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- So, you want to be a storyteller?
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| So, you want to be a storyteller?; My personal take on this pasttime. | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 18 2009, 03:35 PM (3,853 Views) | |
| Lord Talancir D'Landior | Sep 18 2009, 03:35 PM Post #1 |
~ RP Knight ~
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Section 1: The World, a Stage So, why a story? Because no character exists in a vacuum. The noblest, most powerful of heroes means nothing without foes to fight, friends to cherish, enemies to loathe, innocents to rescue (or corrupt), homes to leave and new horizons to explore. A character with a background alone is not enough; a character needs to be part of something dynamic, else he fades to the status of mere portraiture and statistics. In other words, characters are useless outside the context of a story. The tale you create is more than scenery for a band of heroes on a picaresque jaunt, however. A well-told story allows the characters to grow and change naturally. It gives them context - a history as well as a future, places to look back to and new horizons to see. Finally, a story provides a place for multiple personalities to weave themselves together; there, you - the Storyteller - direct the action as if it were a play with a stage as big as the world itself. Being the Storyteller Being a storyteller in control of an RP is much like being the author of your own fiction, but you are as dependent on the actions of your troupe as your troupe are dependent on your direction. One of the biggest responsibilities of the Storyteller is establishing the setting for the story. Every character the players meet, every place they go and everything they see springs from your imagination, and it's important to keep it flexible. It's your responsibility to make the fictional world come alive. The most brilliant setting ever created does no good if it's firmly locked up between your ears. You must communicate it to your players with as much verve and fire as you can muster, or the landscape they encounter is only a faint reflection of the landscape in your mind. Storytelling is work, and there's no getting around it. Creating the world is only half the battle; once you're done, you have to allow the new tenants (i.e. the player characters) to move in, and move in they will; they'll personalize, customize, interpret and distort your vision to match their own. That's what players do. Let them. The world exists as much for their entertainment as your own. Too many 'game-masters' (or GMs) get too wrapped up in their personal myths to recognize the vital (and unavoidable) part a troupe plays in the drama. Getting obsessed with the "right" way to play a story is a sure road to frustration - yours and theirs. Let the players weave their own subplots around your grand narrative, and you'll find that collaboration makes for an infinitely better game. Good Storytellers realize that the best stories develop naturally, not from forcing characters down narrative, linear paths. Sound like hard work? Well, it is - but it's an astonishing amount of fun. Helping your players uncover all the hidden treasures you've buried is tremendously rewarding. Seeing your friends' eyes widen when they realize the humble watchmaker they've been staying with is a member of a mystic, secret order of substantial power and authority, just as a Black Company of local soldiers come stomping up the street to arrest them - it doesn't get any better than that. Until, of course, they escape and stumble into the next pattern of tripwire plot threads...... ((Note: I agree with this thread's viewpoints, hence my retyping it here, but it's not originally mine. It is to the credit of the original author that this is so informative, that I could not let it be forgotten.)) Edited by Talancir D'Landior, Oct 29 2009, 07:31 PM.
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 RP Aid: So, you want to be a storyteller? A must read for any Storyteller who wants to be better at his craft. RP Aid: Combat: A Comprehensive Guide to Beating Arse By the way, I'm on skype. Search for talancir. Millstone of Time Resources
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HollyYoshi
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Sep 18 2009, 04:34 PM Post #2 |
I object to your claims
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Wow, this is deep. Great work! |
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| Infinitespiral | Sep 18 2009, 05:10 PM Post #3 |
Angel Island Act 1
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Story telling is my preferred role in any RP due to the fact that it removes me from ever being part of the massive nuh-uh's and uh-huh's of RP contests of any sort. It's also amazing fun to play as the world instead of a pawn- I mean, player. It also helps to determine who you're playing with; Are you playing with the sort of people who live for the story, the action, and the smell of gunpowder, treason, and plot? Or are you playing with the sort of people who desire nothing but a challenge after challenge as enemies fall to their mighty blades, incredible skills, or awe-inspiring spells? I like both crowds equally, myself, but I tend to prefer the second type. |
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Anything can be solved by throwing enough bodies on it. If you can't solve your problem, you don't have enough men willing to die for you. | |
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| Lord Talancir D'Landior | Sep 18 2009, 07:47 PM Post #4 |
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~ RP Knight ~
