DM Notes: Lakeshore 08

It's new episode day, which means it's time for another behind-the-scenes peek at Lakeshore! Here are the DM Notes for episode 8!

First and foremost, I should say I had next to no plan when it came to recording this episode! Some listeners might notice that we record two episodes at a time in a single 3-4 hour session. In episode 6, Nox and Susan agreed to steal back Angela Whitcomb's lab equipment from the rebel wolves, but by episode 7 they had changed their tune quite a bit! I had thought about what might happen if they tried to infiltrate or make an assault on Goodman's Distillery, but instead they ended up walking through the door as guests!

I think this ended up giving us time and space to flesh out a bunch of werewolf characters that might have been relegated to action scenes only. Vera they only met briefly, but if they continue to meddle in Rex's affairs, I wouldn't be surprised if the gang ran into her again. Hotch is a lot of fun to play, brings a nice emotional weight to the subplot of Alan's disappearance, and makes the Docks feel a little less hostile and more colourful. And it was great that they were able to sit down and chat with Arthur Cho, a character who had existed in some form or another in my Lakeshore notes since the very beginning!

In my early notes, Rex is more removed from the Docks and the werewolves, with that neighbourhood representing just one segment of his criminal empire. Arthur plays a similar role in that version, except that he is already a lot further along in his plans to wrest control from Rex, and his powerful status makes him more of an obstacle than an ally to the PCs. However, in early conversations and the first few sessions, it was clear that the vibe of gritty, werewolf dockworkers appealed to the group, and as sunshine became a more prominent plot point, it seemed like a better idea to zero in on the docks without worrying too much about Rex's hypothetical other rackets.

The other reason I love Arthur ending up as more of an ally is the political perspective he brings to the storyline. Urban Shadows is a game about factions constantly wrestling for power and control. Creating different leaders really helps communicate a lot about each faction. The Wild faction in the west-end, dominated by Ilyana and her fae, have an emotionally charged, drug-fuelled, almost cultlike air (poor Roman!) Rex is a straight-up mobster type, with armies of goons and a strong focus on economic and social control. Arthur's character evokes the rise of industrial unionism in the 1930s, offering an alternative leadership structure that I think provides an interesting contrast to the rest of the city. Of course, this being Urban Shadows, his motives are not endlessly pure--you don't last long in Lakeshore that way.

The gang seems pretty intrigued by his mission and willing to strike a deal. Here's hoping it goes better than the last one!