[Eric’s Notes: As Nick wrote this essay in reference to a very particular game, there are some references and rules things mentioned in it that I have edited out for clarity (and to avoid confusion in our game). For example, while it might be interesting to know that Nick required session summaries no later than two days after the session, it’s irrelevant to the game the other Storytellers and I are running. Also, this essay was written before Third Edition - there is a reference to Beast Traits and Humanity in the essay. While the game mechanics are no longer the same, the point and Nick’s meaning are still relevant. With that in mind, read and enjoy.]

Recently, many players have expressed concerns about future story material. The first few sessions were fairly simple to design, since all the players still had to meet each other and there were many Kindred positions and regulations that had to be established. After all of the introductory material has been taken care of, stories involve a bit more creativity and work to put together. Stories in live-action games, however, particularly ones the size of which I expect this to group to become, are not designed using the same techniques as in table-top gaming. In an attempt to explain my ideas on the nature of live-action gaming and how to create stories for it, I put together this section.

Many of you (specifically, the good role-players) may find this information very obvious, perhaps even condescending. I do not mean to insult anyone's role-playing ability with this material. Everyone in this group has been doing a great job and I have no intention of trying to tell any of you how to role-play. In fact, the main reason I wrote this dissertation (?) was to get your questions, comments, and criticisms (particularly the criticisms) about the way I plan on running this game.

Some Role-playing Metaphysics and other Pseudo-Philosophic Gobbledygook

While both the Vampire RPG and The Masquerade LARP deal with the same subject material, the structure and techniques of the two games are vastly different. Besides the obvious differences involved in getting away from the table and dice of conventional role-playing, the process of story creation and the nature of Player/Storyteller interaction have to be reconsidered. To understand these differences and how they affect the development of stories, I would like to explain my (necessarily simplified) thoughts on the topic of role-playing metaphysics. (If you're not interested in this kind of boring crap, just skip the next few paragraphs.)

In the most basic sense, role-playing is a narrative art. The ultimate goal of all role-playing participants is the creation of a Story, the product of the interaction of Players and Storytellers. To understand how this Story arises, it is important to understand the role of Players and Storytellers and the relationship between them. Players, obviously enough, take the role of the protagonists of the Story. The Players shape the Story by describing the actions of or, in the case of Live-Action, actually physically acting as their characters. The Storyteller's role, on the other hand, is to represent all of the other elements in the Story, such as the setting, other people, natural forces, etc., and to describe the effects a character's action has in this environment. While the Players are only responsible for their characters, the Storyteller is responsible for the content of the Story as a whole. The Story arises out of the interaction of this two parties, with the Players and Storyteller both acting and reacting with one another to produce it.

There is an important implication of this arrangement, however. The Players control their characters, but these characters do not exist in a void. At all times during the Story, the characters are bombarded with sensory information about the world they are interacting with. Even in the most simple Story environment, the Players need an environment to define their actions, an environment necessarily represented by the Storyteller. Any action the character takes has an effect on the surrounding environment and, therefore, requires a Storyteller to consider effects and determine results. In this way, the Players are completely dependent on the Storyteller to do anything within the Story.

At this point, the Storyteller has a number of options. The Storyteller could keep all this power in her/his own hands, giving the Players no freedom of action whatsoever (I call these kinds of stories Storyteller-dominated). By using her/his control over the gaming environment to limit the Players' options, the Storyteller can very easily force the characters into any situation or plot s/he has devised. In this type of role-playing, the Story basically consists of a number of predetermined events that the Storyteller has planned, arranged in a linear format with a couple of dangerous encounters (almost exclusively combat) and a treasure at the end (e.g. just about any module, particularly early D&D hack'n'slash dungeon crawls). In this kind of Story, the Players have absolutely no creative role. They exist simply as a necessary component of the Storyteller's well-oiled machine. Since the Storyteller has no concern for their character's motivation and game cohesiveness, the Players have no other option but to jump through the neat line of hoops the Storyteller provides them.

Thankfully, as the Players attempt to break beyond the unbearably constrained "dungeon" environment, this type of game is quickly left behind. In its place, a new balance is struck between the Players and Storytellers. The Players take back their freedom of action and the ability to really pursue character interests and motivations leading, in its most extreme form, to Player-dominated stories (e.g. Amber Diceless Role-playing). Players in these Stories take whatever actions they see as appropriate without regard for anything but their own character's interests. The Storyteller's role changes from that of the god-like dictator of plot to a merely reactive position, simply translating and arbitrating of Player action. While this kind of role-playing leads to a lot of great characterization, there is something missing, the central Story. With each Player chases her/his own goals without any focus, the characters inevitably spawn their own completely separate narratives. In this way, the Story splinters and eventually collapses, as each Player's action eventually gets so isolated that the Storyteller can no longer handle the complexity s/he is forced to face.

