Liam Devlin
October 4th, 2002, 11:02 PM
Okay, I've seen the munchkin board and best glorious death (PC or NPC). I'm a GM who likes a good twisted convoluted plot to toss out amidst the carnage as well as the next. Hows about we hear from all out there in cyber space on the list of the BEST use of the Femme fatale NPC YOU experienced (or utilized)as player or ref (gentleman for those over the pond).
GBoyett
October 4th, 2002, 11:43 PM
Originally posted by Liam Devlin:
Okay, I've seen the munchkin board and best glorious death (PC or NPC). I'm a GM who likes a good twisted convoluted plot to toss out amidst the carnage as well as the next. Hows about we hear from all out there in cyber space on the list of the BEST use of the Femme fatale NPC YOU experienced (or utilized)as player or ref (gentleman for those over the pond).Funny you mention that. A female detached scout was used to seduce and help in kidnapping a PC because of a case of mistaken identity. After an evening of dining and night manuvers (heh heh graemlins/file_23.gif :D ) a group of S3 imposters were to subdue him.
The imposters all had special psionics that can detect the psionic gifted agents of thier enemies. The PC's abilities both sensed and triggered the psionics of the imposter, which caused this group to assume he was an enemy agent.
Anyway. The team's approach wakes up the PC. He naturally gets up, grabs his swords (His best weapons skills), and prepares to meet the team. Meanwhile the female, who is radio linked with the team, is prepared to stun baton the PC. The plan is either she will stun him or the team will tranq. Either way they figure the two front attack will succeed.
The PC caught the female ready to stun him and knocks her out of the way. The team, monitoring the room with the scout's radio link, breaks in. The end result, two dead S3 imposters (one a suicide to prevent capture and the other from a sword thru the chest) and remaining S3 and scout tranqed.
Liam Devlin
October 5th, 2002, 12:04 PM
Nice one! Reminds me of the song "Whiskey in the Jar" (no- graemlins/file_28.gif -not the Metallica horible remake, the Makem & Clancy version, thank ye very much!). Right down to the sword play in the boudoir!
Next!
Liam Devlin
October 5th, 2002, 05:18 PM
Gee, guys, (& Lady, if LisaGB be about), I didnae think this would be a tough one! GMs's out there, is George the only one who's utilized this stereotypical NPC? C'Mon, I can recall a half dozen written adventures where the damsel in distress WASN"T! (Not that I played in all of them, but some of you have. I KNOW YOU'RE OUT there!)
Okay--I'll be fair and give you one of mine:
Two PC's want to get closer to this "lady" (very loose term here, ye must understand) pirate lass, in order to get at the secret of where the hidden Corsair hangout in the subsector is. Trouble is, she has Bodyguards, and isn't the "approachable" type in a crowded starport bar.
So they hatch this plan, buy rounds for the house, and start this fight ( a nasty row for those over the pond)with some plastered Scouts & ex-Navy types, and when asked "who started this" by some grizzled old Marine Gunny Sgt, point at her guards, who are throwing folks off their path as she's makin an exit.
The GySGt hollers the "Imperial Semper Fi", and begins to demolish these two blokes something terrible, and every Marine in the place past and present enlisted gloms on.(Mayhem and ruckus ensue!)
To make things more one sided, the one PC with a snub gun tranqs the biggest Thug, so the other one is really hemmed in. They Swoop thru over a few tables and"rescue" the Pirate gal, and hustle her out of there, to what they hope is safety, and a chance to get in good with her.
The bad news of it all was, the plan worked up until that point, and she Thanked them each by saying she needed a 'safe place to stay."
They took her back to their ship. She didn't mind sharing, and neither did the PCs...
They woke up the next day in the Landing pad, covered in backblasted dust, and their Scout ship as gone.
The femme fatale was Honshu of the Blue Moon gang, out of Pasdaruu. They discovered later she was a telepath too.. :eek: graemlins/file_23.gif
GBoyett
October 5th, 2002, 07:00 PM
Originally posted by Liam Devlin:
Gee, guys, (& Lady, if LisaGB be about), I didnae think this would be a tough one! GMs's out there, is George the only one who's utilized this stereotypical NPC? C'Mon, I can recall a half dozen written adventures where the damsel in distress WASN"T! (Not that I played in all of them, but some of you have. I KNOW YOU'RE OUT there!)
Okay--I'll be fair and give you one of mine:
Two PC's want to get closer to this "lady" (very loose term here, ye must understand) pirate lass, in order to get at the secret of where the hidden Corsair hangout in the subsector is. Trouble is, she has Bodyguards, and isn't the "approachable" type in a crowded starport bar.
So they hatch this plan, buy rounds for the house, and start this fight ( a nasty row for those over the pond)with some plastered Scouts & ex-Navy types, and when asked "who started this" by some grizzled old Marine Gunny Sgt, point at her guards, who are throwing folks off their path as she's makin an exit.
The GySGt hollers the "Imperial Semper Fi", and begins to demolish these two blokes something terrible, and every Marine in the place past and present enlisted gloms on.(Mayhem and ruckus ensue!)
To make things more one sided, the one PC with a snub gun tranqs the biggest Thug, so the other one is really hemmed in. They Swoop thru over a few tables and"rescue" the Pirate gal, and hustle her out of there, to what they hope is safety, and a chance to get in good with her.
The bad news of it all was, the plan worked up until that point, and she Thanked them each by saying she needed a 'safe place to stay."
They took her back to their ship. She didn't mind sharing, and neither did the PCs...
They woke up the next day in the Landing pad, covered in backblasted dust, and their Scout ship as gone.
The femme fatale was Honshu of the Blue Moon gang, out of Pasdaruu. They discovered later she was a telepath too.. :eek: graemlins/file_23.gif Thanks good. Which era was this adventure?
I'm quite surprised myself that no one has responded. I figure everyone has ran the Lady in White from 76 Patrons, which was used as an example in several box sets and gaming examples.
Then again I figure everyone has business (yard work, alumni days, DYI, etc) as the forum traffic seems low compared to weekdays.
Well I'm off to prepare for tonight's game. The group is going to help a taskforce of S3, Imperial Marines, and Daryen Special Arm to take out a rogue Scout Intel operation.
lisagb
October 5th, 2002, 07:41 PM
NPC? :( I can tell ya all about PC femme fatale's! smile.gif Hey practically every character I play is to a greater or lesser extent..nothing like being stereotyped huh?
I remeber one time the GM used me to play an NPC femme. The characters were acting as a cadre for a commando company and were heading off to liberate this mine from rebel troops on a balkanised world, when they see an air/raft come crashing down.
They investigate to find my character still alive but unconcious the rest of the crew dead an the air/raft about to go phoom!
So they drag me out an head off on mission.
Big battle at the mine, the rebels were better than intelligence had given them to expect, and were using ex Imp merc's.
