Video není dostupné.
Omlouváme se.

RPG War Stories - What Bug?

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 13. 09. 2020
  • Recounting that time some terrible dice rolls and a paranoid murder hobo burned a Cyberpunk game so bad that the Game Master never ran again.
    DID YOU KNOW I'M A NOVELIST?
    If you want to support my channel, or just want to read a kickass and dark revenge story about a modern-day sorceress hunting for lost Carcosa, my novel Ashes of Onyx is available in print, ebook, and audio book: amzn.to/3sfh1IA
    I also write pulpy Sword & Sorcery thief adventures in my Tales of the Black Raven series. It's 21 short adventures packed with action, intrigue, and daring heroics. amzn.to/3faj4cX
    And if you want some action-packed Urban Fantasy about modern-day monster hunters and their sentient weapons, check out my four-novel Valducan series. Audio book editions narrated by the badass R.C. Bray: amzn.to/3rehNnJ
    __________
    FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER
    I mostly ramble about movies and random other things as they occur to me:
    / sskorkowsky
    __________
    I HAVE A PODCAST NOW
    Check out the Modern Mythos Podcast where veteran RPG writer Jon Hook and I discuss gaming, especially Call of Cthulhu: modernmythos.l...
    You can find the podcast on CZcams as well (You should totally subscribe): / @modernmythos5229
    __________
    My Patreon (Tip Jar): / sskorkowsky
    #RPG #Cyberpunk

Komentáře • 500

  • @SSkorkowsky
    @SSkorkowsky  Před 2 lety +66

    UPDATE: I made a video about how we setup our campaign so we could rotate Game Masters while still continuing a single story (a.k.a. a Relay Campaign). czcams.com/video/jKkGv_HblpM/video.html

    • @gabrielcarelidealmeida7055
      @gabrielcarelidealmeida7055 Před 2 lety +6

      The update we want is to know if George has GM for you since then? Love your videos btw

    • @SSkorkowsky
      @SSkorkowsky  Před rokem +14

      @@gabrielcarelidealmeida7055 He' currently running a few of us through a Cyberpunk Red game. I've yet to shout "Bombshell" once.

    • @gabrielcarelidealmeida7055
      @gabrielcarelidealmeida7055 Před rokem +2

      @@SSkorkowsky did you go back to that building in Tokyo? maybe the cursed lobby can change the bombshell situation
      by the way i love your content!!!😊

  • @Socialdogma
    @Socialdogma Před 3 lety +608

    GM: You enter the tavern and a waitress comes over to you and says “What you drinkin’?”
    Seth’s PC: “I will have a Coke.”
    GM: “We don’t have Coke. Pepsi products only.”
    Seth’s PC: “BOMBSHELL.”

    • @SSkorkowsky
      @SSkorkowsky  Před 3 lety +235

      This is true.

    • @andrewdiaz3529
      @andrewdiaz3529 Před 3 lety +38

      Pepsi breaks out the navy the got from the Russians

    • @richmcgee434
      @richmcgee434 Před 3 lety +48

      That is a perfectly reasonable response to being told you have to drink Pepsi.

    • @Volvandese
      @Volvandese Před 3 lety +7

      @@richmcgee434 agreed

    • @revan7383
      @revan7383 Před 3 lety +8

      perfectly justified

  • @BudsRPGreview
    @BudsRPGreview Před 3 lety +132

    Having actually played with you, I can confirm your dice - whether virtual or real - are full on voodoo cursed.

    • @SSkorkowsky
      @SSkorkowsky  Před 3 lety +57

      This is true. If I'm running a game, I'm all crits all the time. When playing, it's only failure.

    • @danacoleman4007
      @danacoleman4007 Před 3 lety +1

      @@SSkorkowsky I definitely have the same "problem" 😁

  • @Goddamnitiwantaname
    @Goddamnitiwantaname Před 3 lety +220

    Whenever someone says: "Don't worry. I got this." I start worrying and have my character slowly back up in the opposite direction.

    • @SSkorkowsky
      @SSkorkowsky  Před 3 lety +101

      That's a solid piece of advice for not just gaming, but for everyday life.

    • @richmcgee434
      @richmcgee434 Před 3 lety +21

      @@SSkorkowsky Accurate. "Watch this." is also a clear danger sign.

    • @jefferydraper2551
      @jefferydraper2551 Před 3 lety +12

      Right up there with
      "Hey ya'all. Watch this!"
      You just know its going to be a trip to the ER.

    • @MidnightDStroyer
      @MidnightDStroyer Před 3 lety +11

      @@richmcgee434 In Cyberpunk, the phrase "Hold my beer & watch this" should go "Hold my Smash & watch this."

    • @Revan_7even
      @Revan_7even Před 3 lety +7

      The last time I said this I crit, and when asked to confirm the crit, I cockily said "No problem" and confirmed with a crit. Made up for the last year of below-mediocre rolls XD

  • @cyclone8974
    @cyclone8974 Před 3 lety +175

    "Hey, you ever want to run a game?"
    "Bombshell"

  • @HoundofOdin
    @HoundofOdin Před 3 lety +285

    "Hello internet, Seth Skorkowsky."
    Oh how I have needed to hear those words.

    • @larsdahl5528
      @larsdahl5528 Před 3 lety +1

      I have been a bit puzzled to they way he say it.
      I mean... Like a sports commentator or radio speaker, they often skip punctuation...
      Leaving out that "," between "Hello internet" and "Seth Skorkowsky." make it sound like:
      "Hello internet says Skorkowsky".

    • @Tony-dh7mz
      @Tony-dh7mz Před 3 lety

      Tron theme tune
      "Greetings Program"

    • @PossumMedic
      @PossumMedic Před 3 lety

      @@larsdahl5528 Also a true statement! xD

  • @michaelfoye1135
    @michaelfoye1135 Před 3 lety +196

    So a Cyberpunk game, a corporate lobby, and a Matrix lobby gunfight reenactment, but with fumbles in lieu of acrobatics.

    • @johnf.kennedy5454
      @johnf.kennedy5454 Před 3 lety +26

      As he takes aim with his twin automatics, both magazines fall to the cold, polished stone floor, scattering bullets everywhere...

