴɢᴅᴏᴍs ᴛᴏ ғᴀʟʟ ᴏɴᴇ ʙʏ ᴏɴᴇᴠɪᴄᴛɪᴍ ᴛᴏ ғᴀʟʟ ғᴏʀ ᴛᴇᴍᴘᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴs, ᴀ ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ғᴀʟʟ ғᴏʀ ᴀ sᴏɴ
ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴᴄɪᴇɴᴛ sᴇʀᴘᴇɴᴛ ᴅᴇᴄᴇɪᴠᴇʀ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀssᴇs sᴛᴀɴᴅɪɴɢ ɪɴ ᴀᴡᴇ
ʜᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴀsᴄᴇɴᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴs ᴀʙᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴀʀs ᴏғ ɢᴏᴅ "
Characters
Gamemaster Foundation
Declining A Run
Generally I prefer to choose characters that will accept the run so that the ones that do accept will not need to work at a handicap. Refusing to do a job to its completion after gaining more information during a run, however, is acceptable. I will assume a general amount of informedness owed to the communication between a fixer and a runner they're in contact with, so there shouldn't be a situation where this will become an issue at the meet outright. I make an attempt to write job postings that are direct about the job's contents; this should prevent a meet-'n-dash from happening.
Derailing A Run
Derailing or counteracting a run, however, is perfectly fine with me. Even if the run is part of a metaplot, or perhaps exactly because it might be part of a metaplot, giving players freedom to carve their own path is something I aim to encourage and enable. This does not mean going your own way will be easy. On the contrary, most likely going against the Johnson will have serious ramifications for the runner in most cases. Sometimes, however, taking the harder path is more acceptable for their moral compass or just plain survival. I do not aim to make the Johnsons so disagreeable that the players are thirsting to stab them in the back, but know that if for some reason you intend on going against the grain, it is at least an option for you. Please consult your fellow players out of character before you do, however.
Cause And Effect
I aim to create a balanced reality for the players. They are powerful, but even they are not invulnerable. Going loud in a AAA-rated security zone will bring the wrath of GOD and HTR on your head, but the same applies to your enemies if you can provoke them into it. Your enemies will be subjected to the same forces as you are. As far as the things you do during a run go, even seemingly minute things might develop in unpredictable ways. I enjoy giving players smaller details during runs that might end up appearing as significant changes in other runs they're not even a part of. Continuity is a key part of my GMing style and consequences for your actions is a key part of this. Feed a poor elven child? Spare a ghoul? Kill a witness? Who knows how these will come back to you down the road? It's hard to say beforehand, but with thoroughly laid out plans you can reduce the volatility of your consequences. Understand that on my table, dangers are quite real. I do not recommend joining my higher-threat runs if you're not comfortable with the potential of failure or even character death.
The Grimdark Reality
Generally speaking, I lean towards the more depressing aspects of a dystopian corporate world with supernatural elements. Things that crawl in the dark and inhumane experimentation, certainly, but also plain human negligence can be themes. I do not do this for shock value, but to test the players' characters and give them trials and tribulations to develop. Moral, ethical and even spiritual struggles develop character and are a great catalyst for growth as far as narrative goes. That said, I dislike excessive gore and guilting players by railroading them into 'difficult' choices. If you see an option to turn a grim run into something you can feel proud of, do so. Player agency is important and to turn a dark world into a slightly brighter one is, in my opinion, part of the Shadowrun fantasy. The darker moments make the brighter events meaningful, after all. I will always list content warnings in a run posting if I believe it may be sensitive to some people.
Previous Runs