Slap my macguffin around

[EricNoah]

Ah, sometimes my plot-o-meter just needs a kick in the pants. Even a simple twist like "create a macguffin" instead of the standard "destroy it" or "find it" can get the creative juices a-flowing.

 

[Insight]

Probably the three most trite plots for the MacGuffin are:

1. Kill the MacGuffin
2. Find the MacGuffin
3. Take the MacGuffin Somewhere

To most players, anything outside of this list is going to seem like genius. The above three are probably 90% of most adventures.

 

[Doug McCrae]

1. The MacGuffin comes in several parts. Example: The Rod of Seven Parts
2. There are multiple organisations pursuing the MacGuffin. Goodies, baddies, neutrals, etc.
3. Activating the MacGuffin has unexpected consequences. Example: In the Corum books, once the 'ultra god' Qwll is freed he destroys both the gods of Chaos and Law.
4. Everyone knows where the MacGuffin is but only the worthy may possess it. Example: TH White's Arthurian novels.
5. The MacGuffin has no magic powers but is only required to curry favour with some NPC.
6. The MacGuffin is a place. Examples: Tanelorn, Golconda, Heaven.
7. The MacGuffin is a state of being. Examples: Tanelorn, Golconda, Heaven.
8. The purpose of the MacGuffin is to destroy someone else's MacGuffin.
9. The MacGuffin is pursuing the PCs. They want to stay away from it (rightly or wrongly).

 

[jerichothebard]

Gather the four MacGuffins and bring them together to avert world-ending tragedy. (My current campaign's plot)

jtb

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

Hide / Lock away the Macguffin where no one can find it/get to it. It is too powerful/dangerous to possess but also too powerful/dangerous to destroy.

Transform the Macguffin from a tool for destruction/evil to a tool for creation/good (or vice versa).

Play "Capture the MacGuffin" Last one holding the Macguffin when a certain time period expires "wins"

 

[ivocaliban]

Let's add MacGuffin to the list of words to stop using in 2005. I think we've reached our quota already. I count 53 MacGuffins so far, including the title. Oh, wait...55 now. It's spreading!

 

[Sejs]

Gather the MacGuffins only to find out at the end that you've been duped into doing the villian's work for him all along!


Keep the MacGuffin safe from Evil, who wants to use it for its original apocalyptic purpose.


Find out the MacGuffin isn't a thing, but a state - then go about becoming the MacGuffin.

 

[Tinker Gnome]

Eat the macguffin

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

1. Similar to the red herring MacGuffin... The MacGuffin isn't. Everyone thinks it is, everyone is trying to get it, everyone wants it, but when the chips are down, the MacGuffin doesn't do anything.

2. The PCs have the MacGuffiin from the get-go. They - and those searching for it - just don't realize it, and spend the next several days / months / years / whatever following the ancient prophecies trying to find it. Bonus points if the PCs sell it for cash to a backwater shop keeper who they then have to go find, later on.

 

[Liolel]

Of course theirs also the protect the macguffin from villains that want to destroy it.