How to GM An Enemy

[quarkstomper]

The Enemy does not have to appear personally every time the 9-or-less turns up. His presence can be made known in other ways. The lies and slander the Enemy used to get the Character fired has followed him; the Character meets an important NPC who, unbeknownst to him, is a friend of the Character's Enemy and who either is co-operating with the Enemies vendetta against him, or just has his reaction towards the Character colored by what the Enemy has told him; a NPC who offers aid/a job/whatever is actually an agent of the Enemy with ulterior motives.

If you play it right, your Player will never be sure if the Enemy was involved -- because if I read right, the Character doesn't know who he is and might not even know that he has a specific Enemy -- or if it was just the random Bad Luck that Adventurers always seem to get.

[tjbuege]

Some really good responses, thank you! Too many to respond to each of them, though, so I will gather all my thoughts at the moment into this one post.

We are already two sessions into the adventure, and I've made this player change his original background idea once before. What he first presented me with was the idea that this unknown enemy had cursed him, changing his personality and making him become compulsively reckless and impulsive. I couldn't accept the whole curse thing, couldn't justify the points he'd gain, etc., so I made him stick with a simple enemy, and have the reckless and impulsive disadvantages simply be a part of his character. He was cool with that. However, after reading some of your responses, I wish I had just banned the whole enemy thing in the first place and saved myself all the future trouble I'm about to have! :)

I should clarify, we are all playing GURPS for the first time. (Well... I played a GURPS 3e Space campaign years and years ago, but I don't remember much about it). So I don't think my player is trying to pull one over on me... he's simply looking for an interesting character. I'm willing to try to work this enemy thing in. But first let me take a moment and explain the campaign we are going through.

When I first thought about running a GURPS campaign, it was going to be a DF campaign. I wanted to take B1 In Search Of The Unknown from D&D and convert it to GURPS and use it as a simple learning experience for me and my players. However, the more I dug into the DF material, and the more I prepared for our first session, I started to realize that my players and I wanted a more classic High Fantasy campaign with more of an emphasis on role-playing, and not so much the high powered hack and slash that DF is all about. Don't get me wrong, I like most of the DF stuff, and I would probably play it some day, but it's not my players cup of tea.

I am still using the basic underlying premise of module B1: an abandoned stronghold somewhere in the wilderness called Quasqueton, with Rogahn and Zelligar being the previous owners, but that's where the similarity ends. There will be all new maps (and maps that make sense, not a random maze of rooms thrown together), a completely original wilderness/region, and a bit of story leading into why these characters are going on the search. I've even plotted out the general encounters on the way from town to the ruins.

BTW, if anyone is interested, I'm posting session summaries of each session at http://beggarscrown.wordpress.com/. I want to keep a journal of our campaign. It helps me focus and hopefully be a better GM. Also, I will remind you again, I am a beginning GM, and I WILL make mistakes. So go easy on me. :)

Ok, back to my question at hand. I hadn't realized that the enemy was going to have to be involved (directly or indirectly) 1/3 of the time. That is a lot. I like the idea of the enemy not having direct involvement, instead sending thugs or other monstrous races (i.e. orcs) after the character. That would make it easier for me, and give me more time to fill out the enemy's character story before he had a direct and personal encounter with the character. In one of the reponses above, gilbertocarlos's posted character stats for Jack the Guard. I found that idea is interesting...specifically the bit about his brother being killed because of the impulsiveness of Merral. Also, just because this enemy got Merral thrown out of the guards, doesn't mean the enemy was a guard himself. Maybe he planted some damaging gossip about Merral that resulted in his being tossed out.

I will talk to my player again, and see if he is willing to drop the enemy thing, and just leave it as a part of his back story. That would take a load of my mind and let me focus on the campaign. After all, I sure have enough on my hands already, creating a game world and trying to get a better grasp of the game rules.

Thanks again!
Tim

[Blood Legend]

Merral, a battle wizard, comes from a city which employs both soldiers and wizards in the militia. He chose the latter profession. He is very curious and impulsive, often living on the edge, while at the same time selfless and charitable. But Merral has an enemy. Someone is after him, but he does not know who it is. This unknown enemy somehow managed to get Merral fired from his position in the city militia, so Merral ran. He is now far from home, seeking answers and trying to understand who is after him.

I just want to say that it sends off all kinds of warning bells when I'm given a character's back-story made almost exclusively of GURPS disadvantages. I would look at it once and immediately question the player if this is the person he or she actually wanted to play or if he or she is just scrounging for points. In my experience, it all runs so much more smoothly if it isn't the latter.

How does he manage to be a charitable skittering nutcase? Curious is easy to explain, he's a wizard, they usually are, but why is he Impulsive? Has he had a history of people shooting down his plans? Has the slow and steady pace of the typical wizards scholary pursuits in some way negatively affected his opinion of the quiet life? Had it proven disadvantageous at a crucial moment in his life when he stopped to ask questions and draw hypotheses instead of acting? Why is he on the edge? How did he get employed by a militia in the first place if he's completely incapable of holding his post, following orders, or doing anything but bringing great risk upon himself and the people he worked alongside? Where in that confusing mashed up alchemical fume huffing life does he find the time to be charitable or selfless if he's always running off for something? Curious means he's following fire ants to their nests, impulsive means he wont stop to consider this might be a bad idea while he's guarding the armoury, and on the edge means that when they inevitably start stinging him, instead of sensibly running away, he starts using his wand to dig the buggers out to blast their eggs with fireballs.

