Last issue I discussed how you can see
a Story game as a particular kind of Dungeon. Of course, you can also
see the dungeon as a particular kind of story. Even better, you can
combine the two different game types - sparking one of the other.
You might already be doing this of
course, putting story elements in your dungeon, or perhaps little
dungeons in your story. Even if you do, doing this consciously can
make it much easier running your game.
Quests: a Story in your Dungeon
If you are more comfortable with
dungeon, endless corridors with dangerous denizens, and fiendish
subterranean complexes, you'll probably want to start there. Your
party would explore a mythic under-earth place, perhaps with some
sort of overall goal in mind - perhaps not. Often, you'll just delve
toward the deepest level like in a game of "Dungeon Hack"
or its modern variant "Diablo".
Stories typically enter such a setting
as little "quests". In a room you may chance upon a patron
asking your services, or on a dying creature with a treasure map, or
even an enemy demanding something special before you may pass. Each
of these encounters may spark off little stories, or puzzles,
depending on how you use them. These are quests.
Quests only become stories once you
also insert scenes. Computer games do this all the time, as "cut
scenes" between the action. But these are seldom giving any
choice to the heroes, or their players. What you want in a game is
some freedom of choice, and choices that matter.
Scenes are a kind of Encounter
Your quests will be small stories, with
a beginning and an end, and some developments in between. Each
development is a scene - and each scene, is a kind of encounter
taking place somewhere. A story can take different paths, and you
might want to think up new scenes as you go along - but they can all
take place in your dungeon. You just need enough space to have your
story in.
Suppose your heroes encounter a band of
orcs, who have a prisoner. That's your opening scene for the quest -
a encounter with the orcs. Once the heroes freed the prisoner, and
either killed, captured or chased away the orcs, the prisoner is very
thankful and reveals he was searching a treasure here. He had a map,
but he had to hide it while the orcs were chasing him - that's scene
two. The heroes may now navigate to where the map may be or first do
other things. But once the heroes get to the point where the map is,
you can trigger scene three: it's now guarded by a horrible wandering
monster, or perhaps it has fallen down a treacherous chute. Once the
heroes have the map, they will be able to study it, and this might be
scene four. It could be for example, that the heroes now recognize
the area of the map, and realize it is a very dangerous area they
have run away from before. This may spark of an interesting
discussion of whether they want to go there at all.
And so you could spin your little story
on further, while in between your scenes the heroes explore the
dungeon and have their regular encounters. You may find that your
players live up every time a new piece of the story appears, and that
it gives new direction to your adventures.
Scenes are Challenges
Each new story element should pose some
sort of choice, or challenge. Perhaps the heroes find that the
prisoner they freed was part of a team he betrayed, and that that
team is also out looking for the treasure. Suppose they now encounter
that other team - whose side will they choose?
Also, each scene could end differently,
and the story could bend in many ways. The map could end up damaged,
or stolen, the prisoner wounded mortally, the orcs might return later
in greater force. You don't have to tie down the storyline beforehand
(better not!), and you don't have to be strict about where things
should take place either. You can also insert a new development of a
quest whenever you feel the game slows down, or the players need some
change of pace.
An Overall Storyline
Once you are comfortable with quests,
or perhaps before, you may want to have an overall storyline to your
dungeon too. This may be a main quest, that drew the heroes into your
dungeon in the first place. Perhaps they look for a long lost
treasure, a long lost race, or a prisoner that was taken in deep.
Perhaps they want to defeat an ancient evil that hides on a deep
level, and now sends out it's minions to terrorize the world above -
this is naturally the classic dungeon theme.
An overall storyline would have at
least one opening scene - but you might have one for each new session
you start, just to remind your players why they are there. An opening
could be an encounter with the minions of the evil mastermind - an
assault, a surprise attack, or even a negotiator, or a victim.
During the game, you would have
developments. The heroes might beat an important minion, or lose a
good friend. They might find a special weapon to fight their enemy,
or discover a map proving a new route to his lair. They might
befriend new allies in their quest, or free prisoners with new
information. Each of such scenes will not only add spice to your
dungeon, it will give direction to your game and your players. Most
importantly it will enrich your game and make it more fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment