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<blockquote data-quote="GrahamWills" data-source="post: 6562651" data-attributes="member: 75787"><p>I've done this a few times, and some of the successful approaches I've had are:</p><p></p><p>[1] Make the initial scene high on internal detail, low on external detail. An easy example is combat. Describe in detail the foes, the blows and the combat details, but be fuzzy on the surroundings -- so that the combat can occur anywhere there is a "biggish room with some beams running near the rafters"</p><p></p><p>[2] Cut away from the initial scene just before the reveal. So, when the fight is just about won, say "their leader tumbles to the floor, dead by your blade, and you stride purposefully towards his backpack, knowing the prize is in it ... (pause) Three days earlier ..."</p><p></p><p>[3] Run the intro scene with throw-away characters. You play the guards as they fail to stop the villains gain access to the keep. Jump back to your players' main characters as they try and track down the villains. When they finally meet up with the villains, they are damaged to the extent the guards were able to (or delayed, or whatever ...). This means no need to synch up continuity, so is a nice easy approach if your players are OK with that sort of idea.</p><p></p><p>Most importantly, be prepared to have the players disrupt the continuity. If that happens, do not railroad. Instead retcon and just let the players know they surprised you! If they arrest the opponents, before the final fight actually occurred, let the players know they did really well, and make the now-invalidated scene a dream or vision -- it "could have been ..."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="GrahamWills, post: 6562651, member: 75787"] I've done this a few times, and some of the successful approaches I've had are: [1] Make the initial scene high on internal detail, low on external detail. An easy example is combat. Describe in detail the foes, the blows and the combat details, but be fuzzy on the surroundings -- so that the combat can occur anywhere there is a "biggish room with some beams running near the rafters" [2] Cut away from the initial scene just before the reveal. So, when the fight is just about won, say "their leader tumbles to the floor, dead by your blade, and you stride purposefully towards his backpack, knowing the prize is in it ... (pause) Three days earlier ..." [3] Run the intro scene with throw-away characters. You play the guards as they fail to stop the villains gain access to the keep. Jump back to your players' main characters as they try and track down the villains. When they finally meet up with the villains, they are damaged to the extent the guards were able to (or delayed, or whatever ...). This means no need to synch up continuity, so is a nice easy approach if your players are OK with that sort of idea. Most importantly, be prepared to have the players disrupt the continuity. If that happens, do not railroad. Instead retcon and just let the players know they surprised you! If they arrest the opponents, before the final fight actually occurred, let the players know they did really well, and make the now-invalidated scene a dream or vision -- it "could have been ..." [/QUOTE]
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