Curtain up

Now that the players have their characters and the game master has a story, how do we play? We make use of the running dialog game mechanic that's been adapted from Dungeon World to narrate the action. Let’s examine this dialog:

GM: Describes the current situation.

Players: Respond to the description.

GM: Translates responses into actions and decides if and how many cliché rolls are required by the players.

Players: Make cliché rolls as directed and report results.

GM: Interprets results and describes consequences and repeat...

Whether wandering around the countryside or engaging in mortal combat, this is the structure used to let the story unfold:

Describing the current situation

This is where the GM gets to tell their part of the story. Some descriptions will be more verbose than others. For example the start of the game might require a rather lengthy description to communicate all the information the player’s need to know. There could be a general description and then individual descriptions for each player’s character from their point of view. At the end of each description there is an implied or even a literal “What do you do”? For example:

GM: Torchlight glints off the stones of the sacrificial chamber. You seem to have made it in unnoticed. It’s hard to be sure but it looks like the members of your party are tied to stakes that are arranged in a line each about a meter apart. There is a high priest of Nadaz walking along the stakes chanting with a dagger held high. What do you do?

Responding to the description

This is where the players get to tell their part of the story. Responses can be as simple as “I dive for cover” or as complex as “I run towards the table and begin a knee slide as I reload my uzi and let loose with a burst as I slide underneath”. It’s up to each player to answer the question “What do you do?” Continuing with the example above:

Jack Blaze: I knew splitting up was a bad idea. I tell Hector to circle around behind and cut the party loose while I distract the priest. I curve the bendy sheet of metal I found earlier into a cone with a small hole at one end and a big hole at the other, step out and shout into the small end of the cone, “Aren’t you forgetting someone little man?”

Translating responses into actions

This is where the GM breaks down the player’s response into discrete actions and figures out how many cliché rolls are needed and when to roll them. In the example above Jack dispatches Hector, turns an item into a makeshift megaphone, and then uses it to get the priest’s attention. Three actions.

The first one doesn’t require a cliché roll from Jack to dispatch Hector but will require a roll from Hector on his Thieving man servant (1) cliché; once for the sneaking around part, and possibly again for the cutting loose part if the sneaking goes to plan.

Jack will need to roll on his That could come in handy (3) cliché to make the megaphone. Is another roll needed to hurl the insult and get the priest’s attention? That is up to the GM but in this case both those actions are combined into a single roll.

GM: Ok. I’ll need a roll from Hector for the sneaking and a roll from Jack to build the contraption and get the priest’s attention. Roll it Hector...  hmmm ok now you Jack…

Cliché rolls and reporting results

Players will now make their cliché rolls as directed by the GM. They will decide whether "extra effort" is required and possibly trade in some inspiration points for more dice or just go with the number of dice that their cliché advantage allows.

Note that there will be times when the order of the cliché rolls are important so the GM might have players roll one at a time. One player’s response might have translated into half a dozen discrete actions so timing those with the other players responses will be important. Other times it’s not that critical and players can make their rolls and have their results ready. The GM will need to know if the roll was successful, partially successful or a failure.

Sometimes the story calls for something to be more difficult than usual or the GM wants to make the character’s earn their victory. One way to do this is to assign some temporary disadvantage. Another way is to have the players make their cliché roll more than once. Back to the action:

Hector: The sneaking seems to be going my way. Rolled a 6.

Jack Blaze: Managed a pair of 3s and a 4 on the contraption so a partial success.

Results and consequences

This is where the GM earns their worth. In some ways Playright GMs have it easier than other GMs. There are no big books of rules to memorize, no dice to roll, no target numbers to set, no dice to roll, no tables to consult, no dice to roll… did I mention that the GM does not have to roll any dice?

This will probably be a little weird at first but it speeds things up considerably and in a lot of ways makes it easier to tell a story. So what do GMs do if they don’t roll dice? They interpret the results of the player's cliché roles and assign consequences when necessary:

Successful cliché rolls

No consequences are assigned. The player's response to the GMs description is exactly what happens next.

Partially successful cliché rolls

The player's response to the GM's description is what happens next but there will be an added consequence that is either known or unknown to the player.

Failed cliché rolls

The player's response to the GM's description is not what happens. Instead, what follows next will be a direct consequence of the failed cliché roll.