The Major in charge of the commando's send the PC's off on recon while he an his men secure the place.
When the PC's return they figure sommut aint right an sneak into the mine to find their former comrades lying in ambush an the Major gone compeletly nuts tryin to find sommut.
Big battle, PC's run away.
By now my character is awake an tells the PC's she works for an Imperial aid agency an that an aid station isnt to far away. So off they head to safety tryin to shake off their pursuers.
Arrive at aid station..safe!!
Wrong!
Full of very pissed off rebels.
PC's captured.
My character is a merc in employ of the rebels an she is very eager to learn where her air/raft crashed, there is something of importance on board an she wants it back the same thing the Major of the commando's was keen to find at the mine.
So off we trot to the crash site. The PC's are left under armed guard while she heads off to the wreckage.
PC's over power their guards an arrive on scene jus as a G-Carrier is lifting off.
One PC grabs a RPG and pops a rocket into the G-Carrier.
Boom!
Of my character or the item she was so keen to retrieve there is no sign. (she was a zho agent an managed to teleport out before the rocket hit..as to the item...who knows what it actualy was?!!) smile.gif
Uncle Bob
October 5th, 2002, 08:19 PM
Role-playing with a femme-fatale is a problem if your group is
a) All male
and b) homophobic.
"Roll playing" doesn't really have the same ... ambiance.
One guy did frequently play a female character, which always bothered me a little (think of a taller Sean Bean playing a Rebecca de Morney character), but it turned out the character was a lesbian...
lisagb
October 5th, 2002, 08:34 PM
Bob funny you should say that cos I used to play with a guy who liked female characters, funny how they were always lesbians.
I started playing male characters, that scuppered him for a bit.
Then he played a straight female character, funny how she came onto my character. Very odd experience being the bloke in a relationship.(fictional or otherwise)
Ya can get used to anything mind.
Liam Devlin
October 5th, 2002, 09:57 PM
George Boyett said-"Thanks good. Which era was this adventure?
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FYI-That was part of "Hard Times", Honshu Praetoria, the mistress/ current wife of the infamous Indro "the Lightless" of Pasdaruu/Diaspora infamy (out of Campobello asteroid system).--Liam
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LisaGB said-"I remeber one time the GM used me to play an NPC femme. The characters were acting as a cadre for a commando company and were heading off to liberate this mine from rebel troops on a balkanised world, when they see an air/raft come crashing down.
They investigate to find my character still alive but unconcious the rest of the crew dead an the air/raft about to go phoom!
So they drag me out an head off on mission.
Big battle at the mine, the rebels were better than intelligence had given them to expect, and were using ex Imp merc's.
The Major in charge of the commando's send the PC's off on recon while he an his men secure the place.
When the PC's return they figure sommut aint right an sneak into the mine to find their former comrades lying in ambush an the Major gone compeletly nuts tryin to find sommut.
Big battle, PC's run away.
By now my character is awake an tells the PC's she works for an Imperial aid agency an that an aid station isnt to far away. So off they head to safety tryin to shake off their pursuers.
Arrive at aid station..safe!!
Wrong!
Full of very pissed off rebels.
PC's captured.
My character is a merc in employ of the rebels an she is very eager to learn where her air/raft crashed, there is something of importance on board an she wants it back the same thing the Major of the commando's was keen to find at the mine.
So off we trot to the crash site. The PC's are left under armed guard while she heads off to the wreckage.
PC's over power their guards an arrive on scene jus as a G-Carrier is lifting off.
One PC grabs a RPG and pops a rocket into the G-Carrier.
Boom!
Of my character or the item she was so keen to retrieve there is no sign. (she was a zho agent an managed to teleport out before the rocket hit..as to the item...who knows what it actualy was?!!) "
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That's worth a dozen roses from the "Wild Irish Rose" rogue, lass
Hugz N Kisses back atchya!
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George said-"One guy did frequently play a female character, which always bothered me a little (think of a taller Sean Bean playing a Rebecca de Morney character), but it turned out the character was a lesbian...
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Met fellas who did that in AD & D.
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LisaGB said-"Bob funny you should say that cos I used to play with a guy who liked female characters, funny how they were always lesbians.
I started playing male characters, that scuppered him for a bit.
Then he played a straight female character, funny how she came onto my character. Very odd experience being the bloke in a relationship.(fictional or otherwise)
Ya can get used to anything mind."
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Perhaps he felt more comfortable approaching you across the table "in character" than "in person". ;)
GBoyett
October 5th, 2002, 10:26 PM
Originally posted by Liam Devlin:
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George said-"One guy did frequently play a female character, which always bothered me a little (think of a taller Sean Bean playing a Rebecca de Morney character), but it turned out the character was a lesbian...
Actually Uncle Bob said that one.
Though guy in a group had a female PC/NPC, that was a sexy, but deadly mechwarrior. We're talking about major paranoia including sleeping on the floor behind a sofa.
One time while driving thru a desert, the character met a road warrior gang. She killed the leader and several gang member while wearing this cute yellow sundress and the purse with a heavy sidearm.
The only problem she had was how to the blood out of the dress. Fortunately the rest stop had the real lemon juice that took care of the problem. :eek: :cool:
Liam Devlin
October 5th, 2002, 10:32 PM
My bad George. Gotta shoot my Vilani editor in chief again(left kneecap this time!) graemlins/toast.gif
phydaux
October 5th, 2002, 11:21 PM
For my Merc campaigns, I usually run this all-female merc company called the Death's Head Battalion, aka the Stygian Bitches or the Death's Head Dykes.
I use these "guys" as the major rival for my PC's merc company. I try and intro the Bitches to the PCs by suckering one of them into a bare knuckles boxing match with the company HtH combat instructor.
I'll usually have one NPC merc who isn't so "dedicated" to "company life." I'll hold her out as a possible love interest for one of the PCs (I try to pick the best role player in the group for the part).
it works well, because then there's a conduit for information to flow between the two groups, lots of built in conflict ("Hey, is this MAN bothering you?") and if the two groups do go at it together, the PCs have incentive to hold back.
"Great shot, Harry. I hope you didn't just kill my girlfriend..."
So far the Bitches have shown up in three campaigns, I've goaded players into boxing matches twice and managed to hook up a PC all of ONCE.
I guess I'm not a good of a GM as I thought.
Liam Devlin
October 5th, 2002, 11:40 PM
george wrote:"Though guy in a group had a female PC/NPC, that was a sexy, but deadly mechwarrior. We're talking about major paranoia including sleeping on the floor behind a sofa.
One time while driving thru a desert, the character met a road warrior gang. She killed the leader and several gang member while wearing this cute yellow sundress and the purse with a heavy sidearm.
The only problem she had was how to the blood out of the dress. Fortunately the rest stop had the real lemon juice that took care of the problem.
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AHa, a LisaGB no nonsense gal PC. Kills baddies, and can get the stains out of her dress. Luv it!
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Phydaux wrote-" For my Merc campaigns, I usually run this all-female merc company called the Death's Head Battalion, aka the Stygian Bitches or the Death's Head Dykes.
I use these "guys" as the major rival for my PC's merc company. I try and intro the Bitches to the PCs by suckering one of them into a bare knuckles boxing match with the company HtH combat instructor.
I'll usually have one NPC merc who isn't so "dedicated" to "company life." I'll hold her out as a possible love interest for one of the PCs (I try to pick the best role player in the group for the part).
it works well, because then there's a conduit for information to flow between the two groups, lots of built in conflict ("Hey, is this MAN bothering you?") and if the two groups do go at it together, the PCs have incentive to hold back.
"Great shot, Harry. I hope you didn't just kill my girlfriend..."
So far the Bitches have shown up in three campaigns, I've goaded players into boxing matches twice and managed to hook up a PC all of ONCE.
I guess I'm not a good of a GM as I thought."
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Thats an interesting twist, the all female Merc group, as rivals of your Pcs. Good example, phydaux!
I did something similar with a Solomani Far Trader ship, with the surviving letters of the former name The BIg Rock Candy Mountain as SS TeBiRoCaMon, with an all female crew-of various sophonts: A pair of Invitro twins (The Skipper and ChiefEngineer--one red haired (skipper) and one ash blonde (CHief engineer); four Aslan Ladies (two merchants, one astrogator, one sensors officer);4 Aquan-Scanians-a minor human race of Gushmege(the gunners); a Tapmazali-human Steward/Dr.; 2 Vargr "ladies",(1 mechanic, one merchant); and a Dolphin(female) Chief astrogator-Co-pilot.
It was a Free Trader ship, with the tradition of an all female crew. Men could be passengers only (bio-freight).
PapaGolfWhiskey
October 5th, 2002, 11:45 PM
Femme Fatale..
hm.. 20 years ago I had NPC atagonist who was a Zho Spy seducing one of the PC's. What was funny is they actualy rescued her from the Gaesh. AFTER they learned who she really was.
Does anyone remember the supplement 'Startown Encounters?' -- I had a PC decide to hook with well a hooker only to learn (as a result of an honest die roll) that she was an undercover Vice Officer.
That's about it for my Femme Fatale list. Not a lot of real females in my group and... I donno having a guy who looks more like Phil Foglio's 'Buck Godot' Trying to be a delicate 'elf maiden' (or whatever) never seems to work long term.
Liam Devlin
October 5th, 2002, 11:52 PM
Garf wrote-"hm.. 20 years ago I had NPC atagonist who was a Zho Spy seducing one of the PC's. What was funny is they actualy rescued her from the Gaesh. AFTER they learned who she really was.
Does anyone remember the supplement 'Startown Encounters?' -- I had a PC decide to hook with well a hooker only to learn (as a result of an honest die roll) that she was an undercover Vice Officer."
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Those are two great examples Garf. Thanks for sharing. ;) These are precisely what I was looking for when I placed the topic! :D
Uncle Bob
October 6th, 2002, 12:09 AM
Originally posted by George Boyett:
The only problem she had was how to the blood out of the dress. Fortunately the rest stop had the real lemon juice that took care of the problem.It wasn't Traveller, but in a Flashing Blades (Three Musketeers era) game I was running a female player determined to seduce and murder a Spanish Grandee. She did it but she missed the attack roll and he took a minute or two to die. There was a lot of blood. Maybe I overdid the description, because she never killed anyone else.
[Liam, this may not mean much to anybody else, but among the ten or so players in that game I had
A Count
A Viscount
Two knights
Two Masters of the Pelican
Two Masters of the Laurel
A Mistress of the Laurel
Three Barons
and Five White Scarfs
oh, and a PhD, a LLD, and at least two M.A.s in History.
(OK, one of the Barony's and one MA was mine.)
Somehow I kept them all happy in a historical 17th century France. I am still proud of that.
Liam Devlin
October 6th, 2002, 12:30 AM
Uncle Bob, I KNOW what a task THAT alone musta been! (bows). Sirrah, thou hast out done me yet again. May I aspire to such accuracy in the future (besides misquoting you and george Boyett in transposition!).
(Oh well, back to the salt mines!)
And I didnae say to the rest of you Lurking out there, it had to be traveller (though UB's example isn't, its still top notch stuff!)
Thanks UB.
Next??
Uncle Bob
October 6th, 2002, 01:36 AM
Liam, I assume yoyu meant no disrespect, but "sirrah" is a form of address used for a child or a social inferior.
So smile when you say that. smile.gif
That game was the most fun I ever ran, but it was a challenge. Getting the setting right with real NPCs were bad enough, but I had fighters who had been swordfighting together for real for up to twenty years. Even with honestly rolled characters they were unstoppable.
Liam Devlin
October 6th, 2002, 01:48 AM
UB sez-"Liam, I assume yoyu meant no disrespect, but "sirrah" is a form of address used for a child or a social inferior.
So smile when you say that. " smile.gif
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Your Excellency knows I meant none smile.gif , nor shall I ever try to give offense in any manner, in anything resembling less than complete civility. Switching from period speech to Trav is a bit sticky for me. I shall endeavour not to demean goode King's Englishe onward.
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"That game was the most fun I ever ran, but it was a challenge. Getting the setting right with real NPCs were bad enough, but I had fighters who had been swordfighting together for real for up to twenty years. Even with honestly rolled characters they were unstoppable. '
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Having two Army Rangers in my FTCampbell gamers made for interesting debates on tactics, etc. Not wuite the caliber you had to remain on par with, but the devil, I agree is in the details. The gamers liked that I fleshed out stuff both in Trav & AD & D. (Had to, when the pernicous readers THOUGHT they could read a module and i not know it. But thats a topic for another time :eek: graemlins/file_23.gif
Liam Devlin
October 6th, 2002, 02:22 AM
Now where were we? Ah yes, the femme fatale. C'mon guys, you've been snookered/bamboozled/seduced/ taken to the cleaners by em, or GM's you've utilized these ladies in plots before. george already mentioned 76 Patrons..Wheres the CT crowd?GT vets? ANyone else from MT? TNE? :rolleyes:
lisagb
October 6th, 2002, 12:00 PM
Me again..ok non-traveller, I ran a Pendragon campaign set in 5thC Cornwall mostly concerned with the goings on in one paticular Cornish clan, (think Soprano's with swords). Had several femme fatale types swanning around.
Firstly there was Sabh the daughter of the clan druid an a prophetess, highly political, hated christians an not everything she did was for the good of the clan.
Secondly Erin wild cat daughter of the clan Chief.