    • @WoobooRidesAgain
      @WoobooRidesAgain Před 3 lety +17

      It's the Matrix shootout, but Neo and Trinity are played by Laurel and Hardy.

    • @nomadjensen8276
      @nomadjensen8276 Před 3 lety +4

      That mental imagery made me happy. Fumbling grenades to positive effect and accidental awesome gunshots.

  • @pixeldonut6058
    @pixeldonut6058 Před 3 lety +92

    That image of the two punks in suits will remain forever etched in my memory. It was too good.

  • @goblinfacegraphics2298
    @goblinfacegraphics2298 Před 3 lety +123

    Great example of how to react to getting called out on a habit. Says a lot about how a player and DM can handle derailments without drama

  • @thanhool
    @thanhool Před 3 lety +98

    Thats very mature of you to tell a story where you dont come out super clean looking. Mad respect.

  • @FuriousJorge
    @FuriousJorge Před 3 lety +183

    You remember what happened last time?

    • @TheJimPlays
      @TheJimPlays Před 3 lety +38

      Not sure if this would be a redemption story or a troll-fest! :D
      GM: "So our adventure begins in..."
      Seth: "BOMBSHELL!"
      Seriously though, good on ya for having a serious talk with your friend about bad gaming habits and still being cool with each other.
      I've lost count of the times I've seen people either unwilling to bring up someone's bad form only to have the behavior get worse, or just as bad, have them bring it up and the bad actor take it personally to the point of affecting the relationship.
      Cheers!

    • @Plaugue1122
      @Plaugue1122 Před 3 lety +4

      Is this the actual player?

    • @FuriousJorge
      @FuriousJorge Před 3 lety +17

      @@Plaugue1122 indeed

    • @egillskallagrimson5879
      @egillskallagrimson5879 Před 3 lety +2

      @@FuriousJorge That suggesting looks of Seth has convince you to run another game? xDD

    • @girlbuu9403
      @girlbuu9403 Před 3 lety +6

      Just so you know, you are the best Seth at the table.

  • @NefariousKoel
    @NefariousKoel Před 3 lety +211

    Still sounds like a success, overall, to me.
    The GM adapted and the players still had fun. If he were to GM again not long after, I would've recommended he reconstitute all the prep he did into another game in the near future. Changing the location name and the lobby a bit. All that prep doesn't have to be tossed out the window if it was never experienced. Modularity.

    • @Skullkan6
      @Skullkan6 Před 3 lety +27

      Yeah this was nowhere near as big a failure as seth made it out to be.

    • @charlesrhodes3337
      @charlesrhodes3337 Před 3 lety +19

      I never throw away a good map. Couple of my bars maybe similar. Players hardly ever notice.

    • @UrsaFrank
      @UrsaFrank Před 3 lety +34

      You're not wrong but if you're brand new to GMing then it's still increadably heartbreaking and a kick to your confidence. And if you're not a regular GM (or even semi-regular) then finding ways to rebrand large amounts unused content without it being obvious becomes much more difficult especially if the players already saw the start of if.

    • @arbiterally101
      @arbiterally101 Před 3 lety +16

      @@UrsaFrank I agree. I think the problem is personal, not the game.
      I've played with rookie GM's and having a really cool session you planned out go completely haywire and out of control can really do a number of their confidence and willingness to take the risk of GMing again. And unfortunately, this can also extend to having certain players in the group. They might not feel confident in having a good story when it ends up going from a cool espionage game into an active warzone in the span of a few minutes or trust a player not to squander everything for giggles. That isn't what happened, but it's easy to fall into a bit of pessimism when you're just starting a hobby like this and you have to put so much of yourself into the game.
      There's a lesson to learn here. A habit of reckless player activity can have consequences and often they're entirely unintended, and even if it was justified at that time with perhaps the dice screwing the players over and feeding their paranoia, it isn't justified every time. In games like this, it does pay to sometimes just take the L as a black trenchcoat, than going full pink mohawk and turning the scenario into something much worse.
      I don't necessarily agree that it's fair to condemn the players for assuming the guards were out to get them, because in their line of work, that does happen and a runner should be prepared for that. But I also note that if every run keeps going from a simple recon job into a full scale firefight, then your GM may get fed up of putting in a lot of effort that's not going anywhere.

    • @vidard9863
      @vidard9863 Před 3 lety +9

      Honestly it sounds like he tried being a GM, and was good at it, but found it too be too much work and just found a good excuse to be a permanent player...
      That or with the group he couldn't couldn't run the game he wanted. If you want to do an intellectual spy game and all you have is murder hobos....

  • @matthill5426
    @matthill5426 Před 3 lety +140

    Seth, I enjoy all your content, from the game reviews, to the meta breakdowns of player and DM types, to the occasional live stream Q&A. But so help me God, if we don't find out what happened with that turtle wearing a hat, I'm sending Scott Brown Realty to repossess your house, and he's bring the Bonesaw with him. Make this right Seth, for all our sakes. :|
    Turtles in hats, Seth. Turtles in hats.

  • @daveanderson775
    @daveanderson775 Před 3 lety +406

    I would love to see how you would do rotating DMs.

    • @SorryBones
      @SorryBones Před 3 lety +7

      Same

    • @CRESELEG
      @CRESELEG Před 3 lety +4

      Definitely!

    • @charlesrhodes3337
      @charlesrhodes3337 Před 3 lety +3

      Players that gm. Sometimes try to help their selves cause they can effect the campaign they are playing in.

    • @DADeathinacan
      @DADeathinacan Před 3 lety +3

      Yeah, as someone trying to do something similar any tips and tricks would be great. Currently it just takes the form of "well, one dude is doing a storyline and everyone else is doing one-offs I guess". Ways of avoiding GMPCs while doing it in particular. The GMPCs have yet to go Mary Sue in about two years, but its just... Not as enjoyable interacting/running with them, if that makes sense.

    • @erc1971erc1971
      @erc1971erc1971 Před 3 lety +1

      2 words: Episodic Campaign.

