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<blockquote data-quote="LostSoul" data-source="post: 5511096" data-attributes="member: 386">This is how I do it.0. I make it clear that I don't have a pre-plotted story prepared for them.&nbsp; They can do whatever they want, and I will react to it.&nbsp; If they want something to happen, they'll have to go and adventure.1. I make a map by rolling on some random tables.&nbsp; This takes a while but once it's done there isn't much left to do.&nbsp; (It only takes a while if you're not ready to ad-lib.&nbsp; For example, in once instance a player wanted to go to the moon.&nbsp; I had to make a map - I went with an area of 12x12 5-mile hexes - with 32 &quot;points of interest&quot; on it; that took about 1/2 hour, most of the time spent drawing the map and making the &quot;moon&quot; terrain tables.&nbsp; Then we played for 6 hours.&nbsp; There's probably enough material there for a lot of play.)Here's an example table.[sblock=Terrain Features: Moon][code]roll&nbsp; &nbsp; Terrain1d20&nbsp; &nbsp; The Moon1&nbsp; &nbsp; An ivory tower with a single crescent window.2&nbsp; &nbsp; A sundial with four markers and no shadow.3&nbsp; &nbsp; A deep canyon cleft in the surface, a river of quicksilver running at its base.4&nbsp; &nbsp; A pool of quicksilver reflecting the dreams of those who peer into it.5&nbsp; &nbsp; A sleeping stone face, its mouth a large yawn.6&nbsp; &nbsp; A stone sarcophagus in the middle of raised silver stones.7&nbsp; &nbsp; The silver skeleton of a giant bull, its crescent horns raised into the air.8&nbsp; &nbsp; A large crater full of silver slipsand.9&nbsp; &nbsp; A massive adamantine pillar and broken chain link, the pillar torn out of the ground.10&nbsp; &nbsp; Silver slabs carved into the images of dreamers.11&nbsp; &nbsp; A large ivory tower with a silver clock.12&nbsp; &nbsp; Four trees of silver, one bare, one budding, one bearing fruit, one wilting.13&nbsp; &nbsp; A circle of statues, all women.14&nbsp; &nbsp; A great clockwork contraption, turning eternally.15&nbsp; &nbsp; An ancient city of ivory towers, crumbling to dust.16&nbsp; &nbsp; The leavings of a decadent eladrin orgy.17&nbsp; &nbsp; A tower in the bottom of a crater.18&nbsp; &nbsp; A telescope pointed at the world.19&nbsp; &nbsp; The remains of a crashed starship.20&nbsp; &nbsp; A tall, adamantine wall encircling nothing.[/code]And the contents of one of those hexes.[code]*----------------------------------------------*05.04&nbsp; RUINS - BUILDINGS - LEVEL +4The shell of a burnt-out castle.Links to Other Areas: 00.09DuergarContents: Gate; Monster; Something Strange[/code][/sblock]2. I make up some rumours and information and tell the players.&nbsp; 3. I ask the players what their Quest is - since you're playing 4E, you're familiar with Quests.&nbsp; I specify that it has to be something on the map or dealing with something in the setting that they know about.&nbsp; Quest XP is based on the level of the hex, so it's an easy way to snag some high-level XP - if you're up for it.4. We play.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="LostSoul, post: 5511096, member: 386"] This is how I do it. 0. I make it clear that I don't have a pre-plotted story prepared for them. They can do whatever they want, and I will react to it. If they want something to happen, they'll have to go and adventure. 1. I make a map by rolling on some random tables. This takes a while but once it's done there isn't much left to do. (It only takes a while if you're not ready to ad-lib. For example, in once instance a player wanted to go to the moon. I had to make a map - I went with an area of 12x12 5-mile hexes - with 32 "points of interest" on it; that took about 1/2 hour, most of the time spent drawing the map and making the "moon" terrain tables. Then we played for 6 hours. There's probably enough material there for a lot of play.) Here's an example table. [sblock=Terrain Features: Moon] [code]roll Terrain 1d20 The Moon 1 An ivory tower with a single crescent window. 2 A sundial with four markers and no shadow. 3 A deep canyon cleft in the surface, a river of quicksilver running at its base. 4 A pool of quicksilver reflecting the dreams of those who peer into it. 5 A sleeping stone face, its mouth a large yawn. 6 A stone sarcophagus in the middle of raised silver stones. 7 The silver skeleton of a giant bull, its crescent horns raised into the air. 8 A large crater full of silver slipsand. 9 A massive adamantine pillar and broken chain link, the pillar torn out of the ground. 10 Silver slabs carved into the images of dreamers. 11 A large ivory tower with a silver clock. 12 Four trees of silver, one bare, one budding, one bearing fruit, one wilting. 13 A circle of statues, all women. 14 A great clockwork contraption, turning eternally. 15 An ancient city of ivory towers, crumbling to dust. 16 The leavings of a decadent eladrin orgy. 17 A tower in the bottom of a crater. 18 A telescope pointed at the world. 19 The remains of a crashed starship. 20 A tall, adamantine wall encircling nothing.[/code] And the contents of one of those hexes. [code]* ---------------------------------------------- * 05.04 RUINS - BUILDINGS - LEVEL +4 The shell of a burnt-out castle. Links to Other Areas: 00.09 Duergar Contents: Gate; Monster; Something Strange[/code][/sblock] 2. I make up some rumours and information and tell the players. 3. I ask the players what their Quest is - since you're playing 4E, you're familiar with Quests. I specify that it has to be something on the map or dealing with something in the setting that they know about. Quest XP is based on the level of the hex, so it's an easy way to snag some high-level XP - if you're up for it. 4. We play. [/QUOTE]

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