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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rel" data-source="post: 3312470" data-attributes="member: 99">One thing that Piratecat told me one time is that "Nothing is set in stone until the players KNOW it.  And really not even then".  And another thing I've learned is to talk to other GM's and beg, borrow or steal ideas from them.  Here's an example:When I started my current (Warhammer FRP - Pirates of the Caribbean) campaign a few weeks ago I gave out sealed notes to each of the players.  Each one had a little plot hook on it in the form of an optional "secondary mission".  One way that I made this more interesting was to give them out randomly such that I had no idea which player had which hook.  Anyway, one of them said that the PC's sibling had been murdered by "someone with an extra eye".  It was strongly implied that this was a Mutant with an extra eye that was concealed somewhere on his body.I didn't know who the murderer was.  I didn't know why they killed the PC's sibling.  Hell, I didn't even know if the sibling was truly dead.  I just figured it might be something that they showed interest in.Then one day I was talking with Enkhidu and telling him about that particular sub-plot.  He said, "What if the 'extra eye' isn't a real eye and it's just a tatoo?"  BRILLIANT!  So the next session one of the sailors (a guy named Volkhard) on board the PC's ship was lashed for insubordination.  When they tore open his shirt, one of the PC's saw that he had a tatoo of an open eye at the base of his back, just barely peeking out of his shirt.Was this the murderer?  I still hadn't decided.  What I did decide was that Volkhard wasn't the only one with an eye tatoo.  It would be a secret organization.  Dedicated to what?  I had no idea.  But they were up to SOMETHING, that's for sure!So a couple weeks ago I was having dinner with some lovely folks here at the NC Game Day and I said, "You guys wanna plan my next session?"  They said "Sure!"  I explained that the PC's were currently in port and there were some rumors that SOMEBODY was trying to sabotage the ship they were on and also the PC's were going to go to a party at the Governor's Mansion.  After some chit chat it was decided that there needed to be a big explosion at the Governor's Mansion.So, I had this secret organization of eye-tatoo guys try and blow up the Governor and all the sea captains who were at the party.  The PC's intervened and only about half the sea-captains were killed.  Why?  I still wasn't sure.  But some ideas were suggesting themselves.The country the PC's hail from is at war with another country (Estalia).  A third country (Bretonia) was debating entering the war on the side of Estalia.  So I decided that the "Hidden Eye" were plotting to try and get the war started as soon as possible by framing a Bretonian Sea Captain for blowing up the Governor's Mansion.The PC's got involved and are now headed off to Tortuga where they believe they might find the headquarters of the Hidden Eye and get to the bottom of what they're up to.  And best of all, guess who turned out to be one of the ring-leaders of the whole thing?  Volkhard!  He barely escaped from the PC's clutches and onto a ship headed for Tortuga.  So I've even got what amounts to a recurring villian out of the deal.So what I'm saying is don't tie yourself down in advance.  Keep the plot loose with a lot of questions that you don't know the answers to.  When the time comes then the answers will suggest themselves and you can go back and tie up things that you never thought had anything to do with each other.  The players will have fun and you'll look like a genius.</blockquote>

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