Does anyone have any tips for involving the Specter in play more? The other three characters – a Hunter who can easily be called on to deal with any trouble, a Tainted looking to earn her patron’s favor, and a Vamp who runs a bar and deals in info – are all easy enough to drag into the mix, but the incorporeal nature of the Specter makes it tough for me to make her feel relevant as the MC.
Does anyone have any tips for involving the Specter in play more?
Does anyone have any tips for involving the Specter in play more?
Who or what is holding the Specter in this realm? That should help tie them in.
You shouldn’t have to drag them. Tell the player to be more proactive. They’re the main character in a tv show – make the show worth watching.
Plus, the spectre can manifest, and takes corruption when they “ignore scenes of victimization”
The Specter in this was killed by an agent of Hell, but doesn’t know who or why. She also has a still-living sister that she’s haunting.
Then I would expect her to want to find out who had her killed by hitting the streets and bargaining for information (=Debts)
Lex Permann
(1) hit the streets to find out who killed them. This should feel like a ticking time bomb: they weren’t killed for no reason, right? Don’t hesitate to cut away from the PCs and do some expository scenes showing the shadowy agent of hell (darth palpatine) advancing their plans, as yet unimpeded by the PC.
(2) Threaten the sister (but not with the agent of hell.) She should be at cross purposes to another PC’s agenda, and/or under the wing of senator palpatine (who later turns out to be the agent of hell, protecting her to keep her close and gullible). Ideally this should pit the PC vs PC, while duping the specter into being sympathetic to senator palpatine.
(3) The specter isn’t fleshy enough to protect the sister on his own. He’s also racking up debts to pay the Other PC to protect her from First PC, or whoever the threat may be.
(4) Misc side quests to rack up favors from other NPCs with which to pay off Other PC for part 3
(5) Ghost Politics, among the ghosts. Presumably your specter is having a chance to mingle with his own, develop a mentor, rivals, etc. separate from all of the above, so he doesn’t feel too one-note. It’s also a setting where he’s as fleshy as the rest, so he can participate fully, rather than as a less-involved character
(6) introduce a psychic or astral threat, or a physical threat with astral presence, so he can participate on an equal footing to the other PCs
Dangle shiny plot in front of spectre until the start biting. Gates to the underworld randomly open and close. A tip of where to find a ritual to summon and contain a demon known for trading information. A child is about to be murdered right in front of them. Once you figure out more details of what they care about (beyond the family members and who killed them) you can get a better idea of what they will and won’t do. Then mess with that.
Something to add: this may also merit a real person-to-person “what are you interested in?” conversation. No guessing required. If the issue is the player being passive, rather than you being short on ideas, that’s more of a social contract issue. They may just not know what to do with such a PC themselves, and may need to roll up a new splat.
Also don’t forget to use the outcome of those “Start of session” moves. The player comes up with a situation then depending on their roll they are either blindsided by it (6-), or have debts making them likely involved (7-9), or they’re prepared for the situation (10+).
More debts to/from other characters can help drag the Spectre into things because either people can cash in those debts to get the spectre involved, or you can threaten people who owe the spectre, drawing them out to protect their investment.
Once you get the Spectre and the other PCs involved in a few situations together (maybe on the same side, maybe not), they may seek each other out more often.
This is actually a question I’d like us to tackle more in future Urban Shadows releases. MadJay Brown asked me a similar question at the last NewMexiCon and it occurred to me that there’s a thing that I do (Andrew Medeiros probably does it too) that isn’t in the book. In short…
The Specter isn’t a reliable narrator.
Other characters aren’t confused about where they are, who they are, etc in the same way. Which means that I often frame the Specter directly into scenes that they don’t remember getting into.
Think of it like Memento. Frame scenes in which they have followed someone, but they aren’t sure what tipped them off. Show them monsters and demons that exist just out of sight for most people, poised to victimize important characters… and The Specter just happens to be there.
Magical realism is totally The Specter’s jam. 😀
And my favorite from Mark Diaz Truman, drag the Specter to hell/oblivion if they’re isolated for long! Love the look of terror on a players face when something comes for them that can hurt.
If all else fails talk your Spectre into getting Link move with another PC, the least they could find out then is who and why did it, they will also become more involved into that player’s agenda.
If not Link then Body of Ghosts is also fun.
Have few more Ghosts in world.
Beside ask the player what is his character goal, short term or long term then let him do it while you play the opposition.