Creative Uses of the Future
L' Argomento. Today's game designs, as agents of storytelling, owe much to broader literary and dramatic traditions. The tables that follow offer an analysis of Traveller's 76 Patrons that goes back to the italian Commedia dell'Arte and its improvised theatre.
“An old man approaches our heroes in a tavern...”
In 1611, the Italian actor Flamino Scala published fifty Commedia dell'Arte scenari in Il Teatro delle Farole Rappresentative. Of these fifty scenari, roughly 30 were distinct plots where the remaining twenty were variations on these. Commedia dell'Arte had become popular in Italy since at least 1575 but likely existed even longer. At the centre of its practice, the Commedia dell'Arte relied on scenari (also called soggetti or canovacci) that were improvised upon by the actors playing well known stock characters and set plotlines instead of written scripts. Scala's scenari began with an argument or a summary of the situation, a list of characters organised into family groups, who were well known to audiences, identified by special masks, and drew on stock folkloric types for comedic effect. Then a list of props used by each character, setting locations, and finally a list of actions taken in the plot. All in a simplified form as the improvisation provided any further detail. The Commedia dell'Arte became influential throughout Europe in the years that followed and even today in the farces of Dario Fo, for example.
Il Capitano
By the 1770s, one of the most significant Venetian writers of his day, Carlo Gozzi, had taken characters and concepts from the Commedia dell'Arte tradition and wove them into his own dramatic works called Fiabe, the italian word for fairy tales. Perhaps based on the scenari collections such as Scala's, Gozzi apparently suggested that no more than 36 dramatic situations were possible. That all fictional storytelling was some how derived from variations of these 36 basic concepts. Considering the range of Scala's work the number is actually fairly reasonable. Unfortunately Gozzi's explanation has been lost, but its existence is cited several times by Goethe in his Conversations with Eckermann. He also says that the German poet Schiller, who corresponded at length with Gozzi, as it turns out, tried his best to disprove this theory but was unable to even come up with Gozzi's number. By the 19th century, some leading thinkers of the emerging fields of psychology and anthropology (Fraser and Jung for example) were suggesting some recurring motifs in human thought, supported by data from folklore that was being collected by the likes of Perrault, the Brothers Grimm and Afanasev.
Il Dottore
In 1895, inspired by Gozzi, Goethe and Schiller, a French literary critic, Georges Polti, published Les trente-six situations dramatiques, asserting on his own the 36 possible situations and what they were. He offered the necessary elements as Scala had done, some possible variations under each one, and a wealth of literary examples, from the Greek and Roman classics as well as other literary works of his day. Polti's book was quite influential, and has provided the basis for works on this idea ever since. So for example, Wycliffe A. Hill, writing for Hollywood in its early years, discovered at Cecil B. Demille's prodding an English translation of Polti, and recompiled Polti's building blocks in his own book, Ten Million Photoplay Plots: The Master Key to All Dramatic Plots in 1919. There have been various attempts since that time to whittle the number down to an even smaller grouping but Polti's version remains one of the most popular.
Gli Innamorati
This is only the history, but it is a useful tool to understand how it still inspires us today.
Since the 1970s, there has also been some precedent for applying Polti's work, in particular, to tabletop gaming genres. Merle Rasmussen did a version of this for Top Secret, in TSR's Dragon magazine. Other attempts have been made to do so for fantasy genre games, like D&D. Andy Slack applied it to Traveller in a third party supplement he created for that game. The term scenario used in Traveller and its basic gaming devices, seem to hearken back to the format of Flamino Scala's scenari. It is almost certainly pure coincidence yet it seems completely appropriate, since the process of improvisation Flamino Scala described, and the game play of an RPG have a great deal in common.
Traveller Supplement 6, 76 Patrons, provides some data now considered here, to illustrate the process and uses of this booklet. The table below, complex as it is, may lead to an analysis that continues this long tradition and points to more interactive, creative uses for the present.
