I love it when a Campaign Arc comes together

[Rechan]

How do you handle campaign/plot pacing? How do you juggle it, not knowing if it will last a few months or a few years?

For instance, let's say you have multiple story arcs, very big themes, and various plots in your campaign. How do you know when to start them, when to drop the hints in, and when to stay your hand? How many is too much? Or not enough?

For instance, the game I'm running right now, I have a lot of stuff I want to do, and a lot of big things giong on. This is the first campaign I'm actually looking very far ahead, wanting to do a lot of BIG things (the longest game I've ran has only lasted a year and a half). The PCs are just 2nd level though.

How many plots should you introduce at one time? Should you bother foreshadowing before a plot?

I want to start slipping in the foreshadowing/clues to the bigger picture, but my fear is that the players will either: 1) Get bogged down/frustrated under the multiple threads that don't seem to tie together, 2) Get lost or chase the beginning of something when it's not related to the current arc, merely foreshadowing or hints, or 3) Forget, not become interested, or get bored with it.

How do you handle starting integrating an arc, in terms of timeline? "If I begin plan E now, then I only have (Insert) in-game time to let it run its course; otherwise, it wouldn't make sense waiting for the next piece".

And how do you contain yourself, resisting getting to the cool stuff in your pocket? Especially if you don't know how long the game may last?

 

[Woas]

Oh heavens why are you resisting getting to cool stuff?!

 

[Hjorimir]

I do a lot of long plotting for my games and, over the years, my players have learned to start taking notes early. They'll even go as far as having meetings (complete with whiteboard diagrams) where they try to crystalize what they know (or think they know) and what they think that means.

As to when to reveal plot elements, I'd just say reveal things naturally. Don't force the issue. If we're talking hidden metaplots (I use those plenty), the players will begin to pick up on them more and more.

"Hey, didn't that ogre we killed in the old forest have a similiar symbol scarred into his chest?"

"Remember that woman we rescued from the mines? It turns out the dark church is looking for her....I wonder why."

I love revealing little insights to the PCs exploits after the fact. It makes the PCs reconsider the past of the campaign and look to the future as well.

 

[Rechan]

Oh heavens why are you resisting getting to cool stuff?!

Because trying to do more than three things at a time is very difficult, and there's only so much time in a game session?

 

[Rechan]

"Remember that woman we rescued from the mines? It turns out the dark church is looking for her....I wonder why."

Unfortunately, my plans are a little less... subtle.

[sblock]For instance. One arc of my campaign involves Melora, goddess of nature, being "lost"; falling into a demi-plane, being transformed into a deer, and being hunted by the Wild Hunt. The first sign or clue of this is nature going topsy turvy - weather going crazy, prey animals swarming their natural predators, etc.

Now, given what I'm looking at in terms of plans, the PCs won't be able to pursue this plot for a few levels. Because 1) I have other plots I want to get to, 2) I want them higher level, and 3) the players can choose which they want to pursue, and they may not choose to pursue this.

So the question is when to start causing the epic signs, since the PCs won't be able to see/do anything about it for some time, but it has nothing to do with them (except maybe surviving crazy uncharacteristic weather/horde of pissed off prey animals).[/sblock]

 

[Lanefan]

How do you handle campaign/plot pacing? How do you juggle it, not knowing if it will last a few months or a few years?

For instance, let's say you have multiple story arcs, very big themes, and various plots in your campaign. How do you know when to start them, when to drop the hints in, and when to stay your hand? How many is too much? Or not enough?

For instance, the game I'm running right now, I have a lot of stuff I want to do, and a lot of big things giong on. This is the first campaign I'm actually looking very far ahead, wanting to do a lot of BIG things (the longest game I've ran has only lasted a year and a half). The PCs are just 2nd level though.

First thing I'll say is slow down the level advancement! If you don't, unless your intent is for the PCs to overthrow a pantheon you'll run out of playable levels long before you run out of story.

