When improvization fails. What do you do when you 'got nuthin'?
stefoid:
Quote from: Chris_Chinn on March 11, 2011, 10:48:27 AM
Quote
Still, I feel that there must be some kind of best practices that a an improvising GM can fall back on in these situations. What are your thoughts?
So, there's a simple trick I do if a game doesn't support me already: I write down the major NPCs and write a motivation or two for them.
During play, I simply go down the list and ask myself, "Who would do something interesting? What would their response be to (previous action)?" Then I start a scene either with it about to happen, in the middle of happening, or the after effects.
In this way, you simply end up playing your NPCs the same way a player plays their PC- you don't have to pre-plan a lot- you just play the characters, picking the ones who you think would have the most relevant actions to hit the situation.
The one trick to this is that you have to have decent motivations and realize that an NPC could go about things in a LOT of ways.
An enemy need not always ambush the party- maybe they decide to see if they could bribe the PCs or cut a deal. An ally might withhold aid, or demand conditions, "You just let that village burn after you were done fighting. We're going back and helping those people. Yes, it'll take a days. But then, and only then, will I show you the path to the Lost Citadel" etc.
Also be willing to change a motivation based on things that happen. And in this way the NPCs become more fleshed out and interesting.
Chris
Youre right -- nothing happens unless someone wants it to happen, right? unless its a natural disaster or something.
Its what I should have prepped, but didnt have time for, and in this instance I had a blank. I knew the antagonist wanted a certain PC and that PC managed to be drugged and captured and taken away. At the point where the captor was to confront the captive, I had to admit that it would be best to close the session prematurely, because I had absolutely no reason worked out behind the antagonists actions.
stefoid:
Quote from: Ron Edwards on March 11, 2011, 06:19:31 AM
Hi Steve,
What game are we talking about? What sort of improvisation: about little things, big things, everything, or what?
Best, Ron
Hi.
My own game in progress. https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B5W32IfgIIkrYWI5OGNkYzQtMzQwNS00ZWFhLWE4MmYtMDM0NmMwM2Q0N2Vi&sort=name&layout=list&num=50
Big things. I was entirely at sea. I expected that even coming to the session cold, that Id be able to come up with what I needed to on the fly, and fill in the backstory retrospectively on the fly. <sound of failure buzzer>
stefoid:
Gah, and probably mucked up the little things as well. Actually I broke my own rule from my doco and indulged in some pointless railroading to compound the problem.
See, in the previous session the badguys (for whatever reason I havent worked out yet) attempted to capture the man with mark of Hermes (PC) and there was a fight and they were unsuccessful. The PCs then went to a 'friend' in authority's place for help, and he betrayed them. Rather than have a struggle here, I decided on the spur of the moment that two similar situations, 'thugs attempt capture and there is a fight', would be boring, so their gracious host drugged their wine and they awoke to find the kidnapping was a done deal. Highly undramatic.
Ron Edwards:
Guys, stop! None of us has any idea what is even meant by improvisation in the opening post. Let's settle this down into very practical, local terms for that exact game and group, and not some vague associations among a variety of games.
Best, Ron
Ron Edwards:
Fuck! Ignore that post. I missed the link. Carry on.
Best, Ron
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