Bottoms Up!

During Tiny Prep this morning I added factions to my setting, and that inspired three ideas. I’m finding the bottom-up approach great for inspiration in this way.

For each campaign I have in Campaign Logger I create an Ideas Log. And today I added these:

  • There’s a masked council
  • The PCs’ city setting is in or on a dormant volcano
  • There’s a three-tiered justice system

However, I feel like I could squeeze more value juice from these ideas as I log them. So this is what I’m going to do during Tiny Prep tomorrow:

1. Make Connections

Connect each new game piece to at least one other game piece.

A “game piece” is a person, place, thing, encounter, or plot thread.

For example:

  • There’s a masked council => They have a secret offsite meeting place under the PCs’ tavern.
  • The PCs’ city setting is in or on a dormant volcano => The rich live near heat vents high up and the poor suffer from CO2, Sulphur Dioxide, and sinkholes lower down.
  • There’s a three-tiered justice system => 1. Nobles (Fines), 2. Commoners (Prison), 3. The Condemned (Forced Labour in the Wastes to collect precious obsidian).

2. Focus on Next Session

So how can I make my new details relevant to gameplay next time?

If stuck, I’ll add a another connection, giving me a triad and tripling the possible interactions.

In addition, I’ll add a connection that’s a person, place, or thing. This gives me tangible game pieces I can place on the board to drive gameplay.

Examples:

  • Masked Council (Person) => Secret Meeting Place Under PCs’ Tavern (Place) => Bribes Ledger Inside Cask (Thing)
  • City on Dormant Volcano => Rich (Upper Levels With Heat), Poor (Lower Levels With Gases & Sinkholes) => New Thieves Guild Wants Rebellion
  • 3-Tiered Justice => Nobles (Fines), Commoners (Prison), The Condemned (Forced Labour – Wastes) => Void Glass (aka Sin Eaters)

3. Add Conflict & Urgency

I want stakes baked into as much of my setting as possible.

When each game piece offers meaning, value, and conflict, then encounters and plots take care of themselves. I don’t need to force story or script into a scene. I simply drop a “staked” piece in and watch players trigger the conflict. The drama is already inside the piece, thrumming to be released.

The conflict I’ll add at this point lies in the centre of the triad so it touches all three game pieces of my ideas.

Examples:

  • Masked Council + Tavern Basement + Ledger => Ledger is Missing.
  • Volcano City + Class Divisions + Thieves Guild Rebellion => Emergency Vent Release.
  • 3-Tiered Justice + Nobles, Commoners, Condemned + Sin Eaters => Poisoned Council Member.

Note that these are all in the ideas phase. My goal here is to flesh out idea seeds into specific, tangible setting elements in bottom-up fashion to see what patterns, connections, and conflicts emerge.

Are the missing ledger, poisoned noble, and poisonous gas release related? I don’t know.

But I’ve got a ton of new details that logically connected to mine in the future now.

Graphic of section divider

Want to try this “Triad” technique yourself?

Come post your three connected items in the #tiny-prep-daily channel on the Roleplaying Tips Discord.

I just made this channel public and open for any GM. You don’t have to buy the book to participate.

Set aside 5 minutes a day to prep one thing. Then check-in to get a T-Rex clap on the back.

No tricks or strings attached. I want you to feel prepped and confident. And quick daily wins are the secret.

Cheers,
Johnn
roleplayingtips.com
https://discord.gg/6MxTRAqQ76
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