List your favorite plots here!
- Thread starter Oberyn
- Start date
Herremann the Wise
First Post
Hi Everyone,
In General
For me, it is all about the non-player characters. Richly developed and believable motivations for NPC's is what makes everything tick. In this way, you don't have to plan too much ahead. You know the personalities involved and so you can easily predict their behaviour to different circumstances - in particular the key events that are the cornerstones of your specific plot.
Specifically
Perhaps my favourite thing to do is to take your standard common plot and add in an extra player that may conflict with different people involved in different ways. This simple addition opens a kaleidoscope of new interactions and situations that can really bring a standard plot to life. And by the way, don't automatically reject a fairly common or cliche plot when doing this. A I, IV, V chord progression in music is pretty standard but it will always be there in a billion different forms without people tiring of it. It is the same with plots.
Best Regards
Herremann the Wise
In General
For me, it is all about the non-player characters. Richly developed and believable motivations for NPC's is what makes everything tick. In this way, you don't have to plan too much ahead. You know the personalities involved and so you can easily predict their behaviour to different circumstances - in particular the key events that are the cornerstones of your specific plot.
Specifically
Perhaps my favourite thing to do is to take your standard common plot and add in an extra player that may conflict with different people involved in different ways. This simple addition opens a kaleidoscope of new interactions and situations that can really bring a standard plot to life. And by the way, don't automatically reject a fairly common or cliche plot when doing this. A I, IV, V chord progression in music is pretty standard but it will always be there in a billion different forms without people tiring of it. It is the same with plots.
Best Regards
Herremann the Wise
Psion
Adventurer
Poster Bard said:
Argh! Beat me to it!
One of my favorite plot resources, when I am feeling in a rut.
Raven Crowking
First Post
My advice?
Design some cool locations, and seed them with people who have secrets or rivalries. How do they go about protecting their secrets? How do thier rivalries show?
Design some cool villians, and decide what they most want in the world. Where is it, and how can they get it?
Add PCs, and stir.
Don't worry so much about plot. If you have setting and character, plot evolves naturally. You've got a highwayman upon the King's Road, forced to live that life because he was unjustly accused of treason? That could be a Robin Hood-type or someone much worse. If the PCs go down the King's Road, they might meet him. If the PCs do not, they might hear of him. If the PCs help the local lord, they might be asked to collar him.
Once these things are in motion, you can easily offer PCs hooks to take or not, as they choose. Then apply consequences for taking/not taking them.
RC
Design some cool locations, and seed them with people who have secrets or rivalries. How do they go about protecting their secrets? How do thier rivalries show?
Design some cool villians, and decide what they most want in the world. Where is it, and how can they get it?
Add PCs, and stir.
Don't worry so much about plot. If you have setting and character, plot evolves naturally. You've got a highwayman upon the King's Road, forced to live that life because he was unjustly accused of treason? That could be a Robin Hood-type or someone much worse. If the PCs go down the King's Road, they might meet him. If the PCs do not, they might hear of him. If the PCs help the local lord, they might be asked to collar him.
Once these things are in motion, you can easily offer PCs hooks to take or not, as they choose. Then apply consequences for taking/not taking them.
RC
megamania
Hero
Normally I would say start with a simple encounter and see what the players read into. They are the story....they mold it as much if not more than you (the DM).
Using the hobgoblins with weapons is a good.
Players will ask many questions and the idea is the answer is found through adventure.
Investigate military
Investigate warlords
investigate wizards
investigate ruins
Soon enough, you have a campaign running that the PCs created and the DM molded.
The campaign I am doing now is at times too complex. Too many nosey and interested parties and sub-plots to cover. Players often forget an important clue by time I get to deal with it. Keep it simple.
Using the hobgoblins with weapons is a good.
Players will ask many questions and the idea is the answer is found through adventure.
Investigate military
Investigate warlords
investigate wizards
investigate ruins
Soon enough, you have a campaign running that the PCs created and the DM molded.
The campaign I am doing now is at times too complex. Too many nosey and interested parties and sub-plots to cover. Players often forget an important clue by time I get to deal with it. Keep it simple.
Oberyn
First Post
alright guys crunch time here i have 3 days to make my adventure for 3 2nd level pcs one scout one bard and one undecided i was thinking of having them join a guild but to do it they must go through some gladitorial maches that arent purely combat focused any ideas? also how to give the bard some game time because gladitorial things arent a good ideal for him.
Rel
Liquid Awesome
Oberyn said:
Instead of a gladitorial arena, why not do a sort of Indiana Jones thing. "In order to be accepted into the Royal Explorers guild, you must bring back the Idol of Karnok from the Tomb of Redwall..." That gives the scout some trapfinding opportunities, the Bard can use his knowledge on the ancient writings on the walls of the tomb and of course there can be plenty of chances for combat.
Oberyn
First Post
hmmm it sounds interesting but this guild would want to watch how they do things. they are looking for inoovative people. also they would have to test how evil they were... such as by finding a person who cheated tied up in a seemingly empty and unvisible room. but if they did cup de grace them they would be rejected things like that.
