Page 196 - World of Darkness

a group of players. Some of the more interesting of these ters. These cutaways serve to embolden the main charac-
involve fooling around with time. ters. They hold the fort, waiting for reinforcements that
Flashbacks: Events that took place before the present players know will arrive. Or cutaways get characters to
can be played out to dramatic effect by using flashbacks, change tactics before they wind up dead.
short scenes that take place in the past and which greatly Foreshadowing: Events from a potential future can
inform the players’ understanding of present conditions. be foreshadowed by actually playing them out. The scene
These flashbacks might involve their characters before shifts to next week, where the characters attend the fu-
they became aware of the supernatural world — or they neral of one of their own. This really wakes the players
might even involve characters’ ancestors! The players can up! How did the character die? How do they stop it from
temporarily take the roles of other characters — their own coming to pass? Everything they do will be measured
ancestors or just some unfortunate people who acciden- against the scant clues this glimpse into the future pro-
tally discovered the curse of the tomb. Flashbacks are like vides. For this reason, it’s best to make these visions short,
short scenes in a movie. Keep them short. If they’re too cutting away before too many details are revealed. It’s sweet
long, they detract from the modern story. As soon as flash- agony watching the players try to avoid — or accomplish
backs veer from the main purpose — to more fully reveal — the fate they witnessed. One important point: These
a present predicament — end them and cut back to the must be glimpses of a possible future, not a preordained
now. one. Character actions should be allowed to change (or
Cutaways: Events that take place at the same time fulfill) it.
but in a different location can add dramatic effect. This is
more than simply cutting back and forth between two Bottom Line: Have Fun
groups of characters. It can be used to witness Storyteller In the end, don’t worry about whether you’re playing
characters conniving against the players’ characters, or the game “correctly.” There’s no wrong way to do it, there’s
striving to aid them. It’s fun to let the players take the just the way everybody wants to. If you’re the only one
roles of these cutaway characters, whether it’s a crime boss who wants to turn out the lights and use flashlights when-
chortling with his captains about a death trap into which ever a ghost appears, maybe you should rethink it. If no-
a character just fell, or disciples trying to understand a body else enjoys it, what good is it? The only real failure is
clue that will allow them to rescue the players’ charac- to keep making mistakes once you know they’re mistakes.

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HOW TO TELL STORIES