Need some Help with Cut Scenes

Hussar · Jul 16, 2009

Here's my problem. I love the idea of cut scenes. I've heard people describe using them in games and they sound like something I would really, really like to try. But, then when I try to design one, I flange around like a concussed monkey. I'm not sure where to start, how to start, how to arrange things so that I can reveal enough information to play the cut scene but not so much that it blows any chance of surprise.

Does anyone have experience using cut scenes and could you post some sort of tutorial?

timbannock · Jul 16, 2009

Tough question...maybe I'll blog about it at some point. But here's an example I used:

World's Largest Dungeon; in the first area, the plot revolves around a Wererat who leads a band of humanoids into the dungeon in order to summon forth some terrible evils that the wererat has been receiving visions from (actually manipulated by his Imp familiar, but that's not the point). The wererat -- Longtail -- opens up a portal, but instead of his dreaded "god" coming through, he instead just witnesses a slew of fiendish monsters come through, and they tear apart his humanoid army.

Now, I really wanted the players to see that Longtail intended to do one thing, but instead got duped and found something much worse (the players could do what they want with this info: ally with Longtail, or kill Longtail, or use him to seal the portal; whatever). So, I came up with a cut scene that would showcase (1) Who is Longtail, and what are his intentions, (2) something unintended happened that was bad.

Simple.

So, I had the players play orcs in his humanoid army. Longtail and 95% of his crew go into the WLD, while the orcs that the players played simply sit outside the entrance and act as guards, hopefully to alert Longtail's forces inside the WLD if any adventurers are coming.

But when Longtail and crew enter the WLD, there appears to be an impenetrable field that stops anyone from entering or leaving, so the player orcs are left outside and unsure what to do. They sit around, roleplay a little and I sprinkle in info about their relationship to Longtail, his plans to unleash something evil but that will grant the orcs power, etc.

Suddenly, fiendish monsters stream out of the WLD entrance, and fight the PCs. The PC orcs end up dead at these weird, alien creatures' hands.

So I had some history, some roleplay, and an encounter with a foregone conclusion (but the players didn't know that). And it was great fun!

Piratecat · Jul 16, 2009

Sure. Don't over-think this.

First, talk to your players. Tell them you'd like to start including some cut scenes, but ask them not mistake player and character knowledge. (If your players can't do this, consider giving them a magic item that causes visions, so that character and player knowledge of cut scenes can be one and the same.)

Then think of movies and TV. Cut scenes there work the same way in D&D: they should show the result of PC actions, or increase tension by giving the players a hint of the bad guys' plans.

Example: in my game recently, the PCs destroyed some ritual circles without knowing what (if anything) they did. I did a cut scene a few minutes later describing the bad guys in the process of attacking a town -- and showed the consequences of the circles' destructions, as powerful undead troops simply fell apart at a crucial moment in the battle.

Example: the PCs have a rival adventuring group that they respect but detest. A cut scene might show the members of the group all lying dead or unconscious on the floor of a cave, and a voice - a cold, slithery voice - saying "Now? The <PCs' group>. Prepare to move out."

Example: The PCs have just gone to sleep at the local inn. In the cut scene, a known enemy is seen kneeling before a shadowy shape. The shape speaks. "Now, my minion, you know what to do next. Soon Hommlett will be ours! Start.. here." He jabs his finger down on a map of Hommlett, and it lands. . on the inn.

Describe the scene as visually as you can; feel free to use distinctive voices if you speak in character. You don't have to reveal everyone's faces if you want to keep mystery. You don't have to reveal plans, you just need to hint at them.

tyrlaan · Jul 16, 2009

You could also do cut scenes without doing cut scenes - instead provide characters with visions or dreams. In fact, this can give you a lot more leeway than cut scenes. You could provide snippets of current events, past events, things yet to come, or even false visions.

Piratecat · Jul 16, 2009

tyrlaan said:
You could also do cut scenes without doing cut scenes - instead provide characters with visions or dreams. In fact, this can give you a lot more leeway than cut scenes. You could provide snippets of current events, past events, things yet to come, or even false visions.

Agreed. This method is great.

kitsune9 · Jul 16, 2009

Hussar said:
Here's my problem. I love the idea of cut scenes. I've heard people describe using them in games and they sound like something I would really, really like to try. But, then when I try to design one, I flange around like a concussed monkey. I'm not sure where to start, how to start, how to arrange things so that I can reveal enough information to play the cut scene but not so much that it blows any chance of surprise.

