How strick of a GM are you?

[Ensign Sears]

I am just curious as to how strick people conduct their games.

for example,I am going to be running my first game in a few days, and I have wondered about this possibility:

the PCs are involved in a fire fighter and their opponents have their weapons set for Kill (Vaporize 10d6+36). one of the PCs get hit and its above their defense (I think) total. DO YOU KILL the PC or what?

what do you do in this situation?

Also, I am looking for a discussion of what people are like when they GM a game.

Thanks for your comments!

[qerlin]

Especially in the first episode, I try to avoid killing the characters. I tend to give them a bit of leniency when they screw up, if they have a good excuse or talk a good line for why they would have done something. Fortunately, I've got a mature group that understands that what they know, they characters might not.

[Sea Tyger]

I try not to kill the PCs, unless they do something stupid. However, there are times when I can be a very bloody GM.

However, even in those situations, an NPC is usually the first to go. That's usualy sufficient to get the PCs' attention.

[knarf]

I'm very much for playing by the rules, but I'm not going to kill characters. You're best bet is to scare them. Inflict just enough damage that they know you're serious, but give them every opportunity to beat the guy or get the heck out, depending. Let them know that their characters are up against real danger, but let the players know that you're not being malicious.

Another GM tip: Whatever you do, try and put a twist on it. Instead of doing just a typical Klingon adventure, think of something that would make a your players say "Klingons can do that?" and build your adventure around that.

When I plan for adventures, I usually do so very loosely. I'll start with the setup and see where the players go from there. Usually, I will have a solution in mind, but occassionally, I won't. I let the players go and see what kind of solution they come up with. I've been surprised a few times by what players will come up with. Pleasantly surprised.

[C5]

The unwritten rule I used as far as killing PCs go is that they die only if their player wants it - consciously or not, which means that if they do something really stupid (like picking a fight with a bunch of Nausicaans just to have fun) they might as well have asked to die. As a very unlucky player myself, I also don't like to have a player die only because of a streak of bad luck (this almost killed my Vampire character recently).
However (and although this never happened in my games so far), since I want my universe to keep its realism and not have warp core breaches only stunning the players, I intend to use alternate solutions - like for instance, losing a limb from a phaser hit, allowing the medical officer to roll to heal a dead character (this happened a few times in Trek after all), and so on.

For the games, I usually write down the basics of the scenario (what the goal is, where are the different protagonists and what their motives are), and then I let my universe react to the players do - I stopped long ago planning on what they could decide to do since it's a sure way to be taken by surprise by their decisions.

[Phantom]

I try to balace being strict and "fair" when I run a game. Example, in my old L5R game I lessened the damage from the first the hit made on a PC during combat, but usually kept to the damage total after that. It led to the tension of the scene while allowing the characters to last the maximum amount of time.

After 10 or so years of GMing I think I have a pretty good record, I've only killed 3 characters. I've beaten the snot out of more then one party, which I think is preferable...But, I won't hesitate to do something drastic if the PCs do something stupid.

[Sea Tyger]

Killing a Vampire character...that just doesn't sound right to me....

Unfortunately, I killed four characters in two consecutive sessions earlier this year. It wasn't pretty. Luckily, two were NPCs, one was raised on the spot (thank goodness for the 9th level cleric), and the fourth wanted to change to a new character for a while. We eventually brought the original character back (thanks to a miracle spell).

That said, I think it's easier to bring the PCs to the brink in D&D, simply because of the divine magic factor (and, even if you don't have a high-enough level cleric in the party, you still can purchase the services of a cleric...for a proper donation, of course)...I sometimes look at it as an avenue to relieve the part of some of its hard-earned coin.

For other games, I'm even more reluctant to put the PCs into a similar situation (unless the game demands it....Cthulhu, anyone? ). In my upcoming Star Wars campaign, I plan on using more non-combat encounters...and bring in the Stormtroopers when I need to motivate the PCs to go the opposite direction (they're starting at 2nd level).

In a Trek setting, I always like making a firefight the very last resort. To be honest, if the PCs keep itching for a firefight, they should eventually have to face the fact that they're going to get disintigrated at some point. Brawling is fine...let them get into all the scrapes they want that way, but you want to make the PCs wary of pulling out the phasers too often. If it means melting the NPC that's right next to the PC that was supposed to get hit or something, do it. Or even better, have an NPC knock the PC out of the way at the last minute, taking the hit and disappearing in a flash and scream. That should get the point across.

