Storytelling Adventure System Guide

Storytelling Adventure System Guide

Written by Eddy Webb and Will Hindmarch Edited by Jason Bolte and Genevieve Posey Layout by Jessica Mullins Original Product Design by matt milberger SAS created by White Wolf Publishing
White Wolf Publishing © 2008 CCP hf. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf, Vampire and World of Darkness are registered trademarks of CCP hf. All rights reserved. Vampire the
Requiem, Werewolf the Forsaken, Mage the Awakening, Promethean the Created, Changeling the Lost, Hunter the Vigil, Exalted, Scion, Storytelling System and the Storytelling Adventure System are trademarks of CCP hf. All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by CCP hf. CCP North America Inc. is a wholly
2075 West Park Place Blvd. owned subsidiary of CCP hf. The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned. This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature
content. Reader discretion is advised.
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 What Is A Storytelling
Pacing and plotting scenes are part of the fun of being a Storyteller
for some people. If it’s fun for you, take these scenes apart and use them

Adventure System Product?

however you like. You can even import scenes from other stories or
create new scenes for yourself. If you prefer to just get to the table and
start playing, though, you’ll find an example already plotted for you in

Storytelling Adventure System Guide

Storytelling Adventure System Guide

Think of a Storytelling Adventure System product (SAS) as a story kit, each story’s “Treatment” section.
as if you’d bought a piece of modern furniture and brought it home in a big
flat box. You open it up, eager to be the Storyteller for your troupe, but what
you find is a collection of pieces and parts. To put it together, you’ll need Advice
some tools: the rules and worlds provided in one or more of our Storytelling Every story has unique challenges and pitfalls that can trip up
game rulebooks. You’ll use these parts and tools to build a story together even an experienced Storyteller. No matter how great the parts are,
with your friends. It might not look quite like you expect it to when it’s all they don’t do you much good if you don’t have a clue how to put
done, but as long as everyone enjoys it, it doesn’t matter how you end up them together for maximum effect. An SAS product often provides
using all the pieces, or even if you throw some of them away. specific advice on how to use those parts in just the right way to cre-
The basic parts that make up most SAS stories are simple: Storyteller ate the story you want to tell, as well as suggestions on scene flow,
characters, scenes and some advice on how you can put them together. relevant background, and unique rules and mechanics useful to the
Each of them can be used in different ways to keep the story building story at hand.

SAS Structure
towards its climactic end. These parts are designed to make the job of be-
ing a Storyteller easier, faster and more fun for you. The wondrous game
experiences you’ve read about that shock and satisfy your players come
from doing a great job, and everything in an SAS product is intended to Storytelling is the most powerful way
pick up the slack so you can focus on creating the best story you can.
to put ideas into the world today.

Characters
— Robert McAfee Brown

Adventure Ratings
The Storyteller characters presented in most SAS products use the
same format and rules as those in our Storytelling games, with a few
elaborations and expansions. The archetypal characters you find in a A Storytelling Adventure System product has three ratings on its
rulebook are intended to be used again and again, whenever you need cover. They look something like this:
someone like them in your story. The characters in an SAS product,
however, contain special advice and notes to help you use them in a Storytelling Adventure system
specific story. You’ll find descriptions, monologues, tactics and goals
Scenes Mental OOOOO XP Level
8 o-34
for the most important Storyteller characters. Draw from them as Physical OOOOO
needed during play. Social OOOOO

Scenes Scenes: This is the total number of scenes in the adventure. It’s used
The scenes that make up the story follow a specific format. Each
to convey a sense of the length of the adventure (how long it will take
scene is built as a discrete game encounter (or a closely-tied collection
to play). If there are nine scenes (even if two of them are optional),
of game encounters) for the troupe to play through. As the players take
then the Scene rating is “9.”
their characters through these scenes, a story naturally unfolds.
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 Introduction and Groundwork
MPS (Mental, Physical, Social) Dots: The adventure as a whole
is given a rating based on how challenging it is in three categories:
Mental (puzzles, mysteries, research), Physical (combat, endur- The Introduction covers general information about the product, as
ance), and Social (interacting with and influencing others). Also, well as set-up and groundwork sections like Storyteller advice, descrip-
each scene is rated with its own MPS scale. While the adventure as tions of key Storyteller characters, a flowchart of how scenes can flow