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I bet you prefer storytelling because you've run into a lot of bad storytellers yourself. That can be as exasperating as it is counter-productive. Getting hung up on the "nuh-uh's and the uh-huh's," as you put it, often takes away from the spirit of the RP. Statistics are ok, but shouldn't be used for little more than as a reference point, in my opinion. I can understand that desire for constant struggle, but even that gets exasperating after a while. The plotline, as well as the action ebbs and flows like a river, and everyone needs a chance to catch their breath. I find it best to have as close to an equal mix as possible, but I personally lean more toward the first type of person you describe. |
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RP Aid: So, you want to be a storyteller? A must read for any Storyteller who wants to be better at his craft. RP Aid: Combat: A Comprehensive Guide to Beating Arse By the way, I'm on skype. Search for talancir. Millstone of Time Resources
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| Infinitespiral | Sep 18 2009, 08:02 PM Post #5 |
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Angel Island Act 1
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I'm the only one out of my little social circle who prefers to story tell as opposed to taking part in the story. I've only veered off of actually being a player due to having the place where I originally learned the art of RPing, as elitist as that may sound, has descended into "Nuh-uh's" and "uh-huh's." As for your choice for plot over heavy action, it's an easy point to see. Though due to my recent experience as a player instead, given the situation of something like a dragon having kidnapped a princess. I end up having a character that tends to go "It's not about the dragon at the end of the cave. It's about the massive pile of loot behind it." Though plot is extremely important to keep balance; while the occasional hack'n'slash fest is easily enjoyable, it helps to give reasons why everyone is hackin'n'slashin' as opposed to reading a book and sipping tea. You can't just say, "Oh you're in a bar," then "Oh now you're in an evil fortress" in one breath; that's just horrible. Though sadly, I've seen it done. But in the end, it's personal choice; you prefer a more thorough story while I enjoy a more action filled experience, but that isn't to say neither of us enjoy the other. On an offnote, I love your current mood. That's just orky right there. |
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Anything can be solved by throwing enough bodies on it. If you can't solve your problem, you don't have enough men willing to die for you. | |
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| Lord Talancir D'Landior | Sep 18 2009, 08:50 PM Post #6 |
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~ RP Knight ~
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Ah, you hit on something I was about to write about next: Entertainment So why would anyone want to be a Storyteller? Because Storytelling can be the most enjoyable part of the game. When you craft something unique and share it with your troupe, when the blood starts pumping and the roleplaying begins in earnest, when your players recall those adventures weeks, months, even years later, you've tasted the rewards of Storytelling. Best of all is the act of Storytelling itself - the creation of a tale that your players eagerly create with you. When all the pieces come together, there's nothing else quite like it. Even if they begin as nameless apprentices and nobodies, there should be some "Kiss of Fortune" that quickly sets them apart from their peers. No one ever wants to be insignificant when it comes to roleplay; people strive to become legends! This doesn't mean your players have to 'win' every engagement, though. A powerful loss often leads to high drama, and high drama can be a hell of a lot of fun. Sometimes, Bad Things Happen To Good People, and those Bad Things can make all the difference between a 'dungeon crawl' and an exciting tale. When the Hordes of HellTM ride your characters down, however, the players should still be having a good time. If people are feeling bored or bullied, the whole game suffers. One simple way to ensure every member of your troupe are having a good time is to keep all of them involved and active. Sitting around as one character ventures into the Inferno while the others writhe in burning cells, bereft of any chance of getting out, is no fun at all. Make sure that every character gets some time in the center spotlight. Your troupe should be an ensemble cast, not one star and a bunch of spear carriers. This rings especially true if your story happens to be a bunch of characters in a secondary role to the NPC occupying the role of the primary character. Give everybody something to do and weave in plot elements that gives each character a chance to shine. Keep the action moving, too. The characters might be in mortal jeopardy, but focusing on the statistics, and the robotic chant of 'soak four more Health Levels of damage' robs the scene of its true impact. If you sense the pace lagging (and it's never a hard thing to sense, trust me), narrate through the difficult portions and allow the story to move on quickly. Conversely, know when to slow down and let the players run with the game. If everyone's getting into the action, posting monologues and actions with rapid-fire exuberance, let it ride. Rushing the scene could spoil the fun. Flexibility is the key to happiness. When you hatch your plots, shun the temptation to plan them out scene by scene. Players never do what you expect them to do. Trying to force them down predetermined paths is asking for trouble. Show them the beginning of the road, hint at the destination, plant a few markers along the road, but let the troupe chart the course of the adventure. Edited by Talancir D'Landior, Sep 18 2009, 08:53 PM.
