Comments on: Create Adventures and NPCs Around a Focal Scene

By: Martin

Martin — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 14:53:31 +0000

One of the things I find fascinating about GMing (and gaming in general) is that there are so many ways to approach things — each of which feels natural and intuitive for some folks, and might never occur to others.

Brian’s post really highlights this, and it’s definitely one of my favorite aspects of the hobby.

By: Blackheart

Blackheart — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 14:23:10 +0000

I use this approach often, and in many campaigns no matter what world or game, you can use this method quite easily actual. Its seems to have run well so far for me, at least. Almost every game session has some sort of structure that follows a somewhat defined path.

Here is an example. I just recently ran a game a murder, sort of detective game with two players. I used this method to better visualize the murder and how it occured. It gave the players more information and clues. I also tried to visualize and understand the villain, and it allowed me to have a much more prepared final encounter with the villian when he is apprehended.

By: Victor

Victor — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 07:53:32 +0000

I’ve done this kind of adventure design a couple times. The first was an idea I had for an epic ending for a session and the second was an idea a player had for the ending of a different session.

The simplest way not to railroad is to tell the players about the scene. Get all the players on board with the idea of working towards that scene and then it isn’t railroading at all.

–Victor

By: Gamecrafters’ Guild » Blog Archive » Guest Post and a Follow-up

Gamecrafters’ Guild » Blog Archive » Guest Post and a Follow-up — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 23:58:55 +0000

[...] Martin Ralya over at Treasure Tables asked me to do a guest post expanding what I said in my last post. Anyway, here it is. Since being posted, it’s attracted a few comments; one in particular (from ScottM) got me thinking about how I avoid railroading my PCs with my adventure-creation approach. [...]

By: Brian Engard

Brian Engard — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 23:46:50 +0000

ScottM: I avoid railroading in a couple of different ways.

1. I typically imagine various scenes multiple times, with different outcomes each time. It helps me to be prepared for what the PCs might do and adapt to it accordingly which, in turn, allows them more freedom.

2. I usually use a sort of “adventure grab bag” approach when I design an adventure (I may post about this on my website in the future). Basically, one of my ready-to-go adventures comprises a number of disjointed scenes that I can assemble in multiple different ways, rather than a specific path or branching path. I design a bunch of middles, in effect, with no beginnings and ends, so that I can ad-lib the beginning and the end when I need to and drop in a scene when it’s dramatically appropriate.

By: David T

David T — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 22:41:17 +0000

I wish I could do this! It sounds an awesome opportunity to have planned climactic encounters, with thought out NPCs to structure the approach and cool dialogue strands but I’m an obsessive kinda person too but with a twist: I’m obsessed with improv.

I create an adventure/ session by erecting an underlying plot 1)beginning, whats going on 2)ending, what will happen IF NOTHING IS DONE ABOUT IT.

NPCs have backgrounds, personalities, motivations/goals… then I let the PCs get stuck in and literally create their own ending utilising locations and NPCs they like.

Only reason I can get away with this is that I have a good instinct for tempo so can throw in mystery/chase, revelation/combat by the way the PCs are acting.

Downside: the length of my sessions never work out as plan; if I think it should take the PCs 3 sessions, it’ll take em 5… any advice on how to better structure the improv?

By: Abulia

Abulia — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 22:21:57 +0000

This is what I do as well. Not much more to add than that. I (wrongly) assumed this is how most GMs do things.

By: ScottM

ScottM — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 16:55:49 +0000

Being so non-visually imaginative makes it difficult to see how I’d adapt this– but it does sound like a fascinating way to prepare.

How do you avoid railroading to the scene you’ve imagined? Do you place it early in the adventure, scene frame strongly, just use it as a spark (so you may never reach your cool scene), or something else?

By: Telas

Telas — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 16:50:56 +0000

I’ve definitely used this approach, not only to NPCs but to entire encounters and adventures. I usually phrase them to myself as, “Wouldn’t it be cool if X happened” and then figure out how to get there from here.

Sometimes it works out as planned. Sometimes my thinking about it leads to even cooler stuff. And sometimes it’s a disaster. (But now I’m a lot better at recognizing those from a distance.)

By: blackheart5

blackheart5 — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:30:09 +0000

Well, my earlier post had a couple of typo errors, but i hope everyone understood. I wanted to add, however, that this approach can probably be good for others who might have stronger time management skills than myself. Its probably alot to do with the fact that I have so little time to prepare each week

By: blackheart5

blackheart5 — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:20:11 +0000

I very much like that approach, because I too handle most of my adventures and NPCs almost the same way. I wouldn’t have been able to explain it so well, however. The only with that approach that I’ve found in my case is that I usually spend so much time playing the encounters and NPCs out in my head, that I leave very little time for actually written prep.

By: Dylan Zimmerman

Dylan Zimmerman — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 14:07:17 +0000

Good lord, this is how I write EVERYTHING, let alone gaming sessions, haha. As long as you know the main directions the party is likely to take, you’re completely prepared for when they leap off the beaten path, leaving your planning in shambles. Don’t let that stop you, though, I never do. I just never write any of it down .

Seriously, though, it’s a good exercise in imagination if nothing else. I wholeheartedly support it.