Hi folks. Got UW last week, finally falling into the whole PBTA thing.
I am hyped as can be, but I am wondering about something. With the Prompting Players thing, leaving gaps in the narrative to fill out in play, and almost every move triggering some GM move along with the result, that’s A LOT coming out of the left field during play when you’re used to the traditional the-GM-has-all-the-answers type of play.
In your experience, how random does the story feel when played out a little swiftly ? Does it come easily once you’re a little used to it, or is the learning curve steep as far as you have experienced it ?
It does have a learning curve. You will feel stressed as GM at the beginning. It eventually fades away and you learn that low-prep is not the same as no-prep.
Thanks. In your opinion, is the core book’s example of a jump point good enough to go by, or does it take a little more ?
Being an improv GM takes practice, but it allows you to come up with a coherent story. Trust your players and yourself.
The book’s jump point is good, but it isn’t all you need to play. You still need to prep factions, either with player input or on your own which you then use to get your potential players interested in the game.
You avoid “randomness” in play by keeping all your GM moves cohesive, and sensible in the Fiction. You rarely-to-never want “and then suddenly OGRES!” to be your answer when things go sideways. Contribute things that make sense to what’s going on, and it will all feel pretty right.
Bernhard Rui It is important to daydream a lot on the theme the game is about. Read books, read comics, watch movies or TVseries. The more you feel at home with the themes, the easier to come up with a good move.
Think of possible outcomes and cool things that might happen. Don’t force them into the fiction, but sooner or later you’ll have to make a move and these thoughts may come in handy.
Do not create a plot, but create a toolbox so you improvisation is easier and not real improvisation after all.
And remember, 3-5 minds can think more than just 1. Set the result, but disclaim the details on the player: “Give them a rope to hang themselves”.
Let yourself be surprised by your players and flow with the fiction. You don’t need to be G.R.R.Master
😉
I think it’s important that the GM have a good grasp of story components and structure. I have played before where it felt like a random collection of vignettes that were only mildly connected to one another. Understand how stories are put together and structured can allow a GM to weave the stuff the player gives them into something that feels cohesive.
Thanks a lot for all the input, folks ! The community really rocks here.
So basically, all I really need is a jump point outline, a good grasp on the factions, and a handful ideas I can add in when my moves come up, right ?
😉
Noé Falzon There are other things you can do to ease your players into helping provide a little more of the fiction. I like asking more pointed questions, or digging for little details on NPCs or places. If you know the characters your players have created, it’s fairly easy to target them for things they’d be excited to see in the game. “You know this NPC. Where did you originally meet her?” “You’ve been here before. Who are you hoping to not run into?” And so on.
It sounds like they’re already getting a taste of it from your responses to ‘Wouldn’t it be cool…’ 🙂
Bernhard Rui And yeah, that’s pretty much it. 🙂
Alfred Rudzki Unless it is this OGRE:
https://maverick.brainiac.com/cmm/mg016.jpg
Noé Falzon Speaking from my own example it takes time to be comfortable with prompts and a small shift in mindset not to use this always to make stuff easier for myself.
After few months of playing PbtA I’m really happy with every chance I get to influence the world we play in with place, NPC or an event.
Bernhard Rui jump point from rulebook is very nice,it goes well with pregenerated characters you can find on Uncharted website. You can also acquire book named “21 jump points” from DriveThroughRPG for more jump points to use later or in any other game.
It gets easier. Here’s my experience about what works:
1) Pay attention to what the player’s create and who they’ve started conflicts with, or talk about having conflicts with.
2) Fronts. Create “fronts” based on what came out of the jumppoint. A front is a group, mob, or hierarchy of npcs, usually part of a faction. They have some objective they are working toward. Also include a sketch of their resources and what their instinctive approach to problems is.
3) Think of how fronts might also need something the players are working toward — or some way that the front might try to suck the players into their plans.
4) Bangs. For each front think up a few things they might do in the game that the players will feel impelled to respond to. These are “Bangs.” The best bangs threaten something the players care about — but not the players themselves! You don’t use them on a schedule and they have no set outcome. Instead, you keep a bandoleer of bangs and throw one out like a grenade if the moment feels right. You let the players react and produce whatever result their actions and dice rolls dictate.
5) Play the Fronts and NPCs response to the unfolding action. Have them follow their agenda or adapt their agenda to PC interference.
6) During play, watch for emerging opportunities to 1) reintroduce something that showed up earlier, 2) reveal a link between events or characters [I often make these up on the fly]; 3) put the key to two different objectives in the same place [this is great when you want to bring PCs together for a session finale.].
I highly recommend Play Unsafe, a book about applying improv techniques to roleplaying.
drivethrurpg.com – Play Unsafe