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RP Aid: So, you want to be a storyteller? A must read for any Storyteller who wants to be better at his craft. RP Aid: Combat: A Comprehensive Guide to Beating Arse By the way, I'm on skype. Search for talancir. Millstone of Time Resources
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| Infinitespiral | Sep 18 2009, 10:01 PM Post #7 |
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Angel Island Act 1
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This is something one should always keep in mind when they're the story teller, as it will save a lot of annoyance for the story teller, and keep the urge to push the players in a particular direction to an absolute minimum. If you're determined to get the players to followed some sort of vaguely straight line of plot progress, just keep a basic outline of the necessary plot events, really. An example of this would be something like this: -Princess kidnapped -Kidnapper found -Kidnapper dealt with in various means, princess may or may not be harmed in the process -Players are rewarded or punished for their choice of actions to deal with kidnapping However the players may chance upon this is up to the players. You're playing as the world, not as an annoying NPC who keeps saying the same thing about the next goal over and over. If it takes them a little while longer to get them to follow the events, just let it go. Mention that the kingdom is in chaos because the princess was kidnapped. If the players don't bother with the princess plan, I suggest starting a new plan of action. If the players don't want a part of it, don't bother forcing it on them. It just kills the buzz. Oh, and Tal, if I'm talking too much, feel free to tell me to STFU and stop stealing the light. |
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Anything can be solved by throwing enough bodies on it. If you can't solve your problem, you don't have enough men willing to die for you. | |
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| Lord Talancir D'Landior | Sep 19 2009, 08:21 PM Post #8 |
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~ RP Knight ~
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oh I don't mind, not really... I just wonder how many else is getting good ideas, being helped, or have their own two cents have to say about this. Section 2: The Story A Story is more than just a script to wrap around the main characters. It needs heroes and villains, sidekicks and victims, and other supporting cast members beyond the presence of the troupe - and when all of that is considered, don't forget the environment! More importantly, it needs a beginning, a middle and an end, as well as a mood, a theme and a climax. Your basic story will build from a small series of events to a knock-down, drag-out conclusion that shakes the pillars of Heaven. Ideally, you'll be able to build the tension, from the troupe's first tentative steps together, through triumphs and tragedies, to the group's ultimate confrontation with the face of evil. If you don't pace your story properly (say, by throwing too many waves of faceless bandits and government stormtroopers at the troupe), your story loses momentum. Pacing is both delicate and vital, and it's not something to be left to chance. Concept Before you actually create your grand saga, you need to decide the sort of story you want to tell. Will the troupe be searching for some ancient text, or fighting some Behind the Scenes organization? Will there be pitched battles or daring thefts in the night? The possibilities are limitless - the trick is to narrow things down before you get to work on the rest of your chronicle. Knowing what you want ahead of time can help you create the most appropriate setting and create the right supporting cast. After all, if you want to run a tale set in the forests along the Great River, it won't do you much good to create fully realized city settings. This same principle holds true for the non-player characters. If your chronicle is going to be combat heavy, make yourself familiar with the arms, armour, and tactics of the period. On the other hand, if you don't intend to feature large battles, there's no reason for you to wast your time learning the details of pikemen square maneuvers. Devote your resources to something more relevant. You may be scoffing at this suggestion, but keep in mind that you don't have to know everything about a given time period to run a good game, just enough to make the world believable. Deciding on the concept and the framework of your chronicle will help you direct your efforts and research toward building up that concept. Edited by Talancir D'Landior, Sep 19 2009, 08:23 PM.
