Fun at the Gaming Table
From today's game of Storming the Wizard's Tower:
Everyone has to pick or make up a Person as part of their starting gear: it's someone in the village who they're in with. Your Person gives you bonus dice on rolls associated with their schtick, or allows you to do things that you couldn't otherwise (you know the Healer, you get healing; you know the Magistrate, you can have someone thrown in jail, etc.).
First session the players showed little interest; just said what the Person was, mostly. I decided this session I'd make them spice it up: you had to name them, and say what the nature of the connection was, and then the other players got to introduce a BUT into the relationship - the complication, the fly in the ointment.
This worked really well, and we got four great new NPCs, and some wonderful roleplaying scenes:
Wes (playing Vlad the Bear): My guy's the village metalsmith, Dmitri. He sharpens my axe!
Me: And you drink vodka together and go to the sauna and tell lies. What's the BUT?
Troy (inspired): BUT...he's in love with your younger sister. She hates him, but he keeps wanting you to set it up...!
Wes: I get Dmitri to put a good edge on my axe!
Dmitri: "And, Vladimir, if you fail to return - do not worry! I shall look after your little sister!"
Vlad: "No you won't! You stay away from her!"
Dmitri (very reasonably, with hand gestures): "But Vladimir! She will be all alone in the world!"
Vlad: "I don't care! I'll come back from the grave to stop you!"
Dmitri: "Vladimir!"
Vlad: "Tell it to my ghost!"