TPI Storyteller Advice

by The Pandemonium Institute

The fastest way to improve as a Storyteller is to polish your introduction to the game. You will be Storytelling Trouble Brewing for a team of new players on a regular basis and it's imperative that their first impression to the game be positive and consistently good.

The best way to do this to deliver the script verbatim to any new players instead of a hasty and incomplete summary from memory. The rules explanation script has been tested and vetted by the creator and publisher of the game of the game.

 When explaining the rules to new players, stick closely to the rules explanation sheet https://wiki.bloodontheclocktower.com/Rules_Explanation. 

The rules explanation sheet takes no more than 5 minutes to read, and it is intentionally structured as a three-step process.

1) The Theme 2) The Goal 3) The Rules"
Source: Steven Medway 

Trust your players. Do not overwhelm them or smother them with minutiae and game details. Let them discover and unwrap the magic and nuances of the game and its character interactions by playing it.

Direct TPI link: https://botclinks.page/StorytellerIntro
Wiki link: BOTC Wiki | Rules Explanation

by The Pandemonium Institute

Before seeking specific advice on how to become a good Storyteller, start with the instructions included in the box. Give particular attention to the base almanac heading "Great Storytelling" on pages 27-32.

This advice is also available on the BOTC Wiki under the section titled "Storyteller Advice" exactly how it appears in the almanac.

Topics include:

• Running Things Smoothly

• Making Things Fun

• The Script

• Growing Your Clocktower Group

Wiki link: BotC Wiki | Storyteller Advice
Almanac link: https://botclinks.page/MainRulebook
BGG link: Base Rulebook Almanac

by The Pandemonium Institute, Baron Ted, & Ben Burns
transcribed into a Google Sheet by LivFreeOrPie

The following 8ish player setups are recommended by The Pandemonium Institute. 

If you're not sure how to "build a bag" yet, start with these setups and make substitutions or additions based on player count.

These recommended setups can be found in the Almanac and in Baron's Storyteller Roundtable. 

One common theme among all sources is TPI TB 1. Steven Medway, Baron Ted, and Ben Burns all agree that this is a great introduction for new players to Blood on the Clocktower. The only difference is that Steven and Ted prefer including the Virgin Townsfolk and Ben prefers including the Monk Townsfolk.

TPI BMR 1 and TPI SNV 1 are both recorded at the back of their respective almanacs and strongly recommended for first-time Storytellers and players of these two "Base 3" scripts. 

Direct link: ADVICE - TPI Recommended Setups for Blood on the Clocktower.gsheet

 by the Pandemonium Institute

"In the years developing and promoting Blood on the Clocktower, we encountered people with a variety of disabilities who were interested in playing. One of our goals with BOTC was to create a game that would be as accessible as possible, so we’ve always worked to find ways to overcome any disability or communication issue to include anyone who wants to play in as complete a way as possible. On this page, we’ll share some of the things we’ve discovered or that have been shared with us over the years, with the hope that it will help you include in your games anyone who wants to play. "

Topics include:

• Revolutionary

• Accommodating Mobility Issues

• Anxiety & Attention

• Blind Player Accessibility 

Storytellers should have a basic knowledge of the accessibility tools and be prepared to implement them to accommodate players. 

Direct Link: BotC Website | Accessibility 

 by The Pandemonium Institute, featuring Steven Medway, Ben Burns, & Andrew Nathenson
Document administered by LivFreeOrPie

The Blood on the Clocktower Website links to their original Tumbler Blog which contains a very insightful look at the "how come" and "why" behind the mechanics and the decisions made in creating Blood on the Clocktower.

It's an excellent edifying read for folks new the the game and especially new Storytellers.

Steven Medway's Essays "Explaining the Rules to New Players" and "Including New Players" should be required reading for ALL STORYTELLERS. It fundamentally changed my approach to running the game.  

Topics include:

• Behind the Curtain #1: Total Chaos? Sort Of…

• Behind the Curtain #2: Outsiders. Why?

• Behind the Curtain #3: Strategy. Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.

• Behind the Curtain #4: Werewolf & Clocktower… How they are different. How they are the same.

• Behind the Curtain #5: Beyond ‘Trouble Brewing’

• Behind the Curtain #6: The Teensyville Fair

• Behind the Curtain #7: Balance

• On Spinning a Good Yarn

• Blood on the Clocktower is a Strategy Game

• Explaining the Rules to New Players

• Including New Players

• Sort Order (SAO) Update - 2024.08.03

Direct link: ADVICE - BOTC Behind the Curtain - Tumblr & Website Blog Scrape.gdoc

by Baron Ted
Last updated 2022.08.22

"This PDF includes handouts from Baron’s Storyteller Roundtable, a workshop about social and group-dynamic aspects of social deception game Blood On The Clocktower. Now, for the first time, you can get all 65+ handouts in one book.

Storyteller Roundtable draws from twenty-five years studying, working with, and teaching small-group dynamics. Roundtable helps your group grow more cohesive, adaptive, empowered, and playful." 

This publication was created by a psychotherapist and former TPI volunteer contributor and endorsed on The Pandemonium Institute's official Instagram page.

Many of the tips found in this book graduated into the retail rulebook.

I highly recommend that new Storytellers read this publication.  I keep a copy saved locally on my Google Drive. Since this is a commercial product and it's "pay what you want" I will not link to the document on this website or share a copy. Please support the author.

Purchase link: Drive Thru RPG | Baron's Storyteller Roundtable