The Story Now Discussion

[Arilyn]

It has been suggested that a Story Now discussion could be helpful, so I'm starting one. As a curious neophyte, this could be helpful.

This is not a thread to argue over Story Now vs. other styles. We've had plenty of those fights. This is for discussion, questions, clarifications, etc.

So my first question. How do super hero games work with Story Now? Especially initial sessions.

 

[Manbearcat]

It has been suggested that a Story Now discussion could be helpful, so I'm starting one. As a curious neophyte, this could be helpful.

This is not a thread to argue over Story Now vs. other styles. We've had plenty of those fights. This is for discussion, questions, clarifications, etc.

So my first question. How do super hero games work with Story Now? Especially initial sessions.

MHRP (Cortex+) and Masks (PBtA) are the games I've run that cover this genre.

However, to be honest, you can look at Dungeon World as a super hero game as the Classes aren't careers/common nouns. They're proper nouns, archetypes just like in a Super Hero game. You aren't a Fighter. You're the Fighter. 4e Story Now play with its Themes, Paragon Paths, and Epic Destinies cover this same ground (people aren't playing the same Themese/Paths/Destinies...so they're the, not a).

Broadly, (a) they work well, but, like all Story Now play, (b) the game cannot be generically premised, (c) characters need to be aggressively and clearly themed, and (d) play orbits around this premise and these themes with GMs framing provocative situations that engage with premise and themes.

So:

* Premise play with a measure of specificity (it doesn't have to be hyper-specific, but with some level of specificity) that focuses play but doesn't narrow it to a singularity from which there is no escape.

It can (and will) become more specific as play continues, but it cannot be generic at the outset. Now there is a fine line here, TOO much specificity can also cause problems because you're leaving no room for premise to sharpen during play. But the hyper-generic D&D mercs/adventuring troupe pulling treasure from dungeon delves is WAAAAAY too generic. At the opposite end of the spectrum is "x archetype doing y thing to ensure z outcome" can (and typically does) create a Story Before inertia.

* Aggressively theme characters and (as I said in the other thread) players should be leading their PC and following them simultaneously.

Its kind of like Blades' Act Now, Plan Later, principle for players but applied in a different area. Give them meaning, give them direction, but don't conceive or demand outcomes. There has to be a curiosity and an impulsivity that heavily balances out the urge for advocacy. Don't get me wrong, advocacy is going to be there. But it can't overwhelm curiosity and impulsivity.

* Play orbits around this premise and these themes with GMs framing provocative situations that engage with premise and themes.

GMs aren't framing premise-neutral or theme-neutral scenes. Their job is to provoke the players to action, action that addresses premise and engages with player-flagged themes. The players' job is to answer that call to action aggressively, with care, curiosity, but also impulsivity.

The story will accrete (NOW) around this stuff until all questions are resolved (in some way) and characters are changed (rinse/repeat).

 

[darkbard]

There has to be a curiosity and an impulsivity that heavily balances out the urge for advocacy. Don't get me wrong, advocacy is going to be there. But it can't overwhelm curiosity and impulsivity.

For me, this is the very heart of Story Now gaming: play to find out (what happens). Some of Apocalypse World's principles come to mind: play your character like driving a stolen car, and hold on loosely (roughly paraphrased).

 

[Arilyn]

This is helpful. Thank you. The most experience with these games I have is Dungeon World which I really enjoyed. And Troll Babe from some years ago. I have Masks but haven't run it yet. And Mouseguard.

In comics, villains usually have plots. Does the GM create a loosish plot to get the ball rolling, or does it come from questions, rolls. This genre often has secret knowledge. How is this handled in Story Now, so it has the drives of the characters, an important aspect of supers, and have those nefarious plans without too much pre planning?

 

[Ovinomancer]

This is helpful. Thank you. The most experience with these games I have is Dungeon World which I really enjoyed. And Troll Babe from some years ago. I have Masks but haven't run it yet. And Mouseguard.

In comics, villains usually have plots. Does the GM create a loosish plot to get the ball rolling, or does it come from questions, rolls. This genre often has secret knowledge. How is this handled in Story Now, so it has the drives of the characters, an important aspect of supers, and have those nefarious plans without too much pre planning?

