RE: 'A scenario is not a story'

From: Jane Williams <janewilliams20_at_yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 1 Jul 2005 23:47:30 +0100


Me:
> 'I'm not quite sure where I'd put a scenario writer in that
> list? A scenario is not a story.'

Rob:
> I disagree. I think scenario's are best when they are stories.

The result of the scenario, the GM, and the players may well be a story - a good one, we hope.

But the scenario as written and sold - no, that's not a story. In a story, the author has complete control over the characters and the dice. In a scenario, the GM can't control that much, never mind about the scenario writer. You can't possibly pin things down, and write "then X says this, and as a result B, C, and D do that." You can give the story-arc, you can present the NPCs and the way they talk, but not what they say. You can give interesting things for the player characters to react to, but you can't control what those reactions will be. Oh yes, you can predict a few general options, and give ideas on what will happen as a result, but you can't possibly lay down everything. Nor should you be able to - it wouldn't be much fun to play if you did.

But if you feel differently, there's a lot more stories out there than there are scenarios! Go for it - I'll be fascinated to hear how you manage to play them.


End of Glorantha Digest, Vol 11, Issue 227


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