While individual games vary as to exactly what the balance of Player-Storyteller control of Stories is, most table-top games fall between the two extremes of Storyteller as god-dictator and Storyteller as simply translator of Player action. In these Stories, the Storyteller retains some of her/his creative control and is still designing scenes and plots, but the Players are not forced to follow whatever paths the Storyteller provides. Unlike Storyteller-dominated games, the Players are free to pursue their own interests and truly influence the story through autonomous action. Unlike Player-dominated stories, the Storyteller creates a central Story (note: Story and plot are not synonymous) that centralizes all the action of the campaign. From this kind of gaming arises, in my opinion, the most entertaining and aesthetically valuable Stories. Different groups vary depending on which group is the stronger creative force, leading to either Player-guided or Storyteller-guided Stories.

What All This Has to Do with Live-Action Stories

In Live-Action Games, like other kinds of role-playing, can be run in any of the four styles described above. It is possible to have a LARP Story which is completely Storyteller-dominated (again, most modules). Certain logistical considerations, however, make it very difficult for Storytellers to have that sort of control. In this way, due to constraints placed on the Storyteller by the very nature of LARP, the Stories created are almost necessarily Player-guided.

The major constraint a Storyteller must deal with in Live-Action Stories is the loss of most of her/his tools. In a tabletop gaming environment, the Story universe is almost completely fabricated by the imaginations of the Story participants. All the people, places, and things encountered in the Story exist only in the words and minds and the Players and Storyteller. As discussed earlier, this sets the Storyteller up on the role of translator and creator of the universe. In LARP, however, the Story environment moves out of the imagination and into real space. The places where the characters meet are actually visited, the actions the characters take are (for the most part) actually performed, and the people the characters deal with must be actually encountered. In this way, the Storyteller is no longer capable of the extensive manipulations s/he could do in tabletop stories. If a Storyteller wants to design a particular environment for the Story, s/he must physically find or create that setting. If a Storyteller wants to introduce an important NPC, s/he must either find someone to play that character or play the character her/himself. Perhaps most importantly, though, since the universe and character may now be physically interacted with, the Players no longer require a Storyteller to translate everything they do into the Story. Simply put, the Players can participate in a Live-Action Story without a Storyteller.

Due to this lack of power, it is near impossible for a Storyteller to run Stories in the traditional fashion. If the Storyteller tries to take control of the Story, the lack of resources s/he suffers from (e.g. only one NPC at a time, no complete knowledge of all the action in the gaming environment, etc.) will almost necessarily ruin the Story. Even if the Storyteller can pull off one good Story, Players may come to depend on the Storyteller to create action for them (I call this GM-dependency) and eventually the Storyteller's limited power will be used up, leaving only repetitions of earlier Stories to play, if anything at all. Regardless of what s/he does, the Storyteller cannot effectively create Live-Action Stories alone. Ultimately, there is only one option left: the Players must create their own Stories.

So, on to the moment we've all been waiting for...

How Players Create Stories

While this idea may seem daunting, chaotic, or totally ineffective, the truth is that many Players are creating their own Stories in all the games they play, table-top or Live-Action. As a note, this does NOT mean I want you to go home and type up modules for me to integrate into the Story. It takes way too much work and time to create these kinds of Stories (work and time that should be going into your characters) and, frankly, I think modules produce vastly inferior Stories anyway. Instead, I would rather you create Stories from the context of your role as Player, i.e. though your character. In my opinion, the easiest and best way for a Player to help produce Stories is to play in character as much as possible. To clarify just how this leads to Story creation, I have provide the tips below. Again, the disclaimer from the beginning still applies.