Storytelling Adventure System Guide

Storytelling Adventure System Guide

a whole might be rated Mental ••, Physical •••• and Social •••, it’s together, background and set-up information, and a treatment of the
possible for one or two scenes to be rated Social •• or ••• if one of story to be told.
the ways they can be “solved” is through a particularly challenging
Social feat. What’s a Treatment?
Each MPS rating uses the familiar range of 0 to 5 dots, according to In Hollywood parlance, a treatment is a short prose description of a
the following scale: movie’s story, written before production begins. A treatment describes
all the major dramatic “beats” of the story, and sometimes includes
MPS (Mental, Physical, Social) Dots: directorial or developmental information (i.e., it doesn’t necessarily
Zero No challenge (involves no real risk, but may be dramatic) restrict itself to relating the story).
• Minor challenge (slight chance of lost resources) In Storytelling terms, the treatment is the Storyteller’s core over-
•• Lesser Challenge (low risk or mild consequences) view of the story, from authorial notes on subtext all the way to
••• Challenging (even chances, moderate consequences) frank narrative tips. Nothing is implied in a Storytelling treatment;
this is where the author breaks it all down in brief for the Storyteller
•••• Major (real risk or serious consequences for failure)
at home.
••••• Extreme (serious peril with lasting or lethal consequences)

XP Level: The amount of experience points that characters should

ideally possess to play the adventure (but it’s not necessary; the
Scenes
Scenes are the most important parts in your kit, so usually a large
story can be scaled to support characters who have less or more
portion of each SAS product will be devoted to them. There’s a
experience). The scale is similar to the charts used for advanced
common structure for each SAS scene to help you quickly find
character creation in each of our Storytelling games, but may change
information in the heat of a blazing gun-fight or during a tense
slightly depending on the system the SAS is designed for. The most
negotiation, especially if you decide to snag a scene from a dif-
common scale is: ferent product to use in your current story. Some sections may be
XP Levels: missing if they aren’t appropriate for a particular scene, however
(such as the Actions section if there’s no defining core action for
0-34 Beginner the scene).
35-74 Seasoned MPS Ratings: These dots are similar to the ratings for the overall
75-119 Established story. They’re intended to give you a quick summary of the severity
120-179 Veteran of the challenges the scene presents, and of what types.
180+ Legend Overview: This is a big-picture look at the scene, including a synopsis
and a short description of what triggers the scene (e.g. “Finding the
homeless camp” or “Noticing the queen’s tomb”). The central conflict
in the scene is described here as well.

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 Description: This is a general description of the scene’s atmosphere,
setting and inherent game effects. The descriptive text in this section
Aftermath
is usually suitable for reading aloud to the troupe. After the scenes, there are suggestions and ideas for potential story
Storyteller Goals: This details what a scene is designed to ac- ideas that can result from the aftermath of the adventure (if the SAS
was run as part of an existing chronicle), as well as suggested experi-

