Frame Story

[Ceresco]

Caliphat Nights has this concept built into the mechanics. It is one way for PCs to gain experience and in game benefits. I have never done this, but it sounds like a cool way to expand role playing with in a session.

edward kopp-

 

[Crothian]

Dragonborn also has a version of it and the way I am using it is more along those lines. I've yet to get CN though.

 

[Finster]

Didn't the olde 2E adventure "Vecna Lives!" begin with the players in control of another group of more powerful characters that were meant to be obliterated right off by the bad guy?

I believe the writer explained that this vignette(?) was meant to instill respect and a little fear of the villain in the players, without killing off their prize characters.

It sounds like what you are doing is a great deal more involved. I would like to read about the outcome if possible.

 

[Slife]

For those not familiar with the term a Frame Story is a story withing a story.

Not exactly. The frame story is the story which the other story is within. IE, with your example, the campaign would be the frame story, while 1 shot with the NPCs would be the story. If The Hobbit began with Bilbo opening his diary, and reading it out loud to his nephew, Bilbo reading the diary would be the frame story, while There and Back Again would be the story proper.

The Princess Bride is a good example - the frame story is the grandfather reading the book to his grandson.

 

[adwyn]

I've done this a couple of ways. The first is to run a one shot featuring a current PC at a prior point in time while the other players run NPCs. The purpose is to spotlight something or someone in the character's past. This works alot better than the player simply saying, "Oh, that's my arch nemesis so and so", but if there is too much detail already in the back ground can become quite forced and flop.

The second is more of the flashback or tale as told by a stranger. Here I can adapt to whatever the players do. With this I'm usually trying to convey more information and its not unusual for the story to take several sessions. One can even jump back and forth between the two story lines which is great if your players like cliffhangers.