The following article appeared in the Collective Endeavor Journal issue 1 in 2008. You can see the PDF version here
Shadow Mastery
Bringing the Shadow to life (or unlife) is one of the main jobs for a Solipsist GM. When a Solipsist game needs antagonism the Shadow provides it. A really persuasive Shadow enemy is more than antagonism, however, it also needs to be creepy and unsettling in it's own right, the opposite of the coherent visions of the Solipsist. That means that building a really good Shadow threat can take more than just making up something on the fly, rather it's a bit of inspiration, a bit of preparation, and a bit of improvisation all in one.
What this article will do is show you how you might build a Shadow Infestation for a pair of characters and how you might use it in play. It also includes a few new optional rules for interacting with the Shadow that you might like to use. Think of this as one part master class, and one part material you can pull into your own game of Solipsist. We'll introduce the characters first, and then look into each part of my recipe in closer detail.
As you read this bear in mind the following recipe
- Inspiration
- Always be on the lookout for creepy Shadow hooks
- Preparation
- Think about how your Shadow can hit your player's Obsessions and Limitations
- Improvisation
- Be flexible in play, follow what interests your players when you see it, hold your ideas lightly
