RPG STORY TELLING TECHNIQUES – outline

 

Introduction to Collaborative Storytelling

What kind of story? Heroic, grimdark, epic, gangster, horror, mysterious, whimsical

Everyone must be comfortable with the content!

Will this be fun for everyone involved? Is the question you need to answer in the affirmative.

Story Telling 101

Memorable, dynamic images will carry you – whether you are describing people, places, or things

Speed the plot, share the spot light

Establish a Comprehensible Setting

World-building

Rules of the World

What makes this world different from the one we live in?

How is society organized? How does it function?

What effect does magic have on the world?

How is magic used for and/or against civilization?

Character Creation

Character concept, background, goals/motives both short and long-term, idea of a personality: what makes your character happy, sad, worried, angry, what are they afraid of?

Forming the Party

What brings them together? Are they friends? Belong to the same cult? Attend the same college? Drink at the same bar? Were they in the military together? Are they related by blood or perhaps through an orphanage? Why do they continue to work together?

A note on balancing roles using age-old adventuring party triad

Adventures:

The Adventure Hook

Importance of Atmosphere, Tone, Mood

The difference between tension and suspense and how to use them to entertain

Encounter structure – random or planned

Hook, Conflict – Method of Resolution, Payoff

How does the encounter feed into the overarching story?

Non-playable Characters

Minor vs Major characters

Allies

Enemies

Major Antagonists

How to Create Memorable, Believable Characters

Distinctive appearance and personality, voice acting, recurrence, changes subtle or great

Presentation of Monsters

Payoff: loot, treasure, magic, skills, clues, lore, survival

Downtime and Solo Excursion

Leveling up skills

Healing wounds

Addressing individual character needs/wants

Exploration of culture/social role-play

Returning home to see old friends, or ply a trade

Campaigns

How to tie adventures together to form a cohesive Dramatic Structure

How to utilize player character motivations to drive the narrative

How to emotionally invest your players in the fates of their characters