Random Items being Important

epending on the kind of game that you are running, you may wish to plan escape routes.

Here’s what I mean: have the character come across a single-use item of magic that is all but useless, say a magical broach of protection from feathers. Whatever player ends up with this trinket you mark carefully. After many gaming sessions and many years you should have a couple of aces for every character – really stupid and improbable defences or exceptions that will certainly be forgotten by the players on a day-to-day basis.

When it comes time for the coup de grace roll in the life or death situation, make sure that you set up the out. “The mighty chieftain spins around with his war-spear and cries a mighty battle cry to Aarok of the sky. His face a half-mockery of man and bird as he plunges his bird-spear into [your character’s] chest.”

Then you turn to the open dice roll to determine if the character lives or “dies”. If the result is death, be immediate in announcing that the mighty war-spear of the chieftain – a strangely fashioned weapon – pierces the chest of the character and that the character of 10 years of play has been unequivocally killed. The group will be silent, and after a few moments of reflection you know that one of the players in the group may ask the inevitable question “what is it made of?”

If they don’t, continue to resolve the battle as normal. Organically, and in stages let the revelation occur that the spear is made from the feathers of a Roc or giant eagle and let the winds blow where they may.

You now have many options. The players could call you on the construction of the weapon and declare that the character is immune to the blow –trumping your determination and giving the players no end of satisfaction. The rest of the party could be defeated and taken captive in an “impossible” situation where the “dead” character could remarkably recover to save them. Whatever the outcome – you have planted an ace in the hole and can heighten the gaming experience through manipulation of a situation that on the surface appears beyond prejudice.

I am anxious in sharing this trick of the trade as I know that it could be horribly over-used and abused. Characters should play the game and the dice should be left to their job in many cases. After a few years of experience a GM should be able to bend the story where appropriate. Like any magician’s trick it takes slight of hand and practice to execute. Doing this kind of thing poorly will quickly ruin your campaign.