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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Neonchameleon" data-source="post: 6561605" data-attributes="member: 87792">OKFirst things first, I don't think that D&D does what you want terribly well. The best stories are about the PCs and who they are and their investment in the world, and how they change and grow, and the D&D mechanics are about overcoming obstacles rather than emotional investment, and mechanical growth is linear and change non-existent. Also I think you are trying to design classic D&D Adventure Path adventures which are by definition adventures you could drop almost any acceptable PCs in and they will in theory come out the same way.So. I'm going to make three suggestions. The first is a book of guidance. <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Play-Unsafe-Improvisation-Change-Roleplay/dp/1434824594" target="_blank">Play Unsafe</a> which is basically what we can learn about stories from improv drama. It's going to be a completely different way of looking at things from the one I think you have - but a really useful one.The second is <a href="http://www.bullypulpitgames.com/games/fiasco/" target="_blank">Fiasco</a> - an RPG made by boiling down the Five Act Structure into a mechanical system and playing from there, You can use it to write a Cohen Brothers movie in the time it takes to watch one - and it really teaches about relationship maps, the five act structure, and tilts. To see how it works watch the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXJxQ0NbFtk" target="_blank">Tabletop playthrough</a> - and remember that that's a good playthrough but not an outstanding one.The third is a new RPG - <a href="http://apocalypse-world.com/" target="_blank">Apocalypse World</a>. (If you've got a group for it then <a href="http://buriedwithoutceremony.com/monsterhearts/" target="_blank">Monsterhearts</a> can be even better, but I doubt you have the right group). Apocalypse World is the non-D&D parent game of Dungeon World (mentioned by [MENTION=23240]steenan[/MENTION]), and it flows quite a lot better. It also has two real things that DW (and for that matter D&D) doesn't. First is PC investment in the setting during character creation; D&D (and DW) has you create PCs as near islands; AW character creation and character classes represent your place in the world from the local boss (the Hardholder), the local gang leader (the Chopper) to someone trying to get by (the Operator) or even a lethal drifter (the Gunlugger). Second is the narrative dynamite. PCs don't just get more skilled as they gain experience, they also change even to the point of changing Playbooks/Class. This can be obvious career development (e.g. Chopper->Hardholder as the gang leader takes over), a reversal (e.g. Gunlugger -> Angel (Medic)), or just something that kinda happened in play and looks like a really interesting direction for the character (e.g. Operator -> Hocus as one of the Operator's schemes involves them founding a cult and their cult becomes their defining drive). All those have the makings of great stories - and they are much much better because they emerge organically from who the character is rather than having been chosen in advance, but the rules of Apocalypse World encourage some sort of transformation/growth, and transformation and growth are at the root of most good stories. (Of course you can only change playbooks occasionally, and any playbook can change to any other, so it's always a big decision).I hope some of that helped and will help.</blockquote>

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