Untitled - Index of - Free

the big guy is actually a Detective, just pulling out his
badge; now wouldn't that be a shame ...
Clarify Each Statement
If there's any chance for misinterpretation of an
Actor's statement of intent, then clarify it with that Actor.
Ask any appropriate questions, then re-word the Actor's
final statement as you feel it was meant, and feed it back
for approval.
Handle Miscommunications
If it seems obvious that an Actor simply doesn't
understand a situation properly, then re-describe it, in­
cluding the Stage, the position of the Main and Supporting
Cast members, and any important actions in progress.
You may need to pull out a pencil and paper and draw
what's going on. This is a game of fantasy and imagina­
tion. If you allow misconceptions to dictate peoples'
actions, then it's just going to be frustrating.
If an Actor is having difficulty describing to you
exactly what her action is, or how her character will
perform it, then you're going to have to help. For example,
that Actor may not know how leverage works while
wrestling, or the effective range of a shotgun. You're
going to have to supply that information if it's appropriate
to the character in question (ie. the character has some
Wrestling Skill, or Weaponsmith Skill, etc.). If it's not
appropriate to the character in question, then you can let
her find out the hard way (see 'Step 4- Description of
Results'). If you don't know much about either wrestling,
or shotguns, then discuss these things with the rest of the
Troupe. Either someone else will know, or you should be
able to come to some mutual agreements. Please don't
argue, that's not the point. Just come up with something
that sounds realistic to everybody.
Deliver Warnings
If, after handling any miscommunications, you find
that an Actor wishes to try and perform some action that
seems destined to get her character in trouble, and the
character in question should know better (ie. that role has
the appropriate Skill Ranks to know she's in danger), then
you should probably warn her. Warn the Actor whether
you plan for her character to Succeed or not. For ex­
ample, 'Gee, diving for that gun in the middle of the room
sure seems like it'll leave you in the open, with all that gun
fire going on .. .'
You're not doing this to save the character any grief,
but rather to make sure that the Actors have no com­
plaints, like 'My character should have known better ... ' By
the way, sometimes this will stop an Actor from taking a risk
her character would have Succeeded at. More's the pity.
STEP 2- INT EGRATE ALL ACTIONS
Now take all the actions you've heard described,
and decide how each of your Supporting Cast members
will fill out the rest of their combat Rounds. Back up for one
moment, and then be creative.
Get a Mental 'Picture' of the Action
Get an overall picture of the entire combat Round in
your head. Don't worry, it'll fit. Think about the Stage, the
props, and any fortunate, or unfortunate coincidences
which might occur. These are always a lot of fun.
Describe All Preparatory Motion
Start to describe what actually happens during the
combat Round. Get as far as you can in your description
without having to make any judgements of Result yet.
This is a set-up for your descriptions of Success and
Failure to come. The tip of the iceberg. For example ...
c:::> 'All right, the three of you are rushing the guy
on the platform as the curtain begins to fall
away behind him. You reach your target as
the heavy curtain hits the ground, and you
realize that the stage has been built in front
of some weird looking holographic screen.
You don't have much time to notice, but it
seems to be displaying an incredibly realistic
3D view of some alien landscape. You're
opponent's eyes go wide as he sees you
coming .. .'
Now pause for just a moment to let their apprehen­
sion sink in.
STEP 3 - DECISIONS OF SUCCESS AND
FAILURE
The moment has come. You must now decide who
needs to Succeed, and who needs to Fail. Necessity is
always in terms of your plot. Every Scene, in each of your
Episodes, needs to have a reason for existence. This
includes combat Scenes as well. If you don't know why a
combat is occurring, then you can't possibly decide how
to carry it out from Round to Round. If you know what the
purpose of each combat is, then you can play with the
individual combat Rounds at your leisure, for maximum
effect.
This is so important, we'll repeat it. If you don't know
why a combat is occurring, or where its outcome should
carry your story, then it's most likely going to fall apart on
you. Theatrical combat always has a purpose, and it
is that purpose which guides its portrayal.
Theatrix - The Core Rules 99