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RP Aid: So, you want to be a storyteller? A must read for any Storyteller who wants to be better at his craft. RP Aid: Combat: A Comprehensive Guide to Beating Arse By the way, I'm on skype. Search for talancir. Millstone of Time Resources
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| Lord Talancir D'Landior | Sep 20 2009, 11:30 AM Post #9 |
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~ RP Knight ~
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Mood and Theme Ok so you know what you want, but what do you want to say with it? Any good story has a theme and a prevailing atmosphere that sucks the troupe into the game. Through your subjects, descriptions, and situations, you can make your game blaze with the power of a legend. Mood covers the overall tone of the story. For instance, if you use a dungeon as a setting, and torture innocent victims, you've probably got a particularly grim game on your hands. If, by contrast, you employ the same setting, feature a faithful priest bent on rescuing the innocents, and spotlight the occasional rays of sunshine coming through the bars, that dungeon becomes a state for a hopeful, if still horrific tale. Packed with emotional resonance, mood adds a delicious texture to your fictional play, and is usually summed up in a single word - 'eerie,' 'disturbing,' 'fey,' 'wondrous,' to name a few. If mood is the guts of the story, theme is the mind. Mood sets the tone while the theme works that tone into an idea. 'Hope' becomes 'the quest for freedom' or 'love's redemption.' If the troupe breaks out of the dungeon, you're reinforcing the 'freedom' theme; if they're freed by the priest, who has fallen in love with one of the prisoners, then 'love' becomes the theme. Both mood and theme flow from descriptions and plot elements. They aren't essential for every fiction, but they make an RP session more memorable than a hack-n'-slash romp. You don't have to plan every element of the story in advance in order to use a mood and theme; more often than not, they'll come to you while you're brainstorming up the next session - or even while you're in the middle of a chapter. Edited by Talancir D'Landior, Feb 21 2010, 09:54 AM.
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RP Aid: So, you want to be a storyteller? A must read for any Storyteller who wants to be better at his craft. RP Aid: Combat: A Comprehensive Guide to Beating Arse By the way, I'm on skype. Search for talancir. Millstone of Time Resources
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| Lord Talancir D'Landior | Sep 21 2009, 12:32 PM Post #10 |
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~ RP Knight ~
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Section 3: The Tale And so it begins.... but how? Where do you start and what happens from there? In the Beginning.... It's always best (and easiest) to start small. Great events may be stirring - Diplomacy between nations might be faltering, an Empire is marshaling its soldiers, Inquisitors might be piling up firewood, and dragons may be rousing from centuries of sleep - but confronting the troupe with all of this right off the bat can be overwhelming. You want to begin with a small, simple and stimulating introduction, and work outward from there. Every game session should start with a hook tied to a dangling bit of plot thread. Your players bite the hook and you draw them in. Imagine this: 'Twas nothing but darkness and rain, and hard blowing wind. The citizens of the city scurried, running hither and thither to escape the blowing elements, and to make it to shelter before the governmental curfew. The players are also making their way toward shelter when them come across an injured courier in an alleyway. The man dies before regaining consciousness, but his bag contain a coded message. Just then, a patrol of Guardsmen comes up the nearby road, obviously looking for the dead man. The sergeant in command of the patrol stops the players and rudely asks them if they've seen a man matching the corpse's description. Behind them, safeties are toggled on slender, military-issue rifles and bayonets are loosed in their sheaths... So far, all that's really happened is that the players have found an illegible letter and a soldier has been rude, but now there at least a half-dozen questions hanging in the air. Where was the courier going, and who was supposed to get the message? What does it say? Why were the soldiers so eager to stop him, and what secret is terrible enough to kill for? Should the players hand over the letter and forget the incident, or is it worth standing up to the soldiers? Who do these troops serve, and how far will their 'patron' go to recover that letter? By attempting to find the answer to any of these questions, the players are drawn into the plot. The courier's murder isn't necessarily important, but it's tied to greater matters - and by interfering with the courier's death, the player becomes part of those greater affairs. The Middle The middle of your story should be a time of revelation and complication - the players stumbles deeper into the initial mysteries and slowly unravels them. The challenges presented in the middle of the story ought to become greater, even as the players become more powerful than themselves. Footpads and hired thugs should give way to professional soldiers, shock troops, and eventually wizards (psykers) or even monsters. At the same time, for each challenge the players overcome,its members should be rewarded with another piece of the puzzle. For example: Having defeated the patrol of Guardsmen on the road near the alleyway, the players ponder their next move. One of them mentions that one of the logos on the soldiers' combat armor resembled the emblem of Hive Sigma Theta's Governor Nelwyn; specifically, of his personal detachment. The suggestion is made to travel to Hive Sigma Theta... "I'm sorry, sir," says the Guardsman at the gate of Hive Sigma Theta, "but my orders are most strict. Due to the xenos threat and the rioting, I must bar everyone from entering and exiting the city. Please return the way you came before I'm forced to call the watch." Angered, the player chosen as messenger returns to the building where the rest of the players have set up in wait. He spits into the oil puddle on the side of the road, but fails to notice four men, each wearing the colors of the Governor Nelwyn's personal Guard, who separate from the crowd to follow him. A far closer glance at their equipment under their cloaks would reveal the peculiar nature of their weapons, and alien designs... In the first sequence, a relatively minor triumph (the defeat of the patrol) gives the players a name (Governor Nelwyn) and a destination (Hive Sigma Theta). Defeating the soldiers isn't enough - the scene does double duty by leading the players deeper into the mystery. As the players gets to ultimate answers, the force and subtlety arrayed against them increase. The might of the city guard, with which the Guardsman threatens the messenger, is greater than that of a small patrol. The power of sorcery (or in this case, alien technology), implicit in the four Tau sympathizers in Guardsmen's clothing who tail the messenger back to where the rest of the players are gathered, is of a far greater order than mere arms and armor. The closer the players get to ultimate truth, the stronger the forces arrayed against them become. With each triumph, the rewards grow as well as the dangers. The End of All Things Dramatic tension can only be sustained for so long. Eventually, the players must face their nemesis. A rousing climax (not always a battle, mind you) provides resolution for both the story and the players. Anticlimax sucks. If the troupe has been chasing a traitor across the planet for the last few months, the characters (and the players) will feel cheated if their quarry suddenly drops dead by virtue of a sudden appearance of a Deathwatch squad. When your troupe has earned the right to confront the foe, let them have him. So: Governor Nelwyn stands atop the dais in his governmental palace; the gathering winds howling through broken windows whip his cape about him. "I wish it had not come to this," he says quietly. "I could have included you in my plans when the Tau came to liberate this planet. But now..." The Governor give a threatrical shrug; "Now it comes down to power." With that, a jagged fork of lightning comes snaking down down to where the troupe stands. They scatter an instant before it hits. The others lay stunned as one of them climbs to his feet and stumbles toward Nelwyn, who reaches toward the heavens again.... And so it comes down to a final, bloody confrontation. The fight should be desperate and close - some of the troupe may be injured, maybe even killed. At the end of the climax battle, all questions should be answered. The mysterious code, the courier's source and destination, the secrets the letter contains - all of these should be explained by Nelwyn's possessions (a diary or a record of correspondence from a conspirator), if not by the man himselc. The battle has been won and the troupe should be satisfied with its achievements. All of the plot threads should be tied up.... ...except, perhaps, for one, which can now serve as the lead into the next story: One of the troupe members beckons to another. "Hey, come look at this! This isn't Tau, it's a Space Marine relic! That's how he was summoning the lightning!" "That doesn't make sense! How is it possible of doing that, except..." the other figure trails off as he recognizes the emblem of the Thousand Sons prominently affixed to the front of the artifact. "He wasn't acting alone, it seems. The bid to break away from the Imperium must have been a ploy for Chaos to invade the Tau from within. It also seems that he was conspiring with another Governor in a nearby sub-sector.." Edited by Talancir D'Landior, Sep 21 2009, 12:57 PM.
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| Lord Talancir D'Landior | Sep 23 2009, 03:57 PM Post #11 |
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~ RP Knight ~
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Section 4: Conflict Conflict doesn't necessarily mean combat. Conflict is really any force directed against the troupe, and a force of arms is only the most basic kind. Perhaps there's a mystical trap that's been laid, or a law that the characters need to circumvent, or a riddle that needs to be solved. All these obstacles oppose the characters, and thus count as 'conflicts.' Without conflict, there is no drama; legends rise from opposition, not the status quo. Even so, you need to be careful about the amount and nature of your conflicts. If you put down too much conflict, the characters will wear down before they get anywhere near the climax; too little, and they won't have a chance to grow along their journey. While a good knockdown, drag-out fight can be fun, it's not the only way to settle things. Ending each session with a battle quickly gets old. Let's face it: most of us don't get into life-or-death warfare every day, so why should our characters? The rarer combat is, the more terrifying it becomes for both players and characters. The two ingredients for a rousing struggle are parties with opposing goals, and something that each one stands to lose. A climactic showdown could involve a race, a trial, or even an insult contest (with a great loss of face for the loser). The higher the stakes, the nastier the fight; still, many foes won't dirty their hands (or risk their life or freedom) with mortal combat. Sometimes a social, emotional or material blow hurts more than a sword thrust. When actual combat occurs, it needs to be carefully managed and placed, set up for dramatic tension and ended when events reach a peak. Many