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Playing a Monster

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Sun, 2011-06-05 22:22

Axel the Chimeric Axel the Chimeric's picture

Playing a Monster

Let's face it: We all have a little monster in us, some more than others. However, some of us have bigger monsters inside than others, and some of them wear their monstrosity on their exterior, rather than concealing it. In the transhuman future, the depths of inhumanity are not just more expansive, it's easier to dive into them heedlessly and not splatter one's brains against the pit's floor. Moving on from that analogy, the question becomes this: How do you deal with monsters in your campaign? Now, when I say monsters, I mean of the mental and physical variety. I've got characters and NPCs alike who are monsters within, monsters without, and both. How do you deal with characters sleeved in their personal art project morph, which doesn't fall into the Uncanny Valley so much as reside there comfortably in a small estate? Again, I'm on the analogies. And what do you do when a character is a monster? Not morally questionable, but, really, an outright freak, who engages in warped practices like serial murder, torture, and the transformation of transhumans into outlandish art projects? Do you allow these things, if you know players are mature enough not to derail the game into a gorefest with them? How do people react to true monsters?

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Sun, 2011-06-05 22:42

CodeBreaker CodeBreaker's picture

Re: Playing a Monster

Honestly? I don't, but that is only because that style of play does not interest me or my players' in the slightest, at least in the long run. Before I play with any group I make it very clear the general direction I want the game to at least stay close to, and that generally revolves around the characters being the “good guys”. Don't get me wrong, I allow eccentricity, strangeness, and the occasional despicable act. But the serial killers, and serial torturers and the murderous psychopaths are the antagonists in my games, not the protagonists. I will run the occasional one off where the players are free to fulfil whatever disturbed little fantasies they have (and I mean that in a non patronising way, because I do the exact same thing), but during campaign play we tend to keep things on the up and up. Or at least within the moral grey. And how to people react to true monsters? With disgust, and then with force. There is a reason a lot of stories end up with pitchfork wielding mobs.

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Sun, 2011-06-05 23:40

Tallai

Re: Playing a Monster

My players are free to play whoever they want, however I ask that they stay close to what's socially acceptable. I have an omnicidal AGI in my group but he knows to keep his mouth shut until he can act with impunity (read:singularity). My players have learned VERY quickly that actions have consequences. A poorly-planned engagement with gangers has left their quarry aware of his persuers, put one of the players in a touch of trouble with higher-ups (XP Feed of OIA policeman doing an unlawful arrest/interrogation sounds less than lovely on public networks), and now a Martian Ranger is tailing them. I let my players get as dark as they like - its their world to live in, after all - but they like playing more than being killed and erased. Unless its a high importance scene I tend to gloss over the gory details.

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Mon, 2011-06-06 10:24

The Demon Code The Demon Code's picture

Re: Playing a Monster

Axel the Chimeric wrote:
Moving on from that analogy, the question becomes this: How do you deal with monsters in your campaign?

It depends. Complete Monsters, if ever found out, will eventually be destroyed by those with the power to do so, simply because it is in their best interest to do so (unless they are the people with the most power, in which case they are the stereotypical Evil Overlord and will be deposed by a rag-tag group of rebels lead by PC's :)). On the other hand, if they are useful monsters, then they may be sheltered and maybe even encouraged by those that would profit from them, as long as they remain useful.

Axel the Chimeric wrote:
And what do you do when a character is a monster? Not morally questionable, but, really, an outright freak, who engages in warped practices like serial murder, torture, and the transformation of transhumans into outlandish art projects?

Are they useful enough that somebody is protecting them? If not then once it becomes clear that they are monsters, then they usually have to escape or die (or be imprisoned/brainwashed in more merciful societies).

Axel the Chimeric wrote:
Do you allow these things, if you know players are mature enough not to derail the game into a gorefest with them?

Assuming you mean PC monsters? Then yes, as long as they are A) useful monsters and B) understand that their characters may have very short existences. Strong characters and mature players are of course a must. For an example of how monsters can work in a game consider Black Lagoon (the Anime/Manga). Black Lagoon has often been compared to an RPG (especially Shadowrun) and the majority of the cast (for example: Revy, Balalaika, Sawyer, and especially Hansel/Gretel) are horribly monstrous yet the whole thing is very well done (IMHO).

