Storytelling Basics
Creating a Storyline Creating Encounters
Being a Storyteller in Caradorian Role-Playing means that you are going to shape and guide the world for the player or players you're involved with. It's a big job, but fun as well -- you get to let your imagination soar. Since most of the information on this site is based on an Old World perspective, we recommend that you start your first characters in that province. But talk to them and see what they're most interested in.
You'll have three main tasks -- to create settings, or scenery, for the players -- to act out the part of people or creatures that they encounter -- and to create a storyline complete with mystery, surprise, and adventure for them to follow.
There will be plenty of guidelines for you along the way, but there are a few initial things to remember.
First of all, be a guide, not a commander. Role-playing becomes an interaction between the players and the ST, so encourage them to be involved, and let the world react to them. Keep your storyline flexible -- the actions of the players may change the course of events at any moment, and then you'll have the challenge of either gently guiding things back onto your intended course or taking things in this newly presented direction.
Secondly, remember that no rules should be arbitrary or set in stone. Think of the world as real -- unexpected things happen, and so do miracles. The biggest place that this comes into play is with the use of dice. Yes, dice are meant to create a random feel to the world, but don't let them rule the world -- you have ultimate power, and can, in the end, dictate whether a blow lands or doesn't land. The dice are a guide, not a dictator. Also, many of the guidelines used to do things, such as creating characters for your players (a process you should oversee), can be subtly shifted by you if the need arises. It is also recommended that the ST go against the roll of the die once in awhile, to remind players that the world is full of the unexpected, and so that they do not develop expectations or dependence upon their dice.
Third, it will help you a lot if you are familiar with Carador. Read through the other sections of the site -- even those that aren't under role-playing -- and you'll not only have a much more colorful world to work in, but you'll get tons of ideas that you can use. You’ll have knowledge of the sorts of people and creatures your players can encounter, the different lands they can travel to, and what sorts of things happen in the lives of everyday people and extraordinary people.
Lastly, don't forget the power of people. Incredible depth can be added to the game with the power of good conversation or person-to-person intrigue. If you keep things always full of action and adventure, you'll need to stay in one place and roll the dice a lot. But if you get your players into an incredible conversation with a wandering adventurer, you can take the role-playing outside, for instance, and go for an hour-long walk as you, posing as the adventurer, relate your escapades to the curious players. Make your people real -- keep them full of emotion and preferences and their own ideas and philosophies -- that way your players will never get tired of meeting new friends. Caradorian Role Playing has many tools to help you with this (see Storytelling Guidelines), and with a little imagination, you can break out of the typical "go into the dungeon, slay the orcs, and get some treasure" rut.
After acquainting yourself with the basics of Caradorian society, magic, beasts, provinces, etc., you're going to have to guide your players through the creation of a character. To do that, read through Creating a Character. Then you're going to want to create a basic storyline -- for instance, if the character was born in Selarum but is coming to Aranor to seek their fortune, you're going to want to create some people for them to encounter and a general storyline that's going to serve as your guide. At the top of the page is a menu with other basic resources. Check out Creating a Storyline, then Creating Encounters. Then you're set to go.