Faery's Tale Deluxe - Etud

If you’re going to be playing again soon, you
might even set up the next adventure during
this denouement—perhaps, during the ball at
the Fey Court, after the ceremony, the faeries
receive a letter from the escaped arch-villain
vowing revenge!
The key to great stories is to remember the
player’s faeries always are the heroes. Their
choices or actions drive the story. The faeries
may meet all kinds of interesting and even
helpful faeries, people, and creatures along the
way, but these Narrator-controlled characters
must never steal the spotlight from the
heroes—even if this means they sometimes
fail. Nothing kills the fun of an interactive
storytelling game faster for a player than being
relegated to the sidelines by a Narrator who
forgets the game’s interactive aspect always
trumps the story.
Storytelling Tips
Now that you’ve got the basics of being a
Narrator down, here are a few more tips.
• Try to personalize the story. The faeries
don’t just save just any rabbit from the
wolf, but their old friend Hopalong. Or
the wisp behind the plot to kidnap the
Faery Queen isn’t just any pixie gone bad,
but the ex-mentor or former best friend of
one of the heroes.
• Ensure that each player gets a moment
in the spotlight—a chance for her faery
to shine. This might be a particular
challenge or adversary tailored to their
talents, a personal connection to the story,
or anything else that lets her faery be the
center of attention for a while.
• Although you’ll want to avoid frightening
younger players, the more dangerous, scary,
or wicked the villain, the more satisfaction
players will take from defeating her. The
best villains often return in later adventures
for a rematch—sometimes teamed up
with an equally villainous ally to pose an
even greater threat!
• The livelier you can make the scenario,
the better. Use different voices for the
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people you play. Don’t worry if you can’t
do “realistic” accents, just make each
voice different. Use high- pitched, lowpitched,
and regular voices. Have some
encountered characters talk very slowly or
very rapidly, or even have some talk with
fancy or simple words. Mix it up. The key
is to make each character interesting. If
the person encountered is interesting, the
players will remember her.
• No one can win all the time, not even
in a faery tale. But the Narrator can
turn defeat into a temporary setback
rather than an utter failure. This can be
especially important for younger players,
who often are afraid to lose. Perhaps a
gloating villain reveals a vital clue while
taunting the faeries, or their valor in the
face of defeat gains the admiration of a
mentor who can teach them how to win
next time. Defeat in Fa e r y ’s Ta l e is
never the end of the story; sometimes it’s
only the beginning of a brand-new, even
better one.
Preparations
You’ll need to make some preparations for
play if you are the Narrator. After all, you are
i charge of making sure that everyone has
something to do during the story! Along with
a basic plotline plus some antagonists, you’ll
want to be sure there are enough dice and
Essence markers available. Props, such as faery
wings, tiaras, or wands, work well for younger
players. Stuffed animals are good Narrator
props for scenes involving animals; when the
faeries meet a bear, bring out a stuffed bear.
If the faeries are going to be finding a map, a
letter, or a magic ring, try to have a prop ready
rather than just describing it.
Finally, make sure you have a clean,
pleasant, comfortable place to play with few
distractions. A kitchen table works well, but
since Fa e r y ’s Ta l e requires only a little dicerolling
you can play on a couch, on the floor,
or just about anywhere else you’d like. Some
appropriate music in the background may
help set the proper mood, but televisions,
computer games, toys, or other distractions
tend to create problems.