Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (
More info?)
Daius <no@way.com> wrote in message news:<Xns952BEF7649997Daius@207.69.154.203>...
>
> We have exhausted ourselves coming up with these fabulous ideas, and are
> now so fed up, we aren't sure where to start again.
>
> Any help with some sample storylines would be GREATLY appreciated.
>
> Thanks gamers
Don't have any experience running such a thing, but here's what I
would do:
First, give everybody something they have and something they want. It
might be items knowledge, alliances, etc. Make sure not too many
people match up easily so that three or four way deals might be needed
to get things exchanged between them. Make some things too valuable or
suicidal to part with while others need them just as much. This is all
just for flavor, but will obfuscate the real plot line from people and
otherwise distract them for a portion of the game.
Next, develop some conflicts. How many depends on the number of people
you have playing. Perhaps one conflict for every five to ten players.
Anarchs vrs. Camarilla. Brujah versus Toreador. Tremere vrs. Prince.
Etc. Flesh out the characters, give them appropriate resources and
allies. Leave enough people outside the web to be wild cards and
swayed by those players who do so by role playing or offering them
enough resources.
Penultimatly, give the setting one overall conflict. My suggestion
would be two secret elders fighting eachother, think Chicago
Chronicles. Make two characters really powerful with instructions
they're not to reveal themselves but they're to find out who the other
one is and destroy them. Give them allies, retainers, tools and
catspaws and let them figure it out. This only really works if you
know you can give such roles to decent role players.
By now, most characters should be pretty much fleshed out and a little
more can be done to make them well rounded. Everybody has at least one
thing to get done and the means to get it done.
Your main problems are either the players never getting the hang of
such thing because they're waiting for an over obvious megaplot to
land in their laps so they're wandering around all weekend complaing
of a lack of plot, or that they'll power broker the first night and
resolve all their issues while alliances form and axes fall thus
leaving everything resolved well before the end of the LARP. you need
something to catch the player's attentions and keep them from moving
too quickly early in the LARP and inspire them to action later on.
Enter some powerful person bent on preserving the peace, say the ever
popular archons and justicar. They're here investigating something
compeltely unrelated, like werwolf attacks or some such red herring,
and demanding there is no trouble while they are in the city. Let
everybody worry about their investigation and walk softly around them
the first night. (Don't forget to give the visitors their own selfish
goals that would jepordize their overall mission should they persue
them) On the second night, reveal to the Justicar, Prince, and some
other players through various sources and descriptions that yes, the
public explanation of why they are there is a ruse and they have a
TRUE mission in the city, perhaps not officially sanctioned, and thus
it must seen for what they are or at least not any witnesses. These
other missions will relate back to the methuselahs goals and plans and
perhaps even conflicting with the personal goals of the players
they're given to. On the third night, reveal more to the above players
to have them step up their conflicts. If things aren't progressing
enough by halfway through the night, people get messages and phone
calls telling them who to control, kill, aid, or hide.
So, ideally, the first night everybody shows up and talks amongst
themselves trying to fulfill personal goals and learn more about the
visitors goals. The visitors spend their time, and others, asking
questions and making demands. The second night, things step up a bit
and hidden agendas start to come to light and be carried out. On the
third night it's just everybody wrapping up what they're trying to get
done or staying out of others ways.
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