AbdulAlhazred
Legend
What would you say to the notion that there's a continuum between entirely predefined plot trad play and what @innerdude outlined, with your mix of predetermined elements and Narrativist play somewhere in the middle?Note that everything innerdude stated about stake setting is inimical to what I want from a role-playing game. There is a strand of Narrativist play born from those ideas and it’s usually this strand that people point to when they talk about a writers room approach and so on.
I’ll illustrate the way I’d do it, although the example is going to be a little contrived. Also note there’s lot of superficial similarities. Assume we’re playing Sorcerer and I’m the GM.
Player: I want to meet the Princess alone, would it be a faux pas to ask the King for that as my reward for wining the duel?
Me: I don’t know about alone, alone. You could ask for a date or whatever the mediaeval equivalent is called. Maybe a walk in the gardens and there would be a chaperone walking a distance behind you.
Player: Fine. So let’s see if I win this duel.
We roll and the player wins. He approaches the King.
Me as the King: My noble knight, what is thy reward?
Player: My Lord, I ask merely for a date with your daughter, a walk in the gardens mayhap.
I think about the Kings priorities. Maybe I’ve established him (off-screen) as being really status obsessed.
Me as the King: I admire your ardore good knight but it takes more than winning a tournament to court a princess. Maybe perform such deeds as make you worthy of being a lord and thence ask again. (and the court as a whole chuckles)
Player: Ah, my lord, I was dependant upon your beneficent. It was foolish of me.
Me: Wait, that’s really going to make the king angry with you.
Player: Yeah but I’m showing him up in front of the court, kind of forcing his hand.
Me: (I think about the Kings priorities.) Yeah that makes sense. So it’s a conflict then. Will your words embarrasses the king enough for him to relent or is he going to hold fast. Also if you fail, things will go badly for you. And either way you’ve made an enemy of him.
Player: I’m ok with that.
We roll and the player wins.
Me: There’s a shocked gasp from the court and the King turns red. He says in a strained tone. ‘well never let it be said that I am not beneficent, you shall have your walk in the gardens’
Me: look at my prep and see that this night is the night I’ve written down that the assassin murders the princess.
Me: so next day as you’re preparing for your garden stroll. There’s a scream. The princess has been murdered in the night.