Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="damiller" data-source="post: 8449536" data-attributes="member: 10995">I think I can agree with all of those. I am looking to develop a way to be present at the table not a track for the PCs to always be on. I want to find a way to INCREASE player agency not limit it. But your post made me think about Improv as a technique, and specifically you mentioned being prepared.For me what preparation now means is practice/practicing, and I am trying to find ways to practice my part of the session. And the tiny bit I know about Improv-ing is that they practice furiously. I am looking to practice out of game so I can improv in-game, instead of the standard idea of improv which is make it all up at the moment.  Because I have done sessions totally impromptu and I simply no longer have the energy for that.Here's another practice I noticed I am leaning towards as a GM:3. Scene Break Down  (because I figure, as a GM, there is at least 1 scene I KNOW will happen - usually the first of the session, and I should practice it)<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I struggle to come up with NPCs in a way that helps me play them at the table. I think there are great systems for generating facts about the NPC, but WHO are they? HOW will they act in session, in a way that again, I don't have to "memorize" and that I can "improvize".</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I wanted a way to practice being that NPC so when "show time" arrives they just appear without thought so to speak.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Well I was reading "Method Writing" by Jack Grapes and in one of the chapters he gives an overview of method acting. Basically it involves the actor deciding what that characters objective is, then breaking down the characters objective into specific actions. His example was about a scene where the character's objective was to be clever, so the actor could break that down into the beats/actions of flattering, accusing, gossiping, lying.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">here is really neat sheet I found that I've used, its quite involved, I will probably just stick to objective/4-5 potential actions.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"><a href="http://www.actorsinactionclass.com/class-handouts/scene-breakdown-worksheet/" target="_blank">Scene Breakdown Worksheet</a></li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I've noticed that as I start doing this with NPCs I am learning more about them, and that they are easier to play at session time because I am familiar with them as a person.</li> </ul>At any rate, I am quite interested in developing practices that allow me to prepare to improv with my group at the table in a way that increases their player agency. I've been basically doing these things for years, and it I think my players would say they have tons of agency, but it is nice to think about these practices specifically.</blockquote>

Verification