GM's two Sentence Intro

Page 4- "When the game starts the facilitator will give an exactly 2 sentence introduction."

Crazy…why??...

One Reason- brains are the original procedural generators

Many people’s imaginations will take over when given prompts, and maybe won’t if not given prompts. Go back to the Odyysey…while the style is out of fashion, the scenes are no less real seeming because they are not fleshed out in a realistic detail. Certain ideas are given, albeit clever ones, and the reader easily fills in the gaps with detail- settings emotions...  

If an entire description is given, the player is (ideally, but actually probably not) building the scene off of your description. They are creating in their head…not playing. A simpler description allows the players to build the scene in a way that is easily understood by them, it should pop up quicklier as it's built from associations and not details. So then too they are more comfortable putting their character in it, finding their place.  

It's also like…easier. Why are we assuming GM’s should compete with published works- movies, books? What about a GM that thinks they can, but can’t?

And so adventures are built by what interests the players, not what the GM hopes is interesting

Some of the reasoning behind this choice is actually outlined in the GM section of the rulebook, and HOW the two questions should be built is as well. I’ll post a summary:

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

—Sentence 1: Movement

Describe something happening, something moving. 

Examples: a shadow moving, wind rustling leaves, footsteps approaching, flickering lights, a slow collapse, a rising sun.

Motion. 

—Sentence 2: Mythic Logic or Obvious Item

Include one or both:

Mythic Logic: A detail that hints at mood, theme, or upcoming danger

E.g., a blood moon, a twisted tree, unnatural silence, a single bell tolling.

Obvious Item: Something the characters would immediately notice or care about.

E.g., the sword they came to find, a wounded villager, a glowing doorway, a fleeing figure.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here are some bullet type comments on this:

-We want our characters to not have to think about what they are supposed to be seeing, even if it is just a portend.  

-Let them fill in the background…they will!...we don’t have to worry about it not feeling immersive. The movement draws them towards the immersion, the environment is auto generated by the immersion. 

—------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let’s picture the players coming up against this for the first time. 

GM gives two sentences. 

Players say nothing. 

Gm says, you can investigate those things or ask questions.

Players ask questions about what they find interesting. 

THERE. The game is now driven by what the players perceive as interesting, now what the GM hopes they find interesting. 

And what a great moment. The first time the realize they can explore freely, off the rails but still guided and safe.  

Then maybe we see that this comes easy to them, and them maybe we find that the adventures are built by what interests the players, not what the GM hopes is interesting.