First post here, so let me start by saying how much I love this game. Huge thanks to John Harper, I’ve never had this much fun while GM’ing ever before and the players loves it as well.
But let’s talk about flashbacks. A beautiful mechanic, and very much open for player interpretation in the rules. So how far can we take it? How far can we use flashbacks to change the story?
In our campaign so far, the players are still not being very creative with flashbacks. They mainly use it very practically to overcome obstacles, just like it is described in the game. But as a GM I’ve been having ideas for how flashbacks could drastically change the game. Ultimately I believe flashbacks could be used to completely change the whole narrative, by presenting alternative information and additional events that we weren’t aware of. Like the revealing of Keyser Söze’s identity in the end of the Usual Suspects, or Sherlock Holmes fake death in season 2 of Sherlock.
So here comes two possible flashbacks, let’s discuss if it’s a good idea or not.
1) The players have finally sat down to parley with Baszo Baz, in a bar full of lampblacks. There’s bad blood between the crews, and after a couple of harsh remarks from mr. Baz a player draws his hidden gun and shoot Baszo in the face. Just as I describe how twenty lampblacks draw their weapons and attack, a flashback is called for. The player tells of how she last night met Mylera Klev from the Red Sashes in a dark alley. She looks at Mylera, nods, then says «ok. We’re going there tomorrow. When you hear the shot, attack with all you’ve got.». They have a good standing with the Red Sashes, but what was just a parley suddenly became an assassination or assault plan. I love it and would have said cool, although I would have had the player roll a consort. Mylera might just come in a little too late.
2) The players have kidnapped poor Baszo Baz, and after a daring escape through underground passages they are cornered by the pursuing lampblacks. Baszo also wakes up and although chained up, he fights and makes the whole situation pretty desperate. The leech flashbacks a crazy setup of a torcher and a battery plus some fire grenades and a fire bomb goes of, burning the lampblacks and Baszo severely. Seconds later one of the players have got enough and cuts Baszos throat. The remaining lampblacks run away, swearing revenge another day. This scene happened in play. But what if this flashback then came up? Ok, we’re in a storehouse with Baszo yesterday, no one else is there. He’s saying «so don’t ask why; but this is what I want you to do. Make it look like you kill me. Make it look real. If some of my guys have to go down, so be it. Afterwards I’ll tell you my plan.» Then another scene where Baszo is given a fire protective oil that he smears all over his face, and at last an alternative shot of when the whisper cut his throat, showing how they used a bag of goat blood right underneath the knife faking the throat being cut. So Baszo is alive and after the flashback he looks at them and goes «A little too real maybe? Well we’ve got no time to lose.»
As a GM one might not allow players to take control of NPC actions like this, but as flashbacks are suggestive, meaning the player can suggest it and then get an approval or not, I still think it’s ok for a player to suggest it. Then it is of course up to each GM wether they would approve of the flashback or not. But my point is that it is within the rules to suggest such radical flashbacks.
I’ve briefly mentioned this way of thinking about flashbacks to the player playing the spider, and he thought it would be a great way to actually play the criminal mastermind. So my last question; could there be a game mechanic that helps the spider create these kind of flashbacks?
Would love to hear if anyone has any cool flashbacks they’d like to share as well.
Hi there and welcome to this cool group and game. You’re suggestions about flashbacks are exactly what we played in our last campaign. During one flashback in session 15 we’ve learned that one of the players was possessed by a demon in session 2. Did we know that already in session 2? No, of course not. But all of it made sense in session 15 and that the PC had to kill Lord Penderyn because of it made the end of season one to remember. If was such a cool move and lifted the story to the next level, so of course I (as GM) allowed it.
But… you need the players coming up with that ideas. I’m blessed with a group of players who are all GM in their own games and therefore used to telling a cool story (and not just playing along like some players like it). I have another group where such a flashback won’t work, because a) the players won’t think about it and b) when proposed by me/GM they will feel cheated.
So, I think your style of flashback is a big improvement for the game but you need the right players to play it that way. Maybe you can have an open talk about that with your players OOC and maybe then they will play it your way. Just make sure that you say “yes, you can” when a players propose such a flashback, even when it’s turning your story upside down.
That flashback sounds so cool Stefan Struck, and the way such a twist in the plot gives the players an ownership to the story is the strength of this approach. So it must indeed come from the players, but I think the GM could sit down and have a little chat and just open their minds to the possibility.
Definitely some cool flashbacks, but definitely something that needs GM approval prior to attempting. While Most GMs would be fine with this (such as yourself), I’ve seen a few who may be against the idea.
It would also take a bit of fiddling and quick thinking for a GM to pull out a way for a straight failure to not entirely screw the situation. While we can sit here and say “oh sure, the red sashes come, but their leader decides <>” this is pre-though and pre-planned out. A Last minute spring of the spider’s master plan could get tricky and not all snap decisions are good ones.
As for helping a spider with Flashbacks, my primary suggestions are [Calculating, Functioning Vice, Analyst]. As the primary issue with Flashback heavy spiders isn’t the flashbacks themselves, but rather managing the constant red-line of stress, yet still contributing past the score itself. The three Abilities above (2 spider, 1 leech) allow a spider to work off most or all of his stress, yet still be able to contribute to clocks during downtime and heal when needed without the constant drain on personal or crew resources.
Personally, my Ideal example of the Flashback-Mastermind-Spider is a Spider/Slide who spends the entire game in jail, manipulating people on the outside through contacts and letters. It makes for an interesting challenge, only being able to approach problems through downtime and flashbacks, but leads to some cool moments for the crew when they draw weapons on the two guards who just spotted them, who respond by opening the locked door to the magistrates treasury, stating “Mr. Red sends his regards”.
Works doubly as well if the game is over Roll20, and the spider only responds though letters (text chat) and messages the GM directly all of his master plans and rolls.