Is there a point at which a move stops being a hard move and becomes a violation of a players errr…. right to control? their character. e.g. my players survivor takes a mount as part of starting equipment(inverse world) then formalizes it at 2nd lvl by taking rangers companion, I kill the mount. Have I as the GM crossed a line?
Is there a point at which a move stops being a hard move and becomes a violation of a players errr.
Is there a point at which a move stops being a hard move and becomes a violation of a players errr.
Probably. It might have been alright to do it before he made it his animal companion, as a really hard move, but afterwards it became a really REALLY hard move. Like, 7-9 on a Last Breath sort of move.
Not necessarily, but you should definitely allow the player to choose another animal companion now. And if they really want the same one, maybe say that it survived somehow. IMO you should usually just knock out a player’s companion, taking them out of the fight without killing them, unless the player is ok with it.
I don’t know if it’s “crossing a line”, but you should definitely give the character a way to get his companion back. Sounds like a good seed for an adventure!
Yep. Not sure it’s a line per se, but it’s a really hard move, one that they’d have to really set themselves up for. If they do something where the only thing that makes sense in the fiction is for their animal companion to die, then do it.
Be cautious when messing around with what makes a PC look cool. Don’t have the the fighter’s signature weapon breaking on a stone – instead, describe how it flies away from him during a fight. Same with the mount… Like Sean said just before, having them look after medicinal herbs or whatever potion to heal the wounds or a broken leg is a good start to have them face more danger. Sometimes, personal incentive has much more impact on players than saving the world (for the thirteenth time this year)…
Don’t fuck with their agency, but don’t be scared to really hit them where it hurts. Remember to stick to your principles and agenda, too – make sure you’re being a fan of the characters. Ask the player “would you be willing to risk your companion’s life on this” and see what they say.