Roleplaying Tips Weekly E-Zine Issue #227
Story Sparks Part I: New Ways To Begin An Adventure & Bring The PCs Together
Contents:
This Week's Tips Summarized
Story Sparks Part I: New Ways To Begin An Adventure & Bring The PCs Together
- Targeted By A Thief
- Slave Rescue
- Animal Rescue
- Street Ambush
- Bad Weather
- The Apprentice
- Missing!
- Rescue!
- The Hidden
- The Accused
- Disaster Strikes
Readers' Tips
Summarized
- Creating Unique Monsters
- Classic Tip: Make a Charts and Tables Book
- GMing Out Of A Shoe Box
- Pick A Theme Song For Your PC
- ADD GMs: Pick A System That Suits Your Needs
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Contents
A Brief Word From Johnn
Server Issues
This week's article was delayed a couple of days--my
apologies! The mail server has been down since Sunday, but
everything is back up now and I'm able to send you this
issue. I hope you find the story sparks useful!
Contest Is Over For List Generation Project #2
The contest is over and winners will be announced in Issue
#228. Thanks to all who entered! By a first, unofficial
count, there were 102 entries, 75% of which came through in
the last few days. If my math is correct, odds of winning
will end up being about 1 in 13--not bad compared to the
lottery. :) It also means there will be over a hundred
roleplaying plot outlines coming your way soon!
Campaign Begins Soon
My campaign begins soon. I can't wait! I opted to go with
the Birthright game world from TSR in the 90s. There's a
free D&D 3rd Ed. version available at:
http://www.birthright.net
I think I'll place the PCs in a village in the northern
province of Ghoried in the Barony of Roesone. It's a bit of
a frontier area with lots of development and conflict
opportunities, depending on what my new group decides to do.
Next, I go through the wonderful world secret ideas y'all
sent in and make a decision, and then I'll start detailing a
couple of initial adventures.
Cheers,
Johnn Four
johnn@roleplayingtips.com
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Story Sparks Part I: New Ways To Begin An Adventure & Bring The PCs Together
A guest article by Ian Winterbottom
i.winterbottom "at" ntlworld.com
Tired of "chance encounters" in the pub? Of tavern patrons
hiring adventurers for a mission? Are your stories'
beginnings getting predictable? We've all got plot hooks,
but what's the bet your characters will ignore them or kill
the wrong guy? Just like the old tale of the scientists who
put a monkey in a cage with three ways out to see which he'd
find, the little blighter escaped a fourth way!
There is an answer, however. Motivate them to want to choose
a choice you've got planned. Think about sparks, the little,
glowing embers that can start a blazing fire. Your goal is
to ignite your stories with sparks that'll capture the
players' attention and keep it.
If you think of your stories as novels, each one should
begin differently and should grip its reader - the players -
right from the first few words. If you think of your plots
as movies, it's the trailer of a film that grips you, right?
Your story beginnings should have mystery and intrigue (as
much as you can manage!), something inexplicable, and if
possible, some kind of decision to be made apart from the
usual, run-of-the-mill dilemmas PCs face of whether or not
to accept the "mission."
The more "character connections" you can get in, within
reason, the better, as they give you a "handle" on things.
They also give the players something to roleplay, a way in
which to develop their characters, and that person's
attitude to certain things or situations. Give them
something to roleplay against. Think of a plot element or
scene, then consider what it might entail, what it could
cause, or what could follow it.
Below are several story sparks--possibilities for
introducing sub-plots or characters who can make life a lot
more exciting and interesting for the players!
I must credit Heather Grove's fantastic Burning Void site
for the origin of some of these Sparks, by the way.
http://www.burningvoid.com
- Targeted By A Thief
The PCs are targeted by an NPC thief in the market or
street. The thief may get away, in which case the PCs lose
whatever the rogue took, and if it is important enough, they
may have to contact the thieves' guild or the like to get
whatever it was back, perhaps also paying a ransom.
This spark could introduce the party to the hidden "Guild
Master", his fixer, or some such character as the historical
Jonathan Wild, the supposed Thief Taker who was secretly the
leader of half the thieves in London.
