Where Duty Lies: The Prior Engagement Shortcoming in Victori

[DMMike]

Greetings all!

Below is a discussion of the “Prior Engagement” shortcoming in the Victorious RPG. It is part 1 of a 2 part article going into detail about how to use Prior Engagement and just what events could call a good Gentleman or Lady away from their preferred pursuits.

http://victoriousrpg.com/2016/10/12/whe ... ictorious/

GM Michael

[Treebore]

I shared this with the G+ community.

[DMMike]

Thanks Tree, and apologies for not pinging you on it...my email has been wonky.

Mike

[Tadhg]

Great stuff, Mike!

[Lurker]

Good stuff,

However, I've been thinking .... which is always dangerous.

I know this is a short coming and has to have a negative effect on the character, if not then why have it. However, I hate the idea of 'wasted' time and having a player setting there doing nothing .

Then I thought of all the movies with cut away scenes that show historic / back ground information, meetings, and 'happenchance' crossings of characters. An example is "Penny Dreadful" with the female / witch serving in the soup kitchen and meeting Frankenstein's monster. Then, every once in a while there is another scene there with them talking and foreshadowing current events or getting context of what they are doing in their thoughts to each other.

Couldn't this type of shortcoming be used for this kind of role playing and character development?

Also, couldn't it be a way to bring in 'watchers' or enemies from the character's other shortcoming, or the short coming of other character ... an innocent conversation to a random lady of society about a mutual friend is actually 'feeding' the information to those watching the party's inquisitor or the enemy of the party's strong man.

[Penny-Whistle]

Love it. These ideas could be turned into a nice random die roll. I especially like the 'Employment" option.

Though women weren't paid even upper class women laboured and were kept busy -- overseeing the budget and purchases, directing the housekeeping staff, organizing charities and other volunteer efforts, corresponding and networking with family and other social connections, supervising the education of the children, perfecting their various artistic and intellectual 'accomplishments' ... Middle class women would have even more to do to make up for having a smaller staff. Working class women had two jobs: the job for pay and all the unpaid household work.

[DMMike]

Lurker,

That sounds awesome, and should fit in well with this shortcoming. However, a problem seems to arise in what to do with everyone else while that vignette is being played? I ran into similar issues back in the 90s… in my V:TM days. Yes, I played V:TM a bit. It’s not pretty, but there it is.

So, what would you have the rest do? Or would they simply witness, in which case you end up with character vs. player knowledge don’t you?

Penny,

Oh true about the upper classes; and I’ll delve a bit into that with part 2 and coverage of specific events for the wealthy, the poor, and those of Fame (who spend most/all of their time as SuperMankind.)

BTW, I’d originally planned these as a die roll table, but since my lovely wife Liz has to format the tables before they go up on the site….she threatened me with murder if I gave her more tables. So, they’re just a list…but feel free to table them up! J

GM Michael, dodging his wife’s ire!

[Lurker]

Lurker,

That sounds awesome, and should fit in well with this shortcoming. However, a problem seems to arise in what to do with everyone else while that vignette is being played? I ran into similar issues back in the 90s… in my V:TM days. Yes, I played V:TM a bit. It’s not pretty, but there it is.

So, what would you have the rest do? Or would they simply witness, in which case you end up with character vs. player knowledge don’t you?

...
GM Michael, dodging his wife’s ire!

I will answer that with a solid ..... that depends ....

If the players are mature enough to have player knowledge and not act on it, or if you are clever enough to know how they will act on it and then walk into a trap you set, let them see the info. It will help develop the NPCs in their eyes, or cast doubt on them ... either way it will give the world more depth.

Then there is the unknown of it. Yes the character at the ball met and talked to a girl that seemed to know the weakness of the character in the fight, but how did she know it, who did she tell, what side is she on, what does she know for real ... Plus, the players knowing that something is going on behind the scenes that they can't effect further builds the level of danger from the Moriarty types and the international evil agencies . How many books or movies are there where you know the bad guy knows what the hero is going to do, and watch helplessly as they walk into it. Use it on the players to good effect.

If they can't handle it, or you want to tease them into interest, give the scene only to the hero with the short coming and then have him set there helpless knowing that the bad guys have just a bit of info his friends don't know they have ... build the suspense. Also, you can use this as a 2 edged sword. One trick I used back in the day when I DMed was pulling individual players a side and talking to them, some times it was critical info that they remembered from their past, or a tid bit of info they stumbled on, other times it was 5 min of 'how was your day, boy so & so's wife's cake was good this week'. Then if they role played it off that it was a critical bit of info they got an exp bonus.

Either way, as it is now you have the same problem with what to do with the character with the shortcoming during the fight ... just stuck there setting as his friends have fun walloping the bad guys and getting thumped back in return. This way it includes him with something and it builds suspense with those in the fight ... "Hero X, you see the thug crumple at your feet from your punch, but you hear a strange low hum and out of the corner of your eye you see a shadow, pistol lifting and the flash of shot, you grit your teeth and" ..... "Ok, Master Watson, while at the ball for the harmonic aids society you see a cute enough girl" .... "Wait, did the shot hit, what was the damage" ... "Watson, the girl mentioned hearing a young scientist talking to some of the musicians about the effect of sound waves on light, what a strange notion sound effecting light" .... " noooooooo !!!!"

Now I do see a huge flaw in this ... it vastly increases your (well the DM's) work load, so that is another angle to the depends answer ... how much can you handle while running the game ? Will it be worth the effort ????

You have to call the ball on that ...

[DMMike]

Now I do see a huge flaw in this ... it vastly increases your (well the DM's) work load, so that is another angle to the depends answer ... how much can you handle while running the game ? Will it be worth the effort ????

You have to call the ball on that ...

Yeah, its a little awkward no matter what you do. But then, that's why its a shortcoming.

Perhaps a way out of this is to give the hero/ine a normal bystander or policeman to play while they're otherwise detained? Any bystander would do, and it would allow a bit more flavor among the unwashed NPcs. Hmm. I think there's a blog post in that! Thanks Lurker!

Mike