Romance
From Tazlure Gaming System Wiki
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The Theme Park |
There should always be room for romance in a PBP game, not to be mistaken for Erotica. A romance plot, which often is a sideplot to a bigger weave of plotlines, focuses on one NPC and one PC, or (though this is rare) two PC's, who fall in love. All other NPC's of this plotline should be as non-descript and general as possible, otherwise they take the focus away from the tension between the beloved.
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[edit] Profiling a NPC for romance
Since most of your plotline revolves around the attractiveness of your NPC it pays to have a clear profile of him/her in addition to your standard charactersheet (including the goals & background). Answer questions like:
- previous relationships if any
- things the NPC likes (food, hobbies, books, colors, scents)
- favorite personal possessions
- proudest moment in life
- biggest regret
- attitude towards wealth and why
- attitude towards the opposite sex and why
- NPC's biggest secret, his worst fear etc.
The answers to these questions will provide you with excellent tools when pushing the story.
[edit] Looks and Personality
Romance novels are a big industry and countless advice books have been written on how to compose romance novels. While this method goes too far for a PBP, market research has shown the following elements being important in a male protagonist to be attractive to the reader.
[edit] Attractive Men
- A controlled person who loses control with the heroine (showing ultimate passion)
- An aggressive/dominant man who tries to control the heroine ( but of course fails by falling in love)
- A powerful, determined man (yes, he will break down that door when angry)
- A rake who has refused to take life's responsibilities, running away (but she makes him commit to her)
- He is angry at his own attraction to her, seeing it as a weakness (but she will tame the beast)
- He is her total opposite, making her angry
- He is a threat to her, a dangerous man, volatile and cynical (yet she makes him gentle)
- Over 25
- Rakes, Rogues and Renegades: the ability to take over a woman's will by seduction or ravishment
- Heroes & Knights: the noble, doing something selfless, with a strong code of honor, a passionate idealism
- authoritative, bold, brave, coarse, captivating, energetic, gallant, hell bent, intriguing, jaded, notorious, perceptive, autonomous, intelligent
- Ice blue eyes with thick blond hair and a rugged look
- Brown hair, curling at the nape of his neck, with dark eyes and heavy eyebrows
- Long dark hair flowing over his back or tied in a ponytail with green eyes
[edit] Attractive Women
- She makes him feel confident
- She needs him for a reason
- She is a a handful, gets into trouble a lot, has a temper
- She is coy, seductive, teasing
- She refuses to have anything to do with him
- She is his total opposite, making him angry
- She is arrogant, with a temperament, proud,
- Under 40
- The taming of the shrew
- The shining example to all, beautiful and dutiful
- alluring, ambitious, beguiling, dazzling, daring enticing, feisty, gracious, impish, mischievous, mysterious, pouting, ravishing, voluptuous
- She is a lush, curvy, healthy looking female
- redhead with green eyes and voluptuous body covered with freckles
- pale blond with blue eyes who looks very frail
- darkhaired curls and a tanned skin with dark passionate eyes
[edit] Making a PC fall in Luuuuv
First of all the PC should in some way discover more about this NPC, a hook to get him or her interested. Let's presume for now the NPC is male. It could be that his reputation proceeds him (in a positive or negative way). Or perhaps the PC discovers part of his secret, like the little sister he takes care off. At any rate this first introduction of the NPC should invoke a strong emotion of either like or dislike.
When the meeting is actually on hand you can make your NPC more interesting by revealing his thoughts and emotions. It will help PC's pick up the hint and adds a bit of drama. Most of your NPC's thoughts and motivations should be revealed by his dialogue and actions. Show, don't tell.
At the next meeting you could start with slowly adding sexual tension
- accidentally (or quite purposefully) touching skin on skin, like fingers on her arm or brushing past a shoulder
- letting him stand in close proximity without touching, maybe all she feels is his breath
- scent lingering in the air, reminding them both of either each other or a shared experience
- long and meaningful eye contact etc.
Basically everything you can get away with that involves all the senses and makes the PC and NPC aware of each other bodies, attracting them to each other. It could be useful to provide some extra descriptions of your NPC. In this first stage you are nowhere near the first kiss. You are only setting an atmosphere for the chase to begin. Maybe your PC and NPC even dislike each other. Passion and anger are closely related emotions. At the height of their quarrel they suddenly become aware of each others physical presence.
Remember that the PC who now is in the center of attention might have a very low comfortzone with sensual innuendo. Often you will have recognized this before getting into this plotline, but before stepping into sexual tension be sure to check her profile.
It might also be that despite your efforts to make this an interesting plotline the PC simply doesn't fancy your NPC. At which point you can turn this into a tragedy of unanswered love and how it drives a man to villainy, but be sure the player (as opposite to the PC) doesn't mind this plotline as it might be construed as sexual harassment.
[edit] A Romantic Plotline
In a romantic plotline there is something keeping the lovers apart, which they must overcome with some difficulty (romance without a challenge is no fun). What keeps them apart can be part of the theme (external conflict). Some much used themes are:
- a woman abducted by a stranger
- man and woman stranded together on an island
- arranged or forced marriage
- pretending to be engaged or married
- woman or man seeking revenge on the other
- woman assumes another identity, on purpose or because of amnesia
- woman puts up with guardian
- tutor/nanny to other one's child
- hired to have his child / she wants him to father her child
- he belongs to her enemies
It can also be part of the emotions that must be overcome (internal conflict) such as
- learning to trust again
- proving one's self reliance
- gaining in maturity
In all cases it is good to combine all these things and make the stakes as high as you can.
It is good to plan ahead even in a romance plotline. Some of the classic steps are as follows:
1. PC and NPC meet. The PC is hooked by more info about the NPC. The moderator creates an atmosphere of sexual tension.
2. There is a conflict that keeps them apart , their goals conflict. First setback
3. Goal is in sight and romance is allowed to develop
4. A new setback, worse than before (a misunderstanding or something equally dramatic)
5. Solving setback takes some effort and makes PC and NPC reach their deepest pit of despair.
6. A Changer or an insight makes things start to look brighter and within reach, again romance soars high
7. Final Setback.
8. Resolution
Of course you can toy with this at will, but remember that a romance story is never a straight line. There are incredible lows lined up to fantastic heights. Allow the characters to explore both to their fullest.
[edit] Happily Ever After?
Does your plotline end with the PC and the NPC getting each other and professing their love? Of course not, it can be the start of a whole new web of plotlines. Some examples include
- Marital dispute - there must be many things the characters still disagree about, perhaps a character weakness in either of them, or household economics (did you buy shoes again??)
- Three to Tango? Jealousy can be a powerful tool when wielded correctly by the moderator. Maybe the NPC is strangely withdrawn and the PC gets suspicious and follows him. Why is he spending so much time with that beautiful woman?
- Disappearance - the NPC is separated from the PC and the quest is to find and save him (war, kidnappping, accused of a crime he didn't commit)
