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01-23-2022, 11:10 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Aug 2018
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how would you GM something like a "shapeshifters impersonating the PCs" situation?
For example like the "Migoi" in the Sanctuary TV series episodes "Kush" and "Icebreaker".
Basically each PC knows "I'm not a shapeshifter" but they don't know if who they're interacting with is another PC or a shapeshifter. This type of thing seems easier if it's just shapeshifters impersonating NPCs since the GM roleplays whoever you interact with. There is a clear appeal-to-metagaming problem when it comes to impersonating other PCs though because (especially with in-person gamine) you know whether the player or GM are speaking. In situations like this, would it make sense for the GM to request the player to not just play their own character, but also their shapeshifter NPC doppleganger, so that other PCs can't figure out who is who? The PC shouldn't really be able to control the NPC's actions totally though, so the GM should probably tell them roughly what to do, and be passing notes and stuff. I would think that might be easier w/ online gaming since the timing/frequency of note-passing might give away which version is the NPC impersonator in IRL games. |
01-23-2022, 11:24 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: traveller
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Re: how would you GM something like a "shapeshifters impersonating the PCs" situation
I had a group of player-characters who came across a ship where all the crew had been murdered. As they explored, I rolled randomly for one of them to become possessed by one of the lingering, vengeful spirits.
The random choice was a first-time roleplayer. I passed her a note that basically just told her, "you're possessed." She totally ran with it and did an awesome job. It was one of the more memorable bits in the entire campaign. I would do something similar here: pass the player a note that says, "your character is out of action and you are now the shapeshifter that has taken his/her place" and trust the player to act accordingly. If need be, share a bit about the shapeshifters' goals or motivations, especially if they weren't clear to the players before. If your players are the suspicious types, share a few trivial perceptions ("you see that the door was left unlatched") with each of the players by note over the course of a few scenes to cover up which one is actually the shapeshifter. Last edited by thrash; 01-23-2022 at 11:27 AM. |
01-23-2022, 11:26 AM | #3 | |
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Shropshire, uk
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Re: how would you GM something like a "shapeshifters impersonating the PCs" situation
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The effects were quite good, despite being detected she actually achieved her goals causing a whole new adventure. But I feel that I was lucky that I had a player who wouldn't use metagame knowledge and was sufficiently devious to stuff the other players over on the spur of the moment. |
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01-23-2022, 12:12 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Jun 2013
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Re: how would you GM something like a "shapeshifters impersonating the PCs" situation
A lot will depend on what the shapeshifter is doing - if they're only doing nefarious things "off screen," you could actually leave the player who is controlling the replaced character completely in the dark, particularly if the shapeshifter is a perfect impersonator. If the shapeshifter needs to do nefarious stuff "on screen," concealing it as though it were normal behavior, that's generally going to require the player to be in the know.
Of course, a lot also depends on your players. For some players, they can sufficiently divorce player-knowledge and character-knowledge such that you could literally game out Alex Mercer murdering, absorbing, and shapeshifting into the unfortunate PC in front of all the players, and when he shows back up amongst the party, they'll have their characters behave as though it's still their friend. Others? Not so much. If I wanted to do a "shapeshifter replaces one of the PC's" plot (and honestly, I don't think I'd want to), I'd probably let the players know ahead of time that that's a thing that may happen, then probably at the end of the first session (of that story arc) I'd have the PC's split up. After that, I'd arrange one-on-one sessions with each player to game out what they do when they're separated - and for at least one of them, part of that would be an encounter that could result in the character's death or capture, in a manner that would allow the shapeshifter to take their place. If any fail, those would be the ones I could have play as the shapeshifter in the next session (possibly the next several sessions, depending on how long the plot goes). If they all succeed, then if the shapeshifter didn't get captured/killed during one of the solo sessions, I'd have it take the place of an NPC (probably with more hints than they'd get with it taking the place of a PC, as a reward for nobody getting killed/captured).
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01-23-2022, 12:47 PM | #5 |
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Southeast NC
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Re: how would you GM something like a "shapeshifters impersonating the PCs" situation
One thought I had once upon a time (to be used only with a group I knew could handle it appropriately) is one character is an imposter, and all the characters except that one know it. He's a clone/robot/etc. that has the character's memories, but it's important for some reason that he not realize he is not the original.
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01-24-2022, 12:13 AM | #6 | |
Join Date: Aug 2018
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Re: how would you GM something like a "shapeshifters impersonating the PCs" situation
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Or I guess the GM could play both but ideally you want hte player to control their own PC. |
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01-24-2022, 12:48 AM | #7 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Binghamton, NY, USA. Near the river Styx in the 5th Circle.
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Re: how would you GM something like a "shapeshifters impersonating the PCs" situation
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Eric B. Smith GURPS Data File Coordinator GURPSLand I shall pull the pin from this healing grenade and... Kaboom-baya. Last edited by ericbsmith; 01-24-2022 at 02:31 AM. |
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01-24-2022, 12:51 AM | #8 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Binghamton, NY, USA. Near the river Styx in the 5th Circle.
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Re: how would you GM something like a "shapeshifters impersonating the PCs" situation
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Eric B. Smith GURPS Data File Coordinator GURPSLand I shall pull the pin from this healing grenade and... Kaboom-baya. Last edited by ericbsmith; 01-26-2022 at 03:51 AM. |
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01-24-2022, 01:44 AM | #9 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Portsmouth, VA, USA
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Re: how would you GM something like a "shapeshifters impersonating the PCs" situation
That's brilliant. I'mma write a blog post about this. What a insanely great idea.
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01-24-2022, 02:41 AM | #10 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Binghamton, NY, USA. Near the river Styx in the 5th Circle.
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Re: how would you GM something like a "shapeshifters impersonating the PCs" situation
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Eric B. Smith GURPS Data File Coordinator GURPSLand I shall pull the pin from this healing grenade and... Kaboom-baya. |
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Tags |
clone, doppleganger, metagaming, npcs, shapeshifting |
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