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Getting ready to start Jade Regent and found Rich Howard's Blog here.
http://gamingitforwardadvice.blogspot.com/2013/06/behind-screen-rusty-drago n-inn.html
In this blog there is a page where he talks about setting the scene with dialogue and having NPCs discuss the goings on. These discussions also reveal personality, problems in the town, the mood of the town and anything else you want to reveal. Specifically quoting from his blog:
"Every scene in every story, whether novel, movie, or tale around the fire, should accomplish at least two of the following things:
1. Develop character
2. Advance the plot
3. Establish setting"
I have heard that as an author that you want to show your world rather than tell your reader about your world. So the characters actions and interactions will clue the reader into the type of world and the problems faced - this is better than just saying - people had a hard time finding work after the latest war ended for example.
Do you guys plan out dialogue to reveal setting and character? How do you go about doing this? Any other good blogs with tips and examples?
I am starting Jade Regent Thursday and am looking for more ideas.
Thanks PF community.
I try to make dialogue with the PCs as much as possible. 2 NPCs discussing things gets boring real quick.
I'm not familiar with Jade Regent, but I would suggest having the PCs interact with NPCs and have those NPCs, by way of dialog, pass along a couple interesting facts about the world/region.
Then, a while later, drop some more dialog or other methods of getting more world/region knowledge out in the open.
The next session or two, reinforce your previous info and drop some new info as well. Continue to do this as a cycle. If the players are really interested in one or more aspects of the world, develop it more and use it.
I try to make dialogue with the PCs as much as possible. 2 NPCs discussing things gets boring real quick.
I'm not familiar with Jade Regent, but I would suggest having the PCs interact with NPCs and have those NPCs, by way of dialog, pass along a couple interesting facts about the world/region.
Then, a while later, drop some more dialog or other methods of getting more world/region knowledge out in the open.
The next session or two, reinforce your previous info and drop some new info as well. Continue to do this as a cycle. If the players are really interested in one or more aspects of the world, develop it more and use it.
Good point, definitely don't want to have 2 NPCs talking too much. But I was just thinking it might be a good idea to create some lines the NPCs could say to the PCs for a couple of reasons - to ensure you are hitting on character, plot and setting and to be sure you don't miss key points. Also, you may sound more clever with some planned lines.
I have used some lines from some books that have worked out well in the past. Lock Lamora has some great lines in the Gentlemen Bastard series by Scott Lynch. There was a scene where he was haggling with some merchents that was hillarious that I stole for my story.
Do you guys plan out dialogue to reveal setting and character? How do you go about doing this? Any other good blogs with tips and examples?
I haven't played Jade Regent, but in my current Skulls and Schackles campaign I spread the knowledge around. If there's a specific piece of background, a story of a legendary treasure, the biography of an important NPC or such that the adventure wants me to tell the players, I give it to one player, in writing. I tell the player that his character knows this particular story, heard this rumour, or whatever.
It's then the responsibility of the players to share the knowledge between them. This cuts down on the time spent listening to me reading, and if I think about which character gets which knowledge, it also encourages the players to actually roleplay.
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Yeah making one or two important lines of dialogue is useful but don't make it too obvious that you are reading a script. Paraphrasing and inserting the information naturally into the conversation is much better. Mostly why it's important to read the entire AP to know what's going on and never get caught off guard.
For Jade Regent, I strongly recommend to read the background of the npcs, they have some funny interesting ways to interact with each other. Also something to remember a lot of the pcs are actually friends or even siblings of the npcs, so always take that into account when having dialogue to make them either more friendly or familiar.
Yeah making one or two important lines of dialogue is useful but don't make it too obvious that you are reading a script. Paraphrasing and inserting the information naturally into the conversation is much better. Mostly why it's important to read the entire AP to know what's going on and never get caught off guard.
For Jade Regent, I strongly recommend to read the background of the npcs, they have some funny interesting ways to interact with each other. Also something to remember a lot of the pcs are actually friends or even siblings of the npcs, so always take that into account when having dialogue to make them either more friendly or familiar.
I had a great opening Jade Regent game session last night - and the sections where I had bullet pointed dialogue ready came out a lot better than the total ad lib sections.
For me - having a few lines and some bullets really makes the scene flow a lot better.
Does anyone else do this?
Yeah making one or two important lines of dialogue is useful but don't make it too obvious that you are reading a script. Paraphrasing and inserting the information naturally into the conversation is much better. Mostly why it's important to read the entire AP to know what's going on and never get caught off guard.
For Jade Regent, I strongly recommend to read the background of the npcs, they have some funny interesting ways to interact with each other. Also something to remember a lot of the pcs are actually friends or even siblings of the npcs, so always take that into account when having dialogue to make them either more friendly or familiar.
I had a great opening Jade Regent game session last night - and the sections where I had bullet pointed dialogue ready came out a lot better than the total ad lib sections.
For me - having a few lines and some bullets really makes the scene flow a lot better.
Does anyone else do this?
Absolutely. Be careful how detailed you get, though. Bullet points are perfect... you know what you need to say, but you can actually craft the dialogue to fit the moment. Pre-writing actual dialogue has caused me to stumble over the words a few times, when the "set-up" to the line wasn't quite right.
Exposition can often be very awkward. Sometimes there is no way around this. You need to give a lot of information to the players so they can become interactive, but you don't want to just dump setting on them. It's great to hear yours went smoothly!