How to conduct a fair manhunt

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Zvezda
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How to conduct a fair manhunt

Post by Zvezda »

Occasionally th PCs need to execute leading CEOs of subvertet corporations. However normally this is considerd murder.
Every now and then the players do a Dillinger and shoot their way to a police cordon.
Now I have a question on good GMing. More often than not I stop harrassing them once they managed to get past the first few roadblocks. Which is by no means an easy task but the PCs are generally better equipped and better motivated than the police. To me it seems a bit easy to get away with shooting and wounding cops. The problem is that I don't want the game to turn into some kind of Merc2000 or T2K.
I would like to hear some ideas about how to handle crimes perpetrated by the PCs. The problem is, onece they are arrested or killed the game is over. Which is not my intention because after all it is supposed to be entertaining.
Sometimes I have the PCs arrested and force them in a "Dirty Dozen" scenario but I can do that only once every five years.
The same problem arises with roadblocks and manhunts in general. Since there is not such a thing as a Genaral Encounter Table in DC (which is a good thing!) I have no idea what a good rule is by which I could randomize the encounters with the police. I normally block most roads and bridges in a particular area and I use toll stations on the highways to identify cars. Could I make the pcs roll for Streetwise, Stalking, Navigation or Stealth to avoid roadblocks and patrols?
My main objective is to let the PCs survive these encounters while discouraging them form being to trigger happy in controled zones.
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Marcus Bone
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Re: How to conduct a fair manhunt

Post by Marcus Bone »

Personally I'd arrest them, and force them to make deals for their freedom. This should start a layering effect of favours and debts that should draw them deeper and deeper into trouble.

The other option could be to offer some sort of 'body changing' technology (maybe given by a patron or found in a Demonground) that allows them to look like someone different every 'adventure'.

Really though, being killed or captured by the legitimate authorities is another risk of becoming what is essentially a vigilante. If they are good enough a planning and covering their tracks, I say throw it all at them!
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Re: How to conduct a fair manhunt

Post by ReHerakhte »

And you could also make their bad behaviour a problem for any future jobs. If they have a reputation for shooting police, some citizens will be either afraid of the PCs or ashamed of them - they will not hire them for any jobs.

You could show this to the Players by having the PCs arrive at a meeting with a potential employer (who also happens to be very rich and willing to pay a lot of money for their services), the employer then reviews the PCs past jobs** and sees that they have shot too many cops and says "While I'd like to employ you for this task, I don't want any trouble with the police and you people seem to have trouble with the police ALL the time - shooting cops is very bad for my business. So for now, it's Good Day but if you improve your reputation in the future, maybe we can work together."

What you're doing is showing them that they are missing out on some bonuses and good jobs because they have made a habit of getting into trouble with the police but you haven't punished them in game.

** If the employer is rich enough, they will probably be able to pay for the necessary information to find out about the PCs bad behaviour.
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Re: How to conduct a fair manhunt

Post by Phulish »

Police take firng at, let alone wounding,killing of fellow officer's personally. Let heavy weaponry and armor be prevalent. You may want an NPC to suggest a stealthier approach about police checkpoints. Utility tunnels or perhaps disguises as Corp security from a rival Megacorp.
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Zvezda
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Re: How to conduct a fair manhunt

Post by Zvezda »

Thanks for all the great ideas. I have tried most of those over the years.
On a strategic level the organization works in most ways. The PCs have trouble finding allies, they are confronted by NPCs who tell them that they actually kill more innocents than most Igors and so one. Sometimes the fallout of their actions hit their contacts. The players don’t actively seek to kill security guards, cops or igors, the PCs however are more or less convinced that they need so stop the coming apocalypse and that they have to do what they have to do for the greater good. In a way they have become more like terrorists than vigilantes. They are willing to sacrifice themselves to stop the dark invasion, however after witnessing the work of the dark ones they are also willing to sacrifice pretty much everybody else.
The problem is more of a tactical nature. I have no real idea on how to resolve the cop's action of hunting the PCs other than by pure arbitrary. I have tried the T2K encounter tables with some modification last time and it worked okay.
Phulish's input is a difficult problem in my opinion. Either I don't insist that actions have consequences or the police of some regions are really after the PCs and will do anything at their disposal to prevent some kind of deal which saves them.
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Re: How to conduct a fair manhunt