I'll tell you who his enemy is; the Militia Captain. He couldn't tolerate the insubordination a minute longer and pulled every string he could to get this man dishonorably discharged.

[tjbuege]

ROFL!!!!

I can't stop crying!!!! (because I'm laughing so hard)

Thanks for that.

[Otaku]

This thread has a lot of great ideas for handling an enemy, and if it makes it easier for you... an enemy may not even realize he or she is an enemy. Think of the well meaning (or at least controlling) relatives or friends many of us know in real life. Many times they affect us without realizing the full consequences... and even if the player realizes how bad things are going, what will they do with that kind of enemy?

Or maybe that will make it harder. Whatever path you take (save forcing some kind of retcon), remember that like any disadvantage, an Enemy can eventually be bought off, and it can be done "in pieces" (finding out who it is so it is no longer unknown and lowering rate of appearance).

Edit: Ninja'd.

I'll make a weak attempt at salvaging my idea; make the militia captain his father, who got him in thinking he could straighten his son out before fearing not only would militia life get his son killed, but get a lot of others as well. If the son impulsively ran off, maybe bounty hunters keep trying to kidnap the player's character and return him to dear old dad who (perhaps rightfully so) thinks his son is a danger to himself and others.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Otaku

This thread has a lot of great ideas for handling an enemy, and if it makes it easier for you... an enemy may not even realize he or she is an enemy. Think of the well meaning (or at least controlling) relatives or friends many of us know in real life. Many times they affect us without realizing the full consequences... and even if the player realizes how bad things are going, what will they do with that kind of enemy?

This depends on the class of Enemy in question, though. A Watcher or even a Rival could conceivably have no malice. But a Hunter just about has to mean you harm.

[Otaku]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

This depends on the class of Enemy in question, though. A Watcher or even a Rival could conceivably have no malice. But a Hunter just about has to mean you harm.

My apologies for not being specific enough; I have still mostly used only 3e rules so this classification is still "new" to me an easily forgotten. It would be very hard to use my concept with a Hunter, save someone who believes that the harm they intend is less than the harm that would befall you without their intervention.

Culture and circumstances would make it possible, though. You've got societies where an honorable death is better than a dishonorable life. You've got family that would rather have you alive but not whole than wholly dead. In fact, this one might even be an option for this character - the character in question sounds like he has:

• Charitable
• Curious
• Impulsive
• On The Edge
• Selfless

For 150 point character, that pretty much spells "death wish". I mean, separately most of those can lead to death pretty reasonably; together it is harder to explain how he is still alive. He isn't fit for militia duty, so (using my suggestion) getting him bounced was supposed to result in him coming home, where family could keep an eye on him. Instead he panicked and ran, and with as much of a liability as he is, seems like the "not whole but alive" approach is valid... and explains why the first action of the Enemy was to get him humiliated.

...just to be clear, I realize I am grasping at straws here. ;-)

[tjbuege]

Just so there is no question on who Merral is...

Merral
150 points

Attributes: ST 10; DX 10; IQ 14; HT 12.

Secondary Characteristics: Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP 10; Will 14; Per 14; FP 12; Basic Speed 5.5; Basic Move 5.

Advantages: Combat Reflexes, Daredevil, Magery 3, Single-Minded, Versatile, Very Rapid Healing.

Disadvantages: Charitable (12 or less), Curious (12 or less), Enemy (Unknown; Equal in power; 9 or less), Impulsiveness (12 or less), On the Edge (12 or less), Selfless (12 or less), Sense of Duty (Lawful Citizen) (Large Group).

Skills: Armoury/TL3 (Melee Weapons)-13, Brawling-11, Crossbow-10, First Aid/TL3 (Human)-14, Innate Attack (Projectile)-11, Knife-11, Observation-14, Shield-11, Shortword-12, Tactics-13.

Spells: Armor-15, Continual Light-15, Create Fire-15, Explosive Fireball-15, Fireball-15, Ignite Fire-15, Lend Energy-15, Light-15, Recover Energy-15, Sense Foes-15, Shape Fire-15, Shield-15.

This character is based roughly on the Battle Wizard template from GURPS Banestorm. I allowed my players to start with any of the templates in GURPS Banestorm or GURPS Fantasy, and make adjustments as they wished (with my approval, of course).

BTW, I'm considering asking Merral's player to drop Enemy and Daredevil, as they offset each other point-wise.

The other character stats can be found on my website, in my signature below.

Tim

[gilbertocarlos]

Daredevil is the good friend of on the edge. I doubt dissolving the couple would be a good idea.

[tjbuege]

Good point. If I were to ask the player to remove Enemy, do you have any suggestions for balancing out the sudden 15 point gain?