  • @tabletopgamingwithwolfphototec

    This is common with most forever game masters.
    It's due to not being use to knowing almost everything and being in control of the world.

  • @JKtheSlacker
    @JKtheSlacker Před 3 lety +53

    I completely lost it at 6:29!

  • @joshkellemen5931
    @joshkellemen5931 Před 3 lety +24

    So I've been running a game for a year where my players are my wife, three coworkers, and four people I found on the internet. It's been great. I told them I need a break as I work on next stage of campaign, and asked if anyone wanted to run something short in the mean time. It was my wife who stepped up. She had never played before current campaign and has obviously never dm'd.
    I will be keeping this story well in mind when we play.

    • @spacedinosaur8733
      @spacedinosaur8733 Před 3 lety +3

      First time DM, awesome! In the words of Seth...DON'T ** THIS UP! czcams.com/video/ULa7vZU3JhQ/video.html

  • @Nickle_King
    @Nickle_King Před 3 lety +20

    It takes a truly wise man to admit his own wrongs. Respect dude.

  • @DumpsterGoof
    @DumpsterGoof Před 2 lety +3

    At the "Bug? What bug? There was no bug," part I love how the character behind the speaker is sincerely nodding his head in agreement. Put a big smile on my face!

  • @ryanwaits6733
    @ryanwaits6733 Před 3 lety +56

    Yes! Time to live vicariously through Seth again!

  • @dirus3142
    @dirus3142 Před 3 lety +22

    I too have failed to make it past the lobby.

  • @blameitonthebubble5294
    @blameitonthebubble5294 Před 3 lety +26

    The dreaded Bank Lobby of Doom.

    • @ajardoor
      @ajardoor Před 3 lety +4

      Musta built on an ancient Indian money changing ground.

  • @kalajel
    @kalajel Před 3 lety +20

    "He asked to borrow my Pacific Rim book..."
    Wait what?
    ** sees cover of book **
    Ah, ok...

    • @richmcgee434
      @richmcgee434 Před 3 lety

      Not a kaiju or giant robot to be seen in the thing. Wasn't exactly an original name for a film franchise. :)

    • @seb24789
      @seb24789 Před 3 lety

      There are rules for giant robots in Cyberpunk. That gives me an idea....

    • @richmcgee434
      @richmcgee434 Před 3 lety

      @@seb24789 Mekton is pretty much compatible with Cyberpunk anyway, you barely have to change anything to get them to mesh. Just use that for your giant mecha needs. I'd argue the Z version of it is still the best mech-centric RPG ever made - and we're not getting the new edition thanks to CD Project Red and Pondsmith not having enough hours in the day. :(

    • @seb24789
      @seb24789 Před 3 lety

      @@richmcgee434 I know. Z+ has some nice conversion rules. Only problem i have with it is that it turns Reflex into your God Stat.

    • @richmcgee434
      @richmcgee434 Před 3 lety +1

      @@seb24789 That has always been something of an issue for the game engine - it's not exactly untrue in Cyberpunk either. Haven't seen a good homebrew fix, although maybe averaging it with another stat or something would work.

  • @delcarsdungeon
    @delcarsdungeon Před 3 lety +4

    As some one who GMs 99% of the time, I think its a trend with us - we get excited to actually play, assume we know what's happening, and get into cliff's notes/yeah, yeah I know what's coming next - lets do THIS!

  • @Xingmey
    @Xingmey Před 3 lety +5

    5:05 best part. Those facial expressions when you pretend to shoot. That's hilariously awesome

  • @Sisyphus317
    @Sisyphus317 Před 3 lety +4

    "Hello internet I'm Seth Skorkowski and I'm I murder hobo"

  • @ogreboy8843
    @ogreboy8843 Před 3 lety +2

    "Hi internet! It's us, Gorakowski."
    Thanks autocaption. Keep doing what you do.

  • @Sniffin432
    @Sniffin432 Před 3 lety +24

    I noticed the Alien RPG box behind you, I hope it's a teaser of things to come!

    • @SSkorkowsky
      @SSkorkowsky  Před 3 lety +10

      Eventually. Just don't expect it soon. Remember that a year passed between me getting Conan and Traveller before the system reviews posted for each of them. I'll need to play a few adventures and put it through the ropes before I can give a solid review of it. So there will probably be some scenario reviews for it that pop up as we go followed by the system review as more of a Final Report. Right now, I'm about 2/3 through our first adventure. So far, so good.

    • @richmcgee434
      @richmcgee434 Před 3 lety

      @@SSkorkowsky That's the Free League one, right? You tried any of their other systems, particularly Forbidden Lands? I'm finding it hard to process my opinions on that one. So much good stuff at first and then you realize how much is just missing and left to the GM to patch.

    • @SSkorkowsky
      @SSkorkowsky  Před 3 lety +2

      Yeah, it's the Free League one. I haven't read any of their stuff before. I'm playing in one group at the moment, making our way through their Chariot of the Gods scenario. So far, I think for horror/action 1-shots the system works pretty damned good. Not too sure how well it will work for longer campaigns. I'll need some more time with it for that.

    • @seb24789
      @seb24789 Před 3 lety

      When i tried Chariot of the Gods, it devolved into incoherent screaming. Not because it was scary, it was because i didn't tell my players that there's a traitor among them (to keep the suprise) and one of them didn't take it kindly when someone started to "sabotage the game".

    • @richmcgee434
      @richmcgee434 Před 3 lety

      @@seb24789 Have they never seen the movies? Treachery is the one common theme throughout, even in the really bad ones that the RPG ignores. There's always a backstabbing SOB in the mix somewhere.

  • @thephilguy1
    @thephilguy1 Před 3 lety +22

    Definitely do a video on rotating GMs! I've heard a few groups have success with it running more open-ended adventure of the week or West Marches exploration games. I could also use some points to help convince my group so that I could be a player again for once. :P

    • @juddgoswick2024
      @juddgoswick2024 Před 3 lety +2

      My group did a rotating GM campaign of the classic D6 Star Wars RPG and it was amazingly fun!

  • @JesusSkywalker92
    @JesusSkywalker92 Před 3 lety +73

    I wonder how many takes it took to get those double 1's on camera?

    • @MSpacer
      @MSpacer Před 3 lety +5

      Might have filmed them separately and them edited them together.

    • @nicknumber1512
      @nicknumber1512 Před 3 lety +38

      "I try to roll a 1."
      "Ok, roll your dicerolling skill to see how you do."

    • @EyeOfEld
      @EyeOfEld Před 3 lety +6

      On average, probably around 100 rolls.

    • @JesusSkywalker92
      @JesusSkywalker92 Před 3 lety +13

      @@EyeOfEld law of averages says 100, law of dice being assholes says a lot more

    • @juddgoswick2024
      @juddgoswick2024 Před 3 lety +6

      This gives me an idea. I know a guy that could be a professional fumble stuntman for RPG reenactments. Guy's curse could be a blessing!

  • @euansmith3699
    @euansmith3699 Před 3 lety +8

    "Scott Brown! Bombshell!"

    • @FrancoStrider
      @FrancoStrider Před 3 lety +2

      Was just thinking that. Like, Scott Brown is a GM flavor of bombshell.

  • @MithranderGray
    @MithranderGray Před 3 lety +18

    This story reminds me of the first time I almost cried as a GM, my players decided that instead of exploring the building that I had spent hours creating they should just light it on fire instead. It's a bitter pill to swallow, and a hard lesson to learn.

    • @Zacknafin
      @Zacknafin Před 3 lety +1

      MithranderGray players.... the greatest agent of chaos! The madness that can come from this is priceless.... good or bad, your going to remember it, years to come. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

    • @swissarmyknight4306
      @swissarmyknight4306 Před 3 lety +1

      The problem is spending hours creating a building. You never know what PC's will do, ignore, or burn to the ground. Act accordingly.

    • @johnf.kennedy5454
      @johnf.kennedy5454 Před 3 lety +3

      Try building a whole planet in Traveller, starport, animals, and the whole adventure and the players decide they don't want to go there afterall...

    • @cameronjames3499
      @cameronjames3499 Před 3 lety +2

      A few sessions later, should have some really wealthy scholar or powerful magician doggedly tracking the party down and complicating their lives because they destroyed 10s of millions of gold worth of extremely rare books, spells and magic items by destroying the house that the NPC had been searching for for years only to come across the smoking wreckage of the building a few hours/days late.
      Might be slightly petty, but it would be satisfying, and extra complications are a good thing.

    • @tilleul6917
      @tilleul6917 Před 3 lety +2

      Sound like my average gm day. But it's not a problem at all, you can reuse this building set up whenever you want.

  • @GirGasm
    @GirGasm Před 11 měsíci +2

    I’ve learned over the years to never underestimate how badly players can turn a situation. In this case you had no way of knowing how it was supposed to turn out, let alone that they wouldn’t start firing at you guys on their own anyways. It is Cyberpunk after all.

  • @drawfiend3104
    @drawfiend3104 Před 3 lety +10

    This was just one long apology to George, wasn't it?

  • @ofthecaribbean
    @ofthecaribbean Před 3 lety +17

    *BOMBSHELL*

  • @lisquidsnake
    @lisquidsnake Před 3 lety +2

    George is running games all the time but never invites you Seth 😉

  • @wolf1066
    @wolf1066 Před rokem +1

    I'm looking at the re-enactment and Seth wearing that bloody _Scott Brown_ shirt and finding it hard not to laugh.
    Friggin' hell! That was an epic war story!

  • @mattnerdy7236
    @mattnerdy7236 Před 3 lety +8

    Hey Seth, love your videos. The story telling, the acting, all the characters you do. Your videos are just "FUN" to watch.
    Thanks Seth & have a great day.

  • @chthulu27
    @chthulu27 Před 6 měsíci +2

    Hitting yourself with a flashbang sucks. You know what sucks worse? Hitting yourself with a krak grenade in a 40K Dark Heresy campaign.
    RIP Lazarus Ramirez.

    • @oz_jones
      @oz_jones Před 13 dny

      Cadia stands?

    • @chthulu27
      @chthulu27 Před 13 dny

      @@oz_jones , I'm not sure how to interpret that reference. Post fall of Cadia affirmation of the will of surviving Cadians applies to this how?

  • @enixxe
    @enixxe Před 3 lety +30

    The rotating DMs video would be cool, but as far as this one goes, idk. "Trust the DM" is great and all insofar as you should trust that the DM is trying to offer a fun and compelling game experience, but at a certain point the players need to be free to feel they've screwed the pooch and act on that. "Trusting the DM" here seems to go further than what I think is desirable into trusting the DM will save you from your own failures. Rather than "trust the DM," I think the lesson here is more along the lines of don't let your knowledge of the dice rolls make you too quick to assume the situation is unsalvageable.

    • @rexhazelwood7302
      @rexhazelwood7302 Před 3 lety

      Well said!

    • @hellhammerCCCP
      @hellhammerCCCP Před 3 lety +4

      Sometimes you fail upwards. Exactly right.

    • @B00Radl33
      @B00Radl33 Před 3 lety +2

      Not a bad point. Personally as a DM I would hope that I would make a player roll an 'Insight / Common Sense' roll before messing with the whole mission. "The guards look more annoyed than mad. Seems like they get people trying to leave bugs here on a weekly basis."
      But every DM has to do just as much or more flying by the seat of their pants as a player. And offering those tips can feel a lot like limiting the player's personal choices.

    • @vidard9863
      @vidard9863 Před 3 lety +6

      Yeah, it is a balancing act, but based on what was said it wasn't the first time Seth went murder hobo.
      The thing though, is that their cover had not been blown. They were at that time, just pushy salesmen who planted a bug to see if their products interested the clients, and potentially how much they could charge. Frankly they were too incompetent to be considered a threat by security, give them a gentle beating in the back ally and send them on their way. Killing them would just leave a mess. You should trust the GM not to meta game and assume that the guards really know that these guys are capable player characters and not just NPCs.

    • @enixxe
      @enixxe Před 3 lety +2

      @@vidard9863 Maybe there's something about the setting that I'm missing since I've never played this particular game, but I don't see how the players should know they were only going to get beaten slightly. That seems like something that would depend on hindsight or by having additional info as the DM. They could have probably tried to talk first to see if they could get out of their and get a bit more information to make sure they understand the situation they're in better, which is where, if anywhere, I think they arguably screwed up, but "a gentle beating in the back alley" doesn't seem like a reasonable thing to expect your players to submit to either because, again, they have no way of knowing where it will stop.

  • @P9ctMak3r
    @P9ctMak3r Před 3 lety +8

    I needed this after learning Cyberpunk Red is being pushed back again today.

    • @Plaugue1122
      @Plaugue1122 Před 3 lety +2

      Wait till when?

    • @rolandkushm.d.710
      @rolandkushm.d.710 Před 3 lety +1

      No!!!! 😫

    • @NefariousKoel
      @NefariousKoel Před 3 lety +2

      I've always suspected it won't be out until the video game is released, at the least. Coordination and agreements perhaps.

    • @P9ctMak3r
      @P9ctMak3r Před 3 lety +6

      R. Talsorian said there's a few layout and art pieces that need finished but mostly they don't want to release a PDF without a physical book because that could impact small game stores that are already suffering.
      Which I'm supportive of, I'm just having to scramble to piecemeal CPRed and CP2020 together for my game when I was relying on Red simply being out.

  • @gnarthdarkanen7464
    @gnarthdarkanen7464 Před 3 lety +49

    I don't know... Sounds like "George" would be a pretty good GM. He oughta give it another shot... I mean, you NEVER EVER get it perfect the first time out of the gate... Re-skin the building (adventure?) and try again... You've both grown since then.
    ...or is he just chicken??? ;o)

    • @Semiotichazey
      @Semiotichazey Před 3 lety +4

      Maybe it means I'm a bad GM, but I love when things go sideways and players overreact. I have the opposite motto: "trust the players." I explicitly tell the players not to trust me. I don't try to screw them over, but I don't guarantee any happy paths, either. But I always trust my players to deliver half the story, if only through mishap.

    • @gnarthdarkanen7464
      @gnarthdarkanen7464 Před 3 lety +2

      @@Semiotichazey My Players can implicitly trust that I won't outright screw them over... BUT I do warn any new Player, "I'm YOUR friend... NOT your PC's friend. If he or she were to show up IRL and meet me, I'd be burned alive on the spot... as it should be."
      Anyone should know, there are no guaranteed "happy paths"... Any Veteran knows that adventuring is not for "normal sane people"... Normal sane people stay home, find work, meet and mate, make more people... repeat...
      Part of my JOB as a GM is to concoct ways to make the PC's as miserable as possible in earning whatever loot I mischievously stash about the Game... Only a lunatic would actually wake up one morning, buy a sword and some armor, and decide, "Yep, I'm going to go hunt me an adventure. That sounds like fun."
      I try not to drop a PC with a "Hollow Death"... They're beloved Characters who's deaths should mean something... should punch up the interest and emotions of the Game... Not end up "meh" in any way... AND certainly shouldn't be a joke...
      That's not to say PC's don't die from a string of unfortunate dice rolls. Shit happens... BUT I try.
      AS for trusting the Players to bring half the story, derail the Arc I designed, send everything sideways and take me by surprise... I don't have to trust Players for that... I have faith that (being a Player myself) WE WILL DEFINITELY NOT DISAPPOINT!
      I've NEVER had Players who took agency at all, fail at making things a LOT more interesting than I'd have done on my own. It's rare for a PC's Character arc to resemble anything but a plate of spaghetti. ;o)

    • @andrewrobinson4019
      @andrewrobinson4019 Před 3 lety +1

      That was my excact though: reskin that bad boy and run it again. If it were my sky-scraper I’d run it in Call of Cthulhu and keep mentioning how “you have a peculiar feeing as you enter the lobby...”

    • @handlebarfox2366
      @handlebarfox2366 Před 3 lety +2

      traumatized?

    • @gnarthdarkanen7464
      @gnarthdarkanen7464 Před 3 lety

      @@handlebarfox2366 Not what I'd consider a valid excuse... Trust me on this one. There's no GM that's worth a damn who hasn't collected a MOUNTAIN of crap that he or she spent time on and never got to explore with the Players in-game...
      We've all made that tower, that sky scraper, or those labyrinthian complexes, only to watch the PC's waltz through in a beeline to the goal, or find ways to avoid them all together...
      Sure, this vid' illustrates how Seth (as great a guy as he is today) was a sort of problem player in the past... Too quick to throw bombs and wreck the scheme, rather than have a little faith in the GM to create leeway around for drama and tension... and another shot at exploring this work he's created...
      It's one of the BIG reasons I push every Player at my Table to run "mid-Campaign" at one point or another. It not only avoids a "Perma-GM" from burning out and quitting, but it keeps me on my toes when I'm stitching different side-quests and storylines and sub-plots into the "main" Arc I've been creating... I even set up the map I've worked on, and let them have at it... BE the GM... all the way... IF it goes to hell in a handbasket, I can shrug it off and we can start something new... Nobody gets hurt. Maybe somebody learns something... BUT LEARN SOMETHING...
      You can't get better as a GM or Player if you don't KEEP DOING IT. ;o)

  • @mathsalot8099
    @mathsalot8099 Před 3 lety +2

    So this is the impetus of the "When a Player GMs" video. Thanks for your openness and experience.

  • @mattfrandsen1244
    @mattfrandsen1244 Před 3 lety +8

    Thanks Seth! My withdrawal was getting real bad!

  • @simonholmes6473
    @simonholmes6473 Před 3 lety +6

    To be fair. Given that Cyberpunk corps can be a bit grumpy towards spys, your reaction was pretty reasonable especially given how natural it is for many folks to panic under pressure. Being told 'You should've trusted the GM' is kinda being asked to metagame. Of course, I can only speak for this instance and not for the many times you've done it before :-p

  • @scottknudsen6611
    @scottknudsen6611 Před 3 lety +2

    Your willingness to admit your own mistakes and poke fun at yourself is a big part of what makes this channel required viewing for me. Great war story, I'd love to see a video on rotating GMs if you decide to do one!

  • @Semiotichazey
    @Semiotichazey Před 3 lety +1

    Oh no, your cyberpunk PC costumes are simultaneously hilarious and awesome.

  • @budahbaba7856
    @budahbaba7856 Před 3 lety +1

    Seth, i seem to have been missing your feeds lately (early 2021). You are my favorite RPG commentator!

  • @therealtroy8275
    @therealtroy8275 Před 3 lety +3

    Seth keeps on churning out works of art during the pandemic! Good work, man! Please do a video about rotating GM's if you think you have useful info or stories! I did it once for a Mutant: Year Zero campaign. The players and I worked to build a world together and even had player create and play NPC's, so when I got to the end of my story arc, I let another player take over.

  • @NerdMafiaSV
    @NerdMafiaSV Před 6 měsíci +2

    I was playing cp2020 in middle school around the same time this happened! Weird coincidence.

  • @aesculetum
    @aesculetum Před 3 lety +5

    Do it, George!

  • @mattm4557
    @mattm4557 Před 3 lety +1

    The fact that this story was so entertaining is proof that nothing went wrong. That player/GM needs to understand that no plan survives war and no plot survives contact with players. What makes rpgs fun is the unexpected twists and turns that come from the player's decisions and improv. Seth did nothing wrong. It made perfect sense for his character to do what he did, especially with a mohawk character as the skit reenactment showed. lol

  • @handlesarestupid154
    @handlesarestupid154 Před 3 lety

    You know who has the best fast talking skill?
    BONESAW!
    THROUGH THE BOOOOOONNNE!

  • @brads2041
    @brads2041 Před 8 měsíci

    The most hilarious actual play I've seen since Vox Moronica on geek and sundry. And also cool with the Cthulhu backdrop

  • @Pile_of_carbon
    @Pile_of_carbon Před 3 lety +1

    I had a similar thing happen to me in Shadowrun. I had written a mission where the PCs had to investigate a series of really messy murders. They asked around and got a lead on a violent gang that used massive attack dogs to terrorize the neighborhood. On their way to their crack house hideout to bust heads and get answers, one of the players says "I want to check out the crime scene again." Once there he wanted to roll to see if he could pick up any extra clues and since he had knowledge about paracritters and absurdly high tracking skill with specialization for urban environments he got to roll a figurative bucket of dice. Dude rolled some of the most hits I've ever seen on a single roll. I had to tell him that "The gang probably has nothing to do with this at all and everything points to something coming out of the sewers." That roll bypassed about 50 % of the adventure. We still had fun and said player got to feel like a complete boss.

  • @dhughes6357
    @dhughes6357 Před 2 měsíci

    Your stories make gaming sound so fun. I recall my gaming days and it was pretty awesome, but you really crack me up and make me want to find a group to play again.

  • @robwalker4452
    @robwalker4452 Před 3 lety +2

    Hilarious as always; love the War Stories.
    You went Full Murder Hobo.

  • @shadowheartart3898
    @shadowheartart3898 Před 3 lety

    It's really quite comforting to hear a story like this, where the veteran GM is the one screaming "Bombshell".
    Yes, it's good to know everyone makes mistakes, but more importantly: hearing how you guys talked it out, without huge drama.

  • @lavenderspectre103
    @lavenderspectre103 Před 3 lety

    This feels like an solid argument for why critical fumble tables are a bad idea.

  • @JackLaPoire
    @JackLaPoire Před 3 lety +2

    Oh wow, that reminds me of a story that happened to my group. Previously, my players prevented the Orcs from getting a powerful artifact they would have used to ravage the kingdom, but while doing so unwillingly casted a curse upon the land. Right afterwards they handed themselves over to the guards in the big city and told them roughly what happened. Naturally, in the next session the city was preparing their trial. As I wanted it to go smoothly, some villagers the PCs knew and who lived in a vale sent a letter to the city guard, saying they were struggling against the curse and that the PCs were their only hope. My plan was that the PC would go to the vale, get rid of the effects of the curse there and the friendly guards escorting them would witness it and testimony that they are working for the greater good during the trial.
    But nothing went the way I expected. They persuaded themselves that the letter was fake and that the guards just wanted to take them in some isolated place to kill them and let them rot. Nothing I could do would make them consider the fact everything could actually be fine. After their rough attempts at stopping the travel (such as breaking the leg of one of the guard’s horses), the way I maintained the guards friendly was starting to become ridiculous but I truly wanted them to go to the vale. Then the last thing they did was pretty clever. From the first time they went there, they knew the region and there was a clan of barbarians led by a stupid ogre. They went there and managed to persuade the ogre with some good rolls that the guards insulted him and he should eat them. So he did. And then they fled in the opposite direction. That was really funny, but still I was really disappointed everything I created was blasted away just because they feared the guards they handed themselves over to willingly...
    Why are people so scared by guards?!

    • @larsdahl5528
      @larsdahl5528 Před 3 lety +3

      Seems to be a natural talent we humans have!
      Let me tell a story from RL (Yes! Real Life!!!):
      Several years back, a weapon smuggler and an illegal weapons dealer (both from north west Europe) had joined together in delivering weapons to a group of freedom fighters (In India) they hired a plane (Russian) to fly over the area and drop the weapons crates with parachutes.
      The plan was excellent! Just fly over the area and at the proper place and drop the crates from height 3000. Then the wind would bring the crates to land where intended.
      However! They had made the "Critical Fumble" (As we call it in role play) failing to take into account that aviation had two standards: Western, where flying heights are measured in feet - and - Eastern where flying heights where measured in meters!
      So instead of from 3000 feet, the crates was dropped from 3000 meters. - Result: The crates landed in a wrong spot, and thus got discovered and confiscated by the authorities.
      The group was quite confident that, despite they had failed their mission, there was nothing connecting them to the misdeed. So they continued their plan. Landed to refuel, where the standard procedure is to do a customs inspection. - However in India they do that in a quite different way than most other countries: They did show up with a team of somewhere between 20 and 25 inspectors.
      That large number of inspectors made that the smuggler got nervous and thought they was discovered, and thus decided to sneak away!
      Which lead to that he now had entered India illegally, and thus got searched for, and found. - Causing him to blow the whole operation...

