RELEASE: Storyteller Handbook

Storyteller's Handbook

Purpose

So you're a storyteller, what's that exactly mean, anyway? Well, intuitively, it means you tell stories. You're the frontline when it comes to game immersion. You're also the Judges of conflicts that are not formal (meaning they aren't governed directly by code). If Joe wants to steal something from Bob's shack, you might ask Joe to run a stealth check to see if he gets in successfully, or it may be as elaborate as RPing police, setting off security alarms, and writing up an evidence file later for Bob in investigate for the culprit. You're here to make the game feel as real and as exciting as possible. Don't settle for less.

You're the masters of plots and TPs. Even if players aren't requesting for your attention, we expect you to liven it up and RP NPCs. If Joe seems to walk around in armor all the time on Vasatissa, RP NPCs laughing it up and giving them some infamy code-wise for their silly attire! Or maybe Joe's walking like he's the best pimp in Byss, with no bodyguards, and all bling-bling on. RP slaves and thugs trying to mug him. It's limited by your imagination. But your goal is this: make players feel like they're in the gritty world of Star Wars. Not just that they're playing in it.

The three laws of Storytelling are as follows:

1. Any decision must open new avenues of adventure for a player without violating theme.
   
2. Any decision must be made to maximize the fun for the most number of players.
   
3. Any action must be crafted to have multiple possible PC reactions with planned reactions to PC reactions.
   

There's a few important commandments to ALWAYS keep in mind as a Storyteller:

1. Details, details, details. Details are important. They're your crack. Always pay attention to what characters are wearing, their mannerisms, their speech, what's around them, where they are, etc., etc. They'll help you in how you play with the environment and make it fun for others. As said before, if you notice Joe wearing armor ALL THE TIME, where ever he goes, and he happens to stop by on Vasatissa, RP amused NPCs laughing it up to no tomorrow that he's silly for wearing armor. Unless you live in a warzone, you'd probably be startled or pretty amused that your neighbor's wearing a flak jacket.

2. Be aggressive. If players are ignoring you, -force- them to RP with you. Be insistent and firm, but polite. If they speedwalk out without proper RP, tell them to come back.

3. Don't be afraid to give consequences to player actions. Again, if Joe's wearing armor everywhere, and after you RP NPCs laughing it up at him, give him a mild infamy boost in reputation. Maybe if he's famous, have a news post that he's ridiculous for wearing armor all the time! If Bob's wearing shiny jewelry in the slums of Byss, don't be afraid to spawn up some NPC thugs and beat him bloody and raw, and mug a few things. Be reasonable, but don't be shy on consequences.

4. Use code to back-up RP, not RP to back-up code. What's meant is that the emphasis, is obviously on RP. What you can do with RP, do it with RP. If someone wants to sneak past a security check point, don't just make them roll stealth checks. RP the police there, make the player RP how they're actually sneaking by. Depending on how they do it, give them an even harder or easier difficulty. Who knows? Reward players for their creativity and cunning. I'd be far more likely to make the difficulty less if they somehow create a distraction; maybe another PC's a decoy and plays dead and distracts the guards while the other player slips by. I'd certainly make their attempt less difficult than someone else just RPs that they're trying to crouch past the guards. Don't be afraid to force them to RP, no matter how trivial the RP seems. It'll certainly also help you in case you need to write up an evidence file for a PC to investigate later.

5. Show initiative. Be independent. Don't wait for someone else to ask if you guys should animate some NPCs on Rienna for the annual Water Festival, be the one to ask. We expect you all to be shakers and movers.

6. Be consistant! This guide is just that, a guideline. But pay attention to how other Storytellers are ruling and when you make a ruling make sure you make note of it so others can follow your lead as well.

Introduction to GMing

Few things are more difficult and more rewarding than being a GM of a well-run scene. When a third-party GM takes control of the NPCs and environment rather than the players having to pose it themselves or use coded systems as their sole supplement the RP can be richer and more fulfilling. It can also be more challenging and satisfying for the players if they tackle the obstacles you place before them and find themselves either successful or failing. A well-GMed scene will leave people excited and wanting more, no matter if they won or lost!