Storytelling Adventure System Guide

Storytelling Adventure System Guide

complish in the story (e.g., build suspense, exposit, challenge the

characters physically) and what you, as the Storyteller, should keep ence point awards.
in mind overall when running the scene. Antagonist goals for the
scene go here, too. Scene Cards
Character Goals: What are the players’ characters trying to get out There are also scene cards included in each product. Every scene
of this scene? Sometimes these goals will be obvious to the players in the story gets its own card, which summarizes the scene in short
and their characters at the outset (e.g., “find the Vault of Osiris” or notes so that you can focus on the story. Print them out, cut them
“get Edgar to tell his story”), but sometimes not (e.g., “survive the apart and keep them on hand as you’re Storytelling. You might even
zombie ambush”). keep a few scene cards on hand from other stories — a fight scene,
Actions: This gives concrete examples of how the scene’s goals can a chase scene, whatever — just in case you need to toss them into
be dramatized and played out. Most scenes have a key action, which the current story.
is a detailed description of the action in rules terms. You can use the
dice pools, modifiers and descriptive text detailed there as you play
out the scene.
Hindrances: This section gives you a quick list of
modifiers that make the scene more challenging, more
dangerous or more dramatic for the characters, such as
situational circumstances or the effects of previous scenes.
Often, these have the secondary effect of making a scene
longer.
Help: This section describes suitable ways the charac-
ters can make the scene easier for themselves, or extra
benefits they can derive through clever play in this or
previous scenes. Sometimes these have the secondary ef-
fect of making a scene shorter, but they just as often add
more actions to the scene as the players strive to get these
aids before attempting the key action.
Consequences: When the outcome of the scene has special
consequences, such as a temporary supernatural ability or a
chance of later police investigation, this section describes the
details. It may also detail how this scene can lead to others.

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 How to Use Telling The Story
Adaptability
an SAS Product One of the hallmarks of the Storytelling System is its adaptability.

Storytelling Adventure System Guide

Storytelling Adventure System Guide

The number of scenes, for example, is extremely flexible; you can add
Reading The Product or subtract scenes until you get exactly the story you want. Individual
An SAS product is a collection of situations and settings that scenes can be scaled up or down about the equivalent of one “level” on
describe the general plot a story could follow, but the story doesn’t the MPS scale — for example, from •• to • or •••. Use the “Help” and
really exist until you and your players tell it. Though most SAS “Hindrance” modifiers in each scene to dial the challenge up or down.
products will present scenes in an intuitive order, the scenes don’t When in doubt, remember that the size of the dice pool is everything
have to occur in exactly that sequence. That story is just one pos- — add dice penalties like flickering lights, blowing rain, peeling lino-
sibility, which you can use as a guide to follow when you get to- leum underfoot and capable enemies to create more perilous scenes.
gether with your troupe to play. The order and the outcome of the You can use this technique to change the MPS rating or XP level for
scenes depend on the choices your players make – the story that a whole story as well.
you all tell together around the game table is under no obligation It’s also possible to slant the MPS ratings toward or away from
to imitate what we imagined when we wrote it. a particular play style. If the story has a high Physical rating and
Each SAS will be written in a very open, functional style, meant your players aren’t keen on running around and kicking some ass,
to explain in clear language everything that’s important about the you can remove some of the high-rated Physical scenes and replace
story you’re about to tell. Each SAS product is a blueprint, and them with more Mental or Social scenes (swapping out fight scenes
blueprints aren’t subtle. We won’t be coy when talking about the with, say, more investigation or interrogation scenes). Similarly,
story. Elements like mystery and secrecy belong in the game world if the players want to do more problem-solving in a story with a
you construct with your friends, not when we’re trying to give you low Mental rating, you can add more Mental challenges into exist-
the parts you need to build that world. ing scenes (perhaps by having some key information in the story
encrypted or hidden in a puzzle box).
In Print or On Screen
SAS products printed in our traditional books will be formatted to fit
Scene Flow
those pages, but the layout for our electronic products is optimized for Although we don’t know exactly what story you’ll be telling or
use with a computer. The layout is landscape (wider than it is tall) so how you’ll plot it, having a general idea in mind of how scenes flow
that each page takes up the entire viewing area on a standard monitor. together when you begin is a good idea. A basic plan can help you
The landscape pages also fit easily behind your Storyteller’s screen when improvise by giving you a core melody of plot that you can riff on
you print it up, and you can print only the pages you’ll need during play. during play.
There may be bookmarks that allow you to jump to different sections of On the following page is the scene flow diagram from Criminal
the adventure, or hotlinks that will take you instantly to a website that Intent, but most SAS products include something like this. It looks
provides more information. Some SAS products feature printable hand- complicated, but in practice it’s really quite simple: play one scene
outs, notes and props — hand-written notes, maps, clues — for use when after another until you’re done. By having scene flow mapped out
you’re telling your story. Depending on the kind of theatrics you’re after, ahead of time, you can get a good sense of the general shape of the
you could print these out on fancy paper or heavy cardstocks to give your story, and it makes it easier to keep track of what scene leads where
players a tangible tool to help bring the game alive in their minds. when the pace is furious and the tension is cranked to eleven.

