Hi folks.

Lately I've found myself thinking about Kickers again, specifically the issue of Mystery Kickers.  You know the type: "A friend on the police force tells you that the scenes of each of the brutal crimes recently perpetrated in your neighborhood have been signed with your mother's maiden name." (Sorcerer p.35).

It was this thread http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=1310.msg12329#msg12329 that got me thinking about the issue.  There, Ron makes it clear that Kickers should be simple, and that they are "situations that demand action or decision of any kind."  And by way of illustration, Ron provides several examples of Kickers that a player might create that would prompt some kind of action or decision.  One of these is: "I started having bad dreams and, upon washing my hair this morning, discovered old scars on my head. I'm sure I've never had surgery."

Okay, so here's what puzzles me.  How do you (as a GM) deal with such a Kicker?  A Kicker like this presents the character of the player who created it with a mystery. "How did I get these strange scars?"  I'll grant you that it is a cool situation, but how do you keep this Kicker from simply turning into "solve the mystery"?

I know that one answer to my question is "Put answers to the mystery in the player's path early on."  Hell, I've given that advice to folks myself.  But something still nags me.  Doesn't a Mystery Kicker like this send a clear signal from player to GM that the player wants a mystery and some of the "solve the mystery" fun that goes with it?  If so, doesn't giving the player information too soon risk not listening to the voice of God? Alternately, if one takes seriously the player's desire for a mystery isn't there a risk of play turning into a situation where the player is merely reacting to the GM's plot?

Does this make sense, or am I creating problems where none really exist?

Eric

Hi Eric,

It does make sense, but you are indeed inventing problems too.

Perhaps it will help if you replace "early on" with "don't obstruct." So you don't keep the character away from the answers if he actually hits upon them, but you don't actually Bang him with the answers on a silver platter unless it's what you really want to do.

Remember that you, the GM, are a player too. You're not the manager and arbiter of fun, you're having fun too. So your guide is:

1 - when the player-character really hits upon that answer by doing stuff that exposes it, OR

2 - when you as a player (GM) really want to use the answer as a Bang,

then do it. The phrase "early on" simply means, "don't hold it back out of habit."

And don't forget, when you get a Mystery Kicker like that, make a fucking great Answer Bang out of it. The player gave you a gift by trusting your creativity, you should give him or her a gift back in return, by trusting their authorial judgment in acting upon what you provide.

Best, Ron

Ron,

Thanks for the reply.  You're right that "don't obstruct" is really what I was looking for.

I also appreciate the reminder that the GM is also a player who is out to have fun too. Sometimes I slip into the habit of thinking that player-authored roleplaying means that (as GM) I've got to give and never push. There has to be a balance after all, and sometimes the bass player has to propose that it is time to return to the major theme.

And I agree with you %100 about the need to reciprocate with the gift giving. That Answer Bang needs to do justice to the creativity of the player and the trust she has shown toward the GM.  This is the hard part, because you only really get one shot at the brass ring when a player gives you a cool Kicker like this.

So, I guess a followup question would be this: "When a player comes up with such a Kicker (say the old scars on the head Kicker), do you generally work your ass off in pre-play before that first session nailing down what the Answer Bang will be, or do you keep it a little vague in your own mind and see what nifty ideas might present themselves to you as a result of that first-session of actual play?"

Oh yeah, and this isn't just directed to you Ron, so don't feel like I'm trying to draw you into a one-on-one. I'd be interested in hearing how other folks handle this and what actual play experience has revealed to them about their choice of approach.

Hi Eric,

Your question:

When a player comes up with such a Kicker (say the old scars on the head Kicker), do you generally work your ass off in pre-play before that first session nailing down what the Answer Bang will be, or do you keep it a little vague in your own mind and see what nifty ideas might present themselves to you as a result of that first-session of actual play?

Ron,

Sorry for the delay in responding but a bit of a family emergency took me away from my computer for several days.

Having read your response to Larry Lade in the thread you linked to, I don't have much to say other than that it does a very nice job of elaborating your point here regarding GM prep and the extent to which one ought to remain committed to prepared but unplayed stuff.

Thanks, this helps a lot!

Eric