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Roleplaying Tips Weekly E-Zine Issue #33
5 Exciting Ways To Create Tension
Contents:
This Week's Tips Summarized
5 Exciting Ways To Create Tension
- Create Some Competition For The Prize
- Break the Players Out of Their Comfort Zones
- GMs: Get Up & Move Around
- Say Something is Going to Happen Then Put It Off
- Use Omens
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A Brief Word From Johnn
Tension is an important part of the roleplaying experience.
It heightens emotions, is exciting to feel and helps the
players really enjoy your story.
Building tension can be tricky. You do not want to over-do
it. And you want to make sure the tension is created from
the excitement of playing--not from players being angry and
frustrated with each other or yourself.
Here are 5 tips on creating the fun kind of tension that
will make your game sessions memorable. I actually have many
more tension tips, but I thought these were the best ones.
Ones that you could take to the game table right after
reading them.
If you would like to hear the other tension tips I have, let
me know. Otherwise, I'll move onto another topic next issue.
johnn@roleplayingtips.com
Cheers,
Johnn Four
johnn@roleplayingtips.com
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5 Exciting Ways To Create Tension
- Create Some Competition For The Prize
You can create fantastic tension by introducing a party
nemesis. A nemesis should be close to the PCs in power and
capabilities. And the best nemesis is an entire band of NPCs
who are close duplications of the PCs (i.e. an evil twin of
each character--or a good twin if the characters are evil).
Have the band frequently be one step ahead of the PCs,
getting the PCs in trouble through set-ups and false
rumours, and outperform the PCs in every possible way.
Nemesis examples:
- A bounty hunter after the PCs to bring them to justice or
into the villain's hands
- Did the PCs "accidentally" commit a bad crime in the last
town? Form a posse and chase 'em down!
- Another band of adventurers after the same legendary
treasure
- A rival band of NPCs hired by the PCs employer
either as assurance the quest will be completed by one of
the groups, or to "take care of the PCs" so there are no
loose ends once the quest is completed
- The PCs are asked to teach some NPCs, but the NPCs turn
out to be more capable than the PCs and embarrass them often
by doing things better
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- Break the Players Out of Their Comfort Zones
Players establish their own comfort zones at the game table.
You can create tension by changing their routine or habits.
Comfort zone examples:
- Have the players change seating during play and
immediately resume the play
- Put them in new seating arrangements (i.e. have them sit
in their chairs in single file marching order; if they are
flying a ship seat them as if they were in the actual
cockpit or "on the bridge")
- Use blindfolds - but avoid touching or other things which
may make the players uncomfortable
- Have them play standing up for a while
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- GMs: Get Up & Move Around
Do you normally sit and GM from the head of the table? I
find that the play can become more exciting and tense if I
stand up and move around.
If you can, walk around the whole table. And stop and GM
while standing behind a player once in awhile. That creates
tension and paranoia!
You may also find that you use more body language and body
movements when you are standing--your arms and hands
especially.
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- Say Something is Going to Happen Then Put It Off
The title says it all. Let the players know that the villain
is quickly approaching them, or that they feel the tremors
of a giant monster and the tremors are getting worse, or
that the bridge they're on is breaking apart...and then make
it a false alarm or give the characters a brief respite.
Drawing things out creates a lot of tension.
A great way to perform this technique is to have an NPC do
the telling:
- a story
- a warning
- in song or poetry
- through a note or diary entry
- through an overheard conversation
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- Use Omens
An omen is an event or sign that gives a hint about what the
future holds. Omens are tricky because if they are too
subtle the players won't understand them and the effect is
lost.
Another problem is cause and effect. If the players do not
associate your omen with potential future happenings, or if
they are too skeptical to believe, then the omen will not
create tension.
The solution is to introduce an omen, make sure the players
recognize it as an omen, and have the omen come true in that
same game session. Do this three times and you will make a
believer out of the most skeptical player.
Omens that create the most tension are bad omens: nasty
things could happen to the characters in the near future.
And if your omen also contains a hint about the nature of
the upcoming event even more tension can be created.
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Have any tension-building tips to share? Send them along to: feedback@roleplayingtips.com
Have more fun at every game!
Johnn Four
READER'S TIP OF THE WEEK:
Session Tips
From: Peter Whitley
When it's time to pack it up for the night midway through
your adventure, how you leave your party will affect how
they approach the table next time you sit down.
Don't leave the party with a plethora of choices. Big
decisions are best made in the heat of a session when dialog
and attentions are at their peak. When your players come to
the table they will generally be unprepared to decide which
way to go right away, so if you can get them to make their
move the session before you will be better prepared.
For example, a major combat had just occurred and it was
obviously time to bring things to a close for the evening.
However, I knew that up around the corner there was a major
decision in the adventure and I didn't want it to be the
first significant event of the next session. Encouraging the
players to move on for just a bit further and decide which
way to go, I was able to better prepare for the session
following that, and I may build the suspense for the hostile
encounters now more effectively.
When the adventure takes an unexpected turn and you're
feeling unprepared, stall. You can slow the party down with
suspense-building details. Consider what purpose the
environment they are in has and elaborate on that. Preview
threats to come with obscure hints like feces, broken beaded
necklaces, or what have you.
For example, one player was due to show up a few hours late
to delve into a necromancer's lab. I knew that the character
had knowledge that would be of critical importance to the
party very soon. I threw in some "flavor" with barrels of
dead bodies preserved in foul-smelling liquid, a child's
shoe, and pools of dried blood. When that failed to slow
them they encountered wires of totems and bits of body parts
hung at odd angles above their heads, a barricade of junk
covered in prayers, and lamps constructed of disembodied
heads. All of these things had no specific purpose or
intended usefulness to the party, but it effectively slowed
them down with "oohs and aaaahs" until the player who knew
that a bit of silver wire and a bell meant an alarm spell
had been cast showed up. It worked beautifully and everyone
was sufficiently creeped out.
Thanks Pete. Your stalling tip is also a great method for
creating tension.
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