1. Communicating with Your Players
2. Focusing and Motivating Players
3. Linking Characters with the Global Chronicle
4. Welcoming New Players

Communicating with Your Players

Once you take up the storyteller’s mantle, players will want to talk with you.  They will ask questions, present ideas, and seek your advice. Players need to feel comfortable talking with you, but remember that you are not on-call as a storyteller 24 hours a day.

Make Time for Your Players

Find out how your players want to be able to contact you. Your options include:

• Phone calls during specific hours
• E-mail
• Instant Messaging
• Face-to-face office hours (before games, at chapter meetings, or at a local coffee shop)

Most storytellers offer their players several methods of contact. Be flexible, but define your storyteller “office hours” from the outset. If your chapter has a newsletter, publish a regular “how and when to contact your ST” text box.

Players will often ask you storytelling questions outside of your regular storytelling hours; in this case, remember that you have a right to your personal time. If you feel like answering the question, great. You’ll make a player happy.  However, if it’s not your storytelling hours, you can politely suggest they contact you during another time.

Finally, if your office hours cannot be kept due to other situations, let your players know as soon as possible. Such consideration will be appreciated.  Your players will respect you for it, and you will find you will have more free
time in the long run.

Divide Your Time Fairly

Your members should have equal access to you as a storyteller. Here are a few suggestions that will help you stay fair:

• Don’t get bogged down with a single player or issue
• Check-in with your players once a month; ask them about their characters.  Players love a few minutes of ST attention
• Answer all questions in a timely manner whenever possible
• If an answer takes you longer than expected, let the player know you are busy but you’re working on their issue

You don’t have to know every answer immediately. If you need some time to think or to consult a book, do so. Take your time and give the right answer rather than a fast answer.

Listen with a Storyteller’s Ear

Players often ask storytellers for things that really don’t reflect what they need. Your job, as storyteller, is to build a great story that excites your players and encourages them to come back again and again. Listen to what your players need rather than what they say they want. Let’s look at an example of how this works.

Several years ago, a player applied for Path of Honorable Accord for a PC in the Cam/Anarch venue. The player thought the path would help his character avoid the difficulties of Humanity. The RST approved the Path, because he understood that the player was looking for a roleplay challenge. The RST instructed the local storytellers to make sure that the player followed the path precisely or receive Path checks. A year later, the player said he’d had a blast as his character tried to retained honor in a corrupt kindred world. The RST had identified and fulfilled the player’s unspoken needs.

Handle Arguments between Players

Sometimes, players will have different opinions about in-game events or rules. Here are a few guidelines we recommend for handling disputes between players:

• Identify the area of disagreement
• Ask all involved parties to summarize their perspective
• Consult rules, if necessary
• Make a ruling, offering a brief summary of the reasons that led to your decisions.

Often player disagreements are caused by a simple miscommunication or misunderstanding that can be easily cleared up–but only if you know where things went awry.

One of the most common disputes occurs when one player thinks that another player is using OOC information. If this happens, here are a few recommended steps:

• Listen to the player’s concerns
• Talk with other storytellers to see if they know how the information might actually be legitimate IC information
• Talk with the player to verify the information has a valid IC source.
• Communicate your findings to any involved players or storytellers

Patience and attention to player’s concerns will help you resolve many of the simple ones before they grow more complex.

Get Feedback from Players

At the end of each game, get feedback and constructive criticism about the game from your players. There are a number of ways to do this. You can:

• Call for responses at a formal wrap-up session
• Use a game comment form
• Mingle at after-game socials and listen to what players say
• Ask players to email feedback to you

Some players will be outspoken and others will be shy. So, whatever methods you use, be sure that you’re hearing the opinions of your entire player base.  Don’t just focus on the loudest voices.

Mentor Your Players

Our chronicle relies on complex game concepts and mechanics. Work with your assistants to provide workshops, seminars, or mentorship on important game aspects.

• Are your players confused by the influence system? Teach a seminar on how to use them effectively.
• Are people uncertain about the different morality paths for Sabbat? Get together over coffee and discuss them.
• Do players want to get involved in the global game? Show them how!

Hosting just one such meeting a month will help your players learn a great deal about the game. Events like this improve the quality of the game and also provide a social meeting for members to talk outside of the game itself.

Pass on to your players the things you learn from other storytellers. If a rule is clarified, mention it to your players. If you know plots are afoot for a certain group, talk to them and make sure they know about it. Keep your players informed, without giving away the story.