Character Motivations

Take a close look at your character. What drives her/him to act? What are her/his long-term goals? The number of possible motivations a character could have is infinite, ranging the personal (personal Prestige, looking for love, quest for Golconda) to the all-encompassing (leading Anarch cause, fighting the Sabbat). While these goals may seem to be only significant to the character, they are actually the raw materials for the larger Stories. Actively pursue your character's goals throughout the course of the game. Talk to the other characters and try to convince them to help (wittingly or unwittingly) your cause. If have a desire to be Prince or Clan Elder, seek out other characters who are dissatisfied with the current rules. Before your know it, a cabal will have formed. Want revenge against another character for a previous act of betrayal? Spread derogatory rumors and insults about your enemy. With enough work, you can have your victim demoted and ostracized, leaving you with a perfect position to strike. Obviously, the goals your character has will be much more complicated than the one's I've outlined, but ultimately, the attempts to accomplish these goals will provide the vast majority of Story material.

Many of you are probably thinking, "But, if we're each pursuing our own goals, where's the central plot? What's going to hold the story together?" The answer is simple. There is no central plot. You don't need one and I couldn't make one if I wanted to anyway, for the reasons discussed earlier. Instead, Stories will consist of a number of smaller plots, based on character action. What will hold the Story together are the common elements all the plots share: the setting, characters, and politics that define the game universe. With enough effort by enough players, the Story will soon become a seething, chaotic, incomprehensible pool of intrigue, an environment where no one has all the facts and war could explode at any minute. Just as it should be.

As a final note on this subject, the easiest way to exclude yourself from the Story is to remain silent. Characters who do not integrate themselves into the Kindred community will quickly be forgotten. While some characters are passive by nature and will be reluctant to deal with others, I suggest you force your character to make some kind of connection with other Kindred. Ultimately, the Story is based on interaction, and if you're not interacting, you're not really playing. Do yourself a favor and take part in the action.

Humanity and the Beast

While there are an infinite number of possible story lines and personal motivations, one factor of character development is universal enough and significant enough to discuss in greater detail. That factor is the central theme of many Vampire campaigns, the loss of Humanity and the triumph of the Beast. While the Masquerade system provides rules to represent this development, I think adding dice (or Rock-Paper-Scissors, whatever) to something as central as a character's loss of Humanity is ridiculous, disgusting, and petty. In these Stories, players will determine when their characters succumb to the Beast, not bad fortune or megalomaniacal Storytellers.

The way I see it, the Beast is simply the representation of a character's base desires, a manifestation of unchecked id. Humanity is the force that attempts, with varying degrees of success, to stop the Beast from running wild and forcing the character to take action s/he does not want to. Humanity, therefore, is a representation of a kind of self-discipline, more specifically, morality. Every character who is not lost to the Beast has some kind of code of morality, but exactly what constitutes a moral act differs depending on that individual's perception of right and wrong. In this way, a universal "Hierarchy of Sins" is ludicrous, since every person's definition of sin is different. Each character must determine for her/himself what evil is.

Humanity loss occurs as a character slowly gives up on her/his morality and moves closer to the total inhibition of the Beast. The "system" for Humanity loss is simple, then. If a character does something s/he considers wrong, s/he stands to lose Humanity. If s/he feels guilty over the action and tries to redeem her/himself for it, s/he retains her/his moral sensitivity and does not suffer Humanity loss. If, on the other hand, the character coldly accepts her/his actions as appropriate or finds some other justification for the crime, s/he loses Humanity. The Humanity loss is normally represented by the acquisition of a new Beast Trait (appropriate to the situation, for course), but should also be demonstrated in the Player's role-playing. Once a character loses Humanity for an act, s/he cannot lose Humanity for that same act under the same circumstances again unless the character regains her/his moral concerns (i.e. regained Humanity).

For example, Alexander Vargos [Eric’s Note: Vargos was the one-time Prince of New York City, in Nick’s game], honorable fellow that he is, considers it morally wrong to attack someone with out informing her/him of his intentions. During the course of a session, however, Vargos attacks another character from behind, killing her/him. If Vargos feels guilty about the dishonorable act he committed and tries to make amends, he would retain his Humanity. If Vargos found an excuse that justified his action, however, he would lose some of his Humanity and gain another Beast Trait (possibly Frustrated or Bullied). In addition, Vargos would no longer have any moral qualms about attacking opponents without warning and would no longer risk Humanity with such an action.

Ultimately, it is up to the individual Player to determine her/his character's morality and fairly determine when and where a character would lose Humanity. It is hard to take actions that would hurt your character, particularly ones that will eventually destroy her/him, but I urge you to be fair and allow your character to develop as s/he should. In the end, the tragic decline of a character from moral responsibility to complete insanity can make for some of the best role-playing.

Dead Time

While the actual sessions will contain most of the important action of the Story, there is a great deal of time left unexplored between these sessions, time that could be used to further character goals. (Note: Story time moves at the same speed as real time.) To provide Players with an opportunity to utilize this "dead time", I have presented these guidelines. It is important to note, however, that where Storyteller approval is required, I must be informed. It is your responsibility to inform me of these actions and if I don't hear about them on time, they don't happen.

First, and most importantly, feel free to contact other players during dead time and role-play with them one-on-one. While I discourage anyone from engaging in any actions that involve challenges (as they may require Storyteller presence and jurisdiction), having a conversation or scheming with another player outside of Story sessions is perfectly acceptable. A list of e-mail addresses will be provided on request. If for any reason (in- or out-of-character) you do not want information about you distributed to any specific player or anyone in general, please get in contact with me and let me know. NPCs, regardless of who is playing them, should be contacted through me. If any changes in addresses occur, you will be informed as soon as possible.

Aside from character-to-character conversations, players may also have their characters perform actions during dead time. Possibilities of dead time activity include players setting up actions against other characters, using their Influence, or creating events that occur to their own characters. Examples include having your character attacked by a rogue Sabbat member, scheming with other players to hurt a player's financial standing, going on a feeding frenzy and accidentally killing a vessel, getting together with another character to conduct a business transaction, or attempting to increase your media influence. To arrange these dead time events, Players must get in touch in touch with me and receive my approval before the actions are officially acknowledged. Again, please inform me of these activities at least two days before the next session to give me an opportunity to consider these changes and inform the other players, if necessary. Feel free to create anything you want for your character's dead time encounters; just make sure you get my approval on it.

Storyteller Contribution to LARP; or, If We're Creating the Stories, What the Hell Do We Need You For?

While most of the characters, actions, and material of Stories come from Players, there are a few elements of Stories that Players can not properly represent. For example, if a character is searching for her/his Sire, another party is needed to fulfill that character's goal (unless, of course, another Player really is that character's Sire). Events from the surrounding universe, such as a Sabbat attack or an out-of-city crisis, may occur without Player warning. Finally, certain powers and advantages require an outside party to provide jurisdiction. Therefore, in addition to the rule clarifications, adjudications, and specifications I am required to handle, it will be necessary for me to perform some important actions to keep the Story flowing.

The most frequent role I will be performing in the Live Action Story is that of playing NPCs. Many of your characters' goals involve people who have not been represented by players in the game. In addition, many of you have figures in your backgrounds who could appear in New York to give your characters trouble. For these reasons, I will spend most of my time playing characters somehow important to one or two of you. Since each NPC is only connected to a few Players, these NPCs will probably not play any kind of central role in the Story. Instead, they will provide a sub-plot for Players to run with for a little while. If you are interested in having a character from your past appear, simply give me all the information you can on that character and her/his relationship with you. There is no guarantee that any particular NPC will show up, but if you don't give me any information, then that chance is reduced to zero. Any NPC who will appear in a session will be announced to all of the appropriate players well before the session begins.

In addition to playing NPCs, I will also be creating events for characters that occur in dead time. The purpose behind these encounters is to provide a "seed" (or plot hook) of a new plot-line to energize a dragging Story or to represent appropriate reactions to Story events by non-Player groups. Generally, these events will be handled via e-mail. I will get in contact with the Player involved in the encounter and explain to her/him the background of the event and the current situation. We will then role-play through the encounter and determine the results. Again, other players will be informed of the encounter, if necessary.

Finally, I will also be responsible of keeping track of all the action and development of the Story. Many characters (e.g. Nosferatu) have access to special sources of information that they would normally not be privy to. In addition, certain statistics which confer special abilities on to characters (e.g. Influence) may frequently change hands during the course of a session. For these reasons, it is important for someone to be able to compile all of this information for the use of all. Unfortunately, I'm not omniscient (yes, its true) so I need your help to know as much as possible about the session. Therefore, each of you must e-mail me with a short summary of your character's actions during the session. If there is a problem with this arrangement, let me know.

Conclusion

That's basically my feeling on the whole issue of role-playing metaphysics and Story creation. With luck, I have clearly outlined my feelings on Storyteller and Player roles in LARP, exactly why I cannot create Stories in the traditional manner, and how I think Stories can be created for Live Action by the interaction of all participants. I hope this has clarified my point of view.