Still no overall plot...

[silentspace]

So far the PCs have done a few things that could have backstory potential. They killed a minor BBEG that was affiliated with a local Thieve's guild. Rival thieve's guild hooked the PCs up with the Blacklock Loreseekers(adventure guild from Complete Adventurer). Blacklock Loreseekers sent the PCs to investigate rumors of a new Adamantium mine discovered on an island south of there. BBEG's Thieve's guild sent a pair of assassins after the party, and shipwrecked them on a different island. PCs killed the 2 assassins eventually. (And other inconsequential stuff happened here). PCs get off the island, but instead of investigating the mine from before, they decided to just abandon the whole idea and go someplace completely new(Grr...). In the new part of the world, they [kill stuff] and discover a map to a mountain stronghold. I haven't told them what this is for yet...

I'd like to somehow make the "helpful" thieve's guild (who the PCs dont know is a rival thieve's guild) and the Blacklock Loreseekers somehow end up being the true evil guys... Sending the PCs to do their dirty work unbeknownst to the PCs... But for what overall purpose?

Great stuff. You already have powerful organizations, shadow groups, newly-discovered wealth, a new part of the world, and a mountain stronghold!

The Blacklock Loreseekers want the gold themselves to expand their existing secret slavery/drugs/extortion business. The other guild is secretly trying to stop them -

Wait... are the pcs good or evil?

 

[Jupp]

As others have already said, you do not really need an over-arching plot. I'd have a little chat with your players and try to find out what kind of game they would like to see. Perhaps they do not want such a plot but are instead quite happy to act as the adventureous group that travels where the action is based on rumours, heresay or tips gathered in a tavern. Another things that could work is that you start giving your players alot of informations about the country/area they are in at the moment. Political/geopolitical situation, The latest diplomatic gossip, recently recovered ancient tomes now being displayed in the countries biggest library depicting a historical overview of the area some 500 years ago, New political/economical powers, trade wars, etc, etc . Make it interesting and spice it all up with alot of campaign seeds. Perhaps the players will pick up a long term goal which you then can use to build something out of.

First of all always listen to the players before you decide to create something like a big story. Most of the times the players have better ideas than the DM, they just do not realize it

 

[haakon1]

To quote Star Wars 3's opening word: "War!"

It makes for a pretty decent theme, and pulls the PC's into the wider world if they're doing secret commando missions in the midst of a bigger, more important conflict. If it works for LOTR and Star Wars, you could do worse.

Another alternative: "On the Road to X"

The road movie is an oldy but a goody. Give them a reason to go to far-off X. Have lots of adventures and distractions along the way. Escorting random important person who can't get killed is a good reason. Make it a Padme type character who is supposed to stay out of trouble but is a wannabe adventurer played by a skilled player, and you've got a campaign.

And of course: "You killed my master. Now you must die!"

The theme of most kung fu movies, not to mention Conan or the Princess Bride. Revenge is pretty simple, but can make for a good story.

Not that in none of these themes are the PC's reacting bystanders while Boss Monster does his McGruffiny thing. Instead, the PC's are center stage -- they drive the action.

If you want a Boss Monster driven thing, you might try the stereotypical Western plot: the big Eastern banker is buying up the town, driving the little operations out of business, fencing in the range land, that sort of thing. The little guys try to stand up to him, but it's no use. They need a hero . . . Shane, High Plains Drifter, etc. You could easily combine that with a Seven Samurai type bandit attack on the town, perhaps revenge from the Merchants Guild for bumping off their guy earlier. Perhaps it all leads to War, or needing to go to X, or needing to get revenge . . .

"My name is Inigo Montoya. Your bandit agents, they killed my father, in revenge for my killing the Eastern Banker and his henchmen, and like activities, you know how it is. At long last, after travelling across the continent and leveling up on several side treks, I have tracked you down to here, the secret dungeons of Monster Island. Prepare to die!"

 

[yennico]

1. You do not NEED a single, overarching, uniting plot.

2. Every time a bad guy escapes, remember him and work out what he might do in the future, and whether he holds a grudge against the PCs.

3. Every time a bad guy is brought to negative hitpoints, but not brought to -10, check to see if he stabilises. Do this even for nobody-grunts. Then go to step 2.

4. Whenever a bad guy's plot is destroyed, see if you can think of a plot that would have required that plot to be destroyed. ie - if the characters save the city, that would benefit the evil creatures intending to suck the city into an alternate dimension. Etc. Then rewrite NPCs so they were working towards this new group's plot when they helped the PCs. Note that this could be wittingly or unwittingly...

I totally agree with Saeviomagy.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

From what haakon1 said: War!

Guild wars could be fun. Perhaps the minor guy they killed could prove to be a bit of a 'Archduke Ferdinand'? The various guilds slowly fall out with each other, culminating in a continent wide thieves war. Plenty of stuff for PCs to do with a backdrop like that.


Perhaps, without the PCs intervention, whatever was going on in the mine gets finished. I'd go for some group of evil humanoids doing something nasty with the adamantine? Some ideas:

Using it to reinforce corpses to make a legion of uber zombies?
Using the powdered version to mutate captive miners into killing machines?
Building an oversized conjuring circle?
Huge 'ghost battery' that you can power something with.

