My
Experience on The Picture Side of The Screen
6 Tips for Players
_______________________________________________________
*******************************************************
CONTENTS:
--> A Brief Word from Johnn
--> This Week's
Tips
1. Use Cut Scenes That Start with Action
2. Journalize Using Post-It Notes
3. Master The Game Rules
4. Roleplay With Other Players When The Spotlight
Is Off
5. Being Quiet Is Tough
6. Avoid Playing Yourself
--> Tips Request:
"Switching From Micro Character
Management"
--> Readers'
Tips of The Week:
1. Using Cardboard Tokens Instead Of Miniatures
From: Derek McKay
2. Balancing Frequency & Size Of Rewards
From: Adam Flynn
3. Viking Names Resource
From: Andrew Gould
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A BRIEF WORD FROM
JOHNN
Posting Full "From"
Names
-------------------------
Since the ezine's inception in 1999, I've always posted
Reader's Tips "from" name as full first name and last name's
initial. Unless anyone objects, I'm switching to full name
because I feel tips submitters will get a little more
satisfaction that way. I certainly would, and with just a
name (not an email or physical address) privacy is still not
a concern.
Of course, if I'm
requested to post a name in a certain way
or asked to use an alias, I'll always comply. I'm open to
feedback on this policy and comments are welcome.
Cheers,
Johnn Four
johnn@roleplayingtips.com
_______________________________________________________
*******************************************************
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*******************************************************
MY EXPERIENCE ON
THE PICTURE SIDE OF THE SCREEN:
6 TIPS FOR PLAYERS
By Johnn Four
This past Saturday
I had the pleasure of joining a new
campaign as a player. The GMing was excellent and I rubbed
shoulders with some very skilled players. This is going to
be a great campaign! Below are a few tips and observations I
made from a player's perspective. I don't get many tip
submissions for players, so hopefully these are of value to
the player subscribers out there.
1. Use Cut Scenes That Start With Action
========================================
Cut scenes have been mentioned in the ezine before and are
usually a GM technique. However, a fellow player in our game
initiated a cut scene and it worked very well. If certain
basic rules are followed, player initiated cut scenes are a
wonderful technique for improving game play.
In Computer Roleplaying
Games (CRPG), a cut-scene is a non-
interactive storytelling sequence that usually involves
video or high-res computer graphics.
My definition of
cut scenes for tabletop RPGs is that
they're short narratives or expositions that reveal
information about the game world, PCs/NPCs, or adventure
plot. They're non-interactive and don't need to be synched
to the time line or present actions of the PCs. They're
useful for providing clues, atmosphere, drama, and
entertainment to game sessions.
To create a cut
scene, a player gets the attention of the GM
and narrates a situation or event, describing:
* Who/what is involved
* Where the scene takes place
* When the scene takes place
* How the scene unfolds
First, second,
and third person narrations are acceptable,
though if the player's PC is involved then first person (in-
character) is best. Player cut scenes usually involve the
player's character, but that's not essential.
Some example player
cut scenes:
* The player describes
an event that took place in the PC's
past to reveal some aspect of the character, explain the
reason behind a motive or goal, or provide a plot hook for
the GM.
"While we're
waiting for Bob to get back from the bathroom,
let me tell you about something interesting that took place
a few years back in the village. It all started with a dead
orc, a ball of string, and some unfinished business with a
bully..."
* The player narrates
a situation involving NPCs important
to his character (such as friends or relatives) to flesh
them out a bit, to help the GM, or amuse the group.
"Hey GM,
while those guys are figuring out what to do next,
can I tell you a bit about my character's parents? Cool. One
day, when my father was still a boy..."
* The player moves
things forward in a current scene that
involves his PC and that's stalled or is winding down,
saving some game time and helping the GM.
"Hey GM,
cutting over to me for a sec, I give the room one
final search, making the place an even bigger mess and then
kick some of the furniture over in frustration. I cast one
last gaze around the room, daring a clue to reveal itself,
and then slam the door shut on my way out. A single feather
from a shredded pillow floats slowly down in silence to land
on the slashed wizard's portrait on the floor. The whole
place has an almost palpable tension in anticipation of the
mage's return. I quickly rejoin the party."
