Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: Improvisation!
From: mikew@mdcbbs.com (Mike 'the Bard' Whitaker)
Date: 21 Aug 92 03:38:31 PDT
Organization: Shape Data - a division of EDS Ltd

In article <1992Aug18.033715.9902@tronsbox.xei.com> 
dfrancis@tronsbox.xei.com (Dennis Heffernan) writes:
>	I would quit instantly if I found out that a GM was putting clues in
>front of me as I was searching.  It means that he doesn't know the answer to
>the whatever mystery we're investigating, and that completely destroys any
>possible sense of accomplishment you could feel from solving it.  I've had
>this happen to me in the past, and I HATE it.

Hard one, this. I agree with your first sentence - allowing yourself to be
completely led by the players is BAD - as I said in another post, my likely 
response to the players suggesting that they are looking for item X in 
location Y is probably not to let them find it there, think about whether 
item X actually exists (if I haven't already), and if so where it might be, 
and whether it has any relevance to the scenario. Often this produces whole 
new twists that I hadn't previously considered. Note that here I am not 
'putting clues in front' of the players, IMHO - their action of searching
doesn't have an immediate result, and often has nothing like the result they
hinted to me they were expecting...

As for not knowing the answer... Yes - frequently I don't - at least not at the
start of the scenario. But I DO have the answer before the players do, and
suficiently far before the players that they ARE solving a mystery with a known
answer...

>	Improvisation is a necessary evil, as far as I'm concerned.  I've had
>to do it, of course; the players have to be given their head and that means
>they're not going to stick to your prepared material all the time.  But I
>never start a scenario without having answered all of the questions I've
>raised *and* being certain that the clues to those answers are all in place.

The only difference here (grin - this is a glib and slightly tongue in cheek
remark with an underlying basis of truth - so please don't flame me) is that
in the improvisational GM's case the questions get raised as the scenario goes
along, some of them by the players themselves, and answers and the clues to 
those answers get put in place during the scenario...

This does require a good improv. GM to be able to parallel process, with both 
ears and half a brain on communicating with the players and the other half
running the background panic attack (grin)....

"Ok - you don't find anything else. So - you're off back to the arena and 
Ros's friend, are you - ok - it's starting to get busy since it's round 
lunchtime. [Arghhhh - what did the word "Diamond" on that piece of paper they 
found actually mean - stupid stupid stupid - why did I give them such a naff 
clue] She's by the bar in the tavern with a stiff drink. 'Hi' - she still looks
kinda miserable... 'No, I don't think Ros had any enemies... Friends? Oh yes - 
several of the better looking male gladiators [that should make the cleric 
blush - yup, there he goes] - she got on well with the barman [gave him a 
name last time, hope they remember it for me!] at the tavern, [errm, what else 
at an arena - oh yeah] and [come on, need a name] Jarl... yeah, he's a rider 
for one of the horse owners [horses! that's IT, Diamond's a horse!!!!!] here.'
Horses races - yeah - you've seen lots of posters going up today [have to be
today or they'd have seen 'em before, I guess] for the Princes' Cup at the end 
of the week.... 'Diamond??? Yes, of course it means something to me - Diamond's
a racehorse - she'll be racing in the Prince's Cup [ahah!] - should win, too'
[wonder who rides her? Jarl? nah - too easy - AHAH! Jarl USED to ride her
but he's lost the ride...]

And so on....
-- 
Mike Whitaker +44-223 | mikew@mdcbbs.com, bard@spuddy.uucp | Me: Bards just
Shape Data/EDS 316673 | -or- mwhitaker@cix.compulink.co.uk | KNOW things...
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc