Content and Conflict Generation for Instant Narrative

[M. Burrell]

One frustrating experience I've had as both game-master and player is the length and style of set-up that certain 'classic' RPGs require. Players must generate characters (often insulated from the group due to time restrictions), then attempt to unite this character coherently with the rest of the cast. The GM must then attempt to invent something that is not only fitting and entertaining for all but drives the characters towards certain goals to achieve a sense of meaningful play. I repeatedly find that, as one or more of these requirements is deemphasised or overlooked, my patience for the style of gaming is wanting as the beginning of the game falls to pieces with players being left out or everyone feeling totally disconnected. In my mind it doesn't promote an atmosphere of fun and collaboration.

Perhaps I'm just a finicky and impatient sort, who knows? To alleviate my gaming-funk I wrote out a series of tables that could generate swiftly the content required by all players - Location, Identity, Motivation and Conflict. The following is my current favourite, following an epic balladic fantasy style.

I've tried to phrase these selections in a fashion reminiscent of the historical epic and in such a way that any phrase is compatible with another. I've also tried to leave a certain amount of ambiguity so all players may have creative input within the generated framework: a say in how each phrase links to its brothers (geographically, thematically, character-relationships etc) and any further colour or detail desired.

The idea is that each player rolls 4d20, compares in order with the table below and then reads to the group their paragraph, the introduction to their tale. The GM takes the roll of any identities implied within these openings, often found in the last 'conflict' segment, which he or the players might wish to interact with. If the GM wishes for further NPCs he may roll on the latter three sections to generate them.

Crucially, players and GM need to work to find the links and conflicts between each of the Introductions: Are this and that identity the same? Are two or more players after the same goal, or opposing one another's? Does the sunken city of the gods my character is searching for also contain the last treasure your character will sacrifice all for? Are the men my character commands those who are laying the siege you must break? And so on!

Please, give it a go. I'd love to hear some Introductions and any solid characters, details or other expansions they inspire!

Once, long ago, amidst...
1.   The pillars of the north that uphold the sky
2.   The lonesome and jagged peaks of the west
3.   The burning dunes of the vast south
4.   The feverish marshes and salty inlets of the east
5.   The inky darkness of the great forest
6.   The gentle foothills before the last mountains
7.   The smoke and ash at the very edges of the world
8.   The perilous ravines and hidden ways of the stone desert
9.   The cutters and junks of a distant port
10.   The spires and minarets of the crimson city
11.   The furnaces and boilers beneath the golden palace
12.   The vespers of the an ancient monastery
13.   The wind-swept grasses of a grey coast
14.   The shadows of great cliffs
15.   The twisting alleys of the old city
16.   The comings and goings of an endless party
17.   The roaming clouds of the grass-sea
18.   The high and bitter waves of the northern ocean
19.   The ruins within the maddening jungle
20.   The traffic on the highway to the capital
There was...
1.   A man possessed of great vengeance
2.   A king deposed from his throne
3.   A warrior tiring of riches and women
4.   A woman, commander of men
5.   A great bandit, infamous across the land
6.   A robber hoard and their thief-king
7.   An industrious man of certain skill
8.   A youngest son, the last to leave home
9.   A chivalrous but quick-tempered pirate
10.   A djinn enslaved, despite wondrous powers
11.   A demon with rubies for eyes
12.   A priest set against his brothers
13.   An emperor and his retainers, a golden cavalcade
14.   A princess disguised as a man
15.   A knight with a tragic and guilty past
16.   A sorcerer-sultan who breathed flame and spoke with spirits
17.   A cunning and intelligent beast of mythic stature
18.   An alchemist with a great secret
19.   An impoverished ex-student with a desperate plan
20.   A barbarian chief on one final quest
Who desired...
1.   To find the sunken city of the Gods
2.   To topple a great nation
3.   To recapture the heart of a lover lost
4.   To lead companions to great riches
5.   To find a place to die gloriously
6.   To gain freedom
7.   To have victory on the field of battle
8.   To destroy the signifier of guilt, a thing of power
9.   To learn the lost magic of the ancients
10.   To break a vicious and protracted siege
11.   To uncover a worthy successor
12.   To unravel an ancient conspiracy 
13.   To conceal a terrible truth
14.   To find passage into heaven
15.   To protect a loved one
16.   To stop an unnatural union 
17.   To gain the last treasure, regardless of sacrifice
18.   To save a people much persecuted
19.   To free all punished souls
20.   To right the world of one great sin
But this had not yet come to pass for...
1.   A pact had been made
2.   A promise had been broken
3.   A chuckling but vicious madman opposed
4.   A seeming honest vizier warned against
5.   A host of armies rose up
6.   A rival challenged at the grand meeting
7.   A yearly festivity distracted
8.   A friend was not who he seemed
9.   An officer sought to make an arrest
10.   An assassin stalked the shadows
11.   A violent group burst in
12.   A revolutionary movement chose to act 
13.   A proposition from a dangerous woman distracted
14.   A king's blood stained the hands of all
15.   A great force marched onwards
16.   A messenger delivered explosive news
17.   A mighty and ancient serpent imposed
18.   A flutter of the heart confused
19.   A sudden party of men spoilt the chance
20.   A murder blocked the easiest path

"Once, long ago, amidst the comings and goings of an endless party, there was a barbarian chief on one final quest who desired to unravel an ancient conspiracy, but this had not yet come to pass for a revolutionary council chose to act."

I'm fairly sure this would sit well with any conflict-resolution system. I'm now mulling over drawing up my own to make this into a full game - I'd appreciate any suggestions. Are more sections required? Strengths and Weaknesses?

Do you find this method of content generation creatively restrictive? Does it inspire good collaborative story telling, or just sets disconnected plot-hooks?
Thoughts, criticism, advice!

[Adam Dray]

I think it's a cool and useful tool. Have you looked at "In a Wicked Age," Vincent Baker's swords & sorcery game? It uses random generators like this -- calls them Oracles -- to generate the character concepts and initial situation. Works fantastically in play.

[M. Burrell]

I think it's a cool and useful tool. Have you looked at "In a Wicked Age," Vincent Baker's swords & sorcery game? It uses random generators like this -- calls them Oracles -- to generate the character concepts and initial situation. Works fantastically in play.

I've done my research this afternoon and it seems one far more skilled than I has grasped the concept with a deft hand!

I'm deadly impressed with In a Wicked Age, the Oracles in particular. The context of play as well character motivations are clearly lain out swiftly and competitive begins immediately - I'll have to purchase a copy and subject my friends to it.

I'm not ready to give up on my musings, however, and now I know that this exists I can channel my efforts down routes I think Wicked Age doesn't explore.

Primarily, it strikes me that in Wicked Age the players are given only four phrases from which all characters can be drawn, so perhaps in my game four-or-abouts Introductory paragraphs each containing four phrases could make for a potentially richer creation experience.  I know it's a weak criticism and relies on the creativity of the group, but with expansion I think there are further applications for list-generation games of this sort.

Further, a trait-creation mechanic such as those found in DitV or The Pool could be employed: the character introduction is dissembled into key features, skills, possessions or beliefs and each is given a dice-value or a pool of tokens to draw on, size dependant on a player's chosen emphasis. This may allow characters to become more unique to each player and more who they wish to role-play - a kind of subjective, reverse character generation where one starts with where a character is and finishes with his traits, rather than the other way around.

Thoughts, or am I a derivative cur?

[M. Burrell]

Another...

Once, long ago, amidst...
1.   The glistening helms and spears of an army on the move
2.   The balustrades of a frontier wall
3.   The roar of mighty cannon
4.   The rocky downs of an arid wasteland
5.   The city-states of a fertile floodplain
6.   The bright flags of a nomadic people
7.   The hundred-thousand reflections in the palace of mirrors
8.   The wreckage of a great land
9.   The mourners at a working-man's funeral
10.   The chilly passages of a grim sepulchre
11.   The paper lanterns of the twilight procession
12.   The empty crow-towers along the shore
13.   The deliriums of feverish sleep
14.   The garish azure of a tropical reef
15.   The palms of a legendry oasis
16.   The towering feet of stone colossi
17.    The scree of a long-dead volcano
18.   The cardsharks in a den of vice
19.   The chimney stacks of the last city
20.   The rural byways of a sleepy country
There was...
1.   A soldier with keen eyes and good fortune
2.   A prince, second in line to a corrupt throne
3.   A journeying magi with two loyal companions
4.   A foppish, trickster-prince, purveyor of parties
5.   A galley slave, strong from labour
6.   An expert swordsmith pressed into his craft
7.   A greedy money lender and poisoner
8.   A cowherd possessing an ancient and magical blade
9.   A courier with a package mysterious even to him
10.   A demonic tutor of sorcery and dark ritual
11.   A deathless and vengeful spirit leased from hell
12.   A worthless faculty of magicians and their master
13.   A tobacconist who knows a little herblore and healing
14.   A commander of the northern forces, nervous about his men
15.   A courtly physician, foremost of his age
16.   Two grim-faced merchants, obsessed with death
17.   A crippled Inquisitor to whom even kings must bow
18.   A warlord who gathered the brightest generals
19.   An urchin known to his peers as 'Boss'
20.   An wandering artist devoid of inspiration
Who Desired...
1.   To show a deadly creation to a powerful patron
2.   To kill the leviathan
3.   To exact revenge on a cruel slaver
4.   To uncover the means to heal a mortal wound
5.   To concoct the cure to all poisons
6.   To gain immorality
7.   To read the Grimoire of Flesh
8.   To possess all of the ancient treasures
9.   To find the Fountain of Youth, whatever the cost
10.   To come to terms with a foul crime
11.   To explore the last great wilderness
12.   To assemble all the pieces of the puzzle 
13.   To find a source of clean drinking water for a certain clan
14.   To exorcise the terrible demon
15.   To close the gate between worlds
16.   To embarrass a certain rival
17.   To lay to rest the bellowing dead
18.   To confront a father warped by wickedness
19.   To force a nubile sorceress from the land
20.   To be crowned conqueror
But this had not yet come to pass for...
1.   A professional rival objected
2.   A vote of no confidence had been passed
3.   A messenger of the Gods forbade it
4.   A powerful chieftain summoned
5.   A newly-built fortress was on the verge of completion
6.   An end could not justify the means
7.   A trio of witches coerced inaction
8.   A succession of jealous men demanded satisfaction
9.   An enchanted cave filled with demons held the key
10.   A whispering ring persistently mocked
11.   A monk foretold a year of ill-omens
12.   A series of heavy nights intervened
13.   A man in black made an offer
14.   A Faustian bargain returned
15.   A carnival's delights distracted everyone
16.   An opening had to be found first
17.   A way was blocked by solid garrison
18.   An important clue had been claimed by the sea
19.   A friend and veteran had warned against
20.   A seeming-endless labyrinth stood between