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| indexing | heading | Players' Information | analysis | referee's Information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| number | chapter | entry | page | group size | patron type | req. skills | req. equip. | contact | name | number | relation. | reason for hire | target | supplied intel | safe passage |
limits | prelude | advers. | motive | reward | mission | destin. | Georges Polti index | legality | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | options | other | Summary |
| location in book | how many protagonist characters | identity: professional description of patron/ client | these things that heroes must have before patron will make contact. (explicit category) | typically the patron or their representative will make first contact, (but may be found in reaction to a search on part of the heroes.) | the patron's name | if there is more than one patron | description of patron explaining stake in mission. | why us? patron's need for heroes is identified. | person or thing that the heroes will be aiming for | patron tells something (intelligence/ wisdom) now known about the journey. | safe passage: answers why not? something is gifted that removes obstacle to moving forward. | something the heroes cannot do. | incitement. something that happens that starts things. a (possibly insignificant) incident before the story timeline that has consequences. | who are the antagonists that will reveal themselves or are identified by patron | what is the adversary's reason for working against the heroes. | what or how much will patron pay the heroes | what is the type of mission to be performed by heroes at request of patron. | where will the heroes be going? | what category in Georges Polti's book fits the mission? | are the heroes upholding the law or breaking it by fulfilling mission. (or helping/ hurting other people) | 6 degrees of unknown variables kept from heroes by patron (or unknown destiny) on a scale of fairly benign to the worst possible) | how many possible plot twists | other unknown information to factor in. | summary of six variables | |||||||||
| 46 | 4 | 1 | 33 | 1 | Noble | none | none | NPC | a woman | 1 | in desperate need to locate psi institute | recommended as person of discretion | local psionics institute | declines to give reason for hiring out but says she cannot do it herself. | cash incentive | anti-psi prejudice is high; overt attempts to contact will have negative repercussions | reason woman requires Psi institute. recommended to contact PC. | anti-psi forces/ secret police | anti-psi prejudice | Cr1000 and middle passage to location of player's choice. | find location of psi institute | local psi institute | 11. the Enigma | legal but dangerous | 1.psi institute present. must be located without attracting attention. | 2-3.no psi institute | 4-5. insitite exists. but secret police alterted who beleive pc to be spy. | 6.woman is anti-psi activist who will make attack. psi institute will seek vengeance on pc. | 4 | chances of success as determined in book 3. |
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| 47 | 4 | 2 | 33-34 | 1 | Police | computer | none | NPC | Helmut Dantine | 1 | a security officer for starport authority with a business proposal. | needs a computer savvy person to bring into venture. | central computer complex | information about plan to divert shipping from proper location to private warehouse using robot stevedores. | cash incentive and opportunity for longer term and higher cut of profits. | must not allow other security officers to get wind of the scheme. | Dantine given responsibility over robot stevedores | starport security | to insure cargo is secure and directed to propery consignments | Cr15,000 upon completion or a cut of profits and a longer term engagement. | to reprogram computer to redirect robots to ship merchandise to alternate location. | Down-Styphon starport security computer hub | 12. Obtaining | illegal | 1-3. roll 9+ with dm +1 per level of computer skill to write successful program. if 6-8 are rolled program will work but a bug will set off alarm from 1-6 weeks after run. make roll weekly. | 4-5. Helmut drinks too much. He boasts of the plan to people and police become suspicious and catch both pc and helmut in the act. | 6.Helmut intends to have PC killed after job complete. | 3 | see #55. Other members of Helmut's dept may pose a problem. What happens when items go missing? |
