Gaming group stuck in rut...

[Calim]

I am running into story idea problems. The ideas that we always seem to come up with are you must retrieve the parts of whatever to fix whatever or stop whatever cataclysm from happening. Basically it the Rod of Seven parts every idea that seems to come up. Any help would be appreciated...

 

[ThoughtBubble]

Who is your party? What are they interested in? Do the characters know anyone who could use a hand? Are there any major political movements or problems? What are the kingdoms that the party is around in?

Usually, I like to use those sorts of things to build an adventure out of. If I know that the empire's taking over land from the neiboring kingdoms, then there's going to be resistance. Rebellions are fun, let's have an underground one. And hey, I can tie it in with those cultists from before. Let's say that the cultists are using the rebellion to cover their tracks. Maybe manipulating them to further their schemes.

Here are a few ideas:

A young heir of a noble house is having nightmares. He wakes up in a cold sweat each night. His dreams are of his family being slaughtered before his eyes. The party was reccomended to him via a divination/oracle. Further investigation shows that he's not the only one with this problem.

The party stops at an inn in a small town, and is horrified to find out that there's no ale to be had. You see, the town's been cursed by a witch. Every drink in the place has turned brackish. You see, she was married to the brewer, and caught him cheating on her...

A band of giants are on the move. However, they use sopihisticated tactics and high quality weapons. The local government is putting out a large reward for killing their leader. But mroe disturbing than the giants is the question of who taught them.

So, does your party enjoy dungeoneering and long quests?
If so, try to give them more of the same, with little break ups. I know that one of my many failings is to tie in everything. Let them rescue a damsel every once in a while. Maybe there are just some troublesome things that need killing. I know I forget this a lot, but you don't need a story. You can run a series of small adventures from day to day.

Anyway, hope that's helpful

 

[jmucchiello]

There really aren't that many plots in the world. A story must involve Searching for/Hiding Something, Delivering Something, and/or Protecting/Destroying Something. Something can be very broadly defined. A love story can involve searching.

What you really need to do is change the something. Since you seem to like the Find an Item of Power that will Solve all our Problems stories, change the scale. Have the party be asked to deliver a love poem from the queen to a man she once loved and whom she can no longer see. He'll of course want to return a letter. Hope the king doesn't find out. Maybe they help a man defeat an Ogre terrorizing a town but the man dies during the fight and his dying wish is that his son be told his Dad fought bravely against the Ogre.

If they wouldn't like a change in scale (yesterday we saved the world now we're the queen personal messenger service?), have them search for a muggufin to save the world and find out that the "lion's eye" is not a piece of jewelry, but the actual eye of an awakened lion whom they must now convince to save the world. Of course, the lion doesn't care in mankind is destroyed. The threat to the world is only a threat to humanoids, what does he care?

Hope Something in there was what you were Searching for.

 

[Piratecat]

Go take a glance at the 100 adventure seeds in the DMG. They always help me.

 

[rounser]

One thing that the Buffy and Angel writers seem to do is if they're writing themselves into a cliche, to reverse it or produce a twist on it.

For example...the entire world is getting brainwashed against Fred, including all her friends, and she comes across this seemingly friendly demon who seems to be the only being in the world isn't brainwashed. So, they'll join forces and fight back, right? Nope, the demon tries to eat her. Another example...Cordelia and Buffy are both going for Homecoming Queen and the announcement is that it's a joint win. So they both got it, right? Nope, it's too other girls.

How could you apply the cliche reversal to the Rod of Seven Parts/Assemble the McGuffin scenario? Some random ideas:
* Instead of retrieving the parts, the intact mcguffin needs to be busted apart and it's pieces hidden by the PCs to stop Bad Stuff happening. There are opposing forces trying to put it together, and the PCs may have to hunt them down and hide a few bits again, and do it better this time.
* The PCs are being misled by false prophecies planted by the Forces of Darkness (TM), but in the course of their searches they gradually uncover evidence that putting the mcguffin together is going to cause the cataclysm, not stop it.
* There are two different cataclysms, and another party (perhaps of another race, like aquatic elves) is collecting bits of the mcguffin for their own needs. When they meet, will the parties fight or argue over whose cataclysm is most important, and needs the mcguffin the most?