Ooodles of trouble to anyone suiting her, plus the clan Warlord considered first dibs on her.
Third from the depths of the moors were the matriarchal picts ruled by Scena beautiful an deadly never before bested in single combat by a mere man, wielder of the fabled Gwylchallyr, the "Black spear".
Fourth Rhiannon daughter of Lord Moran chief of the local enemy clan.
Finally Ciara mute saxon slave with a mysterious past..what secrets are locked away in her mind, does she really know the where abouts of the lost Cauldron of Olwen?
Liam Devlin
October 6th, 2002, 03:08 PM
Lisagb- all good examples, thank you!. Nice thumbsketches btw. I can see transposing several of them into the Future as is (low tech worlds).
Well done, lass. Gentleman? Our lady of the post has picked up this gauntlet(And another rose!), as have several others..
belly up to the bar and share!
MichaelL65
October 7th, 2002, 12:02 AM
The last adventure the group I game with was in, we had a "gorgeous knock-out petite blond" who managed to seduce one of our group and hook him on drugs (along with, it turned out, most of the crew of the ship we were on).
She hyped him up on drugs and had him try to kill the guy we were escorting. We flushed her stash and got caught by the crew in the process. Once things were straightened out, a search was made for her, including a full search of everyone as they left the ship - she was never found. Seems she just vanished... :eek:
Liam Devlin
October 7th, 2002, 12:48 AM
Micheal65 said-"The last adventure the group I game with was in, we had a "gorgeous knock-out petite blond" who managed to seduce one of our group and hook him on drugs (along with, it turned out, most of the crew of the ship we were on).
She hyped him up on drugs and had him try to kill the guy we were escorting. We flushed her stash and got caught by the crew in the process. Once things were straightened out, a search was made for her, including a full search of everyone as they left the ship - she was never found. Seems she just vanished... :eek: '
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Yowch! Nasty GM! And she disappeared too. Something of a hook for a leter adventure (like how does one just "vanish" off a ship that size? Good example Micheal!
Next!
Liam Devlin
October 7th, 2002, 01:35 AM
Secret Cow Level..I know you're there. Have any examples for aspiring GM's to use? Doesn't have to have happened to YOUR PC, might 've been the fellow next to you...Or at a Convention game session, table next to yours..
graemlins/file_22.gif
Liam Devlin
October 7th, 2002, 03:58 AM
Mr Paraquat Johnson? ANything to add to this while you peruse?
Liam Devlin
October 7th, 2002, 04:00 AM
MJD? ANy good examples from the UK to share with us?
Shadowdancer
October 7th, 2002, 04:36 AM
Originally posted by Liam Devlin:
Mr Paraquat Johnson? ANything to add to this while you peruse?Stop that, you Zhodani mind-reader. smile.gif
Actually, I've been away for a couple of days attending the opening weekend of the Texas Renaissance Festival, and I was trying to catch up on all of the threads and postings I've missed since Friday.
Ah, the femme fatale. One of my favorite plot devices as a DM/GM/ref, and my greatest weakness as a player. "La Femme Nikita" is one of my favorite movies, and I loved the TV series, too.
My favorite is the stripper/exotic dancer who turns out to be a master assassin. She works as a dancer at a club her intended victim frequents, or arranges for said victim to receive an invitation to a special party at the club. She gets introduced, flirts with him, gets invited back to his place, maybe stays with him for a few days/weeks. But she doesn't kill him when she's alone with him in bed, oh no. That would be too obvious, and would mark her as an obvious target of suspision and retaliation. She uses this time with the victim to check out his security arrangements and maybe learn his schedule. Then she kills him later, usually from afar with a scoped rifle. More of a challenge that way. Doing it up close and personal, where's the challenge?
I've used the dancer/assassin as both adversary and patron in Traveller, as well as the time the PCs had to help her escape off planet, and she repaid their kindness by framing them for the killing.
Another femme fatale type I use is the "damsel in distress" who claims people are trying to kill her or kidnap her for some reason, and she needs the PCs to help her escape and/or kill those chasing her. In reality, she's usually stolen something from those in pursuit and they want it back. This can be money, an item, data -- almost anything. Usually she'll seduce one of the PCs and get him to fall in love with her, and offer to help her. Then, once she's safe, she'll run away. Sometimes the PCs pursue her and she becomes a recurring character for them to chase. Other times, she just disappears and they never hear from her again. If they're really lucky, she doesn't frame them for her crime.
As a player, I've been seduced a time or two by long-legged redheads dressed in black leather (the DM really knows how to push my buttons), only to awaken the next morning to find they've stolen my money, my weapons, my transportation and my clothes! :eek:
Liam Devlin
October 7th, 2002, 04:55 AM
Paraquat Johnson posted-"Stop that, you Zhodani mind-reader." smile.gif
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;) Zho? Nahhh, IRIS, Telepath Rank 8. but as you were...
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"Actually, I've been away for a couple of days attending the opening weekend of the Texas Renaissance Festival, and I was trying to catch up on all of the threads and postings I've missed since Friday.'
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Hope you had fun! Spent mine at Drill
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"Ah, the femme fatale. One of my favorite plot devices as a DM/GM/ref, and my greatest weakness as a player. "La Femme Nikita" is one of my favorite movies, and I loved the TV series, too.
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Luv that series. I can relate to both admissions, by the way...romantic devil that I be.
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"My favorite is the stripper/exotic dancer who turns out to be a master assassin. She works as a dancer at a club her intended victim frequents, or arranges for said victim to receive an invitation to a special party at the club. She gets introduced, flirts with him, gets invited back to his place, maybe stays with him for a few days/weeks. But she doesn't kill him when she's alone with him in bed, oh no. That would be too obvious, and would mark her as an obvious target of suspision and retaliation. She uses this time with the victim to check out his security arrangements and maybe learn his schedule. Then she kills him later, usually from afar with a scoped rifle. More of a challenge that way. Doing it up close and personal, where's the challenge?'
I've used the dancer/assassin as both adversary and patron in Traveller, as well as the time the PCs had to help her escape off planet, and she repaid their kindness by framing them for the killing."
Another femme fatale type I use is the "damsel in distress" who claims people are trying to kill her or kidnap her for some reason, and she needs the PCs to help her escape and/or kill those chasing her. In reality, she's usually stolen something from those in pursuit and they want it back. This can be money, an item, data -- almost anything. Usually she'll seduce one of the PCs and get him to fall in love with her, and offer to help her. Then, once she's safe, she'll run away. Sometimes the PCs pursue her and she becomes a recurring character for them to chase. Other times, she just disappears and they never hear from her again. If they're really lucky, she doesn't frame them for her crime.
As a player, I've been seduced a time or two by long-legged redheads dressed in black leather (the DM really knows how to push my buttons), only to awaken the next morning to find they've stolen my money, my weapons, my transportation and my clothes!
