Wraith Form
Explorer
God, that's great! May the Plot be with you, indeed!Psion said:
Slap my macguffin around
- Thread starter EricNoah
- Start date
I opened the link to the article written by Nick Lowe concerning plot. He simply states throughout the article that all plot devices are non-original and overused. I do agree with him, yet i feel that D&D plotlines ARE supposed to be non-original. The players want to relive the great stories they have read. He states everything that makes a horrible book, yet does not mention things that make a good one. I feel that MacGuffins and other overused plot lines are the only way to present a conflict in the story. Without these conflicts, we would be reading about characters who do nothing out of the ordinary. Without the ring, we would have read 3 novels about Frodo's quest to grow carrots on the shire. With this conflict introduced by the ring we get introduced to two other aspects of story: great characterization and a great setting.
As a DM (who uses foozles and MacGuffins quite often) I ask, if these are bad plot devices, what are good ones that introduce conflict in a game?
As a DM (who uses foozles and MacGuffins quite often) I ask, if these are bad plot devices, what are good ones that introduce conflict in a game?
I would say that gaming was designed with MacGuffins in mind.
Characters find design for Macguffin and must build it to survive the cataclysm.
Characters discover evil they must overcome and decide to create their own Macguffin to solve the problem.
MacGuffin causes cataclysm that all must react to. Since the MacGuffin can no longer impact the story, it is largely ignored except to curse its existence. (A meteorite crashes)
MacGuffin starts small and is ignored by all. It grows over time to consume more and more until it can no longer be ignored. The MacGuffin is a manifestation of the evil and once the evil is dealt with the MacGuffin goes away.
Game ON!
Nyrf
Characters find design for Macguffin and must build it to survive the cataclysm.
Characters discover evil they must overcome and decide to create their own Macguffin to solve the problem.
MacGuffin causes cataclysm that all must react to. Since the MacGuffin can no longer impact the story, it is largely ignored except to curse its existence. (A meteorite crashes)
MacGuffin starts small and is ignored by all. It grows over time to consume more and more until it can no longer be ignored. The MacGuffin is a manifestation of the evil and once the evil is dealt with the MacGuffin goes away.
Game ON!
Nyrf
David Howery
Hero
ya know, a thread titled 'slap my Macguffin around' almost sounds like you're doing something naughty.... 
Asmor
First Post
The MacGuffin (heretofore known as MG) is shielded from being found, but the shielding isn't enough and if the MG remains in the same general vicinity long enough, its essence will become detectable. It also can't be destroyed. So those who would see it kept out of the wrong peoples hands have to keep the MG constantly on the move, forever. Of course, if it's ever used, or the shielding ever removed, it becomes locatable as well... (Using this in an upcoming campaign)
Similar to the above, the MG is always readily detectable and anyone who wants to can easily find it. As a result, it must be heavily guarded.
The MG is cursed. The only way to get rid of it is to get someone else to willingly take it. If destroyed, the bearer is killed and his/her soul erased. For extra difficulty, when giving it away the recipient must be aware of the nature of the MG.
Similar to the above, the MG is always readily detectable and anyone who wants to can easily find it. As a result, it must be heavily guarded.
The MG is cursed. The only way to get rid of it is to get someone else to willingly take it. If destroyed, the bearer is killed and his/her soul erased. For extra difficulty, when giving it away the recipient must be aware of the nature of the MG.
Patryn of Elvenshae
First Post
David Howery said:ya know, a thread titled 'slap my Macguffin around' almost sounds like you're doing something naughty....
I kept waiting for Hong to show up with a post like:
What Hong should have posted said:
Last edited:
Psion
Adventurer
Wraith Form said:
Heh, well, on reading it again, I still find myself saying "what's the problem here?"
I mean he does a good job of making Donaldson and Carter sound excable, but when he invokes words like "Universal Plot Generator", my gameresque ears pop up.
So yeah, where he uses the word lazy, harried GM's might use the word "convenient". But if you want to have deep, compelling games, you might not want to lean on such plot devices too heavily.
At least one thing he alludes to doesn't seem to apply to games. Almost never does the GM not know what an item he hands to the players do.
Quasqueton
First Post
The McGuffin is looking for the PCs. And the PCs don't want the McGuffin to find them.
Quasqueton
Quasqueton