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| 48 | 4 | 3 | 34 | 1 | Emigre, Merchant | none | none | NPC | small nervous looking gentleman | 1 | PC recommened by starport staff as reliable person. | needs trustworthy person | cash to taken to TAS and delivered to patron. | plan of how to circumvent authorities | incentive of reward | must not allow cash to be intercepted | failure in trying to leave with life savings | customs authority | preventing large quantities of cash leaving planet | Cr 2000 plus middle passage to nearest planet to Coquat | to smuggle cash to next world to be returned to patron. | nearest planet to Coquat | 17. Fatal Imprudence | illegal | 1. contains ling standard saving bonds valued Cr20,000 redeeemable by anyone | 2. as 1 but Cr200,000 | 3.as 1 but Cr2,000,000 | 4.as 3 but level 1 forgeries. | 5. as 3 but bonds are traceable and Ling will avenge robbery. | 6.as 3 but seal contains microdot of secrets stolen from Ling. detected at 8+ | 6 | patron will not accompany pc to TAS but will meet him separately. |
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| 49 | 4 | 4 | 34-35 | 1 | Spy, Clerk | none | none | NPC | a short frightened looking man | 1 | a mutual friend sent him | Seeks someone he can trust. | himself | he says he is being followed | he has information that would damage the governor. | must not allow patron to be caught | uncovers information that would damage the governor and learns that he is being followed. police refuse to offer assistance. contacts mutual friend. | local governor | to protect reputation | Cr10,000 | to escort patron to starport and get them off planet | Starport 1200km away | 5. Pursuit | legal. | 1.Things arent actually that bad. No one is in pursuit. The information is easily disproved and there no obstacles to his leaving. But he is paranoid and sees enemies everywhere. | 2-3. police are trying to insure he leaves. information is disprovable but inconvenient. | 4-5. police are in pursuit because he has a felony warrant on forgery charges. | 6. Three crack assassins are in pursuit. | 4 | All is a matter of perspective. |
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| 50 | 4 | 5 | 35 | 1 | Playboy, Noble | none | none | NPC | a drunken nobleman | 1 | inspired by players own stories bragging of exploits | requires a bodyguard while travelling the slums overnight | the patron | supplies pc with intent and location. | incentive of permanant employment | must not allow patron to be harmed | hatches idea of going to slum but requires protection and happens into drinking session with pc. | possible encounters with rough element | preying on wealthy outsiders | Cr10,000 | to act as bodyguard for the night | local slums | 1. supplication | legal | 1. After the player accepts the patron passes out. he will recall nothing but will still offer the pc the job. | 2-4. patron travels from bar to bar becoming more drunk and agressive. on pcs suggestion patron will return to hotel at any point. next morning the patron will be fav inclined toward pc. | 5. wandering slums, patron picks a fight with several thugs all armed with knives | 6. as 5 but patron draws a snub pistol shoots a thug and passes out. others will take revenge. | 4 | war stories to hook the patron |
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| 51 | 4 | 6 | 35-36 | 1 | Cutthroat, Arsonist | none | none | NPC | a scruffy looking female who declines to give name | 1 | person with interest in parcel | requires someone who can and will obtain package undetected | the parcel. | location of parcel in starport. instructed to deliver by mail. |
cash incentive address for delivery given. |
must not allow package to be intercepted. must forget involvement afterwards. | PC is resting when chosen by patron. She has learned location and need of whatever she beleives to be in package. | police/authorities | also interested in getting parcel | Cr500 in advance and Cr500 upon completion. | to retrieve package from locker in starport | starport | 12. Obtaining | depends on package but tending towards illegal because of secrecy. | 1.parcel is harmless and legal. wealthy patron engages strangers in this way as amusement. | 2.contains ransom money from a kidnapping. pc will be followed by police after pick up and arrested at postal counter. value is Cr250,000 | 3.as 2 but contents are worthless pieces of cut paper. | 4.contains contraband which patron is trying to smuggle off world. pc will be arrested at postal counter (8+ on 2d6). patron observes from a discrete distance and will take revenge if pc steals package. | 5-6.firebomb. terrorist activity has caused tightened security. the person mailing parcel will be photographed and parcel will be registered and examined. | 5 | events to be worked out if pc is detained. and identified under surveillance. |
