Here you can find answers to questions about how the board works. Use the links or search box below to find your way around.
Story Guide: The person that drives or guides an episode and/or story arc to completion. They are the person that is the go-to for all major questions regarding your character’s role. The Story Guide would also be the person to see if you have an idea for development or a scenario you would like to see added for your character.
Note: There is only ONE Story Guide and they have the final word regarding changes and additions.
Story Architect: The person(s) that designs the complete script for play. They will often serve as the Story Guide as well.
Story Concept: The person that came up with the core idea. Example: Lines in the Sand: Gabriel designed by Flaim based on a concept created by Daniel Jackson and Samantha Carter.
Storyteller: In essence, each person writing is a Storyteller. Our characters will be assigned certain Storyteller roles within each episode / story arc. This is to serve as a guideline to give the Player/Writer a direction to go in assisting the Story Guide.
Examples of Storyteller Roles:
Lead ST, Chapter 01: Opening scenes and overall cultural information seen from Daniel Jackson’s POV.
Antagonist, Chapter 02: Ambush and kidnapping of Dr. Morgan to be told from the POV of Lian.,/p>
Communication is Imperative: Story Architects and Story Guides cannot do an effective job unless they know what the Players want. We are going to assume that neither the Story Architects nor the Story Guides are psychic. Therefore, it is imperative that we all communicate our wants, desires, and goals to them.
Okay, as stated in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Legend of the Black Pearl, these are more like guidelines than hard-core rules. If single words could be used to describe the ideal Story Guide, they would be: Flexible, Willing to Listen, Helpful, Insightful, Organized, and Logical...amongst others. Part of a Story Guide's job is to ensure that the Storytellers/Players know their roles and have fun helping one another tell the story. Communications from all is vital to make any collaboration succeed. It is even more true when it comes to collaborative writing efforts. Please use the below guidelines as they are meant; an aid to good RPing.
Communicate with your players; what you do not tell them, they cannot know.
Describe the things your players encounter in as much detail as necessary for them to be able to visualize the scene. Remember, your players are not telepathic: tell them what they see/hear/find.
If your players go left instead of right, then move the dragon left and the latrine right – do not demand rewrites if things can be fixed by a little shifting around and some creative thinking.
If your players overlook a major plot point, give them some help to realize there was something they should notice.
Example: If you need the team to check out a den, but they intend to go the other way; have the local farm boy tell them “Sir… by the den in the woods – at night there are screams. Blood curdling screams. They wake the dead.”
Sometimes the best options for developing a character arise in the middle of situation, work with your players in these moments to help them to make the best out of the opportunity.
Respect their wishes and ideas for the characters and work with them to achieve their goals
Remember who the character belongs to! Unless the plans for the character totally contravenes Canon as chosen and established by the RPG, allow the Players their creative license.
Do not go lightly against the boundaries Players have for their characters, especially when it comes to severe injuries, torture, rape, murder, abuse, psychological warfare, and death, etc. That does not mean that a character can not be injured or suffer damage due to dangerous situations but never break established player boundaries lightly. All character deaths need to be discussed with the player in advance and agreed upon.
A scenario is a chain of events planned and agreed upon – respect it. If you feel that logic dictates certain things would or would not happen, then be creative on explaining why these things did or did not occur.
Example: If Magiár the Evil Mage is supposed to fight a duel with one of the heroes, do not bring in his personal guard to take down the hero and his friends. If you feel you have to explain where the guard is – mention that he was ordered to guard the Mage's Mistress during her daily bath. In other words, be creative in sending them somewhere else. Do not always expect the Players to fix your oversights or even know there was an oversight.
If your Players have taken an inordinate amount of time on the road with their heroes, and then decided to sit down by the wayside to talk to their new comrade because they are a little weary of him – do not push them needlessly. Exercise some judgment: these moments might be important in the long run. Draw the line between tarrying and development of scenes. Sometimes a little lost time can later prove to be the gold of story.
Even as it is your job to put obstacles in their way, never play against your players. You are not their enemy and it is not your job to kill them. It is your job to provide the dangers and obstacles needed by the scenario for challenges. Give the characters things to overcome, but when they do, do not challenge them regarding their solution unless it contravenes something established in writing as part of the story.