Does anyone have experience using cut scenes and could you post some sort of tutorial?

I used cut scenes, but to no great effect. Actually, a couple players found the transition somewhat annoying so I stopped using them.

Varianor Abroad · Jul 16, 2009

Two types of cut scenes: Informational and Participation Required. The latter can incorporate information transfer as well as the former, but it's more work. Dream sequences are a classic gaming example of a cut scene. I find that you need a good flavor reason for the transition, or you need to explain it out of game. The Participation Required ones include examples like time travel or the aforementioned orc warrior scenario. I prefer the latter. Piratecat already gave a good dissertation on the former.

I think there are three key things to Participation Required cut scenes:
1. Preparation - have the sheets for the PCs to use ready to go.
2. Duration - Ideally, it should be short, max one hour hour session. Better to be just the length of one encounter since it lets the PCs return to their comfort zone.
3. Justification - Why are you doing it? Does it enhance the flavor, the plot, the information gathering, or just let the PCs do something cool? If it doesn't, consider the Information scene or just drop it.

Good examples of cut scenes that I learned from Wolfgang Baur are flashbacks to earlier times. He has some in Castle Shadowcrag where the PCs go back in time as somewhat ghostly figures who can still influence the past to get a better result for the present. It is story-related of course.

My own favorite method I use mainly in convention games. I run a flashback from the pregen PCs own past. Example: They are all 8th level PCs in pursuit of a thief in the dessert. I might say, "Do you all remember when you faced an old hag in the Marshes of Morrai?" Then I hand out 5th level sheets and a water-based encounter board instead. It's fun, it changes it up, and if you tie whatever they do into the rest of the game, it's great. (Be prepared with a backup plan in case of a TPK. "It was all a dream.")

Hussar · Jul 17, 2009

Great stuff all around guys. Thanks.

I tend to shy away from the Informational cut scenes, since I worry that I'll lose their interest just rolling up the plot wagon and spoon feeding a great big dump of boxed text. But, if I keep it short and to the point, I think I could avoid that.

I am very interested in the "participation required" version. I totally agree with Varianor Abroad here. Keep it short, have everything prepped beforehand and keep it on task.

Perhaps, as prep, a short cheat sheet of personality for the NPC's? Say a sentence or two on how this character generally acts? Would that be a good idea or should I just let the players try to feel it out on their own?

Toben the Many · Jul 17, 2009

Hussar said:
I tend to shy away from the Informational cut scenes, since I worry that I'll lose their interest just rolling up the plot wagon and spoon feeding a great big dump of boxed text. But, if I keep it short and to the point, I think I could avoid that.

I do a lot of informational cut scenes, actually. And my players actually will ask for them if I don't do one for a while.

You're right in that you have to keep them really short and to the point. My cutscenes are always less than 5 minutes long. Usually they are only about 2 to 3 minutes long, if that.

The main reason I like using them is that if you have villains or antagonists in the game, the PCs rarely interact with them. And really, why would they? If you see a bad guy, you're going to go try to kill them. A quick cut scene, though, can demonstrate why a villain or antagonist is really a nasty guy.

Also, cut scenes help me really express to the players that they live in a living breathing world. A lot of my cut scenes are not a big railroad of boxed text. Instead, usually, a cut scene happens as a direct result of their actions. For example, the PCs might steal something from the palace. And then, there's a later cut scene when the snotty prince finds out that his precious scepter was stolen and he throws a tantrum. In this way, a lot of my cut scenes are alternate awards for the players. Instead of handing out treasure or XP, I show them precisely how their actions have affected their world. For example, let's say the party has inspired the village to stop cowering before the goblin bands and to fight back. A cut scene showing the villagers rousing themselves out of their houses and not taking any more shows the players, "See? You make a difference. Your choices matter. You really can change the world."

So that the players don't have to worry about character knowledge vs. player knowlege, whenever I do a cut scene, none of the information therein is unknown to the PCs. Or if it is unknown, it doesn't remain so for long.

For example, I might have the PCs come across a ruined village and then do a quick cut scene of how the village was attacked. In this way, the PCs pretty much know everything the players know. If there's someone whose identity I want to keep secret, then I have that character remain hooded or have their features blacked out in the shadows during the scene.