Raven's Do's and Don'ts
- Do: Play your game by candlelight
- Don't: Use overhead lighting
- Do: Keep any beverages at the table in wine glasses or goblets
- Don't: Keep snacks at the table - use a seperate table and allow 5-10 minute breakes from the game
- Do: Sit higher than the players - this gives 1) the Storyteller a feeling of dominance 2) the player a sence of importance in the Storyteller
- Do: Talk with your hands
- Do: Know your NPC's intimately - the more alive they are to you, the more alive they will be to the players
- Do: Make use of mood music (I have four 120 minute tapes mixed just for my games)
- Do: Remember that you, the Storyteller, are not "God of My World" ... You are human. You need breaks and you make mistakes. No one expects you to know everything.
- Do: Play with people you are comfortable with
- Do: Take each and every new player through the embrace - even if it is in flashback. This gives 1) a sence of how the player reacts to your style 2) a deeper understanding of how the character will fit into your story 3) the player a stronger emotional link to her character
- Do: Take breaks - about every 90-120 minutes
- Do: Take notes - especially if you expect your players to do so
- Don't: Be afraid to say "That's not how we do things in my game."
- Do: Play at night - preferably at dusk
- Don't: Allow smoking at the game table - this distracts from the mood and atmosphere (no pun intended) of the game VAMPIRES DON'T SMOKE - allow for breaks to accomidate your heavy smoking players.
- Don't: Make all character descisions with dice - allow players to do things that are in character, even if she can't neccessarily do it by the dice.
- Do: Wear dark clothing to your games
- Do: Know the difference between Goth and Manson
- Do: Speak slowly and carefully - enunciate - articulate - it will be much easier for your players to understand you
- Don't: Wear gold accents (earrings, watches, etc.) - try silver ... gold is reminiscent of the sun, silver the moon.
- Do: have a supply of sharpened pencils, paper (ruled and not), dice, and character sheets for your players - basically prepare so that the game can continue even if no one brougt any supplies ... I keep updated copies of my players character sheets for just such emergencies
- Don't: Use profanity (unless in character) - it's unprofessional and juvenile
- Do: Perfect your own "wicked grin" and use it frequently. Sometimes right before something nasty happens ... sometimes just to make them think it will ;[]
- Do: Remember that Kewl effects are not cool
- Don't: Assume anything ... players get resentful if you put a ring through their noses and start leading them about.
- Do: Read insatiably
- Do: Write down your ideas for a game, you'll be surprised how much you can forget
- Do: Research
- Don't: Be afraid to say "I don't know" - just be sure to follow it up immediately with "let me find out"
- Don't: Ever be late for your own game. Try to give yourself at LEAST 15 minutes to set up before the players get there.
- Do: Allow for socialization before a game - your players shouldn't get much of a chance one the story starts rolling
- Do: Give the group "Time-Out"s for missbehaving. It's ok to punish the entire group with a "Time-Out", they'll make sure your trouble maker doesn't get a chance for future T.O.s
- Do: Rembember that there are no White Wolf rules that cannot be summarily bent, broken, reversed, or revoked by the storyteller, however ...
- Do: Be consistant if you're gonna do it.
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