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<blockquote data-quote="innerdude" data-source="post: 8599863" data-attributes="member: 85870">Fronts are broad-scale, lightly-defined pieces of GM &quot;prep material&quot; that will inform some of the fictional setting / constraints. They're not meant to be heavy metaplots, or rigorously defined components of the setting, but they are meant to provide a backdrop for some of the conflicts the PCs will face.Who opposes the PCs goals? What are their motivations? How are those motivations made manifest, broadly speaking, in the game fiction?The goal isn't to drive a plot or a specific end point. The goal is to have fresh, dynamic material ready and on hand to throw adversity and challenges at the players, and see where they end up. They don't even have to be direct protagonists/opposition. They can be &quot;stuff that's just happening&quot; in the background of the world. The trick, though, is to not get too far into the weeds. General concepts, ideas, and formulations, not highly detailed world-building and set-in-stone backstory.&quot;A thieves guild at the docks that's been directing smuggling operations for a while, maybe they have something to do with the problems in the city&quot; is a pretty decent, broad approach. &quot;The Dantonio thieves guild, headed by Danilof Dantonio the Fifth, born in Eliddera on March 14, who owns 19 specific warehouses all along Castor Street, is smuggling illegal drugs and gundpowder against the express wishes of the Marquis de Bellerisi. There are 5 shipments scheduled to arrive at the docks in the next 5 weeks, one each week on Thursdays at midnight. There are 5 guards the thieves guild has already bribed who will ignore the offloading shipments blah blah blah . . . . &quot;&nbsp; &lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt; this is way, way, way too specific and not the intent of PbtA. And even more to the point ---- If the players, as evidenced through their characters' builds and core concepts, aren't throwing out signals that they're even interested in exploring the thieves guild idea, then don't throw it at them. Fronts exist as a way to test the PCs' convictions, resolve, and mettle, and to bring out the inherent drama their characters are facing. If the &quot;fronts&quot; or challenges you put in front of them aren't pointing players towards those elements, that material should be tossed or revised until it is.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="innerdude, post: 8599863, member: 85870"] Fronts are broad-scale, lightly-defined pieces of GM "prep material" that will inform some of the fictional setting / constraints. They're not meant to be heavy metaplots, or rigorously defined components of the setting, but they are meant to provide a backdrop for some of the conflicts the PCs will face. Who opposes the PCs goals? What are their motivations? How are those motivations made manifest, broadly speaking, in the game fiction? The goal isn't to drive a plot or a specific end point. The goal is to have fresh, dynamic material ready and on hand to throw adversity and challenges at the players, and see where they end up. They don't even have to be direct protagonists/opposition. They can be "stuff that's just happening" in the background of the world. The trick, though, is to not get too far into the weeds. General concepts, ideas, and formulations, not highly detailed world-building and set-in-stone backstory. "A thieves guild at the docks that's been directing smuggling operations for a while, maybe they have something to do with the problems in the city" is a pretty decent, broad approach. "The Dantonio thieves guild, headed by Danilof Dantonio the Fifth, born in Eliddera on March 14, who owns 19 specific warehouses all along Castor Street, is smuggling illegal drugs and gundpowder against the express wishes of the Marquis de Bellerisi. There are 5 shipments scheduled to arrive at the docks in the next 5 weeks, one each week on Thursdays at midnight. There are 5 guards the thieves guild has already bribed who will ignore the offloading shipments blah blah blah . . . . " <<<<< this is way, way, way too specific and not the intent of PbtA. And even more to the point ---- If the players, as evidenced through their characters' builds and core concepts, aren't throwing out signals that they're even interested in exploring the thieves guild idea, then don't throw it at them. Fronts exist as a way to test the PCs' convictions, resolve, and mettle, and to bring out the inherent drama their characters are facing. If the "fronts" or challenges you put in front of them aren't pointing players towards those elements, that material should be tossed or revised until it is. [/QUOTE]

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