Actual Play Interlude: Detectives We Ain't

BACKGROUND: This was one of the first sessions with the two players for this game. They were playing low-powered campy superheroes. I had come up with a pretty straight forward bank robbery scenario for them to address. I did not try to make it difficult or complicated. The plan was when they confronted the villain a battle would ensue and they'd save the day. The problem was in making that confrontation actually happen.

SCENE: Outside the Metro City First National Bank. Police and SWAT units have the place surrounded, but the villain inside has hostages.

ENTER THE PLAYER CHARACTERS

GM: The police chief approaches you and says: "I'm so glad you're here. We have the bank surrounded, but we haven't made a move. The dastardly Gaslighter is inside with hostages. What should we do heroes?"

Player 1: Can I see them inside the bank for the police to shoot them?

GM: No, the villain isn't standing by any windows presenting a clear target to snipers.

Player 2: Hmmm, can we tell the police to leave?

GM: They don't want to leave.

Player 2: Hmmm, is there any way I can convince them using my persuasion skill?

GM: Sure I guess you could try, but your skill is pretty low.

Player 2 (rolls a success): Okay awesome, now I convince them to leave.

GM: Okay, they all leave. Now what?

Player 2: Do the robbers come out?

GM: No, they are robbing the bank and have hostages and two minutes ago the police were just surrounding the place from every angle and then suddenly drove away. The robbers don't seem to be heading out.

Player 2: Damn, I thought if the cops left the robbers might have tried to make a run for it.

Player 1: I'm gonna try to drive a bus through the front of the bank.

GM: What? You don't even know how to drive.

Player 1 (rolls poorly): Shit I failed my driving roll, what happens.

GM: Well you crash the bus into the building next door. Now what?

Player 1: I get out and try and shoot an electrical box on the bank to try and set it on fire to see if I can smoke them out.

GM: Okay if you want. The building catches on fire and the fire alarm goes off. The fire department is now on it's way.

Player 1: I don't want the fire department to come, so I radio the police chief and tell him to call them off. Did the robbers come outside yet?

GM: *Heavy sigh* Yeah sure, two of them poke their heads out and ask: what the fuck are you doing?

Player 2: I am gonna run and grab one of them.

GM: You're still in the bus, so as you climb out the window and move toward them aggressively they go back inside.

Player 1: Can I follow them inside?

GM: YES! Fucking yes you can. Did you not want to before?

Player 1: I didn't know if there was a trap or something.

GM: You could have just said, I try to see if there are any traps or it seems like an ambush or whatever you thought it was.

Player 1: Oh, I didn't know I could do that.