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 Scene Flowchart The Cardinal Sins of Storytelling
The design of the Storytelling Adventure System allows you to avoid com-
mitting two of the cardinal sins of Storytelling – boredom and confusion.
#1: Boredom Is Poison. If players are bored, the story will die. If
Hired by Petrovshy

Storytelling Adventure System Guide

Storytelling Adventure System Guide

the story dies, the chronicle is likely to wither and perish, too. If you
see that the players are spending more time reading a comic book
or talking about what they saw on television last night, dig through
your scene cards and throw in a scene that will get them focused
on the story again. Raymond Chandler said, “When in doubt, have
The Scene of the Crime two men come through the door with guns in their hands.” If it was
good enough for Chandler, it’s good enough for us.
#2: Confusion Kills Fun. Being mystified isn’t the same as being
confused. A puzzle or a riddle can be fun because you’re not sure how
to solve it, but that’s not the same as being confused about just what
the hell to do with it. Clarity in every scene is important, whether that
Confronting Simone Rosario’s Apartment clarity comes from the big picture (“We have to get out of this room
before midnight so we can save Daphne!”) or the little picture (“We
have to break down this door so we can get out of this room!”). By
having goals assigned to each significant scene and putting them right
at the bottom of every scene card, both you and the players can keep a
Confronting Melanie sharp focus on what’s important in that scene.

Providing Difficult Choices

Stories are about characters making important decisions. Games are about
players making important decisions. Storytelling games are about both. Mak-
ing a blind choice between two unmarked doors isn’t interesting. Players need
The Enforcers Attack information for a decision to be important – knowing that the reek of rot com-
ing from behind one of those unmarked doors might be from the corpse of your
dead brother makes the decision more interesting. When the consequences of
Getting the Painting the players’ decisions are known or at least can be guessed, choices become
more interesting and more dramatic – something is at stake. While you’re
telling stories with your troupe, remember the Storyteller’s mantra:
Difficult choices make drama.
So what is a difficult choice? It’s a choice between two equally un-
welcome outcomes. You only have time to save one of your brothers,
Mr. Petrovsky Arrives so who do you choose? Would you kill someone yourself to prevent
your child from becoming a murderer? Would you risk jail time to stop
a supernatural force that you’re not absolutely sure is real?

6
 It’s fair game to use game mechanics to make tough choices preciate each other’s anecdotes by comparing the flow of scenes.
real for the player. For example, a World of Darkness character You might say, “When I ran the story, it ended up going…
can be confronted with the choice between stealing or going
Scenes A > B > E > F > C
hungry. This decision might not be too difficult for a starving
character, but the player can be confronted with the choice of …then I tossed in scene G from this other adventure, and ended with
a climactic scene of my own design.”

Storytelling Adventure System Guide

Storytelling Adventure System Guide

risking some damage to the character in exchange for fulfilling

his Virtue of Fortitude. “What was the climax like?” I ask.
Not every challenge should necessarily be reduced to an either/ And then you show me the scene, already sketched out in a for-
or dilemma, of course. Deadlines, for example, automatically mat I can understand and plug right into my own games if I want.
create situations in which decisions become important because Scenes become a shareable commodity, and the more people that
every choice uses up the precious resource of time, but the actions play with them and share their thoughts, the more prepared you can
a character can take between the start of the countdown and the be to tell that same story in play and the better everyone’s stories
end aren’t limited to binary choices. Any limited resource can be will be in the end.
used to lend weight to any situation, to make any choice into a
tough choice. The authorities will be here in two minutes – what
do you do with the body? You can only go four or five more miles Examples in Action
before the car runs out of gas – where do you go? There are ten The last couple of pages of this guide are sample parts of scenes from
arrows and twelve guards in the castle – will you be able to rescue two of our SAS products. We’re always working on new SAS products,
your friend? and hope you’ll share your stories with White Wolf players across the
In the end, not every choice before the characters or the players globe. Stay tuned to the SAS page on the White Wolf website for SAS
will be meaningful or difficult. However, by boiling down significant news and releases:
scenes into discrete structures, the core choices are made clearer,
and more time and energy can be devoted to scenes that matter to www.white-wolf.com/sas
your troupe.

