Step 1: Sketch Out the Movers (GM)
Texto
The first step to assembling a court is to sketch out the movers. Movers are the NPCs who, simply put, tend to move the story forward, and engage the PCs to do so as well. The movers don’t need to be the highest status characters at court. Rather, they are the characters whose goals and desires most likely intersect with those of the PCs in ways that create friction, inspiring the PCs to take action to aid or oppose them. The GM should consider the general arc and themes they want for the campaign, and create movers who will enable those aspects of the campaign.
At this point, the GM should aim to create a picture of these people only in broad strokes. A role at court and ninjō (a desire, just as a PC would have) are enough for Step 1—even a name isn’t needed at this stage. Some example movers at this stage could include:
A daimyō who covets the territory of a neighbor
A dispossessed heir seeking revenge against the ones who ruined their fortunes
A skilled yōjimbō who longs to fight again and feels wasted at court
A disfavored courtier who wants to return to their lord’s good graces at any cost
A low-ranking guard who desires to prove themself worthy of the love of a noble
A visiting scholar who wishes to uncover some mystery others would prefer forgotten
A magistrate seeking revenge for their slain comrade
The number of movers can vary based on how complex the court the GM wishes to set up—more movers will make a more complex situation, whereas having fewer movers will make it easier for the PCs to understand the dynamic of the court.
Generally speaking, having three to four movers is a good target point for Step 1, with the assumption that one or two of them will ultimately end up being less focal to the story—either because the next few steps render them less relevant, or because the PCs take less interest in them as the story progresses. Staying flexible is very helpful to this process, as is embracing that some movers might end up being smaller parts of the story, while others might be thrust into the spotlight.
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Courts of Stone · Chapter 3: Games of Discourse › Assembling a Court in Seven Steps › Step 1: Sketch Out the Movers (GM) · p. 139 p. 140
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The first step to assembling a court is to sketch out the movers. Movers are the NPCs who, simply put, tend to move the story forward, and engage the PCs to do so as well. The movers don’t need to be the highest status characters at court. Rather, they are the characters whose goals and desires most likely intersect with those of the PCs in ways that create friction, inspiring the PCs to take action to aid or oppose them. The GM should consider the general arc and themes they want for the campaign, and create movers who will enable those aspects of the campaign.
At this point, the GM should aim to create a picture of these people only in broad strokes. A role at court and ninjō (a desire, just as a PC would have) are enough for Step 1—even a name isn’t needed at this stage. Some example movers at this stage could include:
A daimyō who covets the territory of a neighbor
A dispossessed heir seeking revenge against the ones who ruined their fortunes
A skilled yōjimbō who longs to fight again and feels wasted at court
A disfavored courtier who wants to return to their lord’s good graces at any cost
A low-ranking guard who desires to prove themself worthy of the love of a noble
A visiting scholar who wishes to uncover some mystery others would prefer forgotten
A magistrate seeking revenge for their slain comrade
The number of movers can vary based on how complex the court the GM wishes to set up—more movers will make a more complex situation, whereas having fewer movers will make it easier for the PCs to understand the dynamic of the court.
Generally speaking, having three to four movers is a good target point for Step 1, with the assumption that one or two of them will ultimately end up being less focal to the story—either because the next few steps render them less relevant, or because the PCs take less interest in them as the story progresses. Staying flexible is very helpful to this process, as is embracing that some movers might end up being smaller parts of the story, while others might be thrust into the spotlight.