Plenty of good candidates for the evil humanoids in the mines - I'd go for Kuo-Tao - think they're cool and they don't get used much - good excuse for an underwater section too. Mind flayers are good value.


Or, like others have said, use these as side plots and let the PCs keep on doing more stuff like they've already been up to.

 

[PapersAndPaychecks]

1. You do not NEED a single, overarching, uniting plot.

This needed repeating.

 

[Zerakon]

The number of "me too" posts on ENworld drive me bonkers, especially when they're mimicking "you don't need story arc" comments that aren't particularly helpful for a DM who wants a story arc and is asking for story arc suggestions.

Gruns, I don't have a specific arc suggestion other than try to make the "twist" that you refer to wanting something that will be somewhat painful to the PCs. Perhaps give them a tough decision: (a) stay on track even though we know we've being tricked up to this point, because at least we're accomplishing SOMETHING worthwhile, or (b) rebel against the puppeteer(s) but at some cost or sacrifice. Even though you describe your group as not into the "roleplaying thing", I have found that while some players don't want to roleplay trivialities, virtually all players will get into roleplaying discussions about big pictures, especially when moral amiguity comes into play.

 

[werk]

Not every campaign needs an overarching plot that all of the quests revolve around. An "Adventure of the Week" style campaign can be just as fun, and usually require a lot less work on the part of the DM.

Campaign: (several definitions)
[n] a series of actions advancing a principle or tending toward a particular end; "they worked in the cause of world peace"; "the team was ready for a drive toward the pennant"; "the movement to end slavery"
[n] several related operations aimed at achieving a particular goal (usually within geographical and temporal constraints)


I think games do not need a connecting plot, but a campaign requires it.

 

[Boss]

The Tale of the Forty-Seven Ronin.​

As I recall, these samurai's lord was wrongfully disgraced and orderered to commit seppeku by his own master, the shogun. The samurai abandoned their honor and their swords. Some became drunkards. Other - whoremongers or vagrants. Knowing that they would be hoonor-bound to avenge their master's death, the shogun had spies follow the samurai. The samurai, now without a master, now honorless ronin were followed by the shogun's spies for year - until he was satisfied that they presented no more threat to him than mangy curs.

Five years had passed when the forty-seven ronin reunited. They slew their master's killer and his guards. They had disgraced themselves by allowing their master's death. They had further disgraced themselves by living without honor for five years. Now they had commited the ultimate disgrace by murdering the shogun, their master's lord. They followed the only path left to them to reclaim their honor.

With their entrails and heads on the floor, these forty-seven seven men had avenged their master, his master, and one-another. Honor was satisfied and the fued was ended.

Actually, the correct version of the story is that their Samurai Lord was not used to the politics or behaviours of the Imperial Court, having been raised in the country. While at Court, he managed to be made a fool of by one of the othe Samurai Courtiers. Due to his ignorance and ill grace, he was forced to commit seppuku while the Courtier could not be blamed for anything, and it was traditional honorbound for the Samurai serving under him to likewise do so. They did not, instead, they spent the following years doing just as mentioned above, throwing away their reputations and honor to throw off the scent. Then, on a prearranged date, the ronin gathered at the residence of the Courtier that caused their masters dishonor, and slaughtered him and his men.

Now criminals before the law, the 47 Ronin made their way to the grave of their master and presented before it the head of his enemy. They then all committed seppuku, regaining their honor they sat aside.

In Samurai culture, the 47 Ronin are revered for their actions, for they showed their ultimate loyalty to their lord in the only way they could.

 

[kigmatzomat]

I believe in arcs within arcs, meaning that a given adventure stands alone but may or may not play a part in a larger arc. At levels 1-5 you were right that you really didn't need a big arc. Think of a story arc as a jart, those "blunted" oversized lawn darts. Somebody does something sending a jart hurtling into the air for it to come down later. The question becomes, who does it land on?

You've got 4 arcs in play: BBEG guild, Blacklock, the mine, and the stronghold.

BBEGuild should become the running nuisance ("You killed Lord Nobody and escaped our assassins! You will be an example to others!"). Blacklock should at the very least consider blacklisting them, but may cut them some slack for the shipwrecking.
The mine will still be investigated by someone.

Various arcs are:
The party hooks up with Blacklock, possibly by accident ("aren't you investigating a mine?") and is sent to far, far away places where the BBEG might forget about them. What happened before is as a picnic and they must find a way back, possibly as sailors aboard a ship owned by the BBEGuild that's been away so long the captain wouldn't know to kill them.

The BBEGuild go to the mine, their supposed destination, and find a McGuffin of power that makes them dangerous. Alternately they are turned into some form of monsters (vampire, wraith, etc) for their trouble and hunt the PCs down out of vengeance or to eliminate their curse.

The stronghold has a McGuffin that must be destroyed. Hilarity ensues.

The stronghold is *reputed* to have a McGuffin of Power and the BBEGuild/Blacklock/etc chase the party trying to get it, even though they never found it.