Equally, the group might catch the thief, in which case they
are faced with the choice of what to do about him. Easy
choice if he is your average thug or pickpocket, but what if
he is a young boy, or better still, a girl? A street urchin
might have no other way of making a living.
Perhaps the characters weren't the target. Instead, a
merchant, a swaggering bravo, or a lordling (or any NPC who
is unpleasant and easy to dislike) was robbed, and if the
PCs don't intervene, the captured thief is going to die,
lose a hand, or whatever.
The party might be forced or persuaded to recruit the rogue,
even having to ransom the NPC from the Guild or "Jonathan
Wild". The NPC could then prove to be a useful and fun
henchman or sidekick, as in many films or books (Batman's
Robin and Indiana Jones' boy companion spring to mind?) A
child can get places and do things an adult can't.
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- Slave Rescue
The party spots a slave being severely beaten in public,
perhaps unjustly. Regardless, the PCs must decide whether to
intervene, perhaps causing trouble for themselves if the
Master or Mistress has "connections". The slave, if he joins
the group, could be useful in his own right, as the Thief
above; have his own "connections", perhaps clandestine; or
have an interesting or useful story/background. The slave
might even be--or become--a player character!
If you choose this story spark, consider:
- Who is this slave or child?
- How old?
- What race and sex?
- Was the NPC born a slave, taken prison, kidnapped?
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- Animal Rescue
This spark is the same as the Slave spark above, but an
animal is being whipped.
Firstly, who is the Master? A nasty bullying merchant,
carter or driver, or something more? Could they be a high
ranking noble or the like? Is he a street entertainer with a
"trick" animal? Perhaps the animal itself is intelligent, or
is even some kind of "monster" or humanoid (think bear
baiting and then make the bear an Ogre)?
Think also of a connection to one or more PCs. For instance,
a centaur or horse nomad is likely to get annoyed if it's a
horse or something like it being beaten. A paladin or good
cleric would possibly be inclined to intervene.
Additionally, a PC might follow a particular god whose
emblem is the beast concerned. For example, Epona, the
Celtic Horse Goddess. Rangers, druids, and wilderness
oriented and nature loving PCs might also feel compelled to
get involved.
Perhaps the animal might become a wizard PC's familiar? An
intelligent beast might make a good companion or henchman.
The animal might also be a good pet.
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- Street Ambush
Have the party ambushed/attacked while inside or leaving an
inn. After the fighting, the PCs might wonder any of the
following:
- Why they were attacked?
- Were they personally targeted?
- Was it just an attempted mugging, or was something else involved?
- Was it some sort of private feud, and if so, who with?
- Are they involved with whatever the local feud or politics happens to be? (Are you a Montague or a Capulet!?)
- Have they done something or said something to upset some local power?
- Are they asking too many questions? Or does someone _think_ they are?
- Maybe it's a case of mistaken identity?
- Have they look-alikes around somewhere, and if so who and why?
This could be rather fun if you just plant the seed and
let the PCs figure out a sub-plot for you!
If the party just shrugs off the attack as random violence
or opportunistic rogues, have an NPC of authority raise
these questions to them to get the players pondering more
deeply. Sometimes you have to fan a spark before flame
erupts!
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- Bad Weather
The weather is bad, really bad. Travel is down to a minimum
and subject to terrible delays--if it's possible at all.
Think tropical storms, blizzards, shipwrecks, and lightning
strikes.
There could be severe hardships costing hit point loss and
possibilities of exposure, or even death, from cold. Perhaps
the PCs become marooned somewhere remote due to flooding,
snowfall, landslide, or whatever.
There's the risk of a supply shortage for extended storms,
or even starvation. More than the PCs might be in jeopardy
as well. For instance, the population of the local village
in which they are sheltering could be at different types of
risk. Wolves howl in the distance and perhaps attack.
Starving humanoids prey on the locals. Imagine stalking
ogres through thick fog.
Bad weather is a great way to put the PCs together and
cooperating on various goals!
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- The Apprentice
A member of the party acquires an apprentice, or someone,
perhaps a young person, approaches and asks a PC to take
them on. Perhaps the NPC mentions he's heard of the
character's prowess or past adventures?
The apprentice might be a useful foil or contact, become a
useful henchman, have a role of his own, just be a hostage
to fortune, or anything you like.
Perhaps it isn't the NPC, but his background, family, or
something else, that is of value to the party or your story?
Perhaps he's run away from his family, his feudal lord (who
has far-reaching powers in a Mediaeval type society), or his
old master, and they are looking for him? How about that
escaped Slave again?
The apprentice might be the link to a bigger plot, as the
PCs will soon learn. He might need protection, vindication,
or some other form of help. Alternately, he might have
valuable information that could lead the PCs to adventure,
such as a treasure map, information about a great injustice
going on, or a diabolical plot of his former guardian.
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- Missing!
Someone is kidnapped or just vanishes. It could be anybody:
a prominent NPC, a person of value to the party, even a
member of the party. The kidnap could be for ransom, for
slavery, or, perhaps as a sacrifice?
- Who has disappeared?
- Where have they gone or been taken to?
- Who has taken them? And why?
Perhaps the disappearance is on purpose and the person just
wants it to look like a kidnap? Maybe the victim has or
knows something the players need? It should complicate
matters for the party as they are faced with the problem of
finding the kidnapped and getting him back.
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- Rescue!
The players witness an attack on someone and perhaps
intervene and save the victim. As in the Ambush spark above,
all the same ideas apply:
- Who was attacked?
- By whom?
- Why?
Is the victim grateful for the party's help? Does he reward
them, or just thank them and walk away? Perhaps he even runs
away because he shouldn't have been where he was and can't
afford to have anyone know about it! Does he work for
someone who would punish or even kill him if he knew the
person was there? Has he got some kind of plot, perhaps
against his master, going for himself?
Have the players made an enemy of whoever made the attack?
Perhaps there was a reason for it, and the players'
intervention caused trouble for the local resistance or the
equivalent of Robin Hood?
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- The Hidden
An NPC hides, swims ashore, lands, or whatever, right in
front of the party, They are the only ones who know of the
NPC's whereabouts, or even that he is there. It's up to them
to decide whether to betray him, turn him in, or whatever.
Who he is, what he is, what he can do for himself or the
party, is in the lap of the gods, but it could be the key to
a story, a new NPC, or a whole adventure.
- Who is the NPC?
- Why are they hiding?
- Who are they hiding from?
- What would happen if the PCs keep his secret?
- What would happen if the PCs blow his cover? And who would the PCs tell?
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- The Accused
The players are accused of a crime. They may or may not be
innocent, depending on recent history! Their accuser(s)
could be local authorities, police or the like, bullies of a
local big wig, a victim of the crime who's made an
identification mistake, or the real perpetrator trying a
little misdirection.
Perhaps it's just mistaken identity--a PC looks like a well-
known local pirate or thief? Or, that "thief" might be a
local Robin Hood or other freedom fighter.
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- Disaster Strikes
A major disaster, such as a fire, flood, avalanche, or
plague, strikes the region. Will the party pitch in to help,
or not?
The disaster could be on a more minor scale as well, such as
a collapsing building, a burning inn, a monstrous attack, or
a powerful spell recklessly cast.
In Imperial Rome, for instance, under the more corrupt
Emperors, half the buildings in the city were so ancient and
badly repaired by slum landlords that they only stood up by
force of habit. The other half were often barely stitched
together by corrupt contractors out to make a fast and
exorbitant profit by sanding the cement and skimping on the
bracing. It wouldn't take much to send a building tumbling.
As the disaster erupts, the PCs might be summoned for help,
they might hear the pleas of the trapped and wounded, or the
object of their latest quest could be buried in rubble. For
a new group and a new campaign, the disaster spark is a
great introduction and team-building exercise.
After the disaster, the PCs might be recognized for their
bravery or hard work and be introduced to new plot hooks by
prospective employers. Alternatively, the disaster might
have been the result of sabotage or other deliberate action.