The following are important issues to remember while GMing:

Be Prepared
Nothing shatters confidence in a GM quicker than long delays and being unprepared for the scene! You should have names of NPCs, hooks, descriptions, etc. all made up before the scene begins. You don't want to be scrambling to get the name of the Industrial Company a pose before it happens.

Observe Players
Don't railroad your players to just do what you want. Give them open-ended hints and if they go somewhere you weren't expecting, tie it in! For example, if they're investigating a town to find out about local Rebel activity, and they decide to check the local hotel, don't just say "You find nothing!" because you had an encounter planned elsewhere. Go off your plan and let them encounter a rebel-sympathizer in the owner of the hotel and maybe they interrogate him. Let the players drive the RP as much as possible.

Give Good Hints
A lot of players read your emits and try to decide what to do, so give some good hints for the PCs to act on. Try to react to their poses as well, give and take between the PCs and the GM is very important to creating great scenes. While you want to let players drive the RP, if you intend to have a bar fight, then make sure you include an emit showing the players there are loud noises and maybe even blaster fire from the bar.

Purpose and Consequences
You're not there to just guide the players down the path to some "win" during your scene. You are providing a realistic event that needs a GM to happen properly. If the security guards spot the PCs, don't let them just walk away, there needs to be RP and skill checks to make clean escapes! What if one of them gets caught? Be creative! The players deserve it.

Do the Unexpected
Of course your spy that told you about the Rebels is very helpful! He's been working for the Sith Empire since before the invasion! But when you walk into the back room of the club for the meeting a bomb goes off! You've been betrayed! But it doesn't end there! You never put an event that YOU did as the end-action of any TP or scene. It should always START a much larger scene.

Be Clever
If you have observed and given good hints, you should be able to get the plot to progress fairly easily. If something comes up that is giving the PCs particular trouble, consider an alternative for them that is NOT a deus ex machina. That means if they can't get the door unlocked, don't have a slicer from the main fleet show up via comsys and open the door. Instead, maybe, have the door opened by a squad of security guards. The same rule applies if the PCs are getting really off-course and you feel you need to course correct. Don't just drop a platoon of guards on them, or have a door they suddenly can't unlock. Figure out a way to bring them back on point that is clever and makes them feel it was THEIR choice. (Such as the way they are going suddenly being where they needed to go. They'll never know!)

Don't Say No Too Quickly
It's very easy to just say "No, you can't" to a player's request or action. But you should never do that. Instead you should allow PCs to try some crazy things. Even if you KNOW it won't work, allow them to try. Be sure to tell them, if you are allowing +check abilities, that even a success at Impossible isn't enough. But if, for example, they are trying to lift an X-Wing with just their bare hands... you COULD say "No" or you could let them try, introduce a little more background and humor in an emit about the failure. If a target is out of range, you could say it's out of range, or you could let them try, and watch what happens! A sniper! A riot! A panic! Who knows! The point is you let the PCs do something and you then emitted a reaction. You cannot have a reaction without the PC's action! So don't say no too quickly!

When to Roll
When deciding when to require a +check or when to just go with it, think to yourself: Is there any reason the player should NOT automatically succeed? The answer is "No" a lot of times, but the times it is "Yes" require a +check. Be very wary of passing judgment yourself. A player will always accept a +check a lot more readily than the arbitrary judgment of a human. Even if they like you!

Duties of a Storyteller

Information Maintenance
Nothing is more time consuming for you as a Storyteller. The Storyteller
Private-Wiki is for staff only and contains information on repetative
NPCs, demographics of planets, battle plans for the Sith and the
Republic. Status of NPC spies. Notes on Player Characters as well!
During your role as Storyteller, you will want to make note of PC
actions, speeches, snubs, disregard for sentient life, desire to
sacrifice themselves for the greater good, etc. These will generate
reactions and opinions on the characters. Larger events will also
generate reactions by factions for or against factions. Keeping track
of this information promptly is very important.

1. Demographic Info -- Has there been an action that will cause a shift in public thinking? This has to be recorded.
   
2. Player Secrets
   -- Many players will have secrets. Some will be damaging, some will be
   beneficial, almost all can be used in RP and TPs. Be sure to keep up on
   any major changes and update them as they happen.
   
