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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 8226951" data-attributes="member: 42582">If someone asked me what Indiana Jones dramatic needs are, these would include:* To repair his relationship with Marion; * To prove himself as an archaeologist by outwitting his rivals in his quests for treasure; * (At least in the last movie) to prove himself to his father as an appropriate heir to the family tradition.This brings with it a number of components of the fiction: Marion; a father; treasures to be recovered; rivals to be outwitted.I 100% agree with Ovinomancer here: the idea that choosing a dramatic need for a PC could be difficult - moreover wilfully so - is strange to me. The last time I GMed a RPG session in which I, as GM, already had situation and broad parameters of resolution sketched out as a one-session run through Castle Amber (we did PC generation and then a modest number of rooms). But precisely because the parameters were already established I didn't bother asking the players to decide on dramatic needs for their PCs!But in other games, where I generally do have some interest in dramatic need, I don't establish the situation or any broad parameters of resolution until after the players have said what their dramatic needs are.I think Imaro's post gives a clear outline of what seems to me a fairly typical way of using GM notes:We can see here that the role of notes (beyond serving as memory aids for mechanics - 4, 5) is to support framing (1, 2 3, 6) and to help determine consequences of action declarations (maybe 1, definitely 2, and also 3 and perhaps 6).In protgaonistic play the notes that the GM makes at 1, 2 and 3 would all be done after learning of the dramatic needs established for the players.I am big fan of non-turtling play, for much the same reason that I prefer backgammon to chess as a boardgame and five hundred to bridge as a card game. But this really doesn't have much connection to the idea of protagonistic RPGing. And it doesn't really shed light on the role of GM notes.</blockquote>

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