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Dennis Dettwiller on COC scenario design

Started by Imperator, June 13, 2012, 09:12:42 AM

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Imperator

June 13, 2012, 09:12:42 AM
http://detwillerdesign.tumblr.com/post/24985041400/scenario-creation

I like the balls-to-the-wall style he predicates, mainly because it's mostly how I do it :D Also, it has some idea about running by the seat of your pants.
My name is Ramón Nogueras. Running now Vampire: the Masquerade (Giovanni Chronicles IV for just 3 players), and itching to resume my Call of Cthulhu campaign (The Sense of the Sleight-of-Hand Man).

beeber

#1
June 13, 2012, 09:23:54 AM
sweet find, thanks man :D

The Butcher

#2
June 13, 2012, 10:03:03 AM
Great link, Ramón, thanks.

Quote from: Dennis DetwillerFinally, a word on Seat of the Pants RPGing. I've done this for a long time. For the last 15 or so years, I've simply come up with the basic idea for a scenario (like the mirror example) and sat down with the players and made it up on the fly. The key to this method is taking extensive notes while doing so. Some of my best scenarios (like Night Floors and Music From a Darkened Room) arose in this manner. I had the inkling of an idea and just dumped it on gaming table, making up contents seconds before the players asked. I find the most satisfying and cool scenarios become "more real" when I put the players through them in this style. The players often make me think about and flesh out weird leads that I never would have considered if I had just written the scenario in a void.

GET OUT OF MY HEAD!

Seriously, that's how I do things most of the time. When I actually sit down and prep stuff I end up sabotaging myself as I try to stick to my notes in detriment of what's actually happening at the game table. Games feel dynamic, slicker, more organic this way. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one, but does anyone else do this?

beeber

#3
June 13, 2012, 11:12:51 AM
that's how i ran most of my games.  make "the hook", then sparse notes for NPCs, possible encounter areas, etc.  then adjust things depending on where the PCs run with said hook.  occasionally (and not acknowledging the fact) make use of a player's "what if it's. . . ?" pondering to each other.  great reactions when they go "wow!  we guessed right!" when in fact their idea was better than what i had.  (i would admit to the appropriation weeks or months later, to be fair.)

you're right, it just flows better that way, rather than ruffling through pages of "where's my write up of this?"  concept, winging it, and keeping it moving, ah those were the days :)

daniel_ream

#4
June 13, 2012, 12:19:04 PM
A player in my Amber DRPG campaigns once described my GMing style as "running frantically backward in front of where the PCs were already going to make it look like I'd been leading them that way all along".
D&D is becoming Self-Referential.  It is no longer Setting Referential, where it takes references outside of itself. It is becoming like Ouroboros in its self-gleaning for tropes, no longer attached, let alone needing outside context.
~ Opaopajr

Marleycat

#5
June 13, 2012, 12:25:17 PM
Quote from: The Butcher;548467Great link, Ramón, thanks.
 
 
 
GET OUT OF MY HEAD!
 
Seriously, that's how I do things most of the time. When I actually sit down and prep stuff I end up sabotaging myself as I try to stick to my notes in detriment of what's actually happening at the game table. Games feel dynamic, slicker, more organic this way. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one, but does anyone else do this?

Uh, yes? I can't be arsed to make detailed notes beforehand so I mostly just make up stuff off what the players do. Lazy? Maybe but it sure is fun and keeps me interested.
Don\'t mess with cats we kill wizards in one blow.;)
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