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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Beginning of the End" data-source="post: 5186765" data-attributes="member: 55271"><a href="http://www.thealexandrian.net/creations/misc/three-clue-rule.html" target="_blank">Three Clue Rule</a> is the first step. Properly utilizing it allows the PCs to actually choose a path through the adventure: They're still likely to visit 90%+ of the locations you've designed, but they get to choose what order they'll go in and can even choose to deliberately bypass certain areas and feel a sense of accomplishment in doing so.Beyond that, it's a matter of <a href="http://www.thealexandrian.net/creations/misc/prep-scenario.html" target="_blank">prepping scenarios</a> instead of plots.It's actually much easier to design scenarios like this. Particularly for tabletop play.For example, the PCs are investigating a slavers' compound. In a lot of published modules you'll see this compound designed with a single entrance and then a series of essentially linear rooms leading up to the BBEG at the center of the compound. But instead of doing that, you can spend the exact same amount of time designing a permissive compound: Put in a front door, a secret back door, windows on the first and second floors, a secret sewer entrance. Let the PCs assault it from any number of angles; or disguise themselves as slavers to sneak in; or pretend to be customers; or even light the whole place on fire and force the slavers to run out into the street.Note: Once you've designed a dynamic, non-linear scenario you don't have to prep extensive notes for the fire-burning option or the infiltration option. By simply designing a compound you've created a situation that the PCs can interact with however they choose.Also be aware of making your scenario hooks permissive: For example, if the PCs are charged with "destroying the slavers", then their options are narrowed. But if you were to use a hook like "rescue our daughter from the slavers", then there are lots of ways to achieve that (including destroying the slavers).The difference here lies in providing goals which don't dictate method.Then, once you've created this permissive environment where the PCs are actually allowed to make choices, you'll find those choices will naturally have consequences. If they destroy the slaver compound, what happens to the slave trade that was feeding that compound? Does the local crime family try to fill the void left behind? Does someone higher up in the slaver chain of command come looking for revenge?OTOH, if they quietly infiltrate the compound and leave the operations intact, what's the impact of the slavers continuing their operations? Does the local law enforcement come to them because of their inside knowledge? Have they accidentally incriminated themselves as slavers?</blockquote>

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