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View Full Version : Planning for Plot Variations without Railroading



Drakevarg
2010-05-30, 10:16 PM
I've been working on a campaign lately, and being the kind of DM who prefers less improv and more Lelouch-level planning for every conceivable variation, I'm having some trouble. Thing is, when running this scenario in my head the first option that the PCs in my brain keep taking is getting the hell out of dodge. I'm not at all a fan of railroading, but I obviously can't have the PCs abandoning adventure altogether.

Basically, I'm trying to say that I don't want to build a linear hallway of plot progression. I just want to brick up the door that the PCs came in through, and the rest should progress from there. Currently what I'm using is an ogre's choice (cookie if you know where I pulled that phrase) of either certain death or feedback loop back into the plot.

*decends into angrish* Half my post got deleted while typing this. I HATE mousepads.

Aaaaanyway, allow me to elaborate:

The party is not cohesive at the start of the campaign. 3/4 of them form a mercenary group, but the fourth, the party Wizard, is a member of the Mage's Guild. In this setting, being a member of the Guild is pretty much a given for a Wizard, on account of the alternative being a death sentance. While the Guild is largely independant, they are under the influence of the Templars (a religous organization largely composed of Paladins), and when the Templars say jump, the Mages Guild jumps.

In this particular scenario the Templars said jump. A small village a few miles from the starting town has become a ghost town pretty much overnight. Fearing magic at work, the Templars send a Paladin and a Guild Mage (the party's Wizard) to investigate, along with hiring the rest of the party as bodyguards.

This is all set up as backstory, so the PCs can't avoid that bit. They'll be beginning the game halfway to the village. On the way there, they'll have to cross a river on a drawbridge, which they will be told closes at sunset. Due to the way the terrain is set up, there's no way to get back to town without crossing this river.

Once they reach town the Paladin will start throwing his authority around and insist that the party wait outside while he investigates a house. He will predictably find himself suffering from a case of plot-induced death.

Without an NPC around to lead them by the nose, my concern is that the PCs will decide that they'd really rather not be here anymore and try to flee. The drawbridge is up, so there's that, but I've already determined the rolls nessicary to make it across the valley the hard way just in case. (Unless they can make 24 DC 25 Climb checks and 3 DC 15 Swim checks, I think they're stuckm at least for the night.)

Of course, they could just camp and cross the drawbridge in the morning. If they try camping in town, they'll be attacked by zombies. Hopefully this will get them interested in whats going on, but they might just try to leave anyway.

If they try to camp in the woods, there's a chance that they'll be attacked by wolves. No plot relevence, its just that if you sleep in wolf territory don't be suprised if there's wolves.

Either way, in the morning they'll be free to cross the drawbridge. Here they meet the ogre's choice. They could either head back to town where the Templar will just send them back with more Paladins, or they could run, at which point the Templar will mark them for death for abandoning the contract. And Rogue Mages are taken VERY seriously. TPK pretty much gaurenteed.

On the other hand, I need to play things logically. If they fight the zombies and head back to town, arcane magic will have been ruled out and the party's services will no longer be needed. Now I've got no plot.

*looks up* I've been talking too much, haven't I?

Right, to the point then: how can I eliminate any possiblity of the PCs abandoning the plot altogether, without limiting their ability to act within the plot? Basically, I'm okay with them getting sidetracked (I can simply come up with plot permutations), I'm just not okay with them abandoning the entire thing (which means I have to come up with an entirely different plot).

Kaje
2010-05-30, 11:16 PM
I will never understand the mentality of gamers who want to avoid the story.

Safety Sword
2010-05-30, 11:38 PM
Usually just making it more interesting to go forward makes it a better choice than going back. Give more than one character a need to press on. That way there's more than one with a reason to convince the others.

You could also not kill the Paladin that's leading them... until after they're where you want them to be for the plot to start in earnest. You shouldn't need to do this though.

Say there's a certain book that the Mage's Guild wants recovered, rumors of a magical sword... etc.. you of course never have to even site these items (this time). It actually can lead to further plot hooks (Mage's Guild: "The book wasn't there? We heard it could be... or 'Paid good money for the information, let's go recover it from that lying bastard")

Drakevarg
2010-05-30, 11:39 PM
I will never understand the mentality of gamers who want to avoid the story.

I don't actually expect them to do so; it's just that I've had so many encounters with mind-bogglingly stupid decisions by players that I've simply learned to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

I once had to offer a 1st level player 100gp per mook slain just to get him to listen to the damn plot hook.


Usually just making it more interesting to go forward makes it a better choice than going back. Give more than one character a need to press on. That way there's more than one with a reason to convince the others.

I honestly wish I could. But only one player has given me a backstory so far, plus the wizard who's backstory is already decided by nature of his profession. One more actively told me he didn't care about his backstory at all. The last one simply hasn't said anything in that regard yet.

So all in all, I'm not given many options for personal motivations.


You could also not kill the Paladin that's leading them... until after they're where you want them to be for the plot to start in earnest. You shouldn't need to do this though.

Don't let 'em go sideways til its too late to go backwards? A decent enough idea.


Say there's a certain book that the Mage's Guild wants recovered, rumors of a magical sword... etc.. you of course never have to even site these items (this time). It actually can lead to further plot hooks (Mage's Guild: "The book wasn't there? We heard it could be... or 'Paid good money for the information, let's go recover it from that lying bastard")

Believe me, the Templar and the Mages Guild are going to be a veritable fountain of plot hooks.

Riva
2010-05-30, 11:47 PM
Indeed.

Tell 'em that you got an adventure in mind that they, the players, would personally find suicidal, and that you are asking that they play their characters heroically.

Alternatively, find character hooks for them. Greed is always good, first to adventure is first to loot.