Who's the culprit and why? Perhaps evidence and clues will
surface during rescue activities.
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Comment from Johnn: thanks to Heather Grove for giving Ian
and I permission to publish these story sparks, many of
which were inspired by ideas at her web site:
http://www.burningvoid.com
I hope you find Ian's sparks useful as a way to start
stories, adventures, and campaigns in new and exciting ways.
While the tavern scene is a fun classic, sometimes it's good
to try out new beginnings. More sparks to come in Part II of
Ian's article!
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Readers' Tips Of The Week:
- Creating Unique Monsters
From: From: Dean Roth
Have your players memorized every monster in every published
source? Are you tired of having them proudly announce the
weakness of everything you throw at them? Well, here is a
method for creating your own critters that will keep your
players on their toes.
- Think about what makes the creature unique. This may be anything from a simple spell effect to a unique ability that allows them to manipulate universal forces, such as magic, psionics, or even planes of existence. The DM may be tempted to create monsters capable of circumventing some specific defense or item possessed by the PCs. In moderation, this is fine, but you mustn't do it too often, or be too blatant about it, as this can result in very frustrated, if not angry, players.
- Think of a setting in which this creature would fit. This might even involve creating a whole new plane or section of your campaign world. The creature's ability had to come from somewhere, so try to think of what kind of conditions might result in the development of that ability. For example, if a creature has complete invulnerability to acid, is it because the atmosphere of its natural habitat is acidic, or is it because their natural enemies use acid as a weapon? Thinking this out can often result in even more elements you can add to your campaign, and/or a deeper understanding of your campaign world and the forces in it.
- Combine with your campaign what you've created so far. Figure out how the monster got from Point A to Point B. Did it come from its home plane as part of an impending invasion? Or a misfired summoning spell by a cranky old wizard? Has it had a major impact on the area it is currently in? Now that you know its normal place and its natural ecosystem, determine where it fits in the current campaign.
- Flesh it out. Choose whatever format you prefer and fill in the blanks.
- Name it. The key to creating a good name is to have it reflect the culture it comes from. If the creature's home area has a South American feel to it, use names which have that type of ring to them. If you want, try creating your own linguistic sounds, or find them online. There are many wonderful sites on linguistics available.
- Determine the creature's power level. In D&D terms, this would be the creature's CR. Is one of these creatures a match for a fully prepared party? Or would you need a pack of them to give the party a real challenge?
- Give it attributes. Compare it to other creatures from similar settings, or of similar power level, and assign comparable attributes. Try to avoid illogical combinations, such as genius-level intelligence in creatures that run wild in the forest, or giant-size creatures that live in natural (and presumably normal-sized) caves. Also determine any additional special abilities you want the creature to have, such as spell effects, magic resistance, etc.
- Describe it. What does it look like, smell like, sound like? Give a full description of the creature's appearance.
- Work out the creature's behavior patterns. This includes such things as its level of socialization, any odd quirks it has, fears, habits, etc. If it is intelligent, think about the creature's level of development, what their society is like, what they think is important, and things like that.
Think about *why* they behave the way they do. Do they attack anyone they see because they are violently xenophobic? Or could it be because their primary food supply has been dwindling and they're just insanely hungry? Work out as much as possible about the creatures so you can understand them.
Do they breed slowly, rapidly, or perhaps not at all? Anything you can think of to describe and explain their society will help you make them more believable.
- Figure out the creature's combat statistics and tactics. Does it attack with claws or weapons? Does it have any special attacks? Does it prefer to attack from hiding, or go face-to-face from the start? Look at your creature and determine as much as possible about its combat abilities, paying special attention to any attack styles that may result from the appearance and behaviors you created above.
- Create legends, myths, or rumors about the creature. Have some fun with it. Give the players a reason to remember the creature besides what they get from killing it. It's much more fun to be the slayer of a legendary beastie than to just run into "that funky-looking cat-thing." And, after all, fun is what this is all about.