Sharing The Experience

The Internet is a pervasive force in our lives, and that’s a unique
opportunity for Storytelling games that didn’t exist before. Not
only can you get content for your favorite games faster and easier
than ever before, but you can also share your troupe’s stories with
others, adding different interpretations on our existing material as
you do. By using a consistent structure for all our SAS products,
we create a common language that makes it much easier to talk
about how you ran an adventure, or how you’re thinking about
running it.
For example, you might move a foot-chase scene in a particular
SAS story elsewhere, or run it twice if the characters have multiple
encounters with the perpetrators in that scene. I might cut that
scene out entirely. We can compare notes, share advice and ap-
7
 If they decide to talk, however, the characters will find that Simone

Confronting Simone
isn’t very socially savvy. She’s trained as an assassin, and she doesn’t do
much talking except to intimidate people. The players are encouraged
to act out their attempts to convince Simone, but they might want to
back up their roleplay with a dice roll. You can also choose to let the
MENTAL • PHYSICAL •• SOCIAL •• players roll if the scene is running long.

Overview Fast-Talking Simone

Either from searching the alley or trying to go to Rosario’s apartment, Dice Pool: Manipulation + Persuasion vs. Composure + Empathy
Simone approaches the coterie. She makes it clear that she’s protecting (in Simone’s case, the pool is 2).
Rosario, but if they prove to be willing to listen, she’s inclined to arrange Action: Instant and contested.
a meeting with him. Otherwise, the encounter can turn very ugly. Hindrances: Simone is paranoid (-1); Simone’s City Status (+2 to
Description her pool).

Confronting Simone
Help: The coterie drops Rosario’s name before she does (+2); the
Simone will attempt to get the drop on the coterie, either near the alley or
Criminal Internt

character speaking has Mekhet Clan Status, Crone Covenant Status

by Rosario’s apartment. This description assumes that she successfully surprises or City Status (+1 per dot).
a member of the coterie – alter it if they catch her sneaking up on them.
A cool metal ring in a blanket of rough wool presses into the back of your Roll Results
neck. “This is a gun under a coat.” It’s the quiet but firm voice of a woman Dramatic Failure: Not only do the characters not convince Simone,
from behind you. “We’re getting off the street so you can explain to me just but she refuses to speak to them any further. She will attempt to kill
exactly why the fuck you’re snooping around.” them if they approach Rosario.

Storyteller Goals Failure: Simone doesn’t believe the character’s story.