What I've done for my current campaign is storyboarded out what adventures and-or story arcs I think I can use, along with a few thoughts as to how they might fit together. (having a functional history etc. for my world helps greatly too) Then, I throw random little things in to earlier adventures to lay groundwork for later ones, in full knowledge that said later ones may or may not ever happen. If the game goes a different direction, for example, such that a given adventure or story won't work, then out it goes.

An example: already in my current campaign one party has met some particular people at a particular place about 5 adventures ago. This should have raised some eyebrows at the time, but didn't; and if things work out right it'll become very important later as it will - or should - trigger a 5-adventure story arc.

How many plots should you introduce at one time? Should you bother foreshadowing before a plot?

I want to start slipping in the foreshadowing/clues to the bigger picture, but my fear is that the players will either: 1) Get bogged down/frustrated under the multiple threads that don't seem to tie together, 2) Get lost or chase the beginning of something when it's not related to the current arc, merely foreshadowing or hints, or 3) Forget, not become interested, or get bored with it.

Chuck 'em all in, along with some red herrings, but don't make them obvious. Eventually, they'll either piece it together or they won't...

How do you handle starting integrating an arc, in terms of timeline? "If I begin plan E now, then I only have (Insert) in-game time to let it run its course; otherwise, it wouldn't make sense waiting for the next piece".

Depends. If it's a story arc you've had in mind since the campaign started, start plugging hints in right away - it doesn't matter if they end up as meaningless later. If it's something you've thought of on the fly, you won't have time for any buildup, so just dive right in.

For example: in my Riveria campaign, I started the game with a plot that in theory would eventually lead to the overthrow of the current king...or the party preventing such. 4 adventures in, the PCs turned their back on that arc and went off elsewhere; coming back to it unintentionally about 10 adventures later. Meanwhile, I'd been now and then mentioning an ongoing war between some nearby Dwarves and some Giants as a toss-off; little did I know that some years later I'd end up fleshing it out and that war would become the main story focus. In hindsight, reading the log, it looks like lots and lots of planning went into that Giant arc right from the start; but nothing could be farther from the truth - much of the backstory was invented even while the adventures were being played!

Having multiple parties helps - one party can be discovering something they think is irrelevant, yet it is vital to another - provided they ever meet and exchange information...

And how do you contain yourself, resisting getting to the cool stuff in your pocket? Especially if you don't know how long the game may last?

Always a problem. I go in to a campaign expecting it to be open-ended, and it never hurts to have an eye open for replacement players should someone have to drop out...

Lanefan

 

[Snoweel]

My advice is to hit your players over the head with any clues you want them to take note of.

Foreshadow as much as you want (but if you're too subtle, be prepared for your players to never notice), however when it comes to clues you really want them to take note of then either labour the point that this is a clue or just hand them a note with the clue written on it.

It's metagamey but given the players are relying on you to tell them what their characters' five (or more) senses are picking up, it's easy to lose perspective on what is and isn't significant from their point of view.

 

[Woas]

Because trying to do more than three things at a time is very difficult, and there's only so much time in a game session?

What three things? I 'Just Say No' to filler game time. Not that I'm saying your games specifically is filler since I obviously don't play in it and all. But my gaming mantra is to get to the good stuff now. Don't wait. Otherwise you're just feeding a self-fulfilling problem (never getting to cool stuff before the game ends).

 

[the Jester]

I like to throw out as many pieces of foreshadowing, plot hooks, etc. as possible, knowing full well that the pcs will miss or never follow up on a lot of them.

That's okay; those dangling, unresolved threads help me sketch out what else is going on with the rest of the world while the pcs do their thing. For example, my 3e campaign never resolved a ton of things- Master Control, the wobble in the Sun's orbit, the hole in time, etc etc.

That just leaves me the chance to revisit them later, with different groups!

 

[Ktulu]

I find it's easier to retcon/rewrite. I leave enough stuff generally vague that when the big story eventually unfolds I can simply add stuff like, "...and he was the badguy, see the links?"

Sometimes it works, other times it doesn't, but so long as you leave enough ends untied, you'll find ways to make those plots fit together.

Also, I do agree with doing the "Cool Stuff Now" idea. sometimes you can't, obviously, but so long as your sessions are fun, that's the most imporatnt part.