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ReturnToTumult > Prelude Rules

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Head to Kalushtar Prelude or Student Prelude

Generic Prelude Rules

The prelude's for Return to Tumult are a bit different from normal preludes, and so it's best to examine some of the purposes and ground rules for these preludes.

The Purpose

There are three main purchases for Ro T? preludes.

  • They enable the Storyteller to tell a more complicated story, through flashbacks. Hooks and plot development can come in one of three stories.
  • They allow the players who are playing "new" characters to more deeply identify with their characters and make those characters seem more real.
  • They provide a change of pace, letting the Storyteller and the Players experiment with new characters and enviroments without actually running a new campaign.

The Rules

  • the Primacy Rule: A prelude is something extra; it does not take the place of the main game itself. There are acceptable, and unacceptable, ways to do prelude materials.
    • It is acceptable to run prelude scenes when a key player in a session is gone or has to leave early for some reason. A prelude is generally better than cutting out early, or not running the game at all.
    • It is acceptable to run a miniscene using a prelude storyline, either with a single player or with more than one player. This is one of the most interesting ways to run a prelude storyline and provide an fun alternative to "main storyline" miniscenes (which can be difficult when there is not prolonged downtime between sessions).
    • It is acceptable to run individual "scenes" from a prelude during a given session, especially if there is some stylistic or plot-related reason to do so. More than two scenes during a normal session is "too much", and "half the session" is considered extreme. In general, AT LEAST half of a game session should be devoted to the main plot.
    • If half of a session is devoted to prelude material one week, then next week there should be little or no prelude material unless it is impossible to move forward in the main story. The main storyline is the main thrust of the game, not the preludes.
  • the Gamist Rule: Unlike normal preludes, Ro T? Preludes will involve strictly controlled character growth and the use of random elements.
    • The characters in a prelude have character sheets, and gain experience. This experience is strictly rationed, however, and prelude characters are not "owed" experience. A prelude character cannot become more powerful than a main storyline character.
    • The main character of a prelude also gains experience and gains traits. A character can only apply experience points to traits that the main character actually has, however. Some amount of "accidental paradox" is okay, but do not knowingly give a main character a trait he didn't have at the beginning of the campaign.
    • The traits, charms and what not are actually used within the prelude. Prelude characters roll dice, use charms, and are otherwise normal characters. However, see the Paradox rule.
  • the Paradox Rule: The main character cannot die in a Prelude. Events within a prelude will not change the observed details of the main storyline.
    • The main character obviously has to survive to see the normal game. He will not die. The Storyteller is allowed to cheat if necessary to keep the character alive, but is more likely to use Dues Ex Machina, control of the storyline, and other "tricks" to accomplish this goal.
    • If a certain character is known to be alive in the main storyline, you cannot "change the future" by killing him in a prelude. Similarly, events and known information from the main campaign cannot be overtly changed within the prelude. This does not mean that your actions are meaningless, however.
    • Your actions with prelude characters can change things in the main game, however! While "observed material" will not change, you can change things behind the scenes stuff. Things that nobody knows about yet can change because of the prelude, and this change can have an effect on the main game. Events within the prelude, in effect, can affect the main storyline. However, they don't directly do affect the main storyline.
    • The most obvious example of this: It is known that Kalushtar's circle is gone. Thus, the assumption is that Suni-ya, Mikaro, and other Prelude characters are dead. Events in the prelude will not be able to change the fact that Kalushtar thinks he is the only one left. However, the prelude might make that belief untrue -- it might turn out that some of the circle actually survived whatever killed them, and Kalushtar just doesn't know yet.
  • the Timeline Rule: Due to the nature of Ro T? Preludes, they are always linear.
    • A prelude starts off at the point most distant from the main storyline, and proceeds forward scene by scene. Each scene is after the one before it, though there might be some downtime between each scene.
    • Once we catch up with the main storyline, that prelude is over. Another prelude might at that point begin, exploring some other "behind the scenes" part of the setting in detail. However, no more than two prelude stories will be ongoing at the same time.
    • It's possible that specific scenes (especially Exaltation stories) will break this format. These are run simply as normal preludes, not Ro T? Preludes "minigames".

Other Rules

  • Experience for Preludes
    • Prelude characters gain experience, as noted above. However, they don't gain "normal experience" (for every session). The storyteller hands out Xp whenever he wishes, usually during downtime.
    • A characters roleplaying during a prelude will, instead, affect his main characters experience. This will be a mininal award unless prelude material is involved in a normal saturday game session.
    • This experience is not "extra"; your character doesn't learn stuff for doing nothing. Instead consider it similar to the "experience pools" that I used to award; an bonus award that you gain separate from normal awards. It still represents your characters normal growth.
  • Prelude Characters ("Alternates")
    • A prelude character, callled an "Alternate", is a character you run during a prelude scene that is not your own character.
    • It is acceptable/expected to "call dibs" on a given character. This means that other than you, the only person who will play that character is the storyteller, when you are not present.
    • You are expected to develop a certain amount of attachment to your alternate characters, but they will be designed by the Storyteller. They are partly yours, but they are there to help tell the tale of the Prelude.
    • You are allowed to spend any XP your alternate recieves as you wish, though the storyteller has a veto if he feels your choice would have a negative effect on the prelude storyline.

These are the reasons why preludes should not overpower the main storyline.