Working on the Railroad

[J4bberw0ck]

I recently had a TtB campaign I was running fall apart due to schedules and people moving away. I wasn't all that sad to see it end, though, as I really wasn't enjoying the role of FM. The primary problem I found was the need for each session or adventure to adhere to the fate steps. I'm trying to avoid railroading players, but to a certain extent I need some things to work out a certain way in order for the fate step to make sense.

For example, in one case I had an adventure planned out where they would track down by this first breach murder machine and kill it, but ,y players got distracted by an NPC about 30 seconds in and went off after him.

I try to let my players do what's interesting to them, so they hared off after him and spent 2hours embroiled in his personal life, including all kinds of interesting little scenes which played to their individual strengths. Most of them enjoyed it, but the plot fell by the wayside and the session didn't end up matching the fate step at all.

Now I learned a lot from that game, like don't make NPCs too interesting if they're not plot-related, and make sure the players have a good reason to go after the main plot mcguffin, but still.

How do you all handle keeping the fated on track for a plot while still giving them the freedom to explore this extremely cool world?

[Steamtastic Vagabond]

Keep in mind, destiny steps are advanced if the Fated embraces or denies the destiny, thus you could have it pass without any benefit to the Fated in question. This would be harsh but logically sound (for people in control of their destinies anyways...)

[J4bberw0ck]

Interesting, I forgot about that! Denying them any sort of bonus might be too harsh sometimes, but it would definitely be interesting to change what the bonus is. Instead of, say, gaining a power or contact for being a champion of the people, they start causing fear in non-criminals or something like that. That's opens up a lot of very cool ideas.

[Sernus]

I don't automatically try to have every single session be aimed a completing a Destiny step.  My players enjoy side-excursions and lead-up adventures, and they really get into role-playing social interactions, so we tend to have several evenings of gaming between the ones that have a character directly facing their next choice to fulfill or deny their Destiny.

[J4bberw0ck]

I suppose that's an ongoing problem of mine. It's so hard coordinating people to meet regularly, that I tend to feel like every game has to have something important happening. Maybe for my next group I'll try to let go of that.

[Amberleigh]

The way im doing my TtB campaign is a loose story arc with alot of improvisation. I have 4 players two of which have forfilled their first fate step in our second session. The trick ive found is to work on different ways to "insert" the fate steps into the adventure without them necessarily being what the sessions are focused on.

The fated are tasked by the guild to locate and apprehend a ressurectionist known as the Beggar King. The last session was a sewer trek after being blackmailed for assisting an undead woman escape the city (Til death do us part one shot)to locate the Cult of the Crow of which the king is the leader. This gave them a lead to follow.

The next seesion sees the fated make their way into the quarantine zone with Leveticus either as an expedition which takes time to organised bribes made etc, to yet another foray into the sewers. This brings them into Powderburg, where the session takes place. Their lead was an old winmill with a crow painted on it, where the leaders of the ressurectionists of the cult meet before makeing their way elsewhere for their meeting. However the windmill is a location of a small but thriving community known as Millers Corner which has recently lost its clean water supply. The community are willing to help the fated find their quarrey but only if the fated help them with the water supply.

Ive inserted a "cut scene" here where a child asks her mother for water, the mother points to a tap then starts sobbing. the girl runs carefree to the tap, turns it on and all but three drops of water ping the mug. i then describe in detail how the hope is lost. (All hope will drown in but three tears) as you can see its not in the literal sense. This has the benefit of tugging at the players emotion and helps further the story.

Im writting the pump house act of the session now, which the fated will discover the water supply has purposely been contaminated by slurids as the slurids had an agreement with Millers Corner of sacrifices. These slurids have more intelligence than the others in malifaux. The sacrifices stopped a few weeks ago and so the supply of water which they maintained for those above was left to putrify. Suffice to say Gupp and slurid encounter that can be settled with deplomacy (and a suitable sacrifice) or violence, destroying the few slurids there. either way the water becomes clear again, it was clean all along but tainted by a slurid with magical ability whom has conveiniently fled recently. so the slurids just had it easy.

If they dont help ive noted that some of the innocent townsfolk will become revenants and hunt down the fated, but thats something that may or may not happen later in the adventure.

The fated would likely discus this with the townfolk and get the information they need. The Beggar King was last seen making his way to the Pylon in Powderburg.

 

 

[J4bberw0ck]

Very interesting, and I like the idea of fate steps just being woven into existing adventures without necessarily being the focus. It also allows the players to go off the rails a bit more. That scene with the child and the water could happen anywhere, so if the Fated decided to wander off into the Badlands, it could still fit perfectly. Thanks for the ideas!

[Amberleigh]

17 hours ago, J4bberw0ck said:

Very interesting, and I like the idea of fate steps just being woven into existing adventures without necessarily being the focus. It also allows the players to go off the rails a bit more. That scene with the child and the water could happen anywhere, so if the Fated decided to wander off into the Badlands, it could still fit perfectly. Thanks for the ideas!

Your welcome, glad I could help.

Ive found that alot of improvisation is needed for through the breach, its one of the reasons I enjoy being a Fate Mistress.

[Le gob]

I'm been a fatemaster for many years, and if there's something I know, it's that players don't always do what you expect them to.
To keep them on track, you need to allow them some leeway, to do things their way and don't force them to follow exactly what's written on your scenario. More often than not, they will come up with some creative solution you weren't expecting.

I usually only have a few things set on my scenario:
-where I want my players to go
-who are the main NPCs and what they want. This one is important. If you just read them a written speach from your NPC, it's really boring to your players, but if you speak to them knowing where you want the conversation to go, it makes things more lively and enjoyable. 
-what happens if the players do nothing or take too much time
-a few side stories that the players may get involved in or not depending on the interest they have about what happens around them

Then all the rest is improvistion and reaction to the players actions, keeping in mind what your NPCs want.
I usually plan things in such way that they have different options to solve the challenges I throw at them. It makes the players enjoy the game more, as they can solve it their way.
As a last advice: always be open to your player's solutions even if they are dumb ones, it will be more fun for everyone.

[Steamtastic Vagabond]

Generally, I don't plan out scenarios or possibilities, I generally set up a yes or no system.

Did the Fated kill their hostage?

No? Then he slips away and goes to the authorities with incriminating information.

Yes? He doesn't slip away. But a resurrectionist will eventually find the body and revive the hostage, allow him to get his revenge.

[J4bberw0ck]

Thanks for the advice everyone , I'm working more on my improvisation in games, and will be factoring in your tips. I think my problem is that I get too attached to certain NPCs or events and want them to come to the forefront.

In an interesting way, I think doing more writing for myself will help me avoid railroading my players, since I was already able to tell the story the way I would do it. Now I can allow them to tell their own story together, since I'm not forcing my narrative onto them. It kinda reminds me of John Scalzi's Redshirts. I don't want them to suddenly act out of character whenever The Narrative takes over.