Starting From Scratch
Starting From Scratch
The best way to learn how to improvise is to practice at it. At some time, you might want to suggest a night of “impromptu gaming.” Tell them that you want to run a scenario with no preparation—just bring dice, and you’ll make it up as you go along. Make it clear that this will not be part of the campaign (unless, of course, it goes exceptionally well).
At this point, try to come up with a basic plot line—or have the players suggest a story. Perhaps it will be something as simple as “the hyperdrive is busted… again.” Try to devise a scenario on the fly, and solicit suggestions from the players about what they’d like to see.
These ad-lib scenarios tend to result in the most memorable sessions for both players and gamemasters, as everybody’s creative juices are flowing freely.
Start by giving the players a situation for them to deal with. Give them an opening scene and let them react however they want to. If they say, “We want to hire mercenaries to protect us,” then ad-lib a scene where they spread the word in cantinas or where they go to a company that can contact the mercenaries.
The challenge here is to build a story with the players instead of trying to control their actions. • Work with your players towards developing a workable, cohesive story line. There are more of them than you and therefore a lot more ideas on their side of the table. Take what they offer and consider it carefully. • Don’t be afraid to take your time and deliberate over important decisions. Snap judgments can come back to haunt you. If a new weakness has been discovered in a certain type of spaceship, expect the players to exploit that weakness every time they see it. • Take notes during and after the game session. Have everyone make comments about what they did and didn’t like. Have them suggest alternative ways of dealing with situations.
After the game, think about the plot and try to come up with better ways of handling the situation.
As a whole, free-style improvisation can add life to a campaign that is going flat and in need of some inspiration. Allowing your players to help in the creation of new adventures can re-energize your players’ interest and add to the liveliness of their roleplaying.
After completing an adventure, take the time to see what situations your players liked and disliked and what possible plot threads they would like to follow up.
It can be quite surprising how many minor gamemaster characters introduced through improvisation can become player favorites. Taking the time to discuss the adventure as a whole and finding out what your players liked can shed light on what things you are doing right and wrong as a gamemaster and also gives you clues on how to better handle unforeseen situations in the future.
This kind of technique may seem difficult at first, but it will help you to perfect your ability to improvise during “normal” gaming.
Source: REUP:192