Storytellers make the mistake of turning combat into an endless succession of dice rolls and percentages. If things start dragging, have Dame Fortune step in and tilt the scales one way or another. Knowing when to stop a fight is as essential as knowing how and where to start one. Roleplaying the Combat http://sonicblast.org/single/?p=8317358&t=7155536 Section 5: The Arc of the Story Nothing lasts forever. Trying to drag a tale past its logical conclusion can make a game seem forced. Taking what would have been a simple mystery and sprawling it out into a grand conspiracy that winds outward through every aspect of the setting will make a plot lose it's spice. It's what's also known as "The Plot Sickens." If the players are grumbling about having to fight the same pushover villain over and over again, the Storyteller should wrap up the tale and start in on something else. A good story has a beginning, a middle and an end, perhaps with an epilogue to lay all the ghosts to rest before the next tale begins. Writers commonly refer to this phase as the dramatic arc; when the story goes on too long, the arc wobbles and the blade - the intensity - falters. If the story simply swings in place, going nowhere, the audience gets bored and goes elsewhere. Don't let this happen. Let events hurtle down toward a conclusion. Think of your story as a pendulum, as in Edgar Allen Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum." Your players are like the narrator, stuck in a bad situation as the blade descends. If they cannot get free, the full impact of the plot will cut their characters to ribbons. Each arc of the blade brings the conclusion closer. What will they do to get free? This brings up an important point: Always Leave A Way Out. Nothing sucks worse than a game in which the troupe is doomed from the start, with no way to change the macabre fate you have in store. Things may get dire, even fatal, but there must be hope if you expect your troupe to keep posting. The so-called 'killer GM' is a dinosaur that deserves to be extinct. To tie your players to the story, set up a situation and give them a stake in it. In a sample game, a character's brother dies at a banquet. He's been poisoned! Who did it, how and why? Once the group decides to act, give them complications: the dead man was having an affair with a noblewoman. Her husband knew about it and vowed revenge, but he wasn't present at the banquet. His archrival was, however, and may have poisoned the victim to send hunters after the count.... Now the blade's moving. With each new revelation or confrontation, the arc drops and speeds. To keep up, the player characters will have to stay in motion. As events come to a head, the blade screeches across the table. The climax resolves the issues at hand and opens a door for a new story or three. The blade rises and the tale begins anew.... Setting the speed of the arc is tricky; the best advice that can be offered is to watch your players and gauge the arc by their enthusiasm. If they seem to be having fun, take your cue from them. Diversions are fine so long as they, like the overall plot, keep moving. Maybe your troupe wants to mess with an innkeeper's head during a one-night stopover in a particular area. You could run an entire scene or three around their mischief before sending them back on course in persuit of some new lead. Even then, however, you could keep the 'innkeeper plot' moving; if it drags out, the whole rhythm of the tale will be thrown off. Obviously, a free-form Storytelling game follows a different beat and structure than a static narrative. You want to be flexible and give your troupe room to move. Most likely, the climax won't be what you had in mind, but that's half the fun of the game. Even so, each session should tie the characters to the chair and set a new blade in motion. When time, interest or events are running out, guide your game to a stopping point and let things rest. When the story hits a dramatic conclusion, let it end. You can always start off with a new tale and a fresh blade. Edited by Talancir D'Landior, Sep 28 2009, 10:34 AM.
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| Lord Talancir D'Landior | Sep 24 2009, 06:48 PM Post #12 |
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~ RP Knight ~
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The Edge Without a cutting edge, the pendulum is simply dead weight. To keep the action moving, give your players a sense of immediacy and consequences. Roleplaying is about doing something. Make your players care about what happens by tying events to their characters' fortunes. Unless the characters act, the world as they know it will be consumed. Many Storytellers make the mistake of providing a setting with no purpose, or of providing a purpose without any immediacy. Why should the characters band together and risk their lives if everything is okay? That old ruin will be there next year, and that guild rivalry is somebody else's problem. The cutting edge of the arc comes from personal involvement - usually linked to something more important than money or fame. The plague that infests a character's hometown comes from the ruins; the group might be able to discern the cause and effect a cure. The guild rivalry killed a character's loved one; now he wants revenge. Once it's personal, the story has bite. Peril sharpens the edge; if players feel assured that their characters are immortal, they'll probably get complacent. Make them feel like they've got something to lose. Give them the impression of danger; ask, "Are you sure that's what you're doing?" even when you know there's nothing to worry about. Hint at greater hazards just on the edge of perception and let your troupe's imagination take over. Gamers are a paranoid lot. Nothing you could do can be as sinister as the things they'll conjure up, given the chance. Edited by Talancir D'Landior, Sep 24 2009, 09:13 PM.