[Balok]

The general rules I follow (some of which have been stated by others):

1. I try to avoid situations where simple bad luck can result in a fatality.
2. If the situation is fatally dangerous, I try to telegraph that in some way (could be flavor text, could be seeing an NPC vaped, whatever seems to work).
3. Stupidity + the right situation can be fatal.
4. Medicine advances with weapons technology. Serious, even crippling injuries now mean just a few days bed rest in the future.
5. Most of the time, if Starfleet officers get into a fire fight, they've screwed up some way.

[Rayaru]

I'd let the player burn Courage points to save their necks in that case. (add three to base defense per point, that's the rule I've been going by.)

[Phoenix]

Originally posted by Sea Tyger
I try not to kill the PCs, unless they do something stupid. However, there are times when I can be a very bloody GM.

However, even in those situations, an NPC is usually the first to go. That's usualy sufficient to get the PCs' attention.

Sea Tyger uses the exact same formula I do, If the PC jumps in way over his head...good bye. As dangerious modavations yup kill off a NPC, that's what their there for

[Arnold Rimmer]

Just don't have the enemy weapons set to vaporize. Stun or any lighter setting would work just fine.

[Lt Cmdr Matt]

That might work except I don't think an angry Cardassian will hold back from killing someone like the Federation might.

[Shoshuro]

strict

[P'l]

Originally posted by Sea Tyger

In a Trek setting, I always like making a firefight the very last resort. To be honest, if the PCs keep itching for a firefight, they should eventually have to face the fact that they're going to get disintigrated at some point. Brawling is fine...let them get into all the scrapes they want that way, but you want to make the PCs wary of pulling out the phasers too often. :) If it means melting the NPC that's right next to the PC that was supposed to get hit or something, do it. Or even better, have an NPC knock the PC out of the way at the last minute, taking the hit and disappearing in a flash and scream. That should get the point across. [/B]

Interestingly, I tend to have the opposite problem.
Most of my players are fairly pacifistic veteran roleplayers, and know they can talk their way out of most things, especially in a trek setting (assuming non-klingons, ofcourse).
But if I want/need a star ship battle, or whatever, to set the scene, I pretty much have to push them into it, which can be just as much of a pain (well, almost as much).

[T'lara]

Originally posted by Ensign Sears
I am just curious as to how strick people conduct their games.

for example,I am going to be running my first game in a few days, and I have wondered about this possibility:

the PCs are involved in a fire fighter and their opponents have their weapons set for Kill (Vaporize 10d6+36). one of the PCs get hit and its above their defense (I think) total. DO YOU KILL the PC or what?

what do you do in this situation?

Also, I am looking for a discussion of what people are like when they GM a game.

Thanks for your comments!

Alright, I am wondering if this is a Starfleet game, Klingon game, etc.

The reason is depending on the game you are running depends on how you deal with the situation. I love to have my players deal with the consequences of their actions. If a Starfleet Officer has his Phaser set hot like that, I'd let him/her kill someone whre stunning would be better and court-martial them for excessive force. Starfleet does not typically have their phasers on kill, unless they are in a war situation like the Dominion War or fighting the Borg. Those are the rare circumstances. If it were Klingon, he'd more than likely kill an important NPC and violate the Klingon Warrior code. His Captain could have him killed or punushed harshly.

I like to throw in the realism, when I can, in my games players screw up they deal with the consequences, as well as, if they do well they get the praise. I rarely kill a player unless they do something stupid. These are the heroes and should be encouraged to take outragous chances. I like input from my players but they know be stupid they get the whip. Sometimes the best games are those ones that someone has to deal with the consequences of their actions. If a player's character becomes unplayable it is their fault and it is dead just as if it was vaporized.

If a player were to use the hot kill phaser remind them of the regulations, remind them this is not a good idea. If they screw up and not listen have them pay hard and learn from it. Spare the rod spoil the players. Be harsh when needed and that is a harsh when needed. I rarely have killed PCs and I have. Maim and other...that is a different manner. Remember Doctor Players need injuries or it is no fun for them!