SilverClawShift
2009-12-02, 04:22 PM
So I could use some casual advice from the unwashed masses (that's you guys, tho hopefully most of you wash).
I'm in the middle of a stint as a replacement DM for our group (three players). We're in a slightly modified Shadowrun world, one where The SCP Foundation (http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-series) exists as a behind-the-scenes protector of humanity with questionable moral integrity.
The Players are all D-Class personnel (which means they're expendable. So expendable that if they survive for a month they get executed anyway). So far, they've experience four deaths all together (three for one, one for another, and one has survived the entire game so far). The surviving player is nearing the end of his 'lifespan' and is slated for termination at the end of the week (in game). All three of them have a chance at earning an indefinite stay of execution though, if they're successful at the task they've been assigned to.
The Posessive Mask (http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-035) has managed to breach its containment and escape out into a sparsely populated russian area. Worse, during its escape, it managed to acquire a sample of The Zombie Virus (http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-008) and has caused an outbreak at the SCP site houseing it and the surrounding area, presumably to cover its tracks and aid its escape.
The outbreak of the zombie plague is large enough, and near enough to areas with larger populations, that the chance of an XK-class end-of-the-world scenario has become a real possibility. All available SCP foundation teams who are deemed combat-capable were dispatched to the surrounding area to create a perimeter and begin pushing inwards in an effort to contain the spread of the plague, with heavier deployments being put between the SCP site of origin and any nearby populated areas.
The chance of a total breach of containment is still a very real possibility, one made worse by the sightings of the Mask showing up and sabotaging strike teams at critical moments.
The area the infection could have spread to is a solid 100 miles out in every direction, and the mask is beleived to still be in or around that area. The area is cold, but not enough to cause freezing of infected individuals. There are several populated areas within the range of infection.
This is where the players come in.
Dr. Bright (http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-963), due to his unusual nature is at once considered "completely disposable" and a high-ranking staff member for the SCP foundation.
Dr. Bright has stated that he "has a plan" for the capture and containment of the posessive mask, and has requisitioned three D-Class personnel (the players) to help him. The three of them were loaded up with a custom selection of high end gear, and the four-man team will be unceremoniously dropped into the infected area.
The players goals are, in order of priority:
- Protect and assist Dr. Bright in any way necessary for the completion of the mission at hand.
- Locate the Posessive Mask, alert the foundation to its whereabouts, and attempt to contain or destroy it at all costs. Any amount of collateral damage is considered acceptable to the recovery of the mask.
- Aid in the containment of the zombie plague outbreak wherever possible, including the resecuring of the classified SCP foundation site.
- Once the foundation site is resecured, establish that all other on-site SCPs are still secured and accounted for, including the lab containing the samples of the zombie virus.
They're also getting a really neat boon before they get dropped in. Dr. Bright is going to sneak all three of them in to see the clockworks (http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-914), to let them augment their gear by putting it in the machine. Since weapons and body armor tend to come out VASTLY improved when inserted in the machine on the "Fine" setting, (with occasional dangerous mishaps being an unfortunate side effect), I've got a list of every peice of equipment they have on hand, and made lists of what will happen if they risk stuffing their gear into the machine. Mostly positive results await them if they're ballsy enough to chance it.
Which brings me to the reason for the thread proper.
****************************************
There are a lot of ways this section of the game could possibly go down. The "Best" ending of this part of the story will be if they manage to pin down and isolate the mask, and get Dr. Bright a clear shot at grappling the thing. Dr. Bright is going to slap his amulet onto the body the mask is controlling and 'see what happens'. Depending on what the players have done up till that point, and if they set it up right, Dr. Bright will either imprint over the mask, destroying the evil personality inside of it and gaining control over its abilities, OR the mask will be utterly neutralized and the personality sucked into the amulet, releasing Dr. Bright from it. Both outcomes are considered positive in their own ways.
There are, of course, numerous 'bad endings' waiting for them. If they bumble through this ineptly, the mask WILL escape, and will wreak utter havoc in doing so. And there's always the chance of slow cannibalizing death at the hand of zombie hoardes. Or the various torturous deaths the mask might have in store for people who get in his way.
And the SCP site that has to be resecured? Think "Tomb of Horrors" in a sci-fi setting...
What I really want tho, is to be as many steps ahead of my players as I possibly can be. So I pose the question to everyone: If you were being dropped into this situation, what would you do? Anything you can think of that might catch a non-expert DM way off guard?