"Once, long ago, amidst the rocky downs of an arid wasteland there was a cowherd possessing an ancient and magical blade who desired to confront a father warped by wickedness but this had not yet come to pass for a newly-built fortress was on the verge of completion."
Luke Skywalker?

[Adam Dray]

I've done my research this afternoon and it seems one far more skilled than I has grasped the concept with a deft hand!

I'm deadly impressed with In a Wicked Age, the Oracles in particular. The context of play as well character motivations are clearly lain out swiftly and competitive begins immediately - I'll have to purchase a copy and subject my friends to it.

The game isn't perfect, but I really did enjoy the one time I played it.

Primarily, it strikes me that in Wicked Age the players are given only four phrases from which all characters can be drawn, so perhaps in my game four-or-abouts Introductory paragraphs each containing four phrases could make for a potentially richer creation experience.  I know it's a weak criticism and relies on the creativity of the group, but with expansion I think there are further applications for list-generation games of this sort.

Players in my game were plenty creative just riffing off the Oracles. I think of the Oracles as providing both inspiration and constraints. Both are useful for creativity.

I think your idea of combining freeform traits with these is an interesting avenue. Try it and see what happens!

[whiteknife]

Looks like a cool generator for plot hooks. One thing I question about its in game usefulness is that one of the sections refers to a single character. Is this an important NPC? One of the PCs? Is there only one PC? Because I could see that causing issues depending on the system.

[M. Burrell]

Ha ha ha, I keep forgetting my own threads! Sorry for the wait.

Mr. Dray,
What, in your opinion, are the failings of In a Wicked Age? What pitfalls should I strive to avoid?

I hope my charts alone offer some creative juices but I will attempt to build up some mechanics and see if a game can be woven.

Mr. Knife,
I have suggested that each play roll on the chart a generate one character apiece along with any implied NPCs. If possible players should opt to fill rolls such as 'rivals', 'kings' or 'lovers' where they appear - hopefully drawing the cast together. Party structure is dead; if it manifests as a blood-opera then I'm a happy man!
If this is being placed over pre-existing system I'd suggest that the locations of the character are something from their immediate past if party-play is required.
Also, you've now got me thinking about a system where there's multiple players be only a single antagonist... will report findings soon!

[Adam Dray]

Oh, geez. I had a blast playing it. If it has failings, I say so because Vincent Baker (the author) says so. I heartily recommend reading stuff on anyway to hear his own explanation. I think it was in his essay, "Lazy Play vs IIEE with Teeth"[url].

I think understanding what he's talking about there is GREAT for any game designer, even if you're not using those specific "In a Wicked Age" techniques.

[M. Burrell]

Oh, geez. I had a blast playing it. If it has failings, I say so because Vincent Baker says so.

Sounds like a pretty sycophantic reason to say something has flaws, Mister Dray. But I'll forgive you for those helpful and insightful links.

Cheers, Mike.