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Outstanding examples. Both from player & Ref point of view. See you lurkers out there? Its not hard to do. Thanks for the input PJ. Maybe the wannabe refs will get some pointers from all these (I hope!)
Next!
Secrect Cow Level
October 7th, 2002, 03:00 PM
You know, I've never used that plot device in any of my games over all the many years I've played and run games. I guess it boils down to the fact that none of my players would either fall for it or play along in any case. My group tends to play rather mercanary types who seldom do anything for anybody without getting paid for it.
Liam Devlin
October 7th, 2002, 03:09 PM
Now thats amazin' lad! You NEVER used it?? Hmmmmm. Well I'll be learnin somthing new everyday here! Never had a female patron femme fatale hire the boys? Wow. :eek:
Tarn
October 7th, 2002, 03:14 PM
In my current game (D&D 3e while I wait for T20 to come out), I have a serious female trouble maker by the name of Xiaoling. Descibed as short, cute in a really innocent way, the type of girl your mother would be very happy to see you with, and sexy in the doesn't realize it way (And this was when she was naked save for the bat wings and small horns).
This girl to date has impersonated a succubus, stole from a black knight, seduced an archmage, and tricked the party into committing a burglary in Hell (it is a red herring... they don't know this yet).
It *is* a high power game.
Liam Devlin
October 7th, 2002, 03:21 PM
Sounds like a Drow lady merchant i ran in my ADD2-e campaign name Ky'rae (FTr/Wz/Rogue). Brains, looks, guts, and a penchant for profit where the risks were high. Dealt in small cargoes with big returns (material components, jewels, spices (rarer in the Underdark the better). Then the good guys caught up with the bad guys, and she was camped between them in a freefor all firefight. Part of the color I added to the Boxed set Underdark campaign. Heck, even the paladin got to dislike her less and less. No love lost with Aboleth either. graemlins/file_23.gif
TheColonel
October 7th, 2002, 04:00 PM
My first post! It is very difficult to get players to fall for a Femme Fatale when let's face it there is no real world benefit.
Liam Devlin
October 7th, 2002, 04:07 PM
Colonel, sir. Welcome to the List! Glad to have peaked your interest. Hmmm. True, the "no real world Interest" angle is there..but the suspension of belief required in any RPG, and storytelling in that matter, is something they have to get or its just paper and dice.
Paint with your words an image they can "see"... smell and touch. (Like the greasey backed up smell of the fresher near the engine room on a S-class scout. A Unique aroma, I assure you.
Go forth, and do great things! Thanks for having the Fortitude to posting too. It gets easier, trust me!
T. Foster
October 7th, 2002, 04:35 PM
When you come down to it there's no "real world benefit" to much of ANYTHING that happens in an rpg. I always found it pretty easy to entice PCs into making non-pragmatic choices by a metagame appeal: "sure you guys can turn this mission down and spend the rest of the session safely selling shoes, but that's ridiculously boring. However, if you go on this job, you know there will be at least some fun and excitement, and, come on, do you really think I'd be sending you out there without at least SOME chance you could succeed?"
Emphasizing the experience of the game -- that entertainment for the players is "worth" more than the welfare of their characters -- worked wonders for convincing them to take inordinate risks and is IMO a much better strategy than putting them onto the "plot railroad" and denying even ostensible freedom of choice ("what, kidnapped by pirates again?!").
Liam Devlin
October 7th, 2002, 04:42 PM
Mr T Foster writes-"When you come down to it there's no "real world benefit" to much of ANYTHING that happens in an rpg. I always found it pretty easy to entice PCs into making non-pragmatic choices by a metagame appeal: "sure you guys can turn this mission down and spend the rest of the session safely selling shoes, but that's ridiculously boring. However, if you go on this job, you know there will be at least some fun and excitement, and, come on, do you really think I'd be sending you out there without at least SOME chance you could succeed?"
Emphasizing the experience of the game -- that entertainment for the players is "worth" more than the welfare of their characters -- worked wonders for convincing them to take inordinate risks and is IMO a much better strategy than putting them onto the "plot railroad" and denying even ostensible freedom of choice ("what, kidnapped by pirates again?!")."
________________________________________
Precisely said, T. Foster, well done. Its not the job..its the adventure-the escapism from ho hum daily living that sells these games! Storytelling is an ART form, the femme fatale is but one facet of the jewel. Well done Mr Foster!
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MichaelL65
October 8th, 2002, 01:26 AM
Originally posted by Liam Devlin:
Yowch! Nasty GM! And she disappeared too. Something of a hook for a leter adventure (like how does one just "vanish" off a ship that size? Good example Micheal!
Well, the characters don't know this, but the GM told us afterwards that she teleported around while searches were made and just teleported off ship when it landed (I was suspecting something like that already). I also think there was some telepathic suggestions made to make our comrad act so out of character.
We were also promised she would return.... graemlins/file_23.gif
Liam Devlin
October 8th, 2002, 01:39 AM
Micheal65-'Well, the characters don't know this, but the GM told us afterwards that she teleported around while searches were made and just teleported off ship when it landed (I was suspecting something like that already). I also think there was some telepathic suggestions made to make our comrad act so out of character.
We were also promised she would return.... graemlins/file_23.gif
_____________________________
First time with a psion femme fatale. Great story, Micheal. Thanks! Earns you a star! (on yer status).
:D ;)
cgriffen
October 8th, 2002, 01:48 AM
Originally posted by phydaux:
For my Merc campaigns, I usually run this all-female merc company called the Death's Head Battalion, aka the Stygian Bitches or the Death's Head Dykes.I have to say that I absolutely love the sheer, unbridled lack of political correctness in your campaign! graemlins/file_23.gif
I ran a merc campaign several years back in which the PCs' unit was a company-sized, mixed-gender unit. Some level of fraternization occurred between the troops. I tossed in a few femme fatales in the NPC mix to entice the PCs and add an aura somewhat like that of the film, Starship Troopers (which hadn't come out yet, BTW, so I didn't derive! tongue.gif ) or Joe Haldeman's excellent book, The Forever War.
I also intimated that relationships developed between various NPCs and I believe I may have even had an NPC couple quit the unit to go off and settle down together. Just added bits of realism to give the NPCs a little personality.
Liam Devlin
October 8th, 2002, 02:08 AM
Starpilot/C Griffen posted-'I ran a merc campaign several years back in which the PCs' unit was a company-sized, mixed-gender unit. Some level of fraternization occurred between the troops. I tossed in a few femme fatales in the NPC mix to entice the PCs and add an aura somewhat like that of the film, Starship Troopers (which hadn't come out yet, BTW, so I didn't derive! ) or Joe Haldeman's excellent book, The Forever War.
I also intimated that relationships developed between various NPCs and I believe I may have even had an NPC couple quit the unit to go off and settle down together. Just added bits of realism to give the NPCs a little personality
________________________________________
Good books, both of em. Haldeman's Forever War was one of my first reads for "food for thought" in gaming Traveller-military STyle. Like you, i found Starship Troopers later.
Good way to introduce the FF into the storyline, even if all else was alluded to "offstage". Nicely done sir.! There's a star! ;)
Next!
Liam Devlin
October 8th, 2002, 05:00 AM
Hmm the 41st post, time for another example from the Argon Blue Files of yours truly then...
Here's a combination trick I learned. Ya'll remember the Multiple choice options right, in "hooks"?
I ran a variant on two things out of the same Traveller chronicle issue a few months back for the PCs.
One article was on genassisted critters & cloning.
Had a hook in there about a runaway femme fatale (clone) of wealthy industrialist. The other was an adventure set in Foreven Sector called 'Revenge so Sweet".
Silly me, I was playing in TNE..and had 28 days for the PCs to get into mischief in the Sufren polity (RCS Belladonna contact mission, alluded to, but never done up--so I DID it! 1202 (April 1st-arrive June 6th; depart July 4th, return RC sep 2nd 1202).
Three of the PC's & three NPC crewman buddies decided while the "High N mighty's" hammered out trade talks for Snake AVV weapon & release of the Mary Elise vessel as well in exchange for Starshipyard machinery to upgrade Sufren's massive C-orbital yards to B or even A-class, to go take their liberty and earn some bucks.
Had em hired on as crew of the "SS SOlo Flyer" (as per RSS adventure). Two jumps, nice pay, easy duties,back in time for ship sailing home with a week to spare.
Tossed in the clone with short memory problem as a mystery gal, named Mlini, fleeing a man who called her "his wife", but she didn't remember marrying him. Turns out the Main Hospital dirtside had recently announced TL-13 technology restored in organ cloning in the body. SUpposedly this woman had been in a bad grav vehicle accident a year ago, and was recently "reunited with her hubby."
They arrive at Gaamov (imtu, Sufren had begun salvage and asteroid mining again there in the inner part of the system 001-1201, interdicting the rest of it), and offload their cargo and the con-men passengers (as per the adventure).
The bad news...Mlini Blair was a clone. The real M Blair died, and she was replaced. Somewhere hidden in the Sufren system was a TL-14 Fast growth cloning system, run by an AI-Virus, and iyts partner, an imperial remnant Dr SCiientist (Hi tech Frankenstein, okay). But they discover all that later.
Hubby's goons are in pursuit, as are his rivals, who "programmed" her to do some espionage and steal data he'd been embezzling to save her life from his corporation (What was left of Instellarms on planet after the collapse).
PCs didn't know there were two groups offering ransom, NOW they stood accused of kidnapping a woman with SOC of D (Mr Blair was the Planetary CEO,Hyperion-Instellarms and sat in high circles with Sufren's govt. leadership). Mr Blair didn't knowhis "wife" had been replaced, or why she'd fled their plush condo after swiping his data crystals. Nor was he aware the number 4 man below him was seeking to have him sacked, and take his place!
As Sufren was an IMperial Naval base, and the last Challenge article I'd read on her showed her to be rather cosmopolitan, Imperial races ran the gamut here.
Stereotypically I admit, I used Vargr as cheap hired thugs to press the claims of group 2 (The corp raiders). The PCs weren't sure she was on the level till someone killed one of the NPC buddies from the ship, while they were arranging a "ransom" pick-up & hostage exchange.(Cut his throat in the mens room, left him there, shot three times, head chest, abdomen. Messy),
THAT got their attention this wasn't Fartin' around...the PC's Group leader (Party-leader for you of ADnD experience) was gonna have to answer to the SHip's Bosun & SKipper why he lost them a crewman Upon return to Sufren!
They had their showdown with Mr Blair (after figuring out it was TWO groups offering money for her), and sorted that end out. Mlini stayed with PCs. Mr Blair was apprised of his rival's intentions, and hastened back to Sufren to Fix that bugger's wagon HIMSELF (but earned the PC's a POWERFUL patron in the Sufren polity.
The cloning conspiracy was the tip of the iceberg...Somone harvested the dead crewman's organs enroute back to Sufren, and the PCs got sent dirstide to find out where this Cloning thing was goin on...Which led to my liberally stealing from CJ Cherryh UNion side stuff...
ANother thread that is...
The relationship with Mlini & the PC's best head off to the romantic thread I started. Haven't concluded it yet (where the SOlo Flyer's dealings and attempted murder of someone they Burned in a scam comes back to bite the Hired ons!
Bruce
October 8th, 2002, 09:24 AM
I have anon-genre related femme fatale I am using in my current Call of Cthulhu game.
I had the players begin their adentures and one of the PC's was killed. [Go figure, eh?]
Well the PC's did'nt have a good way to get rid of the body, so, they used some contacts they had in "the family", that is how i always talk about the mafia in my CoC games, but I digress.
They made contact with the "family" and they agreed to take care of the rich, but dead dilletante's body for the group.
The group had done one of the "families" friends a favor, so it was not so much a stretch to have them take care fo the problem for them.
The next day, the characters read a story in the newspapers about a rich dilletante that had bene killed while trying to corss the border with a load of illegal booze. The article mentioned that it was the FBI's that had finally killed her because of a running gun fight and she ran into a tree.
Well the players were all amazed by this story and happy that the loose end was tied up.
Well a few days later, the FBI, having noted that they had been in a running gin battle that they had no idea of, started to look into this matter.
They find out that the rich debutante was in fact the hired secretary for one of the players.
So, they sent in an undercover female agent to act as this PC's secretary.
She was feeding info to the feds while the players were out hutning Cthulhu beasties.
And i guess it did'nt help that the detective was a womanizer...sometimes it's SOOOOO easy...
And now, she is a part of the group and she is sitll feeding info to the feds and the players are off on their adventure to save the world.
Can we say the start of a secret orginization to combat paranormal activities?
Bruce
The man behind the Curtain
Liam Devlin
October 8th, 2002, 09:59 AM
Sometimes it is sooooooo easy, yes. BUt looking back through these posts, not as easy as it may seem to you or I. Thats part of why I posted this opic--as education for the GM's of today & tomorrow. Least thats my story, and I'm sticking to it.
Good example Bruce, thanks for sharing that!
Next!
phydaux
October 8th, 2002, 11:45 AM
Originally posted by Starpilot:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by phydaux:
For my Merc campaigns, I usually run this all-female merc company called the Death's Head Battalion, aka the Stygian Bitches or the Death's Head Dykes.I have to say that I absolutely love the sheer, unbridled lack of political correctness in your campaign!</font>[/QUOTE]Well, thank you.
When I was in the Navy, I worked for this one female Lt. Cmdr. A young, single, MAJORLY cute blond. She was a staff officer for this One Star. Another female. The One Star was a long timer, 25+ years. Never married. Close croped hair and "comfortable shoes." And funny, but it seemed all her staff officers were also young, single, petite female officers. Every one.
Seems once or twice a month, on a Friday or Saturday night, One Star would call up one of her staffers for an "Emergency Meeting" in her quarters at the BOQ.
My boss got one of these calls. ONE! After that, I had standing orders to foward all after hours calls from One Star to my boss's voice mail. PERIOD!
Well, some time went by and my boss got engaged. She turned in her chit to get some leave time for a honeymoon. She got the 2 weeks vacation time, then was told by the One Star that she was fired.
"You can't be married AND be a naval officer. Your attention will be divided, and either one or the other will suffer" she was told.
Well, my boss spend the next few days on long telephone conversations in her office with the door closed. I though this was odd, 'cause she never colsed the door to her office before.
About a week later, Ol' One Star is called to a meeting in Washington. She gets back a few days later, and anounced her retirement. A week after that she was gone, but by that time my boss had already been reasigned.
And thus, the Death's Head Battalion, all female Merc Company, aka the Stygian Bitches aka the Death's Head Dykes, was born IMTU.
Shadowdancer
October 8th, 2002, 05:49 PM
Originally posted by Bruce:
Can we say the start of a secret orginization to combat paranormal activities?
Bruce
The man behind the CurtainSo THAT'S how the X-Files got started.
cgriffen
October 8th, 2002, 11:15 PM
Originally posted by phydaux:
[QUOTE]And thus, the Death's Head Battalion, all female Merc Company, aka the Stygian Bitches aka the Death's Head Dykes, was born IMTU.Art imitates life! Interesting story. I never served in the military so I don't know much about the military subculture other than what I've read in books. You always hear stories about the "don't ask/don't tell" policies but you pretty much saw it in living color.
phydaux
October 8th, 2002, 11:46 PM
Originally posted by Starpilot:
Art imitates life! Interesting story. I never served in the military so I don't know much about the military subculture other than what I've read in books. You always hear stories about the "don't ask/don't tell" policies but you pretty much saw it in living color.Hell, this was WAY before "don't ask/don't tell."
I just changed a few details and extrapolated the story. Make her a character in the Traveller universe. What if the character was in the Army, not the Navy? What if she were a few ranks lower? Now, what would she do once she got out?
Bada Bing, Bada Boom, all female Merc unit.
Now what do the call themselves? Once I hit on Stygian Bitches I knew they would be a permanent fixture IMTU.
Because most gamers are hetero males, I throw in one low ranking NPC Merc who isn't gay to pique the players interest.
Unlike real life, however, most PCs seem to be more interested in killing that scoring.
Just like when is the last time you saw a PC use the bathroom?
Liam Devlin
October 9th, 2002, 12:23 AM
phydaux posted-"Hell, this was WAY before "don't ask/don't tell."
I just changed a few details and extrapolated the story. Make her a character in the Traveller universe. What if the character was in the Army, not the Navy? What if she were a few ranks lower? Now, what would she do once she got out?
Bada Bing, Bada Boom, all female Merc unit.
Now what do the call themselves? Once I hit on Stygian Bitches I knew they would be a permanent fixture IMTU.
Because most gamers are hetero males, I throw in one low ranking NPC Merc who isn't gay to pique the players interest.
Unlike real life, however, most PCs seem to be more interested in killing that scoring.
Just like when is the last time you saw a PC use the bathroom?"
_______________________________
Maybe up there in NH, not down here in the Southlands, lad! Must be something in the water...
As fer the latter reference, I had a PC in the fresher when we got boarded by Vargr Corsairs--err "salvagers."
Liam Devlin
October 9th, 2002, 04:54 AM
Hmmm Femme Fatale's..another example-this one from CT to MT. Broought to you by storyline from friend of mine (callsign hereabouts "Fulacin Highport" /AKA Joe Brown, whom I've spoken of-last posting on "Who we are", March 2002).
Seems RADM Drak spent some time in INI/ 212th Fleet, Jewell subsector. Had some troubles with cohorts he worked with versus Arden Confederation interests, including one assigned recently from Core to the Marches (female NPC).
While trying to uncover some ZHo mischief makers selling weapons to the Ine Givar, she was "keeping book" on his less than politically corect moves with their boss back in Jewell/Imperial Navy side of the house (pre 5th FW).
Enter another Femme Fatale-one Tzabra, working for Darrian Special branch. Seemed the Darrians were interested in the arms smuggling as well--from their side of things. Arden, IIRC was a hotbed for this sort of sedition/ espionage (still is, but its carefully scrutinized at "interface worlds" in TNE).
Drak does his best James Bond, gets the goods on the smugglers, gets into relationship with Tzabra (whose family is WELL connected Darrian Nobility-Old money Merchant-lords). His INI cohort however tries setting him up for the fall, and take the glory of the success of the mission out from under him (and make it look like he's dallying (in more than one way) with the IMperium's "allies" of the Darrian Confederation.
But Drak's no slouch, and has kept records of all he's done. End of mission, he comes out smelling like roses (later marries Tzabra btw--another thread). His INI cohort gets a fast one way ticket back to Core in disgrace. :(
Years later...(MT timeline), as the wheels turn, at Warinir, 1126, Arrival Vengeance Mission (Drak at the helm of the mission, Tzabra with him, as well as a core group of Second Skin INc Mercs that hijacked the ship out of Trin), He runs into his old INI "femme fatale again--this time she's on a Navy J-6 courier, awaiting news in orbit of the coup that will kill off the sector Duke (ANton Craig Horvath)--but the tables get turned, and she has to flee again, when SSI, and local PC (mine) foil the plot from stemn to stern. ;)
Irony of Ironies..she's aboard the Starburst Cruiser squadron (ALtered that encounter--three SEH's might give a 60ktn CA-FI pause, one? Nawww), that attempts to board the AV. The final showdown on the bridge resulted in a wee bit of swordplay--and Tzabra skewers Drak's femme fatale quite dead! graemlins/toast.gif
example of reoccurring villainess/ femme fatale fer you all. graemlins/file_23.gif graemlins/file_23.gif
Next!
Liam Devlin
October 10th, 2002, 01:11 AM
Another example of the femme-fatale, in recurrent theme (harkens back to LisaGB's posting on Romance), the avenging woman/ scorned woman theme. (Hell hath no fury like a woamn scorned)
The PC's outmatched and out manuevered in a business deal with their starship a (minor they thought ;) ) rival. In the course of the adventure, the rival attempted to speed his way planetside to beat the PC's vessel in making the sale. Poor devil came in too steep and made a semi-impressive crater on the starport landing pad (E class field).