And of course, anything you can think of to suggest to make the game itself better/scarier/more dangerous is all gravy too... :smallsmile:
Thanks for readin my wall of text :smallsmile:
I'm in the middle of a stint as a replacement DM for our group (three players). We're in a slightly modified Shadowrun world, one where The SCP Foundation (http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-series) exists as a behind-the-scenes protector of humanity with questionable moral integrity.
The Players are all D-Class personnel (which means they're expendable. So expendable that if they survive for a month they get executed anyway). So far, they've experience four deaths all together (three for one, one for another, and one has survived the entire game so far). The surviving player is nearing the end of his 'lifespan' and is slated for termination at the end of the week (in game). All three of them have a chance at earning an indefinite stay of execution though, if they're successful at the task they've been assigned to.
The Posessive Mask (http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-035) has managed to breach its containment and escape out into a sparsely populated russian area. Worse, during its escape, it managed to acquire a sample of The Zombie Virus (http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-008) and has caused an outbreak at the SCP site houseing it and the surrounding area, presumably to cover its tracks and aid its escape.
The outbreak of the zombie plague is large enough, and near enough to areas with larger populations, that the chance of an XK-class end-of-the-world scenario has become a real possibility. All available SCP foundation teams who are deemed combat-capable were dispatched to the surrounding area to create a perimeter and begin pushing inwards in an effort to contain the spread of the plague, with heavier deployments being put between the SCP site of origin and any nearby populated areas.
The chance of a total breach of containment is still a very real possibility, one made worse by the sightings of the Mask showing up and sabotaging strike teams at critical moments.
The area the infection could have spread to is a solid 100 miles out in every direction, and the mask is beleived to still be in or around that area. The area is cold, but not enough to cause freezing of infected individuals. There are several populated areas within the range of infection.
This is where the players come in.
Dr. Bright (http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-963), due to his unusual nature is at once considered "completely disposable" and a high-ranking staff member for the SCP foundation.
Dr. Bright has stated that he "has a plan" for the capture and containment of the posessive mask, and has requisitioned three D-Class personnel (the players) to help him. The three of them were loaded up with a custom selection of high end gear, and the four-man team will be unceremoniously dropped into the infected area.
The players goals are, in order of priority:
- Protect and assist Dr. Bright in any way necessary for the completion of the mission at hand.
- Locate the Posessive Mask, alert the foundation to its whereabouts, and attempt to contain or destroy it at all costs. Any amount of collateral damage is considered acceptable to the recovery of the mask.
- Aid in the containment of the zombie plague outbreak wherever possible, including the resecuring of the classified SCP foundation site.
- Once the foundation site is resecured, establish that all other on-site SCPs are still secured and accounted for, including the lab containing the samples of the zombie virus.
They're also getting a really neat boon before they get dropped in. Dr. Bright is going to sneak all three of them in to see the clockworks (http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-914), to let them augment their gear by putting it in the machine. Since weapons and body armor tend to come out VASTLY improved when inserted in the machine on the "Fine" setting, (with occasional dangerous mishaps being an unfortunate side effect), I've got a list of every peice of equipment they have on hand, and made lists of what will happen if they risk stuffing their gear into the machine. Mostly positive results await them if they're ballsy enough to chance it.
Which brings me to the reason for the thread proper.
****************************************
There are a lot of ways this section of the game could possibly go down. The "Best" ending of this part of the story will be if they manage to pin down and isolate the mask, and get Dr. Bright a clear shot at grappling the thing. Dr. Bright is going to slap his amulet onto the body the mask is controlling and 'see what happens'. Depending on what the players have done up till that point, and if they set it up right, Dr. Bright will either imprint over the mask, destroying the evil personality inside of it and gaining control over its abilities, OR the mask will be utterly neutralized and the personality sucked into the amulet, releasing Dr. Bright from it. Both outcomes are considered positive in their own ways.
There are, of course, numerous 'bad endings' waiting for them. If they bumble through this ineptly, the mask WILL escape, and will wreak utter havoc in doing so. And there's always the chance of slow cannibalizing death at the hand of zombie hoardes. Or the various torturous deaths the mask might have in store for people who get in his way.
And the SCP site that has to be resecured? Think "Tomb of Horrors" in a sci-fi setting...
What I really want tho, is to be as many steps ahead of my players as I possibly can be. So I pose the question to everyone: If you were being dropped into this situation, what would you do? Anything you can think of that might catch a non-expert DM way off guard?
And of course, anything you can think of to suggest to make the game itself better/scarier/more dangerous is all gravy too... :smallsmile:
Thanks for readin my wall of text :smallsmile: