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<blockquote data-quote="LonePaladin" data-source="post: 7652880" data-attributes="member: 6963"><p>Another way to run the Genius is to turn him into the Mastermind: he has the loyalty of scores of minions, and also has the smarts for enough long-term planning to be a real threat.</p><p></p><p>You can give the Mastermind a perfectly mundane goal (for the setting): causing a food shortage, emptying the vault at Fort Knox, replacing the Vizier, putting an Orbital Mind-Control Laser into orbit. The difference here is that every move the PCs make to stop him has already been considered, and the Mastermind has either a plan to counter the attempt, or a fallback plan that's even worse than what was stopped.</p><p></p><p>(A classic example is SHODAN from the original System Shock game. She originally plans on using the space station's mining laser on Earth; when you stop that, she enacts Plan B, sending a mutant virus Earthbound. This is followed by Plan C, then Plan D, etc.)</p><p></p><p>This requires a bit of cheating on the part of the GM: you have to retroactively make these changes and adjustments, acting like they've been in place all along. It's tricky to pull off — you have to make it clear to the players that they ARE making progress, if only through sheer determination. And you still have to give the Mastermind one or two gaps in their plans at the end.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="LonePaladin, post: 7652880, member: 6963"] Another way to run the Genius is to turn him into the Mastermind: he has the loyalty of scores of minions, and also has the smarts for enough long-term planning to be a real threat. You can give the Mastermind a perfectly mundane goal (for the setting): causing a food shortage, emptying the vault at Fort Knox, replacing the Vizier, putting an Orbital Mind-Control Laser into orbit. The difference here is that every move the PCs make to stop him has already been considered, and the Mastermind has either a plan to counter the attempt, or a fallback plan that's even worse than what was stopped. (A classic example is SHODAN from the original System Shock game. She originally plans on using the space station's mining laser on Earth; when you stop that, she enacts Plan B, sending a mutant virus Earthbound. This is followed by Plan C, then Plan D, etc.) This requires a bit of cheating on the part of the GM: you have to retroactively make these changes and adjustments, acting like they've been in place all along. It's tricky to pull off — you have to make it clear to the players that they ARE making progress, if only through sheer determination. And you still have to give the Mastermind one or two gaps in their plans at the end. [/QUOTE]
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