Classic Tip: Make a Charts and Tables Book
From: From: Derek Hanwell
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Often times players are passing around the books you need
for your DMing duties, buying equipment, or checking what
skills they want, or any other number of silly things
players do. Other times, certain books are just so woefully
organized that it takes a few minutes just to find that one
combat chart. And still other times, there are more source
books than you know what to do with, and you can't even
remember which one has the chart you want.
I've found the best solution is to make your own personal
book of charts and tables, because, let's face it, after
having played a system for a while, all you really need are
the tables. For about ten bucks on the cheap end (even
cheaper if you have free access to a photocopier) you can
buy a three ring binder and photocopy all the most important
pages from all your source books and combine them in one
place. Not only that, but you can buy some three ring binder
folders and keep characters and notes in there, turning the
whole thing into an emergency DM kit.
If you want to put out a little more cash, you can put
plastic sleeves to keep the pages from being torn out, a
pencil pouch for both pencils and a few dice, and other misc
equipment.
With this simple tip you can smile as players fight over the
one and only copy of the equipment book, find the
information you need quickly in the heat of combat, and
travel a with a little lighter RPing pack.
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GMing Out Of A Shoe Box
From: From: Joshua H.
Johnn,
I love what you do with the e-mail. Thank you a lot, I
appreciate it and I'm sure everyone else does too. I'd like
to add a tip for organization. I work at a shoe store and
use an empty boot box for my RPG stuff. If people go to the
local shoe stores, I'm sure they would save them for people.
When people buy boots, a lot of them want to wear them out
of the store, so the store is left with the box. To me,
that's a perfect opportunity for a D&D organization tool.
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Pick A Theme Song For Your PC
From: From: Andrew David Majik
Hey there. I've read your website on and off for quite a
while now, so perhaps you have heard this before, but I
figured I'd at least mention it. This is a trick that me and
the guys I play with here in Windsor use to create strong
characters, and more importantly, get ourselves into
character and keep ourselves there. I find it especially
useful when I'm trying to get into character quickly or
when I'm not in the best mood for the character I'm supposed
to be playing.
I try to select for the character I'm playing a theme song.
Think of your character as making his entrance in to the WWE,
or something like that. What song would they want on stage
to get their character across to the crowd? How would he
get them all wound up? How would he engage them?
When my Gray Sage, Maxis Lithium, is needed I tend to reach
for the Misfits and listen to Descending Angels once through.
When I need my hot headed Biker, Terry Johna, I listen to
Poe's Hey Pretty. These get me into the right mind frame
to _be_ the character.
Another good way to picture you character's theme song is,
to imagine, if you character was going to put on a concert,
what one song, or even set of songs. would they play? I
like to think of how scenes that I have been in with my
character would fit together to form a music video to the
song I'm thinking of.
I try to pay attention to the music, the lyrics, and the
general mood and feel of the song to make sure they fit the
character. It's OK to have one or two verses that really
fit, but if the rest of the song isn't in line with your
vision of the song, then perhaps you need to look harder, to
find that one piece of music that can really help you fit
under your character's skin.
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ADD GMs: Pick A System That Suits Your Needs
From: From: Agata Góralczyk
Hi!
Your RPG ezine has always been a source of inspiration for
me. Thanks for such a great work! I found the last issue
dealing with "GM ADD" especially remarkable.
One thing I'd like to add: choose an RPG system that fits
your needs. Handing over tasks to players you don't manage
well is a good idea. But using a game system that doesn't
have tasks you don't care for is a real improvement many GMs
don't even consider.
You want to GM fast and fun dueling fights? Don't bother
with boring rules for exact movement. You're more into epic
stories and detailed characters? So what need do you have
for exact wounding rules?
There's such a variety of RPG systems out there (some free
on the net) I'm sure every ADD GM can find one fitting
her/his needs.
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ADD GMs: Have The Players Write Journals
From: From: Erik Luken
I've found that when suffering ADD between gaming sessions,
having the players write journals (for XP) is a good way to
keep things in mind on the campaign. And it usually spurs a
couple future plot hooks/ideas.
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