DM Notes: Lakeshore 04
Added 2020-03-21 17:29:01 +0000 UTCThis episode of Lakeshore is a total blast, so let's jump right in!
I loved going into this episode with no plan. As I've mentioned in earlier notes, I've been excited to engage with Urban Shadows' playstyle, which encourages dropping problems in front of your players to see how they handle them, and avoiding too much pre-planning.
Creating an enclosed environment like the nightclub, giving the characters lots of reasons to interact with one another, and throwing in some unpredictable elements--like Ilyana and the goons--really created a powderkeg that ended up exploding in the most exciting way.
There was a lot of discussion trimmed from this episode, but the parts that made it in really exemplified the central tension of Urban Shadows. All of these characters have strong, urgent motivations, the capacity for violence, and a tangled mess of loyalties. The way the PCs ally with or oppose each other in this episode strongly influences the rest of the campaign, and it was a joy to watch our cast do this work.
Of course, the most shocking moment happens right at the end, when Max shoots Kitty before getting ripped to shreds by Nox. Jorie continues to make bold, unexpected moves in this campaign, and they always push the story in exciting new directions. Sometimes whatever wild business the players get up to is better than anything you could have planned yourself!
Until next time!
