141: Improvisation
Added 2018-10-16 13:38:27 +0000 UTCAlmost every new GM has felt that moment of panic when the players take the game in an unexpected direction. What should you do? Would it be fair to try to force them back towards what you have prepared? Are quick-witted enough to make stuff up instead? Why does this feel like one of those dreams where you’re back at school, sitting an exam you haven’t prepared for? And why the hell are you naked anyway?
We try to address some of these anxieties in our discussion. Improvisation is a natural part of any RPG and you already do a lot more of it than you might think. Every time a player character or an NPC speaks in a game, the players or GM are improvising. Unless you’re using read-aloud text, any narration is a stream of improvisation. (Don’t use read-aloud text. It makes you sound like a bored tour guide.)
With some confidence, it becomes simple enough to improvise more extensively, especially given some useful tools and techniques. Throughout the episode, we offer advice about how to prepare to improvise. This isn’t as much of an oxymoron as it sounds like. We also talk about techniques that will help you do so. One of our favourites is to steal ideas from other sources, usually films or books. In a recent video, Seth Skorokosky talks about stealing from published adventures — a technique we shall, in turn, steal for ourselves.
Comments
I sometimes use random things, but I find them better as an inspiration rather than using them directly. This one is great: <a href="http://www.wyrmworld.com/interactive/lovecraft/lovecraft.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">http://www.wyrmworld.com/interactive/lovecraft/lovecraft.html</a>
Steve
2018-10-18 15:52:09 +0000 UTCGood improvisation doesn't happen in a void. It's about understanding how narratives work, having an appreciation of what the game is about thematically and not being afraid to use your own experience and knowledge. Being widely read helps too, especially about the place and period where the game is set. I've being running an improvised Mythos campaign for 94 sessions now, but the background is magic and folklore 1930s England so fairly well known to me. What the players say and do is a key part of where I might point the game and these suggests scenes to me. I'll also just chuck in things if it's getting a bit slow and the reaction of the players will suggest what that meant. So recently during an auction, someone crashed their car through the front of the room. I didn't know who they were or why. It was probably related to a gangster in the room. I've got a list of names next to me, and a list of character traits. Both very useful for the game.
Steve
2018-10-18 15:48:54 +0000 UTC