Benefits of player cut scenes:
* Fill lulls and
periods of silence during game play
* Keep up the energy at the game table
* Provide plot hooks for the GM
* Can communicate things about the PC in a "show, don't
tell" format
* Help keep the game moving forward by introducing new
information or wrapping up unimportant threads
* Help the GM by taking the initiative to resolve something
in a succinct manner rather than through a more time-
consuming, interactive, "what do you do now" way
Player cut scene tips:
* Inject cut scenes
with some kind of emotion, such as
humour, drama, or empathy, to make them interesting. Nobody
enjoys listening to a long, boring, flat narration.
* Keep the scene
to under one or two minutes, real time.
Short and sweet means you'll be allowed to do it again. :)
* Keep the scope
of the scene as narrow as possible to avoid
treading on the GM's feet.
* Do not script
the actions of other PCs.
* Do not significantly
change or impact any in-game element.
The GM might have plans of his own and you don't want the GM
angry at you!
* Leave the ending
open to provide the GM an opportunity to
weave it into his storytelling without extra effort.
* If the cut scene
takes place in the present, keep the
scene's time line very short. You do not want to script too
much or the GM will be forced to backtrack your scene so as
to synch it to other events that are happening.
* Leave what takes
place in the scene as open to
interpretation as possible so the GM can slant things to
suit his purposes. For example, use words and phrases such
as:
- "Might be/could be"
- "Probably"
- "It's possible that..."
- "Some might think that..."
- "It appears that..."
- "Making it seem like..."
- "Maybe"
2. Journalize Using Post-It Notes
=================================
This method of note taking might not suit every player's
style, but it worked quite well for me. It was an idea I
borrowed from a player in a campaign I'm GMing (Hi Bimp!).
Use Post-It Notes to record session notes. Their small size
forces brevity and the sticky factor makes cataloguing them
flexible and easy.
Players should
try to take notes during the game, even if
they just consist of the names of NPCs met and important
locations in the campaign area. Using the right names
instead fumbling them goes a long way towards immersion, and
if you're a wargamer, it helps get those pesky roleplaying
types off your back. ;)
I usually take
notes using writing pads, notebooks, or
letter size looseleaf, so trying out the Post-Its was a new
experiment for me. What I find sometimes is that extensive
note taking becomes a chore and a distraction. I'm trying to
record every action and piece of information and end up
focusing on journalizing instead of playing. Post-Its forced
me to be brief, freeing up a lot of time for me, while still
creating a useful campaign reference.
For example, noting
"Softheath - rival village" was much
quicker than my usual would have been--"Softheath. A village
two miles away that claims the quarry of our village as
theirs."
With Post-Its,
you can categorize them and stack them. For
example, you might have separate Post-Its for NPCs,
locations, and game world tid bits. When a note gets full,
grab another from the pad and stick it over the previous
note for that category so you can flip through them quickly.
Other uses for
Post-Its for players during games:
* Recording temporary
statistics, such as spell effects on
attack numbers, or steadily declining hit points. :)
* Pictures. The
player I'm GMing creates wonderful thumbnail
sketches of magic items and creatures fought, one per note.
Magic item Post-Its can be passed around as ownership
changes. Creature sketches can be placed on campaign maps as
colourful callouts.
* Figure bases.
With the recent D&D rules revisions,
figure/mini base sizes no longer reflect the facing stated
in the rules. For example, a horse fig's base might be 1"
wide and 2" long--perfect for the old 5x10 facing. The new
rules square off all creature facing though, so a horse is
now 10x10.
A quick solution
is to cut up a Post-It to scale and stick
it to a fig, so 2"x2" for the horse example above. Place it
sticky side up so it adheres to the fig and not the
battlemat.
