Well, I opened my big mouth and said that I’d like to write an article for GO using MJ’s articles as my inspiration (at least to start with), so I guess I’d best get to it and get something posted.



So, what do we have this time from Mark?



Prophecy eh?



Let’s see what we can do with it…





I view prophecy in my RPGs as a great opportunity to test my improvisation skills. As Mark shows us, prophecy tends to be rather vague and subject to interpretation. Lots of room for the GM to use improv their skills. Prophecy gives you a tool so you can put out a great plot element without giving the whole thing away - and without knowing, at the time, exactly how I’ll get it to work. Everything is mutable in an RPG, and the key to improv is to take your cues from the players.



Let’s say you want the PCs to uncover something about your major bad-guy NPC, but you don’t want to give too much away. Prophecy fits this bill nicely. Using a fantasy setting for an example, you can cook up a scroll, wise woman, old hermit, dream, whatever and give the PCs the information in prophecy form. Just be sure you are vague in keeping with the spirit of prophecy.



GM: “The scroll you found tells of the weakness of Valdanor, the undead lord of Ugoloth!”



PCs together: “What does it say!?”



GM (using his “prophecy voice” he’s been working on for a week): “Only the pure form may pierce his heart. And only the unclean may find his heart.”



1st PC (with grin): “Been looking for an excuse to use that voice then?”



Now, let’s say your original idea behind this is that Valdanor’s heart is actually kept in a magic jar outside his body, thus preventing his true death unless someone finds and destroys it. And let’s say you will only allow (using D&D terms) someone who is Lawful Good to destroy the heart. You’ve also set it up so that the jar holding his heart is actually guarded by a nasty disease demon or some-such thing that will basically cause the players to get plenty dirty/sick before they can get it – thus fulfilling the “unclean” bit from the prophecy.



Sounds awfully straightforward you say? How can you improv with this?



Well, prophecy, as we know, is subject to a multitude of interpretations. Your players will most likely find a way to interpret your prophecy in a way you were not prepared for.



1st PC: “I know what it means! We have to find a virgin to destroy the heart.”



2nd PC: “Yes, but we first need the virgin’s mother to actually find it!”



3rd PC: “I see what you’re saying! Virgin = pure, but to be ‘unclean’ would be a woman who has had children.”



2nd PC: “And by using the virgin’s mother I’m sure we’ll have better luck finding the heart and destroying it – magic likes trends and connections like that.”



1st PC: “I’ll be there’s a connection between these two women and Valdanor as well. Let’s look into that.”



At this point we could easily work to direct the players away from their interpretation and get them back “on track” to our vision of the prophecy’s meaning. But why? Our original vision isn’t set in stone, and the idea the players came up with is actually a bit more interesting (at least they seem to like it), so why not roll with it?



Let the players being their investigation for the virgin and her mother. Let them ask question of other NPCs, let them look into ancient scrolls and tomes of vast knowledge. The only rule here, is to make the PCs tell you exactly what they are looking for. The trick to remember is that one thing leads to another. The players will show you where to go if you let them.



Coax the players into being specific for what they are looking for. If necessary, tell them if they aren’t specific you can’t give them answers. Also pay attention to the direction they are headed. This will let you think ahead and guide them to a solution. You can even use your original idea as part of the solution to the prophecy. You put the work into creating it, be a shame to not use at least part of it right?



The players have the prophecy and they are looking for a virgin and her mother. They look in an ancient tome, asking you for any info on people who were close to Valdanor when he was still mortal. You tell them that Valdanor was a horrible man when he was mortal, noted for raping and slaughtering. The players will take it from there, most likely start looking for some connection between Valdanor and a woman –most likely a woman he raped who had a child.



Let them find what they are looking for. More research/adventure hints that Valdanor, when he was still mortal, actually raped a woman who gave birth to a daughter. That daughter in turn had a daughter, and they are both living in the city of Xultuc. “Ah!” Say the players, “Now we’re getting somewhere!” Keep this going and soon you’ll have the players set to finally go after Valdanor’s heart with virgin and mother in tow.



By doing this you are rewarding the players for quick thinking, good roleplaying and problem solving. As I said, they don’t get all this info right away, they have to dig it up through various adventures. Trips to the library, a short quest to find the crazy old man who wrote the scroll and knows where these women live and so on. But that’s the nature of prophecy solving.





Well, that’s all from me for a bit. Let me know what you think, and I’ll see you in the Forums!



-Brett J.B.