3. NPC Info
   -- When you use an NPC, make a note of what happened. You should be in
   the role properly and make note of any reactions they had to various
   PCs.
   
4. TP Arcs -- When you are GMing a TP, keep
   track of all the details on the proper wiki page for the TP. NPC names,
   players involved, factions involved, twists, spins, etc. You will be in
   charge of the TP, but if you're not on and someone needs help, it's
   important that people know what's up.
   

SpyNet Use
The SpyNet tracks countless amounts of information. This information can be
accessed by characters on occasion. It is very important to moderate
this use as the total amount of info being tracked would be too much
info to give to a player. Characters must be aware the SpyNet exists.
Many may have heard rumors about it, but hearing a rumor and knowing
how to access the SpyNet are totally different. You should review with
other staff on a player's access. High-level slicers will likely have
ways to access some information. Players with a contact with SpyNet
also will be able to get info.

Information requests should be made very specific. General requests will return no info as the operators of SpyNet do not just give general info. Slicers who hack the SpyNet will get much less useful information than those who have a contact or meet with a dealer of info. However, the better info is often given in exchange for valuable information. Trading secrets is a very dangerous game and you should ensure that the secret is valid. Don't let a PC trade a fake-secret for real info.

Demographic Adjustments
The realms of politics will often need watching for demographic
adjustments. Speeches and broadcasts made by both the Sith and Republic
will affect how various factions feel toward each other. Actions also
will affect this, though those will be part of larger TPs that include
a great many of a faction's members. A good general rule should be that
a single faction-member, even a Jedi Master, will not usually be able
to affect the demographic beliefs of a faction or planet.

Consult the Wiki for information about attitudes of the various planets, groups
on the planets, and factions. A group which adores self-sacrifice will
not react the same way as a group that believes that only the strong
survive. Take this into account when making emits and adjusting
demographic views of players.

Reaction Emits and News Posts
Somewhat tied into demographics. Reaction emits are just emits of the happenings of the world. Anything noteworthy can be reported, but special emphasis is put on RP-hookable items. Don't put an emit out about a bank heist
and not have the plot ready for PCs who wish to investigate. DO put out
emits about strange occurances that will get TPs and open-plots started!

Running Open-Plot
One of the most important parts of keeping DH2 alive with activity and
immersive events is to have a constantly running set of "Open-Plots"
these are hooks that are drifting in the wind for players to pick up
on. They should be, for the most part only subtly linked to the main
meta-plot. Bank heists, data swipes, crime family hits, kidnappings,
rescues, recoveries, negotiations. Those are the types of events which
will make good Open-Plots. Coordination with senior StoryTellers will
ensure that your open plots tie in with the main-plot as well. It's
very impressive to a player to realize that bank heist they did a few
months ago actually helped fun the R&D of a new speeder that was
used in an invasion! Or the data-swipe set the R&D back of the new
Sith Cruisers by a month!

Player Plot Enabling
Keep your eyes and ears open to what players are doing. Whether this is
through your NPCs or reading news reports or just talking to players
OOCly, is up to you. You want to know what plots players are cooking.
Is Bob trying to get trained better in piloting along with his friend
Bill? Why not run some training sessions with an NPC Captain of Red
Squadron? You hear about someone trying to get ahead as a smuggler?
Then give them some contracts. But this is NOT a "free pass" type of
RP. While it's acceptable to play an NPC for flavor, do not just hand
out success. No one will be satisfied by that. Instead work on
challenges for the player. If they get a contact with you, ensure
there's some inspections along the way that will require some
quick-thinking or quick-flying to avoid trouble! Challenge the player
and be amazed by what they accomplish.

Player Investigations
Often times players will want to investigate various happenings. Using the
SpyNet in an OOC manner to gather data for results of investigations is
suggested. If it is part of a TP or NPC-RP that staff ran, you should
have access to the investigation data anyway. The more important aspect
of this is the RP which you will provide. NPC Witnesses, security
tapes, and clues should be presented to the investigators. Wherever
possible, lead the player toward more RP, and more RP with other PCs.