My first inclination
was to place the horse fig dead center
of the trimmed Post-It. However, another player had a great
idea and right-aligned the horse on the note to make room
for placing a rider fig on the left-side.
* Spells and powers.
Make a library of abilities and their
rules for fast reference during play.
3. Master The Game Rules
========================
My GM had definitely mastered the D&D rules set and it
showed during play. Pauses for rules research and page
flipping behind the screen were almost nil and this
translated into very smooth play, more storytelling, and a
fun time.
Players should
master the game rules too, for the same
reasons. You don't have to master every rule though, just
the ones important to your PC.
For example, if
you're a warrior you should have a good
grasp of the combat rules and options. If you're a spell
caster, get those spell stats and mechanics down on paper or
in your head.
Some player rules
mastery tips:
* Volunteer to do the rules research in-game whenever
needed. This is one of the best ways to master a rules set,
unless your group has minimal rules issues.
- You're forced to learn how the rule book is organized.
You'll learn where to find rules and be able to find them
quickly.
- Reading the rule will help you remember it.
- Then explaining the rule, reading it aloud, or
paraphrasing it for the others will reinforce in your
brain what you've just read.
* Record rules
pertinent to your character on a reference
sheet. Do this during the session when you're not busy or
between sessions. Again, this helps you learn where the
rules are in the book and is a good memory technique.
* Create an evolving
library of combat maneuvers, especially
for actions not covered by the rules, for house rules, or
for actions arbitrarily refereed by the GM. Not only does
this note taking help you understand combat, but it's a
great tool for helping the GM maintain campaign consistency.
"Bob, how
did we resolve that type of thing last time?"
"Let me check
my note. Here it is -- we rolled 2d6 and..."
* Create a spell
library spreadsheet. This is another tip I
can credit a fellow group member with. Recording spell stats
in a spreadsheet program, such as Excel, will help you learn
the rules and create a customizable resource for future PCs.
Sure, you could find the spells online and paste them in,
and if you're pressed for time that's a good method, but
reading and typing them in manually definitely helps you
learn the rules.
* Read the rules
when you're bored or inactive. In-game,
general rules research keeps you quiet and out of the GM's
hair. :) During the action, make a note of any rules
employed that you're not familiar with and then research
them when you're not busy and your attention isn't required.
Between games,
rule books make great bathroom and transit
reading. It's also easy to digest a rule or two during the
commercials of your favourite cartoon show.
A final note to
GMs. When I GM I put pressure on myself to
employ the rules correctly, seamlessly, and gracefully. This
is a personal goal and one I'm always trying to reach.
Sitting on the picture side of the screen though, I was
quite happy to let my GM gloss over rules issues for the
sake of game play. Make a decision, keep it consistent until
an official ruling is found, and move on. My fellow players
felt the same way.
Out of this experience
I'm taking away the knowledge that
the players want you, the GM, to be successful. They won't
care if you make mistakes as long as you're fair and
consistent. So, don't put extra pressure on yourself to have
perfect rules mastery. That will come with time and
experience.
And if there's
a rules lawyer in the group, I'm prepared as
a player to say, "You have a good point, but the GM's call
sounds fair, so let's keep playing for now and we can clear
that up during the next break."
4. Roleplay With Other Players when The Spotlight Is Off
========================================================
Roleplaying with other players when you're not required to
pay attention is a good way to maintain immersion and focus.
This is a classic tip, and I'd like to add another part to
it:
Roleplay with
the purpose of enhancing the game session
in some way.
Gaming in-character
with other idle players is a wonderful
tool not just to pass the time, but to reap a number of game
benefits as well.
* Exploring character
personality. This was the first
session of the campaign and all the characters were new to
us. I found that roleplaying with other PCs helped me
explore my character's personality in an "unofficial way"
so
that, when an important game moment happened with the GM, I
was ready to roleplay with confidence and consistency.
* Creating plot
hooks. Asking other PCs in-character about
their backgrounds, goals, and intentions is a great way to
explore ideas and options. Latch onto any solid idea that
emerges, take note of it, and inform the GM when he's not
busy or between sessions. Most GMs love player-driven plots
and side-plots and will appreciate your efforts.