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| Lord Talancir D'Landior | Sep 25 2009, 03:01 PM Post #13 |
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~ RP Knight ~
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Your friend, the Reaper Every once in a while, justify their fears: take something precious away. Edges cut, and those cuts may be social (exile or imprisonment), emotional (the bitter end of love, or of ideals), spiritual (a loss of faith), or physical (illness, maiming or death). Every so often, a little death should fall into your story, if only to keep the blade sharp. "Death" can be symbolic or literal. In Tarot, the Death card represents dramatic change. Something familiar ends and something new turns your life in an unexpected direction. a Symbolic death removes something that the troupe have come to count on - a friend, a title, etc. Literal death is just that - an end of a character. Although it's possible to restore life to a corpse with the right amount of skill and knowledge, such things don't happen very often. A character who dies is usually gone for good. The thread of death (any kind) makes the game more interesting and immediate. If your troupe is complacent, the Reaper should come a'calling; if they act, he should be standing right over their shoulders. This doesn't mean you should be waiting for a chance to slay a player character - far from it! However, you ought to assure the troupe that things can - and will - change drastically in your world. A feeling of mortality will lend intensity to your game. Even so, character death should never be arbitrary; the old 'poisoned pin trap - oops, you're dead' bit is lame. Don't Be That Guy. Keep deadly threats for appropriate times and let the needs of the story decide the characters' fates. In many cases, you ought to tilt the circumstances in favor of player character survival. On the other hand, if the Reaper is banished from your game entirely, tension follows him out the door. Few things are as boring as a sure deal. Triumph! Perpetual tragedy sucks. While a fall from grace can be powerful stuff, an endless series of defeats is infernally frustrating. Even if you're running a dark, macabre setting, there ought to be a sense of triumph, even in adversity. When the troupe strives against miserable odds, reward them with some degree of success, even if they seem to fail. Victory entails more than experience points and treasure. A plundering killer is not a hero; someone who sacrifices himself for the betterment of his people is. If your players' characters act heroically, make them proud by working their deeds into the story. Saved citizens honor the characters; grateful lords and ladies grant them favors; troubadours sing their praises and magical beasts, which might be hostile otherwise, offer nods of respect. On a broader level, show that the characters have made a difference. Something as simple as a child, whose village might have been destroyed if not for your troupe, running up to hug a character's neck can outweigh a pile of the finest gold. Naturally, heroic rewards go to heroic characters. A sullen anti-hero isn't likely to recieve a triumphant welcome. That's not to say that every character should act like Sir Lancelot; even a gypsy thief is entitled to a reward for her efforts. "Low Heroes" might recieve covert favors, backhanded honor ("If you were any other man, I would spit upon you..."), good reputations among the downtrodden or perhaps the simple satisfaction of seeing the world made better by their efforts. Some rewards are less tangible; a lone witch might achieve inner peace, even if the townsfolk shudder as she passes. Enlightenment, the ultimate coin of mages and engineers, often comes without fanfare. Mystick power is more obvious, but few people notice it unless the magick-user chooses to blow things up. The best reward. however, comes with Resonance - the payback for a life lived well and simply - or, perhaps, in Heaven. Such rewards, it should be noted, must be earned. A character who lives for nothing but his own gain should receive nothing better in return. |
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| Lord Talancir D'Landior | Sep 28 2009, 01:29 PM Post #14 |
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~ RP Knight ~
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Section 6: Gathering the Cast A story without characters is nothing more than scenery. You need to populate your story; the world you create must extend beyond the characters' presence. Things need to happen offstage. The villains don't stop plotting just because the characters aren't around; nobles and business executives don't stop scheming and the churchmen don't stop praying simply because the troupe isn't gracing them with their presence. In order for your story to breathe and grow, it needs people, not lists of stats. The Troupe It doesn't matter if your players have the most wondrously original character concepts since the dawn of roleplaying; if the characters have no reason to talk to each other, your story will rapidly fall to Earth with a moist thud. If the characters have no reason to be together, odds are they won't stay together. Most attempts to force them into doing so will fail miserably. Thus, it makes sense to ensure that the members of the troupe (the stars of your drama) have some compelling ties to one another. To forge those ties, talk to your players before the story begins. Make each one aware of what the others are doing (though not to the point of revealing characters' secrets), and encourage everyone to build characters with common bonds. Keep a weather eye out for characters