Ability checks should be made to see how well they do with finding witnesses.
Their RP should stand on its own, but streetwise and command and other
skills will show whether they have the streetsmarts or clout with the
local cops to get to the right people to ask their questions. It
doesn't do any good to ask a person who wasn't there what they saw.

Running Events
Storytellers are the key to telling the story of DH2. Whether it's a multi-part TP
or a single scene that has a major implication for the story it is
important to deliver an awe inspiring event for all participants. Even
yourself! Consider the event as you would a story. A beginning, middle,
and end. Draw on the Star Wars Movies for inspiration, not just for
plot ideas, but also for timing.

1. Pace your event.
   -- If it is a major event like an invasion or massive sabotage, spread
   it over several days. Have information gathering and scouting as part
   of the early parts with the climax being the actual scene of invasion
   or whatever.
   
2. Keep track of which PCs are involved. -- Even the less powerful PCs who might not seem to be the "big guns." You need to provide something for everyone.
   
3. Get help if you need it.
   -- Don't go it alone, especially not for epic events. Get a team, tell
   them what you want, what you need, and timing for the event.
   
4. Plan out your major choices and challenges ahead of time. --
   While you can always throw out minor challenges like a destroyed
   catwalk, a locked blast door or an encrypted computer during a scene,
   you need to know what the big climatic choices are going to be. You
   need to have several planned out for many eventualities. Have backups!
   
5. Plan out your consequences.
   -- Keep in mind what is going to happen. Have a scenario planned out
   for major victory for players or major defeat. Remember that PvP events
   can go both ways.
   
6. Be flexible. -- If someone
   does something unexpected, go with it. You have an event team, right?
   Assign another Storyteller to keep the unexpected-mission going.
   
7. Include Everyone!
   -- This is being repeated twice because it is that important. For Epic
   Events, you need to know WHAT each role will be. Have overlap, and have
   some forking paths. No one wants to just tag along with Bob the
   combat-beast and watch as Bob kills 100 troops and there's nothing for
   them to do.
   
8. Challenge players to make hard choices.
   -- Every victory should be dearly bought. He who dares, wins! But he
   who dares also is harmed. Posturing is not enough; heroes and villains
   must make real, tough choices.
   

Bounty Hunter Guild
Running the Bounty Hunter Guild is another important role for the Storytellers.
Storytellers must keep track of the bounties and provide some NPC
guidance for players wishing to take bounties out or collect info about
bounties to be had. It should be fairly easy, and the Bounty Hunter
Guild Contacts will be recurring NPCs.

IC Consequences Guide
There are many types of IC Consequences that can occur during play on DH2. But the key of good consequences goes back to our three golden rules.

1. Any decision must open new avenues of adventure for a player without violating theme.
   
2. Any decision must be made to maximize the fun for the most number of players.
   
3. Any action must be crafted to have multiple possible PC reactions with planned reactions to PC reactions.
   

So when planning out potential consequences for a scene or an action by a
player, consider what the results of your decision will be. Do not
spell it out for the player what she should do now, but you, as a good
Storyteller should get the ball rolling for them. If you imprison them,
get word to their known PC allies (even their faction) about the
imprisonment. The IC notice can come from a guard that got drunk and
talked too much, or a woman who is a sympathizer with the cause, etc.
Be creative and inventive, and if you put a consequence that APPEARS to
have very few exits, make sure you start the ball rolling for them. We
don't want players to sit in prison going "I don't know what to do! I
can't get out! This sucks!"

Don't be afraid to issue consequences. DH2 is going to be a realistic results MUSH. If you take a fighter deep into enemy territory, you'll get captured. Maybe killed. If you try to kill an admiral? Or try to bomb Republic HQ? You are very
likely getting caught. If you're not, and you manage to escape, NPCs
will, indeed, remember and react to you! So, as Storytellers, it's your
job to make sure everyone is aware of this and we do so consistantly.

NPC Guide
Playing an NPC is an important job for Storytellers. Here are some key things to remember when bringing NPCs alive:

1. You are a living breathing character! You do NOT just exist to give the player what he needs.
   
2. Come up with a background, motivations, and prejudices. It's great if the NPC players need to work with hates their kind.
   