  • @ts25679
    @ts25679 Před 3 lety +1

    Yes going bombshell wasn't in keeping with you "Don't fuck up your opportunity to be a player by ruining the dm's game", but I wonder if he'd had the npcs say "Get these jokers outta here" from the start it might not have started a cock-up cascade leading to player frustration and the scenario going down in flames.

  • @jayteegamble
    @jayteegamble Před 3 lety

    As a Forever GM, the chance to play and wreck somebody else's stuff sounds so fun!

  • @burpostockings
    @burpostockings Před rokem

    Lmfao, "What bug!?" Idk why that made me lose it

  • @fredricknoe3114
    @fredricknoe3114 Před 3 lety +4

    Another Seth video. Great... wait a war story none the less HALLUJAH!

  • @shock_n_Aweful
    @shock_n_Aweful Před rokem

    George, give Seth another chance, he has clearly learned his lesson.

  • @shadowk18
    @shadowk18 Před 3 lety +1

    Moral of the story: Never call bombshell too soon. Think first.

  • @martin7092
    @martin7092 Před 3 lety

    This is my new favorite d&d channel

  • @dangarthemighty0980
    @dangarthemighty0980 Před 3 lety +3

    Love this it was totally awesome and hilarious. I have had a few murder hobos in my games before so I know how the friend feels but I also have ways to get around murder hobos or at least make them work to my stories advantage.

  • @SteveWhipp
    @SteveWhipp Před 3 lety

    My group tended to only rotate DM's between game systems rather than within a single campaign. My mate did the D&D/Pathfinder, I did the Cyberpunk/Traveller and another chap did Call of Cthulu. We'd run one system until there was a natural stopping point, then switch. This method lets a DM have a couple of months to do their prep whilst also having "their turn" as a plater.

  • @si1verg3cko
    @si1verg3cko Před 3 lety +2

    Honestly even though the GM was pissed at Bombshell I don't think there was anything inherently wrong with the call. I get the entire idea behind trust the GM but at the same time you don't inherently know what they are planning either.

  • @dusty3913
    @dusty3913 Před 3 lety

    Refreshing to hear the odd admission of failure story. It reminds us that not all is lost as long as we can cop to it and move forward.

  • @ryangardner3271
    @ryangardner3271 Před 3 lety +2

    Great content as usual. I had a game group where we rotated gm's and it was one of the best experiences I've had. We built a city as a group and we all made characters and we would post missions on a "bounty board" that we were willing to run. Whichever mission got the most votes determined who was gonna gm. It was awesome to build the world together like that. I am curious to hear how you did it.

  • @thepants1450
    @thepants1450 Před 3 lety

    How the hell does Seth NOT have over 100k subs yet?? He puts in more effort, production and charm than most tabletop channels.

  • @nexus8917
    @nexus8917 Před 3 lety +7

    Disappointed by the lack of Scott Brown references in this episode...

    • @SSkorkowsky
      @SSkorkowsky  Před 3 lety +16

      Look closer at the shirt I'm wearing in the player skit.

    • @nexus8917
      @nexus8917 Před 3 lety +2

      @@SSkorkowsky Can't believe I missed that.

    • @jefferydraper2551
      @jefferydraper2551 Před 3 lety

      @@SSkorkowsky Yeah, I noticed. Sent that Scott Brown video to my best friend who used to live in Denton. He loved it.

  • @thechevyferrari9559
    @thechevyferrari9559 Před 3 lety +2

    My god, I needed this right now, thanks, boss.

  • @supperslash1376
    @supperslash1376 Před 2 lety

    I do not normally comment, but George.. You need to run a game for seth, and post it, so we can eat popcorn, and watch the shelling start. :D PLEASE PLEASE. Love the stories Seth.

  • @PossumMedic
    @PossumMedic Před 3 lety

    "Once he returned it was back to work.... destroying this mans entire GM career!" xD
    Great story thanks! :)

  • @ALJessica
    @ALJessica Před rokem

    I freaking love your war stories ❤️ they always make me smile and laugh❤

  • @bastonneknight9478
    @bastonneknight9478 Před 3 lety

    I'm very glad we have creators like Seth on youtube. Everytime I see that notification I know I'm going to get some of that table top feeling that is sadly missing in the current times.

  • @christopherhasty5493
    @christopherhasty5493 Před 3 lety

    Scott Brown shirt? As you play a murder hobo? That's right, Scott Brown!!!

  • @bastionunitb7388
    @bastionunitb7388 Před 3 lety

    You all walk into the echoing halls of the throne room ornate torches attached to pillars light the enormous room. On the throne sits an ol-
    BOMBSHELL!

  • @bluedragonninja
    @bluedragonninja Před 3 lety

    Really enjoyed this war story! This kinda reminds me of the scene in Fate/zero (spoilers), Where the traditional mage rented an entire hotel skyscraper floor, turned it into a maze, filling it with traps and ghosts to have a defend-able position if attacked. His opponent comes along, pulls the fire alarm, gets the civilians out, hypnotizes the staff into thinking the Mage and his family are out of the building before blowing it to kingdom come!

  • @ShockedLogic
    @ShockedLogic Před 3 lety

    Classic "No plan every survives contact with the players." But I sympathize with both you and your gm. Sometimes you just panic and revert and go all in on the kill floor when you really don't need to. I think it's partly because combat is so ingrained into ttrpgs that when all else fails, it's what we default to. But damn, it's frustrating to watch happen as a gm.

  • @wildernessboy9996
    @wildernessboy9996 Před 3 lety +4

    Damn Seth u growing like crazy I was here 7 hours ago and u already gained 400 subscribers congrats road to 100k

    • @SSkorkowsky
      @SSkorkowsky  Před 3 lety +8

      Thanks. One day I'll hit that 100k mark. One day.

