'Complex' Plots

When it comes to Table Top RPGs I am generally an advocate for simple plots. With a simple plot you have two sides: the PCs and the opposition. The opposition by definition usually needs to be a little more pro-active (at least to start) and play the role of the villains. The PCs therefore are the Heroes, and by definition start off reactionary.

This makes plotting simple. The villain wants something so it acts. The PCs then react to that action, and thus conflict is born. The villain, generally, is in some way trying to change the status quo in some means to their favor. Starting a war they can use to claim territory, conquering a kingdom, unleashing hell beasts towards some other grand end, or - perhaps - just wanting to destroy the world.

What Are the Effects of your Plot Line on your World?

When running games it is easy to have a plot line. Heck, you probably aren't running a game if you don't have one. It is harder - and something I have seen people miss - to have that plot line impact the world. For example, a standard early adventure is bandits hitting merchants on a trade road. And if the PCs go to town, people will tell them there are bandits on the road. But if the PCs don't talk to people, and don't look at the quest board where someone is talking about looking to solve the bandit problem, they may never notice something is wrong.

Addressing this in your game does a number of things. It makes your world feel more real and interconnected. It makes your PCs actions feel like they have more significance. And - perhaps most importantly - it gives more avenues into the quest line than you might otherwise think you have or need.

Character Side Plots

Character Side Plots are a staple of RPGs, and other forms of RPGs. They can make some very cool moments that reveal a lot about the character, and they can provide a good break from whatever major plot you're running - without actually breaking tension. Oh, and as a general rule of thumb, your players definitely want them. Very few players don't want a side story for their character. Maybe they don't want to be center stage and in the limelight - because that is scary - but they want a story for their character that's more than just "that person who was with the group that did the thing."

With that in mind, let's talk about character side plots.

Plotting 101: Types of Story

I apologize. This post should have come earlier in this mini-series. The idea here is to identify the handful of types of stories that can show up in your game every session. Being able to identify these will help you prepare for each game, because by knowing which ones you want to show movement in you know which stories need table time. Today, let's talk about that.

Plotting 101: Running A Player Character Plot

One of the reasons I've seen a lot of GMs shy away from personal plots for PCs is because they're not sure how to handle it. I don't mean they don't know how to run the events. I mean they don't know how to run the personal plot, while keeping it focused on the PC its for and keeping the other PCs not only involved but entertained. Today I want to talk about that.

Plotting 101: Making A Character Story

On Monday we talked about how Character Stories are a great way to view your central meta-story ,adding intricacy and nuance to the plot and how it is seen. Today I want to talk about crafting character plots. This can be trickier than you'd think, but luckily for you there are multiple tools and approaches you can use to find what you need to make a character plot work.

Plotting 101: Why You Want Individual Character Stories, And How To Use Them

A couple of months back one of the groups I'm in was preparing to start a new game. As people made characters I got really excited about the huge potential everyone was bringing for personal stories. The GM, at the time, said that he liked that but the game was going to be a more event based story so he didn't know how much room there'd be for individual stories. I didn't say anything at the time because this person is a great GM and their stories are wonderful.

However, last night we were discussing various games and plotting and I brought the point back up. In my opinion you are better served as a GM by incorporating individual character stories into your game, and wrapping those narratives around the central thread of your metaplot. Today, I want to talk about that.