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| 52 | 4 | 7 | 36-37 | 1 | Spy | none | none | NPC | a middle aged noble | 1 | claims to represent a large firm that wants to establish itself in region. | needs someone willing to collect necessary intel | starport on Frenzie | nature of intel required: photosof layout of both facilities, number and types of civilian/military vessels and arrivals/departures. | offers money and passage to Frenzie | must not be intercepted by local authorities | patron's employers express interest in Frenzie and ouline iformation needed. | local authorities | counter-espionage | middle passage and Cr2000 | to gather intelligence at naval base | Villis 0306 (Frenzie) | 12. obtaining | illegal (most likely) | 1-2. as stated. agent of large company wishing to build plant on frenzie. intel needed for feasability study. secrecy needed to avoid alerting competitors. | 3-4. patron is an agent of imperial secret service. intel collected to convict Ling Standard of crimes in trade policy. Ling would be alerted if he went to Frenzie in person. | 5-6. agent of non-imperial power collecting military secrets. | 3 | contacted on Devotan. If pc is caught in cases 1-4, patron will step in but not in 5-6. |
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| 53 | 4 | 8 | 37 | 1 | Police | streetwise | none | NPC | large quantity of police officers | 1 arresting officer+large force of police officers | police in search of smugglers | require character with criminal contacts to find local smuggling ring. | smugglers | taken into custody and put in police cell with member of smuggler group. | escape is planned by smugglers. police will no doubt not try to prevent escape (not very hard anyway) | must deliver smugglers to clear name and get freedom. | pc targeted and evidence planted and ambush arranged. | police (patron) | to force PC to deliver smugglers | no payment. must complete mission to clear name. | to uncover secret location and deliver smugglers to authorities | local gathering of smugglers | 12. Obtaining | legal (though patron's methods are questionable) | 1-2.Smuggler will let PC escape with him and ring takes on as member. | 3-4. as 1 but wise to plan. uses pc to feed false info to police. | 5.smuggler wise to plan and will strand pc in remote location. | 6. as 5 but will attempt to kill player. | 4 | both police and smugglers are separate adversaries using pc between them. |
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| 54 | 4 | 9 | 37-38 | 1 | Merchant, Shipowner | pilot | none | NPC | owner of a free trader | 1 | ship thats suddenly short a pilot | needs pilot to fill in for arrested one. | cargo to be delivered | intel about circumstances, destination and delivery | ship and cargo provided plus cash bonus | time urgency. must return for original pilot. | urgent cargo aquired. pilot is arrested. | customs or other parties | interest in ship or cargo | Standard salary plus Cr1000 bonus | to deliver cargo and return for pilot | planet 2 jumps away and back | 7. Falling Prey to Cruelty or Misfortune | legal | 1. All is as represented. no special problems. | 2. extremely precious cargo. 4 passengers added at last minute will attempt to hijack.. trader has no anti-hijack program. hijackers armed with pistols and grenades. trader has pistols shotguns and ammo on board. | 3-4. cargo is contraband. discovered by customs on 7+ (bribery and admin skills will modify) | 5. patron does not own trader. its stolen. pilot was killed in barfight. ships papers will reveal facts. admin/bribery maybe be applied to avoid discovery. | 6.as 5 but unknown to patron ships jump drive is 18 months overdue for overhaul. | 5 | admin and bribery are assets in addition to pilot skill. as are combat and ships repair skills. |
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| 55 | 4 | 10 | 38 | 1 | Shipowner | none | none | NPC | a buisness owner | 1 | represents small interstellar shipping firm | requires unknown person to be undercover agent for company | serial theives | details about thefts up to that point. | gives PC a cover story to operate undercover as a broker accompanying shipments | must not allow thieves to escape justice | a number of thefts aboard ships owned by patron | theives | to continue thefts unmolested | free high passage and Cr5000 per month | to discover identity of thieves and apprehend or report to authorities. | scheduled routes of ships | 11. the Enigma | legal | 1. thefts due to crew selling cargo to passengers on flight. pc will be approached by ships steward. | 2-3. as 1 but pc will be made as agent of company and be beaten up by thugs when he exits ship. | 4-5. thefts by starport security... who programmed robotic stevedores top transfer goods to his own private warehouse. (cf #47) | 6. thefts by a rival firm. pc will be recognisede and an attempt will be made to kill him. | 4 | consequences if cover is blown. |