Being a cunning
and selfish player, I look forward to
reaping great benefits in the future with this tip for I
feel that no plot hook should be forwarded to the GM without
also suggesting a possible character reward. ;)
* Generating character
background. At the game session, we
made characters, got some one-on-one time with the GM to
discuss basic PC info, and then immediately jumped into an
encounter. During idle times during the encounter, I was
able to learn more about the campaign world from the other
players by roleplaying with them and exploring what they
were told during their one-on-ones.
This new knowledge
helped me flesh out my PC's background a
bit more. Also, being asked questions such as "What do your
parents do?" forced me to think about those things. The fact
that it was on-the-spot also helped exercise my creative and
RPing skills.
* Drawing shy players
out of their shell. Try to roleplay
quietly with shy players, people new to the group, and tired
players. These player "one-on-ones" can help draw others out
so they're more participative.
* Distracting rules
lawyers. Hehe.
5. Being Quiet Is Tough
=======================
I usually GM and boy, did I ever find it hard being quiet
when I wasn't involved in the play or RPing with another
player!
First off, my personal
point of view is that if I don't have
anything to contribute to the game then I should keep quiet.
I should do some rules research, catch up on my session
notes, or turn my character sheet into a work of art.
I feel this provides
less distraction for the GM and the
others, helps game play speed along to the point where I'm
involved again (i.e. a new scene or the next combat round),
and lets the other players get some spotlight time.
However, this goal
was tough for me! For example, I failed
my willpower saving throw a few times and some puns were
unfortunately unleashed. :)
In addition, being
quiet has a few potential pitfalls:
* The squeaky wheel
gets the grease. If you're quiet you
might fall out of the loop and get less spotlight time. The
GM might overlook you and possibilities to play are lost.
* No news is good
news. The GM might think your quietness
indicates you're busy and not want to bother you and more
possibilities to play are lost.
* What's that matter?
Some players might mistake your
quietness for moodiness.
Here are a couple of tips on keeping quiet for productive
reasons without getting isolated:
* Learn to quickly
identity who the spotlight is on. That's
your cue not to bother the GM or that player. Feel free to
roleplay with other willing players as long as your noise
level doesn't exceed the GM/player's.
* Look for opportunities
to help. "Hey, let me look that
spell up for you dude, you keep playing."
* Use eye contact
and body language with the GM so you
communicate that you're available to interact at any time.
For example, you could simply smile, raise your eyebrows, or
mime what your character is currently doing in his idle
state.
6. Avoid Playing Yourself
=========================
Roleplay: To assume or act out a particular role.
- Dictionary.com
Whether you enjoy
combat, acting, exploring, solving
puzzles, or hanging out with friends, do your best to
roleplay your character and not superimpose your own
personality and abilities over him.
This has many benefits,
and I think the biggest will be
getting caught up in the spirit of the game. Pet peeves, bad
habits, and personality conflicts will fade away (to some
extent, at least) and it will be just you, your imagination,
and some good gaming.
Some roleplaying
tips:
* Get a good measure
of your character. Your character sheet
is a road map. It's a set of instructions, parameters, and
descriptors. Your job is to figure out how your character
expresses this information. Look for strengths and high
points. Note weaknesses and low points. Figure out how all
this manifests itself in the character's appearance,
personality, and behaviour.
* Push your character
to his limits. While you might grow
attached to your character, never stop exploring his
boundaries. This might materialize as being the sneakiest,
bravest, or mouthiest. It should involve taking risks you
personally would never consider. It should mean
demonstrating great bravado, impeccable style, or cunning
parley. Allow your character to be bigger than life.
