Moments of Beauty and Moments of Peace

A GM Tool

Moment of Beauty

Some of the most memorable moments in an adventure (real life or fantasy) are moments when the characters are momentarily overwhelmed by the beauty of their surroundings. In real life, these moments linger in our memories long after the adventures end. We attempt to capture some of the wonder of exploration with a concept we’ve dubbed the “Moment of Beauty.” In a practical sense, we use it as a pacing element to separate the crunchiness of dangerous encounters (and their dice rolls). In a more philosophical sense, it serves as a juxtaposition of the dangers brought by a life of adventure and the incredible (and often ephemeral) scenes of beauty that braving those dangers can earn. Our aim for the Moment of Beauty is to pause the action in an adventure to evoke the senses and trigger nostalgia or curiosity or awe. 

There are two rules for the Moment of Beauty: NO MECHANICS, and NO DICE. Be clear and direct with your players to avoid confusion and interruptions. Your players should understand that they’re safe here, it’s not a trick, and they are welcome to soak this in before moving forward.

During the Moment of Beauty, deliberately pause the action and provide descriptive language that evokes the senses and emotions.

We already use illustrative language to evoke senses and emotions elsewhere in the adventure to enhance horror, betrayal, or action, but giving emphasis to a Moment of Beauty can highlight a scene that serves as a pause in the action or a fleeting, liminal moment. A moment that may have otherwise been overlooked or glossed over is now given a chance to stay in players’ imagination. Ideally, it will germinate into lasting memories that can spark wonder and generate further interest and investment in the world, helping underscore the driving plots and deeper mysteries. Victories may feel sweeter, and losses more pained if time is allowed for an up close look from an oft-omitted perspective of new profundity or humble elegance.

You can use the Moment of Beauty to allow the players to explore their characters’ beliefs and relationships by asking direct questions tailored to the particular beauty they’re observing. Here are a few sample questions for inspiration:

• Consider what your character thinks of the cosmos, and their place in it. Do they see this display as evidence of the glory of the gods? Is it a scientific mystery that has them pondering the physics or metaphysics at play? Is it part of the majesty and beauty of nature? Or does the display represent a dangerous imbalance that must be set right?
• Is there someone your character wishes they could share this sight with?
• Does the display bring hope? Awe? Smug satisfaction? Or the impending sense of danger?

Tailor your questions to the challenges and beauty that your party is facing, and use it to let your players explore their characters’ connection with your world.

-Chris

Moment of Peace

Shortly after we started getting deliberate with our Moment of Beauty, we noticed a need for another type of scene to break up the action of our adventures. There are times in the full swing of a long session where the pace of the adventure seems to march forward faster than the players can process. Sometimes, we all need time to slow down and breathe. Oftentimes, the players at the table may take a break, digress temporarily into a different discussion, or joke around. But beyond designated rests (which are a tactical resource in many systems), the characters themselves aren’t given specific time to stop and “smell the dungeon.” Sometimes characters have interpersonal goals, secrets, or conflicts they’d like to explore but the pressure and excitement of the action never seems to leave the time to bring these things up. Sometimes a character may have discovered a secret, solved a mystery, or uncovered a vulnerability or resistance of a monster, but they don’t have an in-character way to reveal it.

We decided to get deliberate about adding times like these to our adventures, and we call them a Moment of Peace.

This is a time specifically designated to slow down and let the players process where they are in the adventure, what they’ve learned, and what they think they may be going against. Though some game systems have mechanics for these kinds of moments, the same two rules from the Moment of Beauty apply here: NO RULES and NO DICE. You can note any mechanics you’ve triggered afterward. This forces players to symbolically pull over at the side of the road to unpack and recalibrate. Make sure to communicate to your table that this is a danger-free section of the adventure. There are times for suspense or hidden dangers, and this is deliberately not one of those times. Emphasize aspects in the scene that are comfortable, secure, refreshing, and narratively inconsequential and neutral. If this coincides with a point where you choose to employ specific rest mechanics of your preferred system, impose clear boundaries on that mechanic so that it either completes before the scene or doesn’t start until after the scene.

Address the players directly and ask specific questions to get a sense of goals, hopes, and expectations. This is a time to check the pulse of your players, recalibrate your pace and any timers you have going, and let them have a chance to appraise what they’ve learned, elaborate their characters’ theories or expectations,  and check in with each other as characters. It’s also an ideal point for an in-person bio break.

We have added a Moment of Peace to every adventure we’ve crafted, and while we have a set of questions we always use, we also tailor a few questions specific to the adventure.

Here are some sample questions you might use for inspiration to ask your players in a Moment of Peace:

• What do you think lies at the end of the [trail/dungeon/challenge]?
• What’s your theory about the origin of [enemy you’ve been fighting]?
• Is there anything they seem to excel at guarding against, or have you discovered any vulnerabilities?
• Do you think there is any truth to [rumor]?
• Are there any outstanding confessions, concerns, or conflicts among you you’d like to explore?
• Is this the sort of adventure you thought you’d be doing when you first set out?
• What keeps you moving forward when discomfort, danger, or discouragement press you to quit?

Again, this is a segment for players to discuss the adventure in character. It’s a marching talk, not necessarily beautiful, but important for the characters to grow together.

-Ian

On a side note, many scifi games feature faster-than-light travel, and such moments are excellent candidates for a Moment Of Peace or Moment of Beauty, with some caveats.

First, a Moment of Peace/Moment of Beauty is a pacing tool, so it doesn’t do you as much good if it’s the first thing the party does in the day, or the last thing they do on an adventure (before turning it in and getting paid). However, if your story allows it, you can add a travel/transition segment between encounters to get the best use of the Moment.

Second, make sure you don’t allow travel hazards or ambushes to interrupt your Moments. Keep them separated from those challenges so that they retain their literary function.

-Scott