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| 56 | 4 | 11 | 38-39 | 1 | Merchant | none | none | NPC | a well-dressed gentlemen | 1 | adressee of packages | needs someone to act as a messenger. | packages | gives location for delivery of packages | sends pc to offices of shipping companies to inquire and pick up packages addressed to patron. | must not be followed and packages must be delivered on time. | a number of packages are due to be delivered to patron | unknown person interested in who is picking up packages | to discover where packages are going | Cr500 per week | to pick up packages and deliver them | location specified by patron | 12. Obtaining | legal/illegal depending on packages and other factors. | 1-2. patron is a wealthy noble avoiding certain relatives. he orders rare foodstuff to avoid being traced by them. he will employ pc for up to one year if he wishes. | 3-4. patron is a smuggler receiving contraband. police arrest player on 9+/week. minus dms if player is careless. patron will employ for three months until arrested. if arrest occurs patron will vanish. | 5-6. patron is a terrorist, smuggling components of thermonuclear device in small parts. last messenger was killed by imperial agents. three more shipments remain. player will be caught 10+/week with mods. | 3 | alot depends on what is revealed and what is really the case. Roland Barthe's Hermeneutic Code. |
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| 57 | 4 | 12 | 39 | 1 | Playboy, Noble | none | none | NPC | a wealthy young married couple | 2 | fearing for personal safety | needs someone to serve as bodyguard | selves | crime lords placed bounty on heads | middle passage and cash incentive | must not allow couple to be harmed | offense given to crime lords and response | local crime lords | defending honour | Cr5000/month and middle passage | to protect couple from assassins and aid in escaping | outside subsector | 5. pursuit | legal | 1-2. learning that they are leaving, the bounty has been withdrawn... but panicked trio may attract other types of trouble from customs, etc. | 3-4. all as represented. two assassins hired but will not leave subsector. | 5-6. 12 crack assassins will pursue couple and their protectors as far as necessary. | 3 | trouble/obstacles to be determined. |
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| 58 | 4 | 13 | 39-40 | 1 | Crewmember | engineering | none | NPC | Harlo Blankenschiff | 1 | crewman of free trader Vegans Revenge | needs an engineer to assist repairs on ship's engines. | engines | hints that next cargo will be lucrative | incentive of next payload | must not fail to get ships engines online. | previous engineer leaves ship high and dry for more lucrative job | patron, if pay isnt lucrative as promised | making sure pc takes job | Cr1000 and 10% profits from ship's next cargo at next port of call. | to repair engines after ship loses valued crewmembers. | next port of call. | X | legal | 1. no problems. pay will be Cr15,000 | 2-3. as 1 but pay only Cr2500 | 4-5. cargo is illegal weapons. vessel caught by authorities on 4+. if not caught pay will be Cr10,000 | 6. as 4 but cargo less valuable. share is Cr1500 | 4 | repairing engines will be 3 weeks divided by the players engineering level. |
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| 59 | 4 | 14 | 40 | 1 | Assassin | forgery | forgery materials | NPC | man | 1 | sent by mutual friend | needs an expert forger to create fake travel papers. | forged documents | needs to travel under assumed name, true identity | cash payment | must not blackmail the patron | reason for needing assumed identy and travel | authorities | laws against forgery | Cr5000 x level of forgery skill | to produce two sets of fake documents | local | 1. supplication | illegal | 1-2. all is as stated | 3-4. afterward the authorities will question pc about incident and ask for true identity of patron. regardless patron will consider himself betrayed. | 5-6. patron will try to kill patron after delivery to ensure secrecy. | 3 | if pc betrays patron he will try to kill him with high powered rifle. with special scopes and night vision capability. |
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| 60 | 4 | 15 | 40 | 1 | Smuggler, Clerk | bribery | none | NPC | a businessman | 1 | busnessman needing to deliver goods without official interference | needs someone skilled in bribery | goods to be delivered | identitly of officials and locations are presumably provided and amount to be paid. | patron will provide passage and travel expenses | must avoid paying full tarrif. and keep cargo secret. | patron has established business transaction which must be completed. need for bribery established. | corrupt officials | enforcement of economic tarrifs, restrictions | Cr7500 | to bribe officials to ensure merchandise is delivered safely | destination of merchandise | 2. Deliverance | illegal | 1. no unexpected issues arise | 2-3.cargo is foodstuffs and beverages subject to excessive tarrifs (60% of value) if bribe is unsuccessful and nature of cargo discovered full tarrif will need to be paid and employer will not pay pc. | 4-5.cargo includes prohibited publications, films, devices in demand but illegal. if discovered and bribe does not succeed then the cargo will be confiscated and pc wont be paid. | 6.cargo is arms for rebels. pc will be arrested and patron will disappear. | 4 | further consequences to be determined. |
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