Hey everyone, 

Maybe someone could help me out answer some questions about the facilitator role. I read through the manual yesterday and found myself a little surprised about said role. From reading it the facilitator doesn't really participate in the game - they set up the discord, explain the character building and then... just keep track of the characters? Just sit there and listen for maybe 4 hours??? Am I missing something or would this be correct? And with them keeping track of the characters and getting their secrets beforehand they couldn't participate anyway. It feels a little odd to me (and really boring if I had to run a game) - or did I totally miss something?

And yes of course I read there doesn't need to be a facilitator at all. Or they take on the caretaker role. How has everyone handled playing games on here? Have you played the role the traditional way or dropped it completely? I'm happy to work out the technical side of the game for my group beforehand but the way I understood the facilitator role sounds like a nightmare for my adhd brain lol. I would love to hear some experiences from players who have run the game before bc I'm so excited to run this with my friends 🥳 

Thanks everyone!

Hey, thanks for the question, and for checking out the game! 

You're totally right, the facilitator is a role for you to customize for your exact needs! If you're playing with a monstrously big group and need someone to field questions and monitor the game, a dedicated facilitator (or two!) is a tool for you to use. If you feel like, hey we're all familiar with the structure and want to go wild, no facilitator needed. If you want to play somewhere in the middle, someone can double as a facilitator, or play as a caretaker, or find another solution! Ultimately, you know what will work best for your group, so take whatever rules serve you and toss the rest! 

"they set up the discord, explain the character building and then... just keep track of the characters? Just sit there and listen for maybe 4 hours??? Am I missing something or would this be correct? "

This is half-right! The facilitator sets it up, gets it started, and then keeps people on track. As you can imagine, this game gets out of control, fast! The facilitator has a couple tools (the clock, worksheets, the ability to ping players in #ghosts-only and #investigators-only chats) that help make the game run smoothly. The facilitator gets us out of the house and before the seance and plans with both groups for how to reveal any final details. The facilitator also makes sure that everyone gets a chance to go wild during the seance. 

Think of the facilitator as a director: they can pull strings, get actors into place, and orchestrate huge moments during the game! Once you hop into a game, you'll be able to see the chaos reigning and all of the cool opportunities all over the place. The facilitator is a player too, watching over the whole house and the freaks running around inside. 

And with them keeping track of the characters and getting their secrets beforehand they couldn't participate anyway.

I hear your concern here! I'd say that if the "what" of the secrets and backgrounds are important to you, and you're the facilitator, you can mod the rules to avoid those (such as not using character cards or the facilitator worksheet). But ultimately, this game is all about the "how"! Players running wild in a discord until it's time for the seance. 

At the end of the day, play the way you think will be most fun! That's why we made this game all about the tools you can use.

I really appreciate your question, and I'm looking forward to what others have to say! 

I think Will's answer is really solid, but I can add. I facilitate this game often and even for money as a Pro-GM. The facilitator is important for new players, especially ones who are not used to having player agency because some players have never felt like they could just declare their actions-- there has always been a referee to say yes or no or roll me dice. 

I like that Will framed it as a director role because that's definitely what it feels like. I encourage investigators to split up and give ghosts ideas on how to do that too. I talk about pacing behind the scenes because ghosts like withholding their secrets and trying to get Frights identified first before divulging who they are. So there's some coaching on being more explicit.

I give safety reminders if folks start pushing boundaries, or check in w the group about content I'm not sure everyone will consent to. I ask investigators if the ghosts just discovered their Frights and if yes, to verbalize it so it can be noted.

And yes, there is downtime where you are just observing the game. It's hugely entertaining to watch/listen to. It's like having your friends do a play for you. As someone who doesnt always have the spoons to be on camera and facilitate a more hands-on game, it's a nice change of pace. And I love emoji reacting to everything that's going on, especially w the custom emotes that come with the game. 

Hope that helps!

Ps. I have ADHD too and through experience I've pre-written instructions to dish out as the game progresses so it's one less thing to worry about.