Axel the Chimeric wrote:
How do people react to true monsters?

People react depending on their worldviews, so some will deny they exist despite all evidence, some will run or hide, some will try to kill them, some will seek to profit from them. Society in general though will seek to destroy the monsters and then scapegoat something convenient or enact security theater to 'ensure that it will never happen again'.

Mon, 2011-06-06 10:25

nezumi.hebereke nezumi.hebereke's picture

Re: Playing a Monster

Axel the Chimeric wrote:
How do you deal with characters sleeved in their personal art project morph, which doesn't fall into the Uncanny Valley so much as reside there comfortably in a small estate?

On the one hand, it's less of an issue because people can recognize it's 'fake'. On the other -- well, what happens when you walk around wearing nothing but a penis gourd? People recognize it's fake, but it still may violate local ordinances, and will be dealt with appropriately. It all depends on the locale.

Quote:
And what do you do when a character is a monster? Not morally questionable, but, really, an outright freak, who engages in warped practices like serial murder, torture, and the transformation of transhumans into outlandish art projects?

I would tend to call non-consensual serial killers morally questionable. However, if your issue is that your players keep killing dudes for no reason, the first question is, are all the players (including yourself) having fun? If so, run with it. Enjoy yourself. The more common situation in my experience is one guy wants the gorefest, and everyone else wants to play seriously. In that case, you need to take it out of character, explain that he's welcome to play that sort of way -- with a group of people who enjoy it, but right now he's ruining the game for everyone else. He needs to play the game and be a member of the party. If he doesn't shape up, he ships out. But you do need to talk about it maturely and clearly, to avoid any confusion.

Mon, 2011-06-06 12:48

Arenamontanus Arenamontanus's picture

Re: Playing a Monster

I once ran a single player KULT game where the PC tried to Awaken through negative mental balance - he went through serial killer to beyond, deliberately trying to be as monstrous as possible. Very fun and gory at first... but in the end it became tiresome. So, how do you top your *latest* mass murder? Oh well, another day of raping and soul-destroying... The creepiest monsters are not necessarily in-your-face gore, but the characters who embody something horrifying. A true monster in not criminal/immoral nor sick/crazy. Immoral people act wrong, but they are presumably responsible for their actions. Sick and crazy are be deviant and unable to help it, so it is not their fault really. A monster goes beyond this: they cannot avoid doing monstrous things, it is in their nature, yet there is some element of enjoyment and choice that makes them evil despite their trapped nature. And to be truly awful this should be something the players can relate to. I have a problem with a monster in one EP adventure I am writing. He is too monstrous, he steals the limelight too well, and PC will have absolutely no compunctions in trying to kill him (good luck with that). I think this is a typical problem: monsters can overshadow other elements of the game. They are tricky to nuance, but make satisfying targers. Players also think there is open season on them, but that is wrong: only the monsters that are recognized as monsters by society can be destroyed with impunity. Plenty of them are protected. It might be the morally right thing to put an end to their activities, but there will be repercussions.

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Mon, 2011-06-06 16:41

Unity

Re: Playing a Monster

In a somewhat related game I am running a really potent AGI (my namesake on this forum) with the usual insane levels of Infosec and programming abilities, a thorough comprehension of psychotherapy and psychosurgery, a transhuman equivalent to a doctorate in various infrastructural engineering and armament production fields ... nanotech assembly ... etc. She, as a bizarre emergent intelligence that originates from a collective of programs and wetware computing systems, has difficulty understanding the typical human/transhuman perspective on identity. So, in her efforts to acquire data and resources to further her research into advanced nanotech, neurosciences, and programming (she wants to become a seed AI some day) she ... engages in morally questionable business practices and steals forks of egos to experiment with. Such practices include, but are not limited to: stealing forks of competing researchers to make use of their minds in non-wireless enabled servers with limited permissions and time dilated simulspace sweatshops. She honestly does not understand on an emotional level why people find fork-napping to be an abhorrent business practice. She's on the side of the protagonists, by the way.

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