Consequences are NOT chosen at random. They are carefully decided upon by the GM to make sense in the context of the story and respect the game fiction. Here is a list of common consequences (adapted from Dungeon World) to help in that endeavour:

1. Use a villain, danger, or location

This is describing what the villain, danger or location does. The Mountain Trolls hurls someone away. It's a long drop to the bottom of the warp core. The Nadazian Nexus drains life energy. If a player’s action has left them exposed, add a villain, danger, or location consequence.

2. Reveal an unwelcome truth

An unwelcome truth is a fact the players wish wasn’t true. The room is trapped. The helpful goblin is actually a spy. Reveal to the players just how much trouble they’re really in.

3. Show signs of an approaching threat

This is a very versatile consequence. “Threat” means anything bad that’s on the way. You just show them that something’s going to happen unless they do something about it.

4. Deal damage (disadvantage)

When you deal damage, choose one source of damage that’s threatening a character and apply it. In a knife fight with a lizard man? It stabs you. Triggered a trap? Rocks fall on you.The amount of damage is decided by the GM and is dealt as points of disadvantage.

5. Use up their resources

Surviving in a dungeon, or anywhere dangerous, often comes down to supplies. With this consequence, something happens to use up some resources: weapons, armor, healing, ongoing spells. You don’t always have to use it up permanently. A sword might just be flung to the other side of the room, not shattered.

6. Turn Their Action Back On Them

Think about the benefits an action might grant a character and turn it around in a negative way. Alternately, grant the same advantage to someone who has it out for the characters. If Ivy has learned of Duke Horst’s men approaching from the east, maybe a scout has spotted her, too.

7. Separate them

Separating the characters can mean anything from being pushed apart in the heat of battle to being teleported miles away. Whichever way it happens, it’s bound to cause problems.

8. Show a downside

This is where the building blocks of a character or even their actions can be turned against them:

Hooks

What happens when someone calls Marty McFly chicken or makes White Goodman bleed his own blood? 

Race / Species

Do orcs have a special thirst for elven blood? 

Clichés

Is the wild magic of the Self taught sorcerer (3)  disturbing dangerous forces? 

Actions

The torch that lights the way also draws attention from eyes in the dark.

9. Offer an opportunity, with or without cost

Show them something they want: riches, power, glory. If you want, you can associate some cost. Remember to lead with the fiction. You don’t say, “This area isn’t dangerous so you can make camp here, if you’re willing to take the time.” You make it a solid fictional thing and say, “Helferth’s blessings still hang around the shattered altar. It’s a nice safe spot, but the chanting from the ritual chamber is getting louder. What do you do?”

10. Put someone in a spot

A spot is someplace where a character needs to make tough choices. Put them, or something they care about, in the path of destruction. The harder the choice, the tougher the spot.

11. Tell them the requirements or consequences

Sure they can do it, but there will be consequences. Maybe they can swim across the moat but they will need some kind of distraction to avoid being devoured by the sharks that are in a starved frenzy.

Less than 12 consequences?

Not exactly, but those are the main ones. Here are some that apply specifically to dungeons:

• Change the environment

• Point to a looming threat

• Introduce a new faction or type of creature

• Use a threat from an existing faction or type of creature

• Make them backtrack

• Present riches at a price

• Present a challenge to one of the characters

Still not enough? Feel free to invent your own!

Let's finish up the example:

GM: Good job Hector. You get around back without drawing attention. Let's see how see how cutting the party loose goes.

Hector: Would you believe a 2? 

GM: Hector, as you cut the second party member loose the first one grabs you from behind. They may be dressed to look like your party but now that you’re seeing them up close you realize [Reveal an unwelcome truth] those aren’t your party members tied to the stakes!

GM: Jack, there seems to be a commotion and it looks like the first party member Hector cut loose has thrown in with the Nadaz. Also the priest isn't too surprised. In fact he seems to be smiling and replies, “Forgetting something? I don’t think so. Now!”

Repeat

This is where the GM describes the new situation, possibly adding a consequence, and the dialog begins again.

GM: [Put someone in a spot] The chamber is starting to seal. You have time to escape but that would mean leaving Hector and the rest of your party behind. What do you do Jack?

Jack: I can't rescue them if I'm captured too. Sorry Hector.

And so on.