BW PDF - Midnight Campaign

Tricks & TipsThere are entire books written to the ins and outs of storytelling, printed specifically for many game systems.Most of these have at least some relevancy to this particular game, and many are very useful in honing the craft.This section includes just a few of the tricks and tips that we considered most important to running thisgame in particular. As each group learns to build their own games, they will find their own tricks and tips,and can add their own notes to their game.A FEW FINAL NOTESApart from the overall structure of storytelling, there area few important notes that many storytellers will finduseful, including pitfalls and suggestions that can greatlyimprove a game.KEEP THEM ON THEIR TOESIt is easy for a game like this to become formulaic andpredictable over time, but when players get complacent,the game loses its edge. Betrayals, reversals, surprises andunexpected traps are all good ways to keep players onedge and on the edge of their seats. If the storyteller canput the fear of death into the players early on, they willstay more invested and attentive as the story unfolds.MAIMING & MURDERKilling player characters is sticky business. If a gamehas no risk, it has no danger, and can lack the severityrequired to build effective suspense. On the other hand,players can be very put out if a storyteller arbitrarilymurders their characters. As a storyteller, being willingto kill a player’s character can help drive the story,but should be done very selectively. The death and dyingrules in the game are built specifically to make it difficultfor characters to die unless the players are willing to let ithappen, and the Storyteller should follow this example.It is a bad idea to kill a character if their player is veryattached and not willing to let that character go.Maiming characters is even more tricky. A character withgnarly scars, a hook-hand, or an eye-patch can give flairand flavor to a character and build intensity in the game,but this should be done carefully as well. A player maynot want their character to spend the whole game beingpicked on in this way.NATURAL CONSEQUENCESActions have consequences. Breaking laws can incitethe wrath of the local police force, rushing head-firstinto clear danger can result in serious bodily harm,and walking into a professional merchant’s shopwithout haggle can end with an empty wallet.Often, applying these consequences is a way ofteaching the players the game, defining the charactersby their foibles and weaknesses, and adding a sense ofdepth to the game world.On the other hand, it is always important to keep itfun. Often players play role-playing games to pushtheir limits and do things they wouldn’t normally do,and it is also a good idea to let the players have some fun,notwithstanding the consequences. Keeping this balancecan be tricky, but it is best to keep both perspectives inmind and apply what fits best in a given situation.USING CONTENT & MODULESMost players have the capacity to be very creative, and tocircumvent or side-step many of the encounters that thestoryteller has planned. Because of this, the storytellerneeds to be well-prepared, both with extra materials andwith the capacity to create content on the fly, so that theycan adjust to the actions of the players and keep thingson track.In the best case scenario, the storyteller will not use allof their prepared material, and will likely have to dosome quick thinking to make adjustments. To somestorytellers this can be frustrating, but keep in mind thatthe storyteller is also playing a game, and their creativityshould not end when they’re done making preparations.There are many great pre-built campaign modules forthis and other role-playing games that can walk a groupof characters through a linear plot, but although thesecan be great tools and provide for fun games, it can194