    • @wildernessboy9996
      @wildernessboy9996 Před 3 lety +3

      @@SSkorkowsky ya I can't wait to see that 100k play button on ur wall I bet u will hit it by 2021

  • @bryankia
    @bryankia Před 3 lety

    This was fantastic. As a new GM but long time player my players have bombshelled me twice in the last three sessions. This made me laugh and I needed it.
    Have the best day

  • @lizardwithhat4125
    @lizardwithhat4125 Před 3 lety +4

    I don't know... feels like a Check for Security-Knowledge or Insight might have clued the PCs in about some details of their situation. I mean they were going against a ‘corp in CP - "Disappearing" people is totally in the MO for the ‘corps there, isn’t it? Especially if it is some fluffin’ fortress.
    Based on that situation I do not quite get the “Trust the GM” part.
    But the story was a blast.
    The acting-for-two is amazing and the characters (Players and PCs) hilarous X3

    • @Haukipesukone
      @Haukipesukone Před 3 lety +3

      Indeed. The GM could have hinted to them a peaceful option was still possible.

    • @lizardwithhat4125
      @lizardwithhat4125 Před 3 lety

      @@Haukipesukone It's why i prefer having lotta different Codes for different Situation. ^^

  • @wardkerr2456
    @wardkerr2456 Před 3 lety +2

    Yeah, I have ended a couple of runs by shooting a prisoners with valuable info. "They had it coming," just doesn't cut it. I messed up.

  • @dbensdrawinvids8390
    @dbensdrawinvids8390 Před 3 lety +3

    My group calls that "Not so bad, really."

    • @pjm417
      @pjm417 Před 3 lety

      Are you from Minnesota? czcams.com/video/vm-MrkoJPC8/video.html&feature=emb_logo

    • @richmcgee434
      @richmcgee434 Před 3 lety

      "Average Tuesday" for some of the tables I've sat with.

    • @dbensdrawinvids8390
      @dbensdrawinvids8390 Před 3 lety +1

      @@richmcgee434 Those really are the best tables, frankly. When I run, I don't consider my job as a GM complete until the players are cursing my lineage.

  • @willywonkascreepysmilewonk3200

    We had the same sort of “bombshell” moment in a Pokémon campaign when we were linked to a bit of manslaughter

  • @SpiritWolf1966
    @SpiritWolf1966 Před měsícem +1

    I enjoy all of Seth Skorkowsky videos 😂🎉😮

  • @ellinorarvidsson3895
    @ellinorarvidsson3895 Před 2 lety

    Love the warstories! Scott brown is my fave!

  • @atomicwoodpecker0123
    @atomicwoodpecker0123 Před 3 lety

    "Hello internet, Seth Skorkowsky."
    God damn that's better than crack.

  • @glenkabotie8708
    @glenkabotie8708 Před 7 měsíci

    I really enjoy hearing about the Cyberpunk Game Stories.
    Great vids man thanks 👍

  • @arakasi2
    @arakasi2 Před 3 lety +1

    The last time I saw rolls like that was when I played Delta Green at GenCon last year. Two things:
    I hit with every shot I took
    I missed every SAN check I made
    I completely lost it when the Big Bad's dog suddenly grows to the size of a small elephant and sprouts tentacles, so I emptied my M16 at it.
    Did I say I hit everytime I took a shot? Well, I critically fumbled this shot and
    put a 3 round burst into our medic's head. Our demo expert had to take it out by jumping on the thing's back and setting off his his whole backpack of C4
    The worst part was the players for the medic and the demo expert were friends and I found myself sharing a table with both of them the next day - aaaawkward.

    • @andrewdiaz3529
      @andrewdiaz3529 Před 3 lety

      GenCon 2019? If so, where there test games for new players? I only first heard of Delta Green at GenCon and I've been wanting to try some of it out. If there games for new players at 2019, then there might be some at 2021 and that just gives me more to do there, if I can actually go.

    • @arakasi2
      @arakasi2 Před 3 lety +1

      @@andrewdiaz3529 The game I played was listed as being for novice players with characters provided. I hadn't played this edition of Delta Green before - I had only read the rules the night before. The only things that I was expected to know were a bit of the background (that Delta Green was a super-secret agency within the government that dealt with paranormal threats) and a bit of the game mechanics (how SAN checks worked, how to make skill checks). If you've every played Call of Cthulhu, you know most of the mechanics: the only difference is how critical hits and failures work (all doubles on a skill check result in a critical something. If you succeed with your roll, it's a critical success. If you fail, it's a critical failure). If you've ever played a role playing game before, you could pick up the basics in 5 minutes or so and nobody ever gave me grief for asking "how do I do this?".
      I can't promise that all GMs run to the same standard, but you should be safe if you stick to games listed as "beginner" or "novice"
      We might just run into each other at the table next year. I'll be the one asking the GM if I can rename my character "Scott Brown".

    • @andrewdiaz3529
      @andrewdiaz3529 Před 3 lety

      @@arakasi2 Thanks!

  • @samchafin4623
    @samchafin4623 Před 3 lety

    Don't fear failure, George!

  • @charlesgrybosky1916
    @charlesgrybosky1916 Před 3 lety

    More War Stories! These are the best!

  • @rolestream
    @rolestream Před 3 lety +1

    Love your work Seth.

  • @SorryBones
    @SorryBones Před 3 lety +4

    Yesss, a Skorkowsky video. What a treat

  • @DerekStone
    @DerekStone Před rokem

    Literally spit out my drink laughing hysterically at 3:47

  • @nyarlatothep666
    @nyarlatothep666 Před rokem

    Reminds me of a Cyberpunk 2020 I ran recently. The PCs just had to recover a stolen cyberdeck from a dorpher gang. I had spent quite some time mapping out the gang's HQ. The player playing the fixer only had to roll for Streetdeal to identify the right building. Of course, he rolls a 1 followed by a 10. The PCs enter a random squat. While the PCs are killing random junkies, and wasting even more time searching the building and negotiating with neighbors coming to look what this is all about, the dorphers have sold the cyberdeck to a Maelstrom fence.