Weak Plothooks

[Warrior Poet]

PapersAndPaychecks and The_Gneech: you need to get together and write a comic tale. Chuck Swordsmite, former coat hanger salesman, veteran of the Pomarj and retainer to Duke Unpronounceable!

Hooks are tough, sometimes. I've found a big challenge can be getting players to bite about things that even their characters would presumably be interested in. Or maybe I just write lame hooks. Hmmm. :\

One thing I've tried that has worked in the past, however (maybe it's not really a hook), is to start in the middle of the action. One time, I started off with the characters in the room of an inn, at the top floor, and coming up the stairs was a band of thugs intent on murder. Why? No time to wonder that now, the door's rattling on the hinges! Roll initiative. Later, after the fight, they can try to figure out what happened such that this group was after them (mistaken identity can be a good one, especially if they try to talk their way out of the fight).

Another time I started a hook in the middle of a boar hunt. Sometimes throwing them right into the action is a good way to get something rolling.

Warrior Poet

 

[The_Gneech]

One thing I've tried that has worked in the past, however (maybe it's not really a hook), is to start in the middle of the action. One time, I started off with the characters in the room of an inn, at the top floor, and coming up the stairs was a band of thugs intent on murder. Why? No time to wonder that now, the door's rattling on the hinges! Roll initiative. Later, after the fight, they can try to figure out what happened such that this group was after them (mistaken identity can be a good one, especially if they try to talk their way out of the fight).

Another time I started a hook in the middle of a boar hunt. Sometimes throwing them right into the action is a good way to get something rolling.

In medias res is a time-honored hook, and one of my personal favorites, actually! I heartily endorse it -- as long as it's used sparingly. Do it too often, and it becomes cliché.

-The Gneech

 

[Storminator]

I seize the plot hook like my life depended on it.

Why play if you're not going to play?

Maybe later I'll offer up a critique, but it won't really be necessary. Next time I'll seize the plot hook again, just like last time.

PS

 

[Mallus]

The way I see it, you can decide to work with your DM, or not. The choice is yours.

If the DM, in turn, isn't responsive to the players input, then that's a different story. A good DM works with his/her players. Ideally its a collaborative effort.

The whole 'play your character' shtick works best in moderation. How can a campaign proceed if character autonomy results in a table full of people unwilling or unable to play together? Yay, each individual character has complete autonomy. And no game...

 

[Snowy]

I think some one made the point somewhere but thought I'd echo it.

Particularly with a new DM make a character that a) wants to adventure b) wants/needs the rest of the party.

half the horror stories seem to be " we had a new DM and he couldn't think on his feet fast enough to create a situation that brought the necromancer our paladin and a frenzied beserker together!!111!!!"

slight exaggeration I know.

 

[Evilhalfling]

I think some one made the point somewhere but thought I'd echo it.

Particularly with a new DM make a character that a) wants to adventure b) wants/needs the rest of the party.

half the horror stories seem to be " we had a new DM and he couldn't think on his feet fast enough to create a situation that brought the necromancer our paladin and a frenzied beserker together!!111!!!"

slight exaggeration I know.

Yeah this is my problem as well. Parties tend to have 2-4 characters who know eachother and then add more that don't. I can form a reasonable plot hook for some of the characters, (although its not my strong point) Then the others simply have to tag along.

Apparently I even have trouble in Media Res -
I started a PbP game in a burning building, with all the characters seeing a suspcious figure leave through a nearby hidden door. Still the party nearly splits up/attacks each other/ wanders apart.

In my tabletop The group is finally a cohesive unit, but we rotate the screen and in 3 months I will have to add/subtract PCs as the players change slightly.

(sigh) I will continue reading the thread for good ideas.

 

[Mokona]

You should take the plot hook, line, and sinker as a courtesy to your fellow players. But try to mess with it a little.

 

[the Lorax]

Situation: newbie DM, has prepared big homebrew adventure, lot of work placed into writing it, etc. etc. The plot hook is rather blatantly placed. Your character normally wouldn't bite, but the hook's not diametrically opposed to their alignment or anything like that.

One obviously doesn't have an OBLIGATION to take the plothook. That's never the case. But in this case, should one take up the hook as a matter of courtesy to the DM?

Stripped down you have 2 choices, take the hook or not.

This is a new DM, so you can assume that he isn't running a campaign based upon the idea of "What's there is there, and you can face it or go elsewhere", and you can be fairly assured that he doesn't have much in the way of back-up plot hooks ready. So I say give a NEWB a break.

In this case, it is important to remember that playing your character well doesnt always mean not going to do things that dont interest them. Playing your character well can mean finding a reason to go on the adventure even though your initial thought is that this is of no interest. I go to help my friends when they move, but I have no real interest in lifting furniture and carrying it up and down stairs...

Maybe your character is interested in the orcish pottery that is rumored to be at the location.
Maybe your character has a cousin who lives in that area and you go with the intention of looking him up.
Maybe your character agrees to go with the caveat that you get some help with a quest you ARE interested in.

Anything to encourage role-playing, because otherwise you are just playing a miniatures game.

 

[IronWolf]

New DM? Take the hook. It's rough getting a start as a DM. Sometimes just trying to keep up with the rules in the beginning can keep him busy. I wouldn't try to make his life harder, rather I would encourage him. Offer constructive criticism outside the game if you feel its necessary. That can really help get him off on the right foot.

 

[Coredump]

when i started DMing i sat down and read a bit about what people had said on here and what I'd experienced with crap plot hooks and mistakes in DMing in the LARP I do (yep first experience of DnD was DMing, very intimidating). I decided that I would run a module as a lead in to my own creations. I sat down with the players and told them the barest description of the intro to the module (standard gaurd a caravan plot hook) and asked them to work out a reason why their character wanted to be going along. Its a bit of a cop out but it did mean that the start of the adventure and their joining as a party went smoothly.

Hmm a bit long winded, was this BAD DMing (tm) or acceptable?

I'll bite. I think this is a *great* idea. Where they heck were you 5 months ago when I was starting my campaign....