The key is to have a goal -- what does the villain want? AW/DW does this with Fronts, Blades does it with clocks, but both of these are player facing trackers to show how this danger is advancing. So, let's say we have Dr. Bob, Evil Mastermind. Dr. Bob's plot is to "Destroy Metro City!" You put this out in front of the players in bold marker, and when appropriate, you tick it. When you tick it, you should advance the fiction some, but this really depends on what's happened up until this point in the game, and should aim at or harm the PCs. Think of it as a series of soft/hard moves that advance the villain's plot. You do not need to plan these, they should occur in the sense of the game, but it's okay to do some 'offscreen thinking' here and have a loose idea what what "Destroy Metro City" looks like. Just hold onto it lightly.

When you do this, then the players are on notice that bad is happening. If you've made sure that Dr. Bob speaks to the PC's needs, then they should go after Dr. Bob without you prompting much. This is why it's also helpful to have Bobblob and Duke Bob also having their plots that speak to the PCs. That way, you'll always have something ticking towards doom. If I were doing a supers game that didn't already have a nemesis/rival creation as part of PC creation, I'd absolutely borrow from Blades here and have every hero have a rival that they have a personal stake in to use, as needed, as villainous plotters.

 

[Arilyn]

The key is to have a goal -- what does the villain want? AW/DW does this with Fronts, Blades does it with clocks, but both of these are player facing trackers to show how this danger is advancing. So, let's say we have Dr. Bob, Evil Mastermind. Dr. Bob's plot is to "Destroy Metro City!" You put this out in front of the players in bold marker, and when appropriate, you tick it. When you tick it, you should advance the fiction some, but this really depends on what's happened up until this point in the game, and should aim at or harm the PCs. Think of it as a series of soft/hard moves that advance the villain's plot. You do not need to plan these, they should occur in the sense of the game, but it's okay to do some 'offscreen thinking' here and have a loose idea what what "Destroy Metro City" looks like. Just hold onto it lightly.

When you do this, then the players are on notice that bad is happening. If you've made sure that Dr. Bob speaks to the PC's needs, then they should go after Dr. Bob without you prompting much. This is why it's also helpful to have Bobblob and Duke Bob also having their plots that speak to the PCs. That way, you'll always have something ticking towards doom. If I were doing a supers game that didn't already have a nemesis/rival creation as part of PC creation, I'd absolutely borrow from Blades here and have every hero have a rival that they have a personal stake in to use, as needed, as villainous plotters.

Thank you for this advice. This is a good starting point. Just picked up the new Sentinels game, and thinking it could be a good fit.

Also, Liminal. But haven't given it a thorough read yet. It's urban fantasy that leans into character drives and factions. I'm pretty excited about Liminal because it has the flavour I like in urban fantasy. It has a lighter touch, both thematically and mechanically than WoD.

 

[Fenris-77]

Flexibility is key. You might have countdown, or a clock for you big bad, and some idea about how things might turn out, but the real key is turning that over to the players once actual play starts and letting them drive. You prep might get trashed, things might tuen out the opposite of what you thought, but that's fine.

 

[Arilyn]

Yeah, I think it's just going to be jumping in. I feel more confident with fantasy tropes, with minimal prep, but super heroes or modern has me a little skittish.
Practice, and see how it goes!

 

[Manbearcat]

Yeah, I think it's just going to be jumping in. I feel more confident with fantasy tropes, with minimal prep, but super heroes or modern has me a little skittish.
Practice, and see how it goes!

Its principally all the same but it depends on what the specific game's tech is to advance the big bad's agenda and let you deploy it. MHRP has the GM building a Doom Pool to make badness manifest. PBtA has the snowballing engine + Clocks to represent bad guy machinations and Complications (as a result of the engine) to tick it until it goes off.

Make it player-facing. Ask questions and use the answers. Make sure the bad guy's machinations engage with the premise of play while placing the PCs in provocative situations that resolve (one way or the other; good or ill) the thematic questions embedded in their characters. Give them difficult decision-points that force them to prioritize their thematic interests (see what Joker did, or tried to do, to Batman in The Dark Knight).

 

[Marc_C]

What is Story Now? Maybe add a basic definition in the OP for those who have no idea what it means. Might turn out I'm doing it intuitively. ;-)