Success: Simone is willing to listen, but carefully watches the coterie
Your goals in this scene are to introduce Simone, demonstrate that she
to see if they are planning to double-cross her.
is protecting Rosario and hint that she’s willing to kill the characters if
necessary. Note that checks for Predator’s Taint can be used in this scene Exceptional Success: Simone believes the characters completely,
if desired; see Vampire: The Requiem, p. 168. Things are tense, but and relaxes her guard around the coterie.
the characters should be able to talk their way out of the conflict fairly Consequences
easily. If the scene does move into combat, make sure to let the players This scene leads to “Rosario’s Apartment.” Either the characters were
learn about Simone’s motivations. Perhaps she says “I’ll die before I let already on their way there and she goes with them to protect Rosario,
you kill Rosario” before the fight starts, or something similar. or the coterie has convinced her that they mean her no harm and she
Character Goals offers to arrange a meeting.
If for some reason they get into a fight with her and she escapes,
The characters try not to get killed by Simone, and hopefully find
she might attack them later (such as before or during “Getting the
out why she’s threatening them.
Painting”). If they kill her in this scene, she won’t be available for
Actions future scenes, but much of what she knows can be covered by Rosario
or Melanie. While she has a significant presence in the events prior to
There are two main options for this scene – fighting Simone or convinc-
this story, only her connection and desire to protect Rosario are really
ing her to talk to them. If things get violent, it’s likely that Simone will be
important for the players to know. It won’t derail events too much if
able to protect herself long enough to escape and warn Rosario, and it’s even
she dies in this scene.
more likely that the coterie will draw a lot of attention in the process.
8
 Scene: Give the characters a moment to take the reins themselves and make
a decision: will they go into the Hedge? Or will they let someone else
go and remain on this side, negotiating the situation from here? If they
hesitate and seem to be fading into the background of the disorder, urge
Taken! them forward with the voice of another character, someone perhaps
from their own Court or someone who represents their patron figure
MENTAL ••• PHYSICAL — SOCIAL ••• (or even the patron himself). It’s even possible that Red Wren will
turn to them during the chorus of rising voices and plead with them to
The Fear-Maker’s Promise
Overview: A scene of great decision for the characters. go into the Hedge — she’ll make wild promises to them in a desperate
Description: Disorder erupts. In the darkening forest, by the flicker- bargain, though she claims there isn’t time right now to commit to a
ing torchlight, the door slams shut and there hangs a moment of bated formal pledge. Will they take her up on it?
breath — what will happen? What will the characters do? If they don’t, assume that the scene drags on until someone finally
Wren’s unyielding façade shatters, and her eyes go wide. She matches decides to brave the Hedge to find the thief and the stolen child. (The
those gazes that turn to her and she stammers, “I can’t go in! I must not easy assumption is that Autumn Court courtiers undergo this task:
leave the ritual space or the contract won’t be written!” Ornithine, Mary O’Brine, and probably Wren’s own ensorcelled boy,
Henry. Though, if you have others better-suited to the task, do what’s
Note: the characters have only five turns to re-open the door and
right for your story.)
enter the Hedge if they choose to go after the child. (The door will
only lead to the same place in the Hedge for a number of turns equal Character Goals: Decisions, decisions. What informs the decisions
to the Wyrd score of the original opener of the door — in this case, of the motley? A number of things. First, they surely have some opin-
ion on the Children’s Contract. If they consider it important, maybe

Taken!
Red Wren’s Wyrd score of 5.) That’s not to say they can’t open it
after those five turns are done (and in fact, doing so does not require they go after the child. Or, as others note, a child in the Hedge is a
the expenditure of Glamour since the door is already “keyed” to the dangerous scenario for the boy, so maybe a rescue is in order even if
Hedge), but it will not take them to the same place that Cancer John the ritual disgusts them. On the other hand… maybe the thief had
and Joey went. the boy’s best interest in mind. Maybe he’s taking the child to an-
other door in the Hedge and bringing him right back out somewhere
Voices of dissent and protest will be certain, here. Some will demand
else, thus working toward the child’s safety and the obviation of the
that the child must be followed and reclaimed for the ritual. Others
Children’s Contract.
will demand he be claimed because… well, a child in the Hedge is
doubly cruel and could get him into trouble far worse than what the Do the characters go with what their patron asked of them? Do they
ritual would bring him. There will be those, however, who will loudly go against the patron’s interests? Do they give in to Wren’s pleas?
proclaim that whoever took him is likely taking the child to safety… Do they enter the Hedge within five turns? After? Or do they stay
thus ending this dour ritual. behind and let someone else do that dirty work?
Storyteller Goals: This scene can go ten seconds or ten min- Action: The only action is the informal decision of what to do, as
utes. If the characters leap into action, boom, the scene is swift. noted. The adventure hinges in part on what the motley chooses at
If indecision plagues them or they decide to remain behind, the this point.
gathered Lost will devolve into a squabbling mess of blame, insults, Consequences: Really, what the characters do determines how the
threats, and desperate pleas (with, of course, no action actually rest of the scenes in the adventure line up. What has been up until this
being taken — remember that the characters are meant to be point a relatively linear progression of scenes, it now falls into a pattern
the truly dynamic presence in any story, and in this adventure based on the choices they make. And the choices they make have a
it’s no different). very real effect on the freehold and all the children of the city.