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The Caller and the Mapper
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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 6319166" data-attributes="member: 42582"><p>I learned to play from the Moldvay Basic rulebook. When I go upstairs after posting this message I'll see what it says about the role of the caller! But when I first played it was with small groups (eg my brother and a friend or two) so a caller may have seemed redundant. (And perhaps unclear in function.) I remember reading, early on, the Puffin book "What is Dungeons & Dragons?" (probably better known to those whose cultural sphere is more in the English than US orbit, but if you don't know it apparently it's cheap used on Amazon, and worth a look). As far as I remember it recommended dispensing with the caller. But it also didn't emphasis the turn as a unit of play (only a unit of time). </p><p></p><p>Mapping, on the other hand, we were used to from playing Fighting Fantasy books.</p><p></p><p>Even if I tried I think I would fail.</p><p></p><p>Back when I was a bit more of a free agent (as a uni student) I used to play in a wider range of groups and go to one of the annual Melbourne conventions. One of my first convention experiences, that had a big impact on me, was playing a freeform Cthulhu Dreamlands game. There was basically no need for action resolution - because whatever we did happened - so the play was all about the interpersonal dynamics: the PCs had been written up (in the usual con style) so that we had conflicting agendas, natural alliances and instabilities, etc.</p><p></p><p>The GM's main job, therefore, besides doing the standard framing stuff, was to walk around from player to player or small group to small group and play the "devil" on our shoulders, destabilising things just at the point that we might be about to reach an agreement, and revving us up if we were getting slack or not pushing hard enough for our PC's agenda.</p><p></p><p>This particular GM was excellent at that. I don't think I'm as good, but it's what I try to do. Remind the players of the stakes. Remind them of the backstory that they care about. Keep up the pressure and the energy, so that when eventually they make a decision and commit themselves they're really <em>committing</em> themselves.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 6319166, member: 42582"] I learned to play from the Moldvay Basic rulebook. When I go upstairs after posting this message I'll see what it says about the role of the caller! But when I first played it was with small groups (eg my brother and a friend or two) so a caller may have seemed redundant. (And perhaps unclear in function.) I remember reading, early on, the Puffin book "What is Dungeons & Dragons?" (probably better known to those whose cultural sphere is more in the English than US orbit, but if you don't know it apparently it's cheap used on Amazon, and worth a look). As far as I remember it recommended dispensing with the caller. But it also didn't emphasis the turn as a unit of play (only a unit of time). Mapping, on the other hand, we were used to from playing Fighting Fantasy books. Even if I tried I think I would fail. Back when I was a bit more of a free agent (as a uni student) I used to play in a wider range of groups and go to one of the annual Melbourne conventions. One of my first convention experiences, that had a big impact on me, was playing a freeform Cthulhu Dreamlands game. There was basically no need for action resolution - because whatever we did happened - so the play was all about the interpersonal dynamics: the PCs had been written up (in the usual con style) so that we had conflicting agendas, natural alliances and instabilities, etc. The GM's main job, therefore, besides doing the standard framing stuff, was to walk around from player to player or small group to small group and play the "devil" on our shoulders, destabilising things just at the point that we might be about to reach an agreement, and revving us up if we were getting slack or not pushing hard enough for our PC's agenda. This particular GM was excellent at that. I don't think I'm as good, but it's what I try to do. Remind the players of the stakes. Remind them of the backstory that they care about. Keep up the pressure and the energy, so that when eventually they make a decision and commit themselves they're really [I]committing[/I] themselves. [/QUOTE]
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