Oy! Hey hi, friends and fellow gamers. Welcome to my thread about Storytelling and the unspoken mechanics that a lot of DM's could possibly miss out on using. DM'ing a game can be as hard as it is rewarding. You're the last line of defense for a game to work. Whether it be arguing characters or the world you populate at your gaming table, the basis of all good games is the story that holds it in place.
If the world you create is the paper, then your storytelling is the binding that holds the pages together to form the book. I think it would be nice for us to have a support network to hash out storytelling ideas and how to activate plots without feeling like you're railroading your players. That's what I would like to achieve on this and subsequent threads. The better we are at our jobs, the better the game will be. It's not all about rules and dice rolls, sometimes it's the good ol yarn that your players will remember years later.
The best thing to do when running your game is to put the story in your player's hands. Yes, you may have your module, Adventure or Homebrew notes planned out...the story is there. But you're just the director of this show and an actor when need be. I think the best thing to push your story forward is to always ask your players what they are doing. They are the ones exploring and playing in this sandbox and getting them more involved in their actions will really help most stories move along. This seriously is my first rule of DM'ing that I share with friends who are interested in grabbing some pointers. Your party is at the tavern, "What are you doing?" Setting up camp, "What are you doing?" This isn't to pester them but to give them a chance to live out their character. Especially when there's a stall in your game during an encounter with an NPC. While some players are trying to figure out how to get more information from the NPC, ask the other players what they are doing while their talkers are in conversation.
Keep the flow of your story going by having your players play their roles. Give them the freedom to express themselves, because that's what this game is about, right? Living out a fantasy in the comfort of your home/game store. What makes the story great, the one that you are running is that it's a created story. I have a saying, "My world, our story." Because when it comes down to it, this is a story that we create together.
Tomorrow I will post Part 2 on this thread. Please leave comments below and if you have any questions about DM'ing this is the forums to ask it. Have a great day and enjoy your life's quests.
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"...Debts must always be paid, sometimes in more than blood and gold. But this is Ordo Ursa," Ren places his hand on Erakas's chest, right where the Dragonborn's heart is. "Right here. And it always has been and always will be. Don't ever forget that. Because I won't."
Serandis Mendaen (Aereni Elven Rogue/maybe one day Wizard)- Project Point Playtest
Oy! Hey hi, friends and fellow gamers. Welcome to my thread about Storytelling and the unspoken mechanics that a lot of DM's could possibly miss out on using. DM'ing a game can be as hard as it is rewarding. You're the last line of defense for a game to work. Whether it be arguing characters or the world you populate at your gaming table, the basis of all good games is the story that holds it in place.
If the world you create is the paper, then your storytelling is the binding that holds the pages together to form the book. I think it would be nice for us to have a support network to hash out storytelling ideas and how to activate plots without feeling like you're railroading your players. That's what I would like to achieve on this and subsequent threads. The better we are at our jobs, the better the game will be. It's not all about rules and dice rolls, sometimes it's the good ol yarn that your players will remember years later.
The best thing to do when running your game is to put the story in your player's hands. Yes, you may have your module, Adventure or Homebrew notes planned out...the story is there. But you're just the director of this show and an actor when need be. I think the best thing to push your story forward is to always ask your players what they are doing. They are the ones exploring and playing in this sandbox and getting them more involved in their actions will really help most stories move along. This seriously is my first rule of DM'ing that I share with friends who are interested in grabbing some pointers. Your party is at the tavern, "What are you doing?" Setting up camp, "What are you doing?" This isn't to pester them but to give them a chance to live out their character. Especially when there's a stall in your game during an encounter with an NPC. While some players are trying to figure out how to get more information from the NPC, ask the other players what they are doing while their talkers are in conversation.
Keep the flow of your story going by having your players play their roles. Give them the freedom to express themselves, because that's what this game is about, right? Living out a fantasy in the comfort of your home/game store. What makes the story great, the one that you are running is that it's a created story. I have a saying, "My world, our story." Because when it comes down to it, this is a story that we create together.
Tomorrow I will post Part 2 on this thread. Please leave comments below and if you have any questions about DM'ing this is the forums to ask it. Have a great day and enjoy your life's quests.
"...Debts must always be paid, sometimes in more than blood and gold. But this is Ordo Ursa," Ren places his hand on Erakas's chest, right where the Dragonborn's heart is. "Right here. And it always has been and always will be. Don't ever forget that. Because I won't."
Serandis Mendaen (Aereni Elven Rogue/maybe one day Wizard)- Project Point Playtest
Where was part 2 to this? I was eagerly awaiting, but it never came. : (
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