Then his family learned of it. His sibling, sister, took it upon herself to plague the PCs for the next four "game years" (not RL time), until the GM brought us together for the climatic revealing scene--WHO was behind all the rumors, the lost contracts, and blacklisting the ship & crew was experiencing.
The PC's saved their honor by settling the feud with Their Vidcam tape of her brother's descent that led to his death with the sister. By the time they'd gotten that all settled, the 5th FW was upon them, and whole new set of problems arose! ;)
lisagb
October 11th, 2002, 03:51 PM
I remember we had several recurring characters in our las trav campaign, 2 of whom were these Fixer type guys called Frank and Jack Stirling, heavily based on the Kray twins ( east end of london gangsters). Frank was the business man, Jack (aka "Hatchet Jack") the muscle. One time the pc's are to kidnap this rival.. ahem.. businessman an keep him under wraps for a few hours, simple huh?
They arrive at this guys pad only to find him not there an signs of a struggle, the cops also then turn up, the pc's are in the frame for sommut they have failed to do!
Much running away.
The Stirling bros are not H.A.P.P.Y. They want their man an if it don't happen the contract will be on their heads.
So after investigating it seems a hooker has done precisely what the pc's were supposed to be doing.
However every time the pc's get close to getting their man this girl seems to be one step ahead, and the pc's are getting into deeper an deeper shit.
They now have the Triads after them after going in all guns blazing in a triad safe house.
The yakuza who was havin a meet with the triads at the time.
The cops.
The increasingly fed up Stirlings.
An this girl.
They finally catch up with her in a crowded night club after she arranges a meet in good faith.
The pc's double cross her an grab her an do a runner with her. She refuses point blank to tell em where their guy is.
The pc's are jus about to put a cap in her when the Stirlings turn up looking to get their money back.
Frank S "Sarah? What do u think u ponces r doing to our lil sis?"
It turns out they bin chasing Sarah Stirling halfway across the planet. Fortunately the Stirlings have a sense of humour an don't use a chainsaw on the pc's soft parts but neither do the pc's get paid.
Nuff said.
Liam Devlin
October 11th, 2002, 04:10 PM
LisaGB...thats great! Knowing a wee bit about the Kray Bro.s, they got off light, but they did have a sense of humor from time to time! (mostly morbid).
Thank you for sharing that!
:cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool:
Liam Devlin
October 14th, 2002, 06:28 AM
In that light, I have a slightly twisted version of Vega Zorn, a corsair, former RCES person that I use in MTU in TNE...
Seems Ms Zorn was set up (my version of her background) by Auroran Navy INtel to take the fall for a SAG mission wherein people friendly to the RC got whacked but good, n dead.
What they really wanted was an ironclad alibi she was a deserter/ wanted fugitive, her escape was arranged. But to seal the deal irrevocably for her to infiltrate the Guild, they murdered the guard who was supposed to "look the other way" when she was "broken out".
The events transposed in Death of Wisdom & To Dream of Chaos I used as background fort the PCs.
Ms Zorn, feeling ill-used to say the least did get "inside" the guild (she also preyed upon them, and cast the blame at RCES!).
As the War got under way between Solee and the RC, she preyed on Guilders and Soleeans alike. eventually tipping of TF-Guiollitine of a large raider force trying to escape from the Soleeans thru Thoezennt.
It was during this betrayal battle, TF CIC CDRE Ghulz (PC) discovered how she'd been set up (framed), and tried to "bring her back in from the cold" as we say in the spy biz.
Once bitten Twice shy, Ms Zorn, declined, which really puzzled Ghulz/the player...till the politicians came after him!
Jame
August 18th, 2003, 08:33 AM
Well, well, well. Looks like I'm not the only one to think of this (all I'll say is she uses tl20 to the PCs tl15, is beautiful, is well equipped and is not interested).
Well equipped, you say? There's a new video game coming out for the Gamecube called P.N. 03...
Kensai
August 21st, 2003, 02:26 AM
A lot depends on the gaming group though, doesn't it? I've been blessed with a group that's heavy on roleplaying - and I've noticed that many times players run PCs counter to their own tendencies. The civil service bureaucrat plays rogues, and so on... and nowhere is this more true than regarding relations with the opposite sex.
IRL I'm the cad of the group, and of course I generally wind up being a shining paragon of nobility and grace... courtly love and all that - think Hugh Jackman's character in Kate and Leopold - while the most happily married guy (soon to be a father too!) is always running around trying to bed anything with a suitable orifice!
So far we've seen some nasty stuff - all-male all-Vargr nude revue (they're shaved!); a twisted dwarf attempting to seduce PCs; ritual rape of both sexes; a whole lot more. Obviously some of the themes here aren't suited to every gaming group, but hey, my group's all adult, and even if we cringe a little (or a lot) we can handle it in an appropriate fashion.
But the best true femme fatale scam was pulled on us in a version of the War of Jenkins's Ear. We (members of a planetary defence force) rescued a stunning young lady from privateers of an adjacent system; my PC got to know her quite well (ahem) - and when we returned to base, she accused him of ravishing her most foully! So in order to save face (and shut her up), the government decides to mount a punitive expedition against the privateers in return for her silence... we of course being responsible are stuck out in front - and promptly run into a large ambush... yes, it was all engineered by a third party for whom she was working as an agent provocateur.
The conflict eventually engulfed the major part of the system fleet. My PC was exonerated and we helped win some battles. In the end, he needed to tie up some loose ends so went to look for her... and after many, many adventures they wound up unhappily married ever after... but that's a story for another time!
kaladorn
August 21st, 2003, 10:15 PM
Originally posted by Liam Devlin:
As fer the latter reference, I had a PC in the fresher when we got boarded by Vargr Corsairs--err "salvagers." Obviously you spent too long in the fresher and the Vargr thought the vessel uncrewed and boarded simply to eliminate any navigation hazard which might be posed to other vessels. An obvious, if well-intentioned, mistake. Surely you took things in stride and showed them the error of their ways?
BAD DOG!
Liam Devlin
August 24th, 2003, 07:50 PM
Originally posted by kaladorn:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Liam Devlin:
As fer the latter reference, I had a PC in the fresher when we got boarded by Vargr Corsairs--err "salvagers." Obviously you spent too long in the fresher and the Vargr thought the vessel uncrewed and boarded simply to eliminate any navigation hazard which might be posed to other vessels. An obvious, if well-intentioned, mistake. Surely you took things in stride and showed them the error of their ways?
BAD DOG! </font>[/QUOTE]As a matter of fact, we did. Mr J. Beam, and Mr. J. Daniels are great "negotiating tools", especially when added with the law firm of S & W (Sternmetall and Weiss Weapons) for those nit picky details.
Afraid we did face kidnapping charges later for leaving with the boarding crew out of system..but that was settled in a another Starport bar..<innocent look>