who will probably kill each other and gently steer players from such concepts. Encourage people to weave their backgrounds together - a shared schooling here, a mutual acquaintance there - and give them common ground. Some advocates of 'pure roleplaying' might find such 'jury-rigging' of characters an insult to 'the art,' but for most troupes, it prevents headaches later on, for you and your troupe. Once your story starts, it can be a chore to keep the characters together. The easiest way to do so, is to provide a common enemy. In the face of impending doom (pick your flavor!), the choice of whether to chase manuscripts in one country or another suddenly fades to insignificance. Eternal impending doom can get dull for a while, though. If the characters are always a heartbeat away from death and damnation, the drama quickly wears off. Sometimes, characters just can't help but hate each others' guts. There's nothing wrong with that, so long as the players are having a good time. A stirring rivalry - hurled insults, barbed repartee, even occasional fisticuffs - can embroider your tapestry with brilliant color, and save you some Storytelling work. Competitors tend to create their own plot hooks. ("I must win the hand of Lady Gianni before Marco proposes to her!") The trick, as always, is making sure the rivalry stays within manageable levels; things tend to go sour when player characters kill each other. Providing the whole group with a powerful shared goal will go a long way in ensuring their survival. A tale of two rivals together despite their hatred can be powerful indeed. Edited by Talancir D'Landior, Sep 28 2009, 02:07 PM.
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| Lord Talancir D'Landior | Sep 29 2009, 02:34 PM Post #15 |
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~ RP Knight ~
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Section 7: The Supporting Cast The world is full of people (and by extension, beasts, spirits and other beings). A landscape of empty buildings might make an intriguing setting for a chapter or two, but it would quickly lose its charm. To keep things interesting (in all the right ways), stock your story with an assortment of intriguing characters - peasants, priests, courtesans and kings. Creating a supporting cast sounds like a lot of extra work. In the long run, however, it saves work and makes the game more fun. If your storyteller characters are simple automatons, you're going to be in trouble the first time your players depart from the script - which they will do, trust me. If, for example, you create an alchemist whose sole purpose is to sell the characters saltpeter, you're screwed if the troupe suddenly decides to kidnap him. On the other hand, if you've an idea of the alchemist's basic personality and motivations, you can improvise like crazy. "...By Demons Driven" "Men are chariots of wrath," as the Bard says, compelled by their desires. That observation serves you well when supporting characters enter the scene. It's a lot easier to play that alchemist when you know what he wants and what he'll do to get it. Motivation forges the difference between a list of Traits and a rounded character. People want things; the more a person wants something, the harder he'll work for it. Desire provides the character's motivation. Once you establish that motivation, you'll have a basic blueprint for the character's behavior. As a rule, assume that a powerful motivation makes for a powerful scene; it will be harder to kidnap an alchemist if he wants to be free, than if he doesn't mind passively observing his kidnappers. You don't need to supply every character with a burning obsession, but active motivations provide good starting places. So, what will a character do to get what he wants? That depends on his approach. Some folks employ 'light' tactics and back off when they get discouraged. Other people are desperate, determined or callous enough to do anything to fulfill their needs. You don't want to get in the way when one of these folks wants something, but such characters can be a lot of fun to play! More often than not, a person's background shapes his motivations and approach. A man who grew up as a florentine urchin may take a really direct path to his needs, while a genteel merchant would probably use subterfuge and bribes to achieve his goals. It's a generalization, of course, but simple people tend to have simple pleasures and methods; the refined classes revel in intricate plots and elaborate desires. You could always invert those generalizations for drama's sake - the subtle businessman suddenly finds himself obsessed over a waitress and will kill to get her. On a moment's notice, it's often easiest to go with the obvious approach. Obviously, you don't have to provide every stableboy with an elaborate background history; still, if you give him one overriding goal, then you've got an advantage over a Storyteller who simply says, "Um, he's a stableboy with a Riding skill of 3.... Roll Initiative." Characters who want things create stories simply by existing. Provide an abundance of motivated heroes, villains and innocent bystanders, and you'll never lack for ideas. Storyteller characters are your friends on a lot of different levels; properly motivated, they do your job for you. Spies convey information; paramours offer their favors.... usually for a price, and authorities can compel service, or provide a good reason to leave... Oh, and don't forget to add in a few villains as well. You might be surprised at just how much fun they can be. Edited by Talancir D'Landior, Oct 8 2009, 06:24 AM.
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