Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group

farik · Seasoned Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 322

The arcing Plot Point hook is exactly what I was talking about above. I know what I want the end confrontation to be like and I have several cool ideas for adventures along the way. But that initial hook that ties the party together and gives them a purpose that will survive the death of some (or all) party members that is the part that seems to take real finesse.

Wiggy · Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 12:24 pm Post subject:

Gray Mauser · Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 12:45 pm Post subject:

But again I wonder if not telling the players that the 'purpose' of this particular campaign is to slay a demon lord is going to send them off into the wild without any clear direction. Now, the players might know this but characters could, and probably should be in the dark about it.

The reason I'm harping on this so much is from recent experience you could say. I had been running a game of Iron Heroes that utilized a Plot Point-esque story to it. Although not exactly a Plot Point as defined in here, it had major plot arches and such that I wanted to expand and built on just like a PP game. But I never told the players what the end was. And the 'story-debt' kept building up and the players, along with their characters got confused. "Why are we doing this quest again?" I'd be asked. I'd try to assure them I had a method to my madness but eventually as the players spun the game the way only players can, even I had trouble trying to keep the original story in focus and relevant.

I don't own any of the other setting books. But if I picked up say 50 Fathoms, would/should the players already know "Hey, sometime during the game we're going to need to find some artifacts and save the world."?

Wiggy · Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 12:59 pm Post subject:

farik · Seasoned Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 322

In 50 Fathoms the starting hook is very simple. The characters were all hired and got ship wrecked. The only thing the Players had to agree on at character creation was "You need to make a character who is currently traveling on a merchant vessel carrying lumber through the southern portion of the pirate sea.

As I recall Rippers starts with the players already in a small "lodge".

Anyone care to share Hooks from their own games (other than everyone being in a pub/market place when a fight breaks out)?

Lysander · Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 8:31 pm Post subject:

I was involved in a campaign a while back where we all made characters, equipped them, got them ready to go and were told:

"You're all prisoners on an island jail (either because you're guilty of a crime, or we're framed - you decide why), and a huge storm has given you the opportunity to stage a riot and escape. Here's a list of things you've been able to collect from the guards and from storage to claim as your own equipment. Everyone roll % and that's how many of your starting HP you still have. There are 5 other jailbreakers with you who demand a share of the 'loot'. There is one ship still seaworthy but no crew. Go!"

Of course a fight broke out about the equipment. Then one broke out on the ship as to where we were going to go. We managed to get away and head to a small cove an NPC knew of, which happened to have brigands (who had a few of the things our characters initially started with in their stores... and so on.

Lasted about 8 plots (approx 15 sessions total) It was fun, but some of the players didn't like it. I was a 1/2 Orc Monk, so I had no real need for equipment, but watching the greedy PC's jockeying for stuff was humorous...