From: RolePlayingTipsWeekly on behalf of Johnn
Sent: Saturday, July 23, 2005 4:01 PM
To: Roleplaying Tips Weekly
Subject: Roleplaying Tips Weekly #274: 6 Monstrous Tips

Roleplaying Tips Weekly E-Zine Issue #274
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READERS' TIPS OF THE WEEK

1. One Way To Handle Split Parties
From: Chris Schlosser
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Hi Johnn,

Thanks for putting out a great newsletter! I've found the
following method to work very well with a split party.

First of all, this will only work with co-operative players.
If you have discipline issues in your group, this will not
work at all. You need to control your gaming group with an
iron fist for this, otherwise you will have a big mess on
your hands. If done properly, everyone will have fun.

The big trick is taking over everything that's going on at
once and keeping it organized while suspending the disbelief
of your players. It works pretty well once the players get
used to it.

Next, watch a few Friday the 13th movies, or any sort of
horror movie involving drunken teens that split up. Pay
particular attention to how the film switches between the
different scenes. Take the same approach to running your
split party. Make each party splinter have their own
"scene."

Mind the following:

* Make sure the party has a common goal, otherwise you won't
get them back together again.
* While the scene is going on, make sure that players not in
the scene remain quiet. They are playing the role of the
movie audience.
* If the other players start to blurt out hints, be firm
that they cannot speak to the active players.
* If they start telling you what they are doing in the
other party splinter, silence them and let them know you'll
get to them shortly. Relax and enjoy!
* Keep the time that you pay attention to one splinter of
the party very short. This way, your players won't get
bored.
* Leave the players hanging without an outcome often. This
will keep them on their toes.
* Stay aware of how long certain things take. Picking a lock
takes more than one round of combat.
* Glaze over tedious bits of roleplaying. If the blademaster
wants to kill the sickly goblin, it's a safe bet that he'll
be successful. No dice rolling is needed here.
* Try to stick with a steady timeline to avoid having to
"rewind" time and change events.


Going back to the horror movie example, this is what an
evening at Camp Crystal Lake might look like as a
roleplaying session:

Billy: Player 1
Boomer: Player 2
Jenny: NPC
Jason: Monster / serial killer

Billy, Boomer and Jenny are sitting in the living room of a
cabin watching a football game on TV. Boomer makes fun of
Jenny, who gets mad and goes out to the porch.

GM: All right Billy, what are you doing?

Billy: I'm going to share a beer with Jenny on the porch,
smooth things over, and try to convince her to go skinny
dipping.

GM: Jenny is standing on the porch, leaning against a pole,
staring out into the moonlight. Her giant 80s hair looks
gorgeous! She smiles when she sees you approach with 2 cans
of beer.

Boomer: You should have brought more beer!

GM: Please be quiet Bommer, you're not there.

Billy: All right, I give her a can of beer and ask her if
she's all right and ask her if she wants to go for a swim.

GM: Roll a diplomacy check.

Billy: Uh, 17. (GM notes that this is a success, but doesn't
tell Billy.)

GM: Ok, you start talking to Jenny, telling her that Boomer
is just a dumb jerk.

(Switch to Boomer)

GM: Meanwhile, Boomer, the TV you were watching goes dead.
Billy just walked away with your last 2 cans of beer.

Boomer: Just great! I think there's more beer in the fridge.
I'll go get some.

GM: You go to the kitchen in the back of the cabin. Make a
spot check.

Boomer: Oh no! 4! (This was to notice the murderer with the
hockey mask peering into the kitchen window, but poor Boomer
failed.)

GM: All right, you spot the fridge and start looking for
more beer. Roll a search check.

Boomer: 15. (Doesn't matter, but we'll let Boomer roll a
dice to make him think something's up.)

(Switch to Billy - Jason is hiding in the bushes at the back
of the cabin and starts moving towards the door. Billy and
Jenny are on the porch and might hear something.)

GM: All right Billy, Jenny likes where this is going. You
finish your beers and get up. Make a listen check.

Billy: 22!

GM: You hear some rustling in the bushes at the back of the
cabin.

Boomer: Do I hear this?

GM: I'll get to you in a second.

Billy: What was that? I shout, "Boomer, is that you?"

GM: You wait a few seconds and get no response. Jenny says,
"It was probably just a squirrel. Let's go to the lake."

Billy: Uh, sure.

(Switch - Jason has opened the back door and is sneaking up
behind Boomer, who is digging in the fridge.)

GM: Boomer, you found some beer way in the back of the
fridge. Make a listen check.

Boomer: 18.

GM: You hear the back door open and some footsteps behind
you.

Boomer: I look behind me.

GM: A big man in a hockey mask just walked into the kitchen.
He has a bloody machete! Roll initiative.

And so on.