Spend Time with the People in Your Chapter

It is a good idea to really know the people in your chapter. What do they do outside of the game? Socialize with them; make a point of going to chapter events that are not game-related and talk about things other than the game.  Build friendships. The players will know you as a person that way, not just as a storyteller. You will know them as more than “players.” Make
friends.

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Focusing and Motivating Players

Players who are excited about their characters bring energy to the game, and it all starts when a player considers a new character. Take a few minutes very early on in that consideration to talk with the player about their concept—before they take out the rule books or a blank character sheet. If the player has a character sheet already, set it aside and find out about the player’s real interests in the game—what they really enjoy playing and doing.

Six Questions to Ask Players During Character Creation

• What types of things make a game exciting and memorable for you?
• What sorts of stories do not interest you?
• What are your three favorite memories of your last character?
• What did you learn about the game from portraying your last character?
• What sorts of stories are you interested in exploring?
• Is there a part of the game you are interested in and want to learn more about?

Once players identify their real interests, they can create character concepts to match those interests. Encourage your players to write a character background.

A good background will help players get a better feel for the character and can provide potential storylines or create links between characters in the game.  Encourage players to make connections between their characters and others, but
remind them that not every link needs to be friendly.

Encourage Players to Write Character Goals

Goals help players focus on their character’s actions. Some storytellers, before the start of each game, ask players to write down at least two short-term goals and one mid-term goal for their characters. Players are then asked to keep these goals in mind as they portray their characters. Some storytellers even base experience awards on how well characters accomplish their goals.

Short-term goals can be achieved in a single game.  These goals should require some effort on the player’s part.

• Obtain a boon and record it with the harpy
• Attain the position of Truthcatcher at the moot
• Introduce yourself to five people and get contact information from them

Mid-term goals are ones that will take more than one game session to accomplish.

• Prove your worth to the Duke and become knighted
• Infiltrate the local Renegades and report their plans to my legion commander.
• Defuse tension between two rival cabals

Long-term goals should be a deep well-spring of motivation for the character. Long-term goals take many months or years to complete, if they are possible at all.

• Become a Cardinal of the Sabbat
• Become a Red Branch knight
• Survive until Gehenna

If a player has difficulty portraying a new character (or if you notice character stagnation), then you can intervene as a storyteller. Ask the player to write goals for the character. As storyteller, review these goals and help the player fine-tune them. Encourage the player to focus on the short-term goals at the next game. If the character completes the short-term goals, you
can make a “good roleplay” award. If after several games, the character fails to complete any short-term goals, you can choose not to award experience to the character.

Support the Use of Character Journals

Many players use character journals to record their characters thoughts, actions, and in-character knowledge. Journals can be written in many formats:

• Diaries
• Third-person narratives
• Autobiographies
• Letters to mentors or sires

Encourage creativity. Storytellers can read through these journals to track character growth. Exceptional journals, just like exceptional roleplay, can be worth extra experience.

Reward Character Accomplishments

When a player attains a major goal or demonstrates outstanding roleplay, you can offer a reward. Possible rewards include:

• Experience traits
• Influences
• Special recognition (IC or OOC)
• Climactic scenes

Remember, as the player becomes more skillful, you will need to set your standards higher. Rewards should always be on the edge of reach. If they come too easily, players will take them for granted. If they are impossible to attain, they will
become discouraged.

Recognition, however, should not be so rare. Tell players when they have done something well, and recognize them publicly for their achievements. Everyone enjoys praise, especially in regards to their roleplaying abilities.

Watch Out for Character Stagnation

Sometimes, players get stuck when playing a character. Let’s take a look at some of the most common problems and discuss ways to help your players move forward.

Stuck in a rut occurs when a player loses interest in the character. Sometimes this happens because the player doesn’t feel that there is any challenge. Other times, long-term characters need a breath of new life

• Build a story based on the character’s background
• Help the player build short, medium, and long term goals
• Ask the player the six character creation questions listed above
• Check to see if the player has found the end of the character’s story.
  If so, help them build a new character.

Recycled concepts are “new” characters that duplicate the player’s last character. When a player loses or retires a character, we recommend that they play a different concept for at least three months.

Character bleed happens when new characters look and act like previous characters. If the player of Bubba Brujah creates Victor Ventrue, then Victor should have clearly different goals and allies. If Victor starts
acting like “Bubba, Jr.,” help the player develop character goals for Victor. You can even tie experience awards to these goals. Provide positive encouragement to portray the new character and accomplish its goals.

