Hello everyone!
I’m running a Shadowrun campaign and the players are in a cross-over adventure using the Darkest House system. Essentially, imagine an epic haunted house filled with evil spirits and a secret past. Anyway, in order to escape through one of the exits, the PCs had to offer “who or what [they] love most” to an eldritch being. If they said a person, that person would die. If they said money or wealth, they’d lose all their currency and valuables. If they said a concept like “loyalty,” they’d be seen as a pariah and none of their contacts would ever be trustworthy again, etc. None of them were willing to say a word, and were preparing to turn around and find another exit, when our Street Sam / meatshield steps forward and says, “I love my freedom more than anything.” The eldritch being promptly sealed the deal and took away his “freedom.”
This particular PC made up a wacky (if not very elaborate) backstory where they are being cloned by a corporation and the PC is one of those clones, unbeknownst to him. They left me the rest of it to make up and fit into the campaign in a fun way. This PC is the wealthiest of the group and the most devil-may-care as well (evidenced by them stepping forward). They are mercenary in nature, a true murder-hobo invested in jobs for the money first and foremost.
I give you this information with a request. The effects won’t happen until they leave the house, and for some reason they decided to go look for something else in the house instead of escaping, so I have some time to think about what it means when, metaphysically, a PC loses their “freedom.” I’m interested to hear other gamer’s and GMs’ thoughts on how you might take away “freedom” from a PC in an interesting way. It could be harsh and challenging, or whimsical, but imagine that a god could essentially wipe away the concept of “freedom” from a person’s life—what do you think that would look like? I have some thoughts, but rather than taint your imaginations with them just yet… I’m looking for creative ideas!
Thank you!
I’m running a Shadowrun campaign and the players are in a cross-over adventure using the Darkest House system. Essentially, imagine an epic haunted house filled with evil spirits and a secret past. Anyway, in order to escape through one of the exits, the PCs had to offer “who or what [they] love most” to an eldritch being. If they said a person, that person would die. If they said money or wealth, they’d lose all their currency and valuables. If they said a concept like “loyalty,” they’d be seen as a pariah and none of their contacts would ever be trustworthy again, etc. None of them were willing to say a word, and were preparing to turn around and find another exit, when our Street Sam / meatshield steps forward and says, “I love my freedom more than anything.” The eldritch being promptly sealed the deal and took away his “freedom.”
This particular PC made up a wacky (if not very elaborate) backstory where they are being cloned by a corporation and the PC is one of those clones, unbeknownst to him. They left me the rest of it to make up and fit into the campaign in a fun way. This PC is the wealthiest of the group and the most devil-may-care as well (evidenced by them stepping forward). They are mercenary in nature, a true murder-hobo invested in jobs for the money first and foremost.
I give you this information with a request. The effects won’t happen until they leave the house, and for some reason they decided to go look for something else in the house instead of escaping, so I have some time to think about what it means when, metaphysically, a PC loses their “freedom.” I’m interested to hear other gamer’s and GMs’ thoughts on how you might take away “freedom” from a PC in an interesting way. It could be harsh and challenging, or whimsical, but imagine that a god could essentially wipe away the concept of “freedom” from a person’s life—what do you think that would look like? I have some thoughts, but rather than taint your imaginations with them just yet… I’m looking for creative ideas!
Thank you!