Question about Reporter story and noise clocks.

Question about Reporter story and noise clocks.

Question about Reporter story and noise clocks.

I started a small game with 2 players set in Las Vegas. We are having a bit of difficulty working on the reporter’s story. First off, I believe that it is the job of the reporter to start the story clock with their “Nose for the story” move. That starts the clocks. However is it the MC that feeds the player the story, ie you find information that ___ is doing ___? or is it the reporter’s player’s task to take that info and decide who or what the story is going to be about. I (the MC) believe it is the latter, however, my player keeps trying to ask questions about the detail of what he discovered that starts the story. I am thinking of advancing the story clock or more specifically gathering evidence that advances the story clock as points of intel. You gather them up, fill up the clock, and then the player describes the story. Or should it be that the MC crafts an appropriate story for the player to find, and it is up to them to piece it together? I’ve been looking for let’s plays that involve a reporter, but they are a bit hard to find.

Who has MC’d a game with a reporter? How did you handle the story clocks?

Thanks in advance!

9 thoughts on “Question about Reporter story and noise clocks.”

  1. Is mostly in the hands of the player. The MC can throw all the hooks they like out there, but it’s ultimately the player who spends hold on nose for a story to say “this is a story I’m interested in pursuing” and then chooses when to gather evidence.

    That said, it’s a conversation, so the MC can and should present the Reporter with situations where evidence is likely to be found. By the same token though, it’s again up to the reporter to choose when they gather evidence.

    If the reporter decides to gather evidence in a place that seems irrelevant, I’m usually fine with that (because I’m playing to find out what happens and I haven’t pre-planned a conspiracy), so if they find evidence in that weird place, then that just complicates the story. Excellent! It’s their story, so they can tell me what they find and how it relates.

    All of this should be respectful of the agreed tone of the table. So if the reporter declares they try find evidence that Helixtec is turning people into carrots with a super-science weapon, then that’s a moment to have a discussion about what kind of game you’re playing.

  2. (I usually don’t answer questions here immediately because I don’t want to stifle other input by giving THE WORD OF THE DESIGNER ON GOLDEN TABLETS DESCENDED FROM HEAVEN. I felt like answering this one immediately, but I am definitely interested to hear other opinions on how they’ve played it!)

  3. Read the triggers and look to the fiction, this solves 99 percent of all PBTA gameplay problems (and highlights 99 percent of all PBTA design problems.)

    ” When you gather evidence to break a story ” . The player describes what they’re doing and if that sounds like they’re gathering evidence to break a story, then the move is triggered. If you’re not sure, you ask. “Hey, that sounds like you’re gathering evidence to break a story, is that right?”

  4. Just to point out that you can perfectly well have pre-planned a conspiracy and still, as a player or GM, “play to find out what happens”. What you can’t do is script a plot. A scripted plot (as in a traditional module) and background info/pre-planned conspiracy (which is just info/setup on a starting situation) are two completely different things.

    With that said, if this works well in The Sprawl’s system or not is another issue.

  5. Absolutely, Pedro Pereira! And after the player has put a few parts of the conspiracy in place, I’ll usually link in bits myself to fill it out and link it to other background Threats.

  6. There’s a very noir reporter thing where they’re battling a conspiracy but decide NOT to reveal it because it would hurt someone they care about, so at times during a mission the reporter might reply to “are you gathering evidence?” with “no”

  7. Cool, Hamish Cameron. I skimmed through The Sprawl but I’m not very familiar with the game’s design (although I’m familiar with PbtA games), so I didn’t know what you had in mind when you designed it. Some people, for whatever reason, continuously conflate background info with scripted plot and invoke the “play to find out what happens” meme to justify no prep or backstory writing. Nice to see we’re on the same page. Hope I didn’t sound preachy, I just wanted to know where you’re coming from.

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