Re: Improvised narration (was Re: Saga system)

From: ASHLEY MUNDAY <aescleal_at_...>
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2005 08:35:40 +0000 (GMT)


The other Rob asked:

"Can Nick and/or other narrators explain how to run a game this way?"

First thing to do is channel all that preparation you do into things that last more than one session. If you want to spend time doing preparation, detail the background and interesting NPCs.

Actually, when I say "detail" it's more fill it in a bit. All you need is something like: "Orlost - clan chieftain, maintains a policy of passive resistance to the Lunars." I tend to leave more specific characteristics 'til the characters get to him and interact with him unless he or she is famous for it. Later on, it might turn out that he's a bit of a curmudgeon and cunning enough to beat Keith N. at Fox and Geese, but at the start you don't need to know that.

[Relationship maps work for some people, they just bring back unhappy memories of "Vampyre: The Cash In" for me, so I don't use 'em. They tend to end up implied in the flow of events though.]

Second thing is to think of several questions (I suppose they're traditonally called plot hooks) to keep the character's busy. I usually reckon on keeping 4 or so alive at any one time. Ones I've used recently include:

Raise the questions gradually, and keep asking new ones 'til the players can keep their players occupied and start asking their own ("How do I become clan chieftain?", "How do I court that Wind Child we met the other week? She lives halfway up a bloody mountain!").

Some good starting ones for a Sartar campaign are:

If you feel a bit stretched, move one that the players don't seem to be following that closely onto the back burner. I moved the dragon sub-plot off the main timeline for a while as no one was really interested and my brain was starting to hurt a bit with other things going on. Later on, I had it raze a stead when another (plot line, not stead) went off the boil.

You'll find that the players will often have far better ideas of what's going on than your original ones. If they do, nick it. Pretend it was correct all along and ask them what they're going to do about it.

You'll have sessions where things don't go right - people'll be a bit tired and not very creative. In cases like that, keep a few ideas in reserve:

If you're playing in a game world with a published history, keep one eye on the clock and introduce things from the wider world once in a while.

Finally, take copious notes of what happens. After you make something up it can harm belief a bit if you get a name wrong later. Not that most players mind, but there can be smart arses.

Incidentally, you can do this with other RPGs as well. I've used it for years (rather too many to admit to)with RuneQuest and most recently with DnD.

The best bit about it is that you can be really lazy. Give it a bit of practise, add in "create as you go characters" and you can crank up impromptu games within minutes.

Anyway, to cut a long story short ("Too late", I hear the multitude cry) make it up as you go along and write it down afterwards.

Cheers,

Ash

Powered by hypermail