About the Baker

About LivFreeOrPie

My name is Bill Pz. I was born in New Haven, CT; Grew up in New Ipswich, NH; and moved to the Washington, D.C. metro area for university and now I’m in the area for the long term.

I predominantly play and run Blood on the Clocktower in-person in the Mid-Atlantic USA region.

My screen name pre-dates Blood on the Clocktower and comes from the motto of the State of New Hampshire where I grew up and a specific Shel Silverstein poem:

"Pie Problem" by Shel Silverstein

If I eat one more piece of pie, I’ll die!
If I can’t have one more piece of pie, I’ll die!
So since it’s all decided I must die,
I might as well have one more piece of pie.
MMMM–OOOH–MY!
Chomp–Gulp–‘Bye

Blood on the Clocktower Storytelling Experience

My experience with Blood on the Clocktower has primarily been in face-to-face games. I played my first game at PAX Unplugged in December 2018.

I was the Poisoner who took an over-the-board bluff from the Demon to claim Saint and we wiped out the entire good team.

Before the retail edition was available, I made my own Grimoire to run the game at conventions in Washington DC and organized convention games in Fall 2019 and after the pandemic subsided in Spring 2022.

After that, I joined multiple Mid-Atlantic USA region Blood on the Clocktower clubs where I could observe and occasionally run games for established groups.

Later, I joined PAX Unplugged as an Enforcer and helped organize and run convention-organized games.

I’m very pleased that the infrastructure for growing the game with mentorship and sharing of best practices has grown since the game has been released widely in a commercial setting. There’s a wealth of helpful information out there to help out new Storytellers and I hope my perspective is useful.

Before I started, I read the rules and some advice on the internet and I still had to stumble through a lot of trial-and-error and scuffed games and participate in a bunch of well run games at local clubs before I felt confident enough to believe that I’ve found a successful approach worthy enough to share online.

Conventions Where I’ve Run Blood on the Clocktower

WashingCon 2019 - BotC Event Manager & Storyteller
WashingCon 2022 - BotC Event Manager & Storyteller
New York Comic Con 2022 - Event Volunteer & Storyteller
PAX Unplugged 2022 - Enforcer & Storyteller
Dice Tower West 2023 - Pickup Game Storyteller
Clocktower Con 2023 - Volunteer Storyteller
AwesomeCon 2023 - Volunteer Storyteller
Las Vegas Clocktower Con 2023 - Event Runner & Storyteller
PAX Unplugged 2023 - Deputy Manager Enforcer & Storyteller
DeceptaCon 2024 - Event Volunteer Storyteller
Dice Tower West 2024 - Pickup Game Storyteller
Clocktower Con 2024 - Panelist, Event Runner, & Storyteller
Las Vegas Clocktower Con 2024 - Panelist, Event Runner, Storyteller
PAX Unplugged 2024 - Deputy Manager Enforcer & Storyteller
Final 3 Con 2025 - Event Runner & Storyteller

In-Person Clubs Where I’ve Played & Run Blood on the Clocktower

Capital Clocktower
Chesapeake Clocktower
Ravenswood Reston
Shipley Clocktower
Houlihan's Clocktower

Outside-Clocktower Storytelling Perspective Sources

My Storytelling approach has largely come from observing and practicing “meetings.” I’ve participated and run events of all size, including:

High School Drama Club
Boy Scouts of America / Scouts BSA / Scouting America
- Youth participation, meetings & ceremonies
- Summer camp program staff
- Dining hall lead
- Provisional Scoutmaster
- Troop Assistant Scoutmaster
- Merit Badge Counselor
Alpha Phi Omega
- Merit Badge events
- Conventions
Day Job
- Large industry conventions & meetings
- Medium sized committee meetings with formal agendas & minutes
- Smaller task force meetings
- 1-1 customer service interactions
Geek Culture Conventions
- Attendee, organizing friends
- Staff, running events, panels, tournaments, large group games
- Preparing to run board games for other people

ADVICE – Blood on the Clocktower Storyteller Performance

LivFreeOrPie's Stoyteller Advice Document

by LivFreeOrPie

This document is an exercise to share my personal Storyteller voice and perspective on how I consciously perform the role of Storyteller when receiving the opportunity to run the game.

This is not a prescription on how Storytelling must be performed in order for it to succeed. There are many paths to successful games of Blood on the Clocktower that bring joy and fellowship into the world.

Your perspective on Storytelling will come from your life experience. Spend some time thinking about how you as an individual play, approach, and run the game in a way that uses and showcases your individual strengths.

Topics:

Personal Storyteller Approach
Humility, Grace, & Gratitude
Event Preparedness
Cadence / Routine
Prioritizing the New Player Experience
Time & Group Management
Repairing Mistakes
Meet Your Players at Their Familiarity & Level of Experience

Direct link: ADVICE – Blood on the Clocktower Storyteller Performance.gdoc

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