Helping Each Other: Narrators and Players

Okay folks, the topic for today is the major points of the relationship between a narrator and a player. What each one wants out of the relationship, and the major hurdles therein. I know there are those out there that are just bad apples with the way they approach the whole thing, you’ve probably run into them, and so have I. However, we’re not talking about them. We’re talking about a good Narrator and a good Player, because even with both of them having their heads on straight things can still go downhill, and I’m sure you already know what they say rolls downhill.

Game Gurus, Dungeon Masters, Storytellers, Narrators.. Whatever you wish to call them. They have one thing in common; they want to tell a story. Sometimes they’re content with running your own personal storylines, but far more often they have a larger picture in the back of their mind that they want to bring into the light and show you how awesome it is. Once you understand this, you’ve a fairly decent idea what the narrator is getting out of taking on this monumental task of running the game for you and your compatriots. It also follows that they need your help to do it.

Player tips:

Listen to what the narrator describes and write anything that could be a hint down. Even if they don’t make ANY sense to you now, they probably will help you make decisions on what to do later down the road and your storyteller may or may not be able to repeat them for you when it comes to the turning point.

Don’t be afraid to give them feedback. If something’s wrong then let them know in a constructive manner and raise any concerns you may have without losing your head (if possible.) Try not to completely stop the roleplay train in doing so, that just gets frustrating when the moment is suddenly lost.

Try to see more than just your character’s personal wants, needs, and storyline. Be willing to put them aside for awhile to give everyone (players and narrators alike) a chance to further their own stories, they will appreciate this, and be more willing to help you with yours.

Give your narrator something to work with, let them know your character’s flaws, their enemies, their fears and hopes that you want to explore. These flaws aren’t just ways to get extra points, they make the story deeper. Remember while the narrator may be writing your enemy, your narrator is NOT your enemy. Give them the benefit of the doubt and they'll usually give you a hell of a story.

Don’t keep things from the narrator, unless you have to. A good one will work with you on your sneaky plots without telling the other players. Not telling them about it before you spring it on everyone can lead to some serious arguments that could have been avoided if you mentioned it first.

If you’re a narrator, you can see where players not doing this kind of thing will lead to major hurdles and frustrations for you and them later on, so you might want to point them at this article if you have issues. Now as for your average player they’ve got a character that appeals to them and a personal story they want to play out. A select few may be content with following the storyline the narrator plays out and doing nothing else, but those are few and far between.

Narrator tips:

Don’t write a story that is completely at odds with your players and their characters. They won’t have fun, and if they won’t have fun, odds are you won’t either. So know your players, and know their characters, and if you’re in doubt, run a teaser by them and see if they take the bait.

Have something the players really want for their characters so that they’re willing to run all over creation, fight monsters, and turn over rocks to get at it. If they (or their superiors) don’t want it badly enough, they’re not going to try very hard and your grand scheme might fall apart with lack of interest.

Give them sufficient information to make important decisions instead of handing them all the answers, and if they still aren’t getting what you’re trying to get them to do, then give them the chance to roll dice for insight. Also make sure they can get the tools they need to accomplish things, but remember they will appreciate having it a lot more if they had to work for it.

Just like you want to see progress from your players they want to see progress in the storyline. It can’t just be catastrophe after catastrophe, there has to be an accomplishment every now and again. Without them roleplay can be a study in futility, which will discourage even the most hard headed player and narrator.

While the most powerful consequences are psychological, don't abuse it. Know where your players limits are and be careful about pushing them. You don’t want to take their enjoyable activity and turn it into a serious nightmare, that not only hurts them but the game as a whole. The position of narrator implies a certain amount of trust, and using that trust to torture a player or to do something to their character that has no bearing on the story not only violates that player's trust, but makes everyone question the narrator's motives. Just don’t do it.

Now if you are a player, you can see how the Narrator not doing this kind of thing will seriously annoy you and your fellow adventurers. I’ve been there too. We both know there are bad apples out there that just do whatever they want, and it’s a fact that people can sometimes get too into the game. Your case may or may not be one of them, confirm before you condemn. I have a few more tidbits of wisdom to hand out, these ones are for players and narrators alike.

When the game (or real life) gets too serious for you, take a break. Do a fun side quest or work on a different game altogether. Games have (and will!) fallen apart under this kind of stress, so never be ashamed to take a breather if you need it.

Keep out of character real life motivations separate from in character motivations. Yes there are lines not to cross, and these lines do vary by the people involved. Don’t push them, talk with your fellow players and at least try to settle where these lines are. You may or may not be successful, but at least you tried.

Remember that things said and done in character are not necessarily meant as an out of character affront. Give people the benefit of the doubt and most of the time you’ll be rewarded with some pretty kickass story. Of course there is the occasional instance where that kneejerk instinct was correct and they were fucking with you, and if that’s the case, you’ll soon know for sure and the solution is to NOT play with them.

When there is a conflict with your fellow gamers: STOP. Consider your words before you say them. LISTEN. Try to understand where they are coming from and find a solution between you. If you do these two things, 70% of the unnecessary Drama involved in gaming is gone.

Hope I’ve helped, at least a little bit.