Characters are
fun to play, but I think it's their legacy
that is most important. What PCs do you remember the most
after a campaign or game session is long done? Which
characters do you tell stories about? Which characters of
yours do others tell stories about? Try to place each and
every one of your characters in this fondly remembered,
elite group. I feel the benefits of leaving a legacy like
this far outweigh the potential disappointment of a
character's failure, embarrassment, or death -- and it's
often these very things that put a PC on the hall of fame
road in the first place.
* Learn to translate
numbers into imagery. Regardless of
whether other group members speak in numeric or descriptive
terms, you can make it your goal to translate all the
mechanics into something graphic in your mind's eye. This
helps you remember session events, but it also creates a
mental environment that will draw your character out and
bring him to life.
It's difficult
to roleplay by thinking of an action as an
18. Instead, if let the GM know you got an 18 and he might
say "you hit", try to imagine it as a solid blow to your
sweating, dirty hobgoblin foe, your character's face
revealing grim determination and a mocking grin of imminent
victory.
* You are not your
character. Your character's failures are
not your own unless his failure is lack of participation or
not living true to form. Don't take failed actions
personally.
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TIPS REQUEST: Switching
From Micro Character Management
With my style,
I enjoy GMing the day-to-day lives of the PCs
as they evolve into fine adventurers and heroes. However,
when the game is continually run on a day by day, or even
hour by hour basis, it starts to get unrealistic. How much
can a character really improve in 24 hours? How can I let my
game world change in the background when the time line
advances so slowly? Wouldn't the PCs get burnt out after
packing so much adventure in such a condensed time frame?
However, switching
to a longer time frame mid-game is often
troublesome:
* Characters want
to act immediately ("Ok, in the
morning I want to chat with the innkeeper")
* Plot threads
might not tolerate longer time intervals
("Three weeks pass -- oh wait, the goblin hoard was
advancing, so I guess we have to rewind.")
* Administration
can bog the game down ("Three weeks pass?
Ok, my character wants to study some things, re-equip, get
some training, and start building a house.")
So, my tips request
for you this week is advice on switching
from micro character management (i.e. "Ok, the monster is
dead, what are you doing now?") to longer time frames (i.e.
"Ok, the monster is dead, the village celebrates, and three
weeks pass.") with grace and efficiency. Perhaps you have
some planning advice to prevent this problem from happening
in the first place, or some in-game storytelling techniques
for this?
Send your tips
to:
johnn@roleplayingtips.com
mailto:johnn@roleplayingtips.com
Thanks!
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READERS' TIPS OF
THE WEEK
1. Using Cardboard
Tokens Instead of Miniatures
From: Derek McKay
===============================================
While miniatures convey a lovely atmosphere and embody the
attributes and attitude of characters, they don't always
work so well for NPCs. In our group, we instead use 25x25mm
cardboard squares. On one edge is a small arrow to indicate
which way it is facing. And in the middle there is the NPC's
name or an identifying number/letter ("A", "B",
"C"...). The
number and arrow are drawn in thick coloured felt-tip pen so
that they are easily visible from around the table.
During combat,
if the players need to annotate the tokens,
they can. They are so cheap to produce that they can be
scribbled on, flipped over, torn up, and then, when
necessary, easily replaced.
By allowing players
to write on the NPC tokens, they can put
what they think is necessary and not what the GM thinks is
important. Over time, the players have developed their own
unwritten battle code to annotate them. For example, "Sw"
indicates "Sword", and a little spiral indicates "charmed".
Because it is up to the players to annotate the detail, they
pay attention to the descriptions and decide what is
important to them. This in turn helps them gain an improved
perspective of the situation, resulting in better battles
and less need to describe over and over which NPC is doing
what.
2. Balancing Frequency & Size of Rewards
From: Adam Flynn
========================================
It's important to consider psychology when granting rewards
to characters (money, items, etc) or players (experience
points, etc).
It's observable
that to many people, constant small rewards
are ultimately less satisfactory than infrequent large
rewards (in the same way that Christmas is more enjoyable
than receiving one small gift a week and never getting
Christmas). An example of this is the number of lottery
winners who take all their winnings in a lump sum, despite
the fact that a long-term payout in small amounts would
produce a larger total.
