Master Derailing
“In preparations we never take everything into the account of possibilities. Every player at the table has the potential to rock the campaign off course, even the quiet ones. No, especially the quiet ones.”
Not Today, Mescrit!
We’ve all seen more than one Mescrit find a home with a rag tag bag of adventurers. Well, I say Mescrit, but the adopted supporting character who ends up trailblazing with the party. We’ve seen companions in many campaigns and oftentimes the collection of them are little derails from the main story the Story Guide is offering.
Unplanned, but Entertained
Yet, it was the way she said her choice which made us laugh until tears were dripping down from our eyes. Bob couldn’t breath, although the campaign shock came afterwards, we were truly in awe of what transpired.
Being in the moment of the narrative is paramount. Letting small distractions from the outside world run amuck hurts the story. The Story Guide is there to entertain by default as common knowledge, but they are the host in truth. The entertainment was always in the hands of the guests.
Unlock Everything!
Campaign Shock
Growing confidence in the choices a player has to make for their characters given the situation are often guided by personal reasoning. This reasoning may come from how the player themselves would react to the scene, their interpretation of what their character would do as an added layer, or potentially with the intention of shocking the campaign. My advice here isn’t to always go for the shake it up, but keep it in mind when the tension is high. Strike while the iron is hot.
Derail Points to Avoid
There are a lot of moments the Story Guide has prepared. The novices and newbies won’t always be ready with a supporting character’s name or a player’s character who is always trying to meet every passerby, pick pockets, swipe loose loot, insult friendly supporting characters, or attempting to seduce the dragon.
Avoid killing the big moments. The vibe isn’t always going to be the jester’s knob. Not every story point is going to be one where derailing for the sake of comedic relief is appropriate. Of course a good joke is memorable, but the moments of the story which follow us longest are the tear jerks, moments of victory, the cliffhangers which seem to promise a quick demise leaving us waiting in suspense. And most certainly, don’t reign on another’s parade.
Story Guide’s Notes: Campaign Shock
As a Story Guide, I enjoy some campaign shock. Total derails are the spice of the roleplaying dynamic between players and their Story Guide. Of course in the first few years when sitting at the table getting thrown a curve ball could be frustrating. Disruptive derails which don’t apply to the game at hand are always unwelcome. The ones where the entire tone of the campaign shifts into a new arch of storytelling because of the audacious decisions of my players? I am down every time to figure out the moment.