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I had a writing teacher who said there are only seven story types in existence. Everything else is a variation or combination of those seven plots.

With that said I always have enjoyed a mystery whodunnit kind of adventure. It can be tricky as it usually requires a lot of NPC interaction and there are lots of places to go down the wrong path. If your group like straightforward combat oriented adventures, its not for them.

 

[Nightfall]

Something not quite the same:

A gifted musical prodigy is being assaulted in her/his dreams. The PCs have to try and stop the corruption of this person by unseen forces. Otherwise it will be another victory for them black hats.

 

[dulsin]

The ultimate in plot twists for a game is slavery!

Have them all captured all their preicious items stolen from them and dump them naked into a dungeon. They get an entierly new prospective and a new set of goals

1 Survive
2 Escape
3 Recover
4 REVENGE!

Then make sure the chief bad guy isn't even in the final battle or leaves in the first round. Then they have a target a goal.. If you play your cards right this can be the start of a 6-10 game story.

 

[Nightfall]

Slavery is nice. But maybe another way to work it, one of the PCs get corrupted to enslave his fellows. THEN you get all that PLUS pathos for the fight between the former party member and the rest.

 

[Henry]

I am running into story idea problems. The ideas that we always seem to come up with are you must retrieve the parts of whatever to fix whatever or stop whatever cataclysm from happening. Basically it the Rod of Seven parts every idea that seems to come up. Any help would be appreciated...

1.Turn to the section of the DMG that gives "100 story ideas" read through them, and run with one of them.

2. When planning for a game, close your D&D books, grab a small pen and pad, and turn on the news (CNN, MSNBC, Fox, etc.) Jot down the basic ideas of every news story that you come across.

Just looking at today, I get:

• Soldiers being attacked by guerillas
• Large Contest being held with huge prize attached
• People paying lots of money to go into space
• People stealing technical gadgets
• Official Indicted for corruption.

Running with just these, we get:

• Soldiers of the King in the border kingdoms are being attacked by rebels who hit and fade quickly. The king needs people who are familiar with the region, not publically tied to the Crown, who can join the bandits, learn their plans, and crush them from the inside. Will your PC's do the job? Perhaps there is more than meets the eye to these "unruly bandits"...
• Criers throughout the kingdom are sending out invitations to faire or festival upcoming; the main attraction at this festival is a particularly bloody contest enphasizing speed and strategy, but the first prize is (a plot of land/a golden cup/a jewelled magical box/etc.) Are your PC's good enough? Perhaps it's the only way to remove a curse or affliction one of them has...
• A merchant coster wants to hire the PC's based on their reputation. There are two extremely wealthy noblilty who want to go on a hunt in a dangerous stretch of wilderness. Your job is to help them go on this hunt, keep them safe, and return them. If they fail, they are blacklisted thoughout the kingdom; It just so happens that an assassin has decided this is the perfect time to strike...
• Thefts are occurring from Wizards throughout the land; thieves are stealing prime magic items from mages and clerics, and they can't be scried for some reason! There is a hefty reward to be had if the thieves and the goods can be recovered! But why can't they be scried?
• A benefactor of the PC's (perhaps the one hiring them for all these jobs) has been accused of treason! He's been locked up and sentenced to death! But he maintains his innocence, and calls upon the PC's to help him, if they can, out of charity. Of course, if the official is REALLY innocent, and the PC's free him, there stands to be much reward and good favor for them...

So turn on the TV, crack a non-gaming book, and strip down any ideas you see to their most basic forms. You'd be surprised how many cool ideas are waiting, created by the strangest fiction of all - the truth...