Re: Problems with a player's 100 words

From: L.Castellucci <lightcastle_at_...>
Date: Sun, 17 Dec 2006 00:33:34 -0500


Ashley,

On December 16, 2006 01:57 pm, Ashley Munday wrote:
> The list method has got some advantages over the
> narrative method as it's easier to include an
> evocative name for an ability which might not sit
> comfortably in a narrative. For example, fitting
> abilities like
>
> - "Have you any idea who you're talking to?"
>
> and:
>
> - "I are strong! Rar!"
>
> would be difficult (not impossible lest someone feels
> obliged to show me) in the same narrative. In a
> narrative most people would go for something like
> "stong" and "intimidating" as abilities to describe
> their characters.

This is true. I have found the best evocative abilities have come from the list method. There have been wonderful abilities from a narrative, but these ones that are catch phrases or evocative, non-grammatical descriptions have almost invariably come from the list method.

"There/Not There" for instance. (The power to do that Batman thing where you just show up dramatically from the shadows, and the moment the person looks away, you are gone - with at best a curtain next to an open window fluttering in the breeze.)

"Get into Trouble."
"Get out of trouble by the skin of her teeth."

(Those, to be honest, I could see coming from a narrative pretty easily.)

> As a player it's a lot more easier to play. Instead of
> just saying "I intimidate him" (which gets tedious
> after a while) you can say "who the hell do you think
> you're talking to?" and that's a great signal to the
> GM that there's a conflict brewing.

One of my players took the ability "Trust me!". We used it for both being a charming rogue and ALSO for when he became deadly serious.

> Again this is all probably completely different in
> PBeM as the communication medium is a bit different.

This thought has occurred to me, as well. LC

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