3. Come
   up with quirks. Whether it's an accent, a particular phrase or pose or
   twitch... something that makes the character memorable.
   
4. Never
   steal the spotlight from the PCs. Let them discover the exit, let them
   hotwire the blast doors, let them take the shot at the bad guy.
   
5. Consider
   whether your NPC is a one-off character meant just for the TP, or a
   character that will be useful again and again. This should affect how
   you behave.
   
6. While NPCs are real characters, PCs often treat
   them as less-than that. Don't be bullied. If PCs treat your NPC in a
   way that would make the NPC uncooperative, then have the NPC get fussy!
   
7. If
   the NPC is acting as the guide for the characters, consider giving him
   a different agenda than the PC's agenda. It is intriguing if the NPC
   guide intends to use the PCs to gain success or fame for himself!
   
8. Remember to note changes to on-going NPCs and even one-off NPCs that survive in the wiki.
   

Character Names
Feel free to come up with your own names, but if you want a quick way to
come up with a list, check out:
http://www.dimfuture.net/starwars/random/generate.php

Difficulty Dispute Guide
On occasion you will be called in to settle a dispute between players
about difficulty of a particular action. Listen to them both
respectfully and be sure to ask about any special circumstances. Then
find out the action itself and any prior roles which were made.

• Laughable - You almost shouldn't roll for this it's so easy! Walking up the stairs for an ordinary, unwounded person.
  
• Very Easy - These are tasks that almost anyone can do without fail. Opening a stuck jar, for example.
  
• Easy - These tasks will still be easy for even untrained people. Making a four-foot jump.
  
• Simple - A very simple task for someone trained (five levels or so) in a task. Breaking a kid's speeder bike combo.
  
• Average
  - Untrained people fail half the time at this. But trained people tend
  to just get by with a success. Shooting at a standard blaster target at
  10 feet.
  
• Difficult - Trained people have a fifty, fifty chance of succeeding at this task. Throwing a thermal detonator through a small window.
  
• Very Difficult
  - Unless you are a specialist in something (10 or so levels) you should
  expect failure in these tasks. Walking a balance beam at heights.
  
• Challenging
  - People with advanced skills (15 levels or so) should expect to fail
  around half the time. Experts (20 levels or so) usually succeed.
  Shooting an A-Wing with your lasers in a dog fight.
  
• Impossible
  - Experts will succeed a little more than half the time. Swinging from
  one side of a chasm to the other while troopers shoot at you.
  
• Insane
  - Experts will fail a little more than half the time. Bluffing a
  command-level officer of the Imperial Navy that there is a reactor leak
  on the detention level.
  
• Legendary - Experts
  will fail most of the time. Masters will succeed most of the time.
  Shooting a proton torpedo into a two-meter wide exhaust port.
  

Advantaging and Disadvantaging Actions
Often times, the poses players do will affect the difficulty of their
attempted actions. Successes on previous actions also will affect
difficulty. It's very important for StoryTellers to consistantly adjust
difficulty. Here are the rules for difficulty adjustments:

A player cannot adjust an "instant action's" difficult. This means if it
is a dodge attempt or something that MUST happen immediately, they
cannot take an action prior to that to make it easier. Which leads to:

A player may only adjust his difficulty easier by an actual roll check at the same difficulty. For example, if you are facing an athletic challenge at very difficult to make, the next check must be using any stat, including athletics, at very difficult. The pose should be something like climbing to a window to make the jump easier or convincing someone to give you a boost or finding an object to vault with. If the check succeeds, it lowers the difficulty by one.

Raising the difficulty on a check often will be from botches or failed rolls
prior to the main attempt. If a jump is normally "average" yet they
failed several security checks earlier and now guards are chasing them
and shooting, raise the difficulty by one. They should not be penalized
for failing a check meant to make a check easier. So if they are trying
to find a pole to vault with and reduce the jump difficulty by one, but
don't find any, the difficulty won't change on the jump (of course, the
delay may cause other circumstances to adjust the difficulty. But
generally do not punish a person for trying to reduce difficulty unless
they fail badly.)