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Linking Characters with the Global Chronicle

While some of your players will be content to play on the local stage, some will be eager to explore the global Sanctioned Game. We find that new players are often excited to explore the chronicle, but they don’t know where to start.  As a storyteller, you can offer guidance and suggestions. Here are some ways to point players in the right direction:

Help Players Set Goals

The global Sanctioned Chronicle is huge. Sometimes it helps to give new players goals that will help direct their explorations. Often, basic goals are connected to gathering information. For example, a new Garou character might have the following goals:

• Seek information about tribe mates in nearby cities
• Discover what septs and packs are within a day’s travel
• Learn who the elders of the region are

Good preliminary goals, when reached, provide characters with basic information they can build upon.

Recommend Character Links

As players explore the Sanctioned Chronicle, they may find some of the more visible leaders in their group. However, it’s often more difficult to find those characters who manipulate from behind the scenes.

When players are interested in the larger game, ask them to watch the game for a month and make a list of players who possess the following characteristics:

• Are fun to roleplay with
• Seem to understand the global chronicle
• Seem generally helpful to newer players

Have them watch at local games as well as on the in-character lists. Encourage your players to seek in-character links with these players. They can do this after a game or through e-mail. No player is required to link backgrounds, but if asked politely, players are usually happy to do so.

Encourage Players to Mentor Each Other

Many experienced players will be happy to mentor new players. As a storyteller, you want to make sure that the mentor serves as a good guide for your players.  Make sure that your players receive correct out-of-character information and that they actually learn from the experience.

If you’re lucky enough to have experienced players in your local game, ask them if they will mentor new players. Most often, they will be happy to do so.

Promote Travel to Other Games

One of the best ways to experience the global Sanctioned Game is to travel to other local games, regional events, and national events. There, players who might usually only interact online can interact face-to-face. Travel builds friendships and can expose players to new styles of roleplay.

If a new player travels to an out-of-town game, ask them to carefully observe the game. They can learn about the larger game by watching how other characters interact with each other. Sometimes, a simple discussion during the trip home can help players see new aspects of the game.

Manage Player Expectations

Our global Sanctioned Chronicle has thousands of players and years of roleplay history behind it. A new player is unlikely to discover the chronicle’s secrets during their first two months of play. It takes time to learn the details and complexities of our game.

A good storyteller will celebrate player accomplishments and also listen to player frustrations. In our global game, the keys to long-term success are patience and a willingness to learn.

If a player loses a character because of a misstep in the global game:

• Sit down with the player and talk about what happened
• Ask what they learned, as a player, about how the game works
• Encourage the player to build a new character that benefits from the skills they’ve learned

Some players have participated in the global Sanctioned Chronicle for years, but there’s always something new to learn. Sometimes, new players teach our experienced players a new trick or two. That’s what makes our game fun.

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Welcoming New Players

We look forward to new players joining our game; they bring fresh ideas and excitement. As a storyteller, you should take time to ensure that new players feel welcome and that their questions are answered.

Make Pre-Game Contact

Try to meet with new players before game night. This allows you to give them individual attention and focus on their questions. It’s near-impossible to give beginning players your complete attention on game night. But, if you cannot meet with new players before game night, ask an ACST or an experienced player to help them with character construction. New players deserve someone’s full attention, so if it can’t be yours, make sure it’s someone you trust.

Help them Feel Welcome

On game night, introduce new players to everyone and welcome them. Some chapters ask new players to wear a special ribbon that identifies them as new players.

Other chapters use a buddy system to help new players find their way into the game. Ask your seasoned players to act as mentors and explain the rules. Remember, some new players will never have played LARP before, and very few new players will be familiar with the Sanctioned Chronicle.

Publicly thank the mentors, and recommend them for Prestige in the Storytelling Support category. Their mentoring efforts strengthen the game and show we actively welcome new members.

Invite them to Socials

The last and most important welcome for new players happens after the game.  If you have an after-event, be sure new members are invited and know where it is located. This is really a coordinator issue, but it’s also a storyteller’s role to help keep track of new players.

Sometime during the next week, contact the new players, and ask if they have any questions or concerns. Let them know about upcoming games and invite them to attend.

Not every new player will decide to return and join the club, but if you make new players feel welcome, they will be much more receptive your group. Remember, if their first experience with the Camarilla is fun, you may very well recruit a new member.

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