Post by Phulish »

Perhaps a deal with the feds and new ID/ Relocation may be in order, or using T2K to game out carving a hideout in one of the uncontrolled zones and avoiding LEOs in mike towns. Didn't mean to complicate things, but DC is both thinking and shooting, and your PC's might need to think more, and you have to create a dues ex machina. :shock:
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Re: How to conduct a fair manhunt

Post by Zvezda »

Actually you did not make the situation more complicated. You just pointed out the correct things. I totally agree with you on that. Some years ago I have a surviving Cop assassinate one of the PCs sources for weapons in some kind of vendetta. Actions should come with consequences. DC is a lot about thinking. Well the way we run it. Most of the time. The problem is not that the players don't think enough or are to reckless but that they have a fanatic approach towards the dark ones. They don't care about the cost when they are trying to stop them. They think a lot. They always look for the best way of neutralizing a thread and they tend to prevent civilian casualties. However, the mission always comes first. If there is no way to kill a monster without endangering civilians they will take the same approach as the military has towards it's enemies. Proceed anyways. It's not like they seek to fight some cops. They simply do what they think they have to do. Unfortunately I tend to hide monsters up in high places in society and behind rows and rows of human shields...there is no easy way to get them. They don't make voluntary mistakes to be an easier target.
I like the idea of relocating the PCs on a long term. I think they should head for the border now.
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Re: How to conduct a fair manhunt

Post by Phulish »

OK! :D One of the best parts of DC is sumned up by a quote from the Sarah Conner Chronicals, "I do have a plan, it involves guns!" If your prepped to make players think, and have a good Dark infrastucture in the metroplex, it's all good. Your players may have to take a page from local ecowarriors when it comes to "The Man".DC has always hinted at the Dark's response to too successful hunters, they don't need Metrocops hunting them as well. But a minion in charge of a task force could bring the worst of both down on them! :twisted:
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Re: How to conduct a fair manhunt

Post by Morthrai »

Phulish wrote:One of the best parts of DC is sumned up by a quote from the Sarah Conner Chronicals, "I do have a plan, it involves guns!"


And isn't it fun for the Referee when that doesn't work :D

Phulish wrote:a minion in charge of a task force could bring the worst of both down on them! :twisted:

You definitely have what it takes for DC sir! 8)
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Re: How to conduct a fair manhunt

Post by Phulish »

Thanks, the police can also deputize other igors in corperate security and get alot of neat toys. One may need to have other cities ready if the PCs are too notorious.
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Re: How to conduct a fair manhunt

Post by Phulish »

I'm thinking that I might put some NPC's in the NPC tread if it takes off. :D The carrot is up to you, but let's try to make the stick. At best, cops like in "The Shield" with resources from seizures and the megacorps. :twisted:
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Re: How to conduct a fair manhunt

Post by Linden »

Phulish wrote:I'm thinking that I might put some NPC's in the NPC tread if it takes off. :D The carrot is up to you, but let's try to make the stick. At best, cops like in "The Shield" with resources from seizures and the megacorps. :twisted:


Catching up with the last series of The Shield at present. I love how every time Mackey and co try to extricate themselves from the mire they only manage to get themselves deeper in. As a GM it might be fun (if a little sadistic) to put your PCs through the wringer like that. Not necessarily to victimise them but just as an exercise in demonstrating that actions have consequences.
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Re: How to conduct a fair manhunt

Post by Phulish »

Put an early police "Faust" in the NPC thread. For a trap, let him set up an exec as the servant, the real servant of the dark will inherit his position or the PC's will die in the trap. Several cyborged SWAT will be stationed nearby, as will be a unit of dark elves with the Charon posing as a psychic.
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