Line #25 Literature/HamletsHitPoints


1	''Hamlet's Hit Points'' is a 2010 non-fiction book by Creator/RobinLaws consisting of three parts:
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3	* "Surprised by Story", an essay on the origins of storytelling in {{Tabletop RPG}}s
4	* "Beat Analysis", wherein Laws postulates his theory of NarrativeBeats and identifies nine basic types
5	* Three detailed case studies applying his theory to ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'', ''Film/DrNo'', and ''Film/{{Casablanca}}'' and extracting lessons from them on how to improve improvised storytelling in [=RPGs=]
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7	See also ''Literature/BlowingUpTheMovies''.
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9	!!The book discusses following tropes:
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11	* AuthorFilibuster: The Commentary beat is basically this: the author puts the story on hold to get something off their chest.
12	* CharacterDevelopment: In Laws' theory, this mainly occurs via Dramatic beats, wherein one character attempts to exert a measure of emotional control over another (or over themselves). In doing so or in failing to, they both reveal things about themselves and evolve as individuals.
13	* ContinuityCreep: In "Surprised by Story", Laws argues that narrative crept into the TabletopRPG medium as an unbidden and unintended side effect of inventing ExperiencePoints: if not for them, each PlayerCharacter's slate would be wiped clean after every dungeon, precluding any meaningful CharacterDevelopment and with it, any storytelling.
14	* ExecutiveMeddling:[[invoked]] Discussed in regards to the reasons why mainstream blockbusters often fail to deliver cohesive stories: Laws argues that their producers and executives have trained themselves to view narrative as just the glue to hold various Gratification beats together.
15	* FandomHeresy:[[invoked]] Discussed in regards to role-players, specifically the ur-schism between [[TheRealMan efficient strategists]] and [[TheRoleplayer character actors]].
16	* {{Fanservice}}: Various forms of it usually comprise Gratification beats.
17	* {{Foil}}: The book examines the concept in great depth, splitting it into Procedural and Dramatic variations. A procedural foil is a character whose incompetence and/or admiration of the protagonist highlights the latter's awesomeness (such as Felix Leiter to Franchise/JamesBond). A dramatic foil is a character who embodies either the choices the audience hopes the protagonist will make ("angelic foil", e.g. [[Franchise/StarWars Obi-Wan to Luke]]) or the choices we fear they'll make ("demonic foil", e.g. Darth Vader). Interestingly, Laws argues against making player characters foils of each other, as it is hard enough for most players to manage their own character arc on the fly, let alone two or more at the same time.
18	* {{Foreshadowing}}: Pipe and Question beats are essentially this, setting up events to occur and mysteries to be answered later in the story.
19	* GenreTurningPoint:[[invoked]] Discussed in the pen-and-paper context, specifically the U-turn away from extremely elaborate and complex {{Game System}}s of TheEighties towards radically simpler ones, exemplified by ''TabletopGame/OverTheEdge'' in TheNineties.
20	* HellYesMoment: Anticipation beats are basically delays that foreshadow something awesome that's about to happen (like TheCavalry showing up).
21	* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode: Well-written Pipes are this on a small scale. Ideally, the audience doesn't even register them as beats until much later, and they are often additionally wrapped into a more obvious Procedural or Dramatic beat to conceal their importance.
22	* LitFic: Laws discusses the term occasionally, e.g. showing that most of literary fiction uses Question/Reveal beat pairs to maintain narrative suspense, since it shies away from physical jeopardy that provides suspense in more action-y works.
23	* MortonsFork: Laws calls this "non-branching obstacle" in RPG context, i.e. one that induces no [[StoryBranching change in the overall plot]], regardless of whether it's passed, failed, or not tackled at all.
24	* TheReveal: Reveal beats do just that: reveal things to the characters and/or the audience that they've wanted to know.
25	* SlidingScaleOfPlotVersusCharacters: This belies the dichotomy of the two most common beats: Procedural beats advance the external plot, while the Dramatic beats facilitate internal CharacterDevelopment. Laws explicitly mentions that works of fiction consisting primarily of Dramatic beats can offer little inspiration to gaming fans.
26	* TooBleakStoppedCaring:[[invoked]] Discussed as a possible outcome of too many downward beat resolutions (i.e. ones that make us fear for the characters).
27	* YouAllMeetInAnInn: This default intro to a DungeonCrawling adventure is used as a first example to demonstrate beat analysis in action.

Context Literature / HamletsHitPoints