There are two operative
principals at work here: Frequency
of Reward and Size of Reward.
Frequency Of Reward
-------------------
The idea behind determining the correct frequency of rewards
to bestow is anticipation. A player must be given an
opportunity to develop their own desire to be rewarded. If a
reward comes with no struggle, effort, or delay then part of
its satisfaction is gone -- proper anticipation colors a
reward with layers of emotional significance so that when it
is received, it's like two rewards in one.
However, a reward
too long delayed or too hard won makes a
player question whether the effort or time involved was
worth the result. The player's emotional response to the
reward makes it seem less than it actually is. Therefore, we
must strive to identify that point when desire is highest
and disappointment has not yet begun to grow too strong -
and deliver an appropriate reward at this point.
In a pinch, surprise
(wherein the player was never aware
reward was available in first place), can also appease a
player. Surprise has the advantage that there is usually no
disappointment or anticipation involved -- a player can
enjoy reward without it being colored by either mindset.
Size Of Reward
--------------
The idea behind determining the correct size of reward is
significance. If the reward has no significant impact on the
character, then it's not a true reward. Giving a copper
pence to a wealthy prince with vaults of gold is meaningless
-- unless it's a copper pence stained with the blood of his
father or some such.
A reward can exist
in multiple dimensions of the game
setting, such as:
* Wealth (gold)
* Society (a noble title)
* Emotion (a personal relationship to an NPC)
* Information (a favor owed by a knowledgeable seer)
* Esthetic (a beautifully stitched tunic that draws admiring
comments from passersby)
Similarly (but
more constrained), a player reward must be
significant. Giving 5 xp to a 10th level character is likely
to draw a "why bother" more than a thanks from some players.
A player must feel that reward will meaningfully affect his
character for it to be valued.
Again, we must
be careful that we don't overdo it. A single
reward should not unbalance the game or seem to favor one
character too highly over the others. Too large a reward may
cause an inflation in further rewards in order to continue
to engage players. Something as simple as balancing
effectiveness against usefulness (i.e. a powerful magical
horn that can only be blown under a full moon) can allow a
reward to seem larger than it is in eyes of players without
affecting the careful reward economy the GM already has in
place.
In summation, rewards
must combine anticipation, the ability
to see meaningful improvement to a character as a direct
result, and the appropriate distance from each other in time
for both character and player. Anticipation and Significance
are two axis against which most rewards can be judged, both
for player and character.
3. Viking Names Resource
From: Andrew Gould
========================
One magnificent source of Viking names is Njal's Saga, a
13th Century Viking saga written originally in Icelandic and
translated at [ http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/OMACL/Njal/ ].
It tells the story of Njal, his family, his wife
Bergthora, and his friend Gunnar. But it's chock full of
extensive genealogies. Check this out (from Section 25):
"There was
a man named Valgard, he kept house at Hof by
Rangriver, he was the son of Jorund the Priest, and his
brother was Wolf Aurpriest (1).
(1) The son of
Ranveig the Silly, the son of Valgard, the
son of Aefar, the son of Vemund Wordstopper, the son of
Thorolf Hooknose, the son of Thrand the Old, the son of
Harold Hilditann, the son of Hraereck Ringscatterer. The
mother of Harold Hilditann, was Aud the daughter of Ivar
Widefathom, the son of Halfdan the Clever. The brother of
Valgard the Guileful was Wolf Aurpriest -- from whom the
Pointdwellers sprung -- Wolf Aurpriest was the father of
Swart, the father of Lodmund, the father of Sigfus, the
father of Saemund the Wise. But from Valgard is sprung
Kolbein the Young."
Ranveig the Silly?
I think I prefer Halfdan the Clever.
Peruse this saga for a veritable treasure trove of Viking
and Icelandic names.
___________________________________________________
***************************************************
That's it for this week's issue.
Have more fun at every game!
Johnn Four
email:
johnn@roleplayingtips.com
web site: http://www.roleplayingtips.com