How To Generate Ideas With Mini-Plots
Roleplaying Tips Newsletter #0933
Here’s a quick and cool plotting tip from fellow Roleplaying Tips GM Jason Brandt in response to my Plot Seeds Generator:
Hi Johnn,
Another way to generate ideas is mini-plots. Short one liners that answer three questions at once:
- What is the thing that gets everyone involved?
- What is an interesting reason that would cause this to happen?
- What is a fun way to resolve this? (Possibly outside of combat.)
Cool beans, Jason. Let’s take this for a whirl. Here are my three hacks at using this framework:
The Feast
(1) A feast held to (2) reward the PCs after a successful service or quest goes awry when (3) victims of PC actions come for revenge/recompense.
Down A Well
(1) Rescue of a drowning victim (2) who fell (was pushed) in a well is complicated because (3) the victim is scared to come back out.
Forest Fire
(1) Smoke rouses everyone from sleep because a forest fire has sprung up (2) during a fight between fire and air mephits, (3) but it can be contained if the mephits help.
Doing these three tests, I found the format works well, it flames the imagination, and it gives us food for thought.
Well done, Jason. Thanks for the tip!