What to do when the double-cross is expected?

[Derren]

So because the players figured out your plot you want to screw them?
Double-cross them as planned and then start of making different plots.

 

[SavageRobby]

Lots of good suggestions. I like meowmt's and Piratecat's.

Here is another: do the fake-double cross ("its a trap trap"). The first double cross is the decoy trap (where perhaps they kill a look-alike, or a dummy, or an illusion or whatnot), only to be followed by the real doublecross afterwards, when they've used some of the resources and (more importantly) let their guard down.

 

[HellHound]

In CyberPunk I run what I call "white bread ops". These are ops that the players expect the double cross and there isn't one. Basically, anytime the players really prep for a double-cross, don't have one - if the deal is too good to be true, however, have someone ELSE step in and screw things up.

So if there is too much money in this one job, have a third party kill the guy they expect to double cross them and then come after them for the money.

 

[ExploderWizard]

You could have the employer be totally honest and pay the party as promised. Later on the PC's can find out that the money they brought back didn't exactly belong to thier employer and the real owners would like a word with all those involved with its removal.

 

[HDTVDinner]

They return with the money (and expecting a double-cross) only to find the guy dead and his place torn up. Then the city guard arrives...

Ding ding ding! We have a winnah!

 

[Rechan]

You could have the employer be totally honest and pay the party as promised. Later on the PC's can find out that the money they brought back didn't exactly belong to thier employer and the real owners would like a word with all those involved with its removal.

While there are some great suggestions, I think this would likely be my response. However, I would also add BigWilly's, and add a third twist.

The PCs steal this money from someone else. They get back to the guy's house, only to find it ransacked. There's a dead body (not his). A hasty note has been penned by their employer, saying "It's too hot. Bring the money to place X; I need to get out of town fast." Then the guards kick in the door.

Now the PCs can be confronted by three different groups: Those who they stole from, the authorities, or the enemies that their employer has made by double-crossing in the past.

When the PCs make the meet, one of the above groups busts through the door.

 

[JustKim]

I don't understand why they expected this to be a double-cross, but if they've called it then I would say one of two things is taking place at your table. One, the players are predicting what's going to happen instead of allowing it to happen, which usually means they're unhappy with the pace of the story (it's too slow). Or two, the players are expecting something to happen and are not engaged by the idea of it anymore.

If either of these is true then "spicing up" the double-cross is a bad idea because a) it's just a twist on a tired twist and b) it's going to actually slow down the resolution, frustrating any impatient players.

What I would do is drop the double-cross, conclude the adventure without any twists, and pay attention to what they say about it afterward.

 

[haakon1]

So because the players figured out your plot you want to screw them?
Double-cross them as planned and then start of making different plots.

I agree. Separate DM knowledge from NPC knowledge, and actually ROLE PLAY the NPC doing whatever it is he would do.

It's more interesting that way -- adds to verisimilitude instead of the universe hanging on every word the players say and trying to reward/screw them.

But in general, having too many double-crossers gets old fast in most campaigns. I try to separate "The Shire" (the stuff that's reliable and worth fighting for) from the wilds in campaigns -- if everybody is a worthless jerk in a Hobbesian nightmare realm, there's little point in being a hero. And I like heroes.

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Ask yourself how much stake the NPC has in double crossing them. If he's a long term NPC, have him plan it a bit farther. The players come back to find things MOSTLY going as meomwt said, with the guy bound and gagged for the PCs to rescue (or not). Should they rescue him, make vague, VERY vague hints that something was wrong with the group that had him captured. Later, it turns out he hired them to tie him up, and did it to make himself appear more trustworthy to you.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

So they know the guy's untrustworthy. They took the job because it pays big bucks. The job is to go collect a big wad of cash. Why aren't they just taking the cash and disappearing?