Need some advice for building my campaign's plot.

[Totema]

(This is a 3.5 game I'm running, if that's relevant, though I don't think it ought to be.)

I started my campaign off with my players undergoing an initiation test to join an adventurer's guild. They're all quite new to 3.5, or really any kind of tabletop RPG, so that struck me as a good way to give them something to do while they explore the limits of their own agency. The test was good for a few sessions; they all started at first level, so a few fights with goblins and some opportunities for skill scenes and RP scenes gave them a nice taste of the gameplay.

Up next was a detective-style mission; they had to find the thief of an important priest's holy book, using clues that the thief left behind. That went pretty well too. My latest mission for them involved defeating an angry ogre - this was meant to be a boss encounter for the weak and unready group. (Thankfully they did fine.) And next they are going to explore uncharted ruins deep in the forest - again, that should be good for a couple of sessions.

I'm kinda stuck on what to offer them next, though. After the ruins mission I think I should give them the opportunity to cut loose for at least one session before pointing them in the direction of the plot once more, but the problem is, I don't really have a complete plot in mind. I only have some plot elements in mind - they are eventually going to have to gather the 6 macguffins to prevent the resurrection of an archdemon, having to travel around the world and encounter the nations of all the major races, et cetera, et cetera. I'm just not exactly sure how to put them on that path.

Also, my skeleton of a plot is a bit... overdone. Everyone has played this kind of game before. Not that that's a bad thing, but how can I make it more interesting?

If you need to know anything more specific about the campaign or setting before rendering advice, please let me know!

[Kid Jake]

The ruins might be a good opportunity to introduce the first macguffin. Make it shiny and strange to make sure they want to bring it with them and then have crazy cultists or demons or some such just start ambushing them, screaming for their blood because they stole part of their Apocalypse. That way they should feel like they involved themselves.

[Totema]

This was something I was sort of considering; the players would find the plot ticket while encountering symbiotic plant-undead creatures along the way, and some down time would be spent getting into trouble around town before they figure out what it is.

[Chaucer85]

There's also always that most tried and true of recurring NPCs: the Mysterious Stranger You've Seen Before.

Just some person one or more of them encounter on the road, then at the next tavern, then being attacked in a random encounter, etc. Always dropping some cryptic hints or info, seemingly unrelated to anything immediate.

Is the Stranger a powerful wizard? A god walking the roads in mortal guise? Or an acolyte of the big bad leading the players on?

[Storm Bringer]

have the next mission be a Rescue mission.

A high ranking Guild member has been makiing a detailed investigation of a ancient ruin a group of guild adventurers cleared out (maybe the site the plays just cleared out?). he suddenly stopped sending back reports about 2 weeks ago. given the often ad-hoc nature of communications, they weren't worried for the first few days, but are now sending a rescue party.

the guild leader stumbled upon a part of the ruin that was missed by the party that cleared it. it held the Macguffin, along with some cultists that were guarding it. they have taken the Guilder member captive and are trying to work out what to do with him.

[Kid Jake]

This was something I was sort of considering; the players would find the plot ticket while encountering symbiotic plant-undead creatures along the way, and some down time would be spent getting into trouble around town before they figure out what it is.

While they're piddling around town, the 'Forces That Be' could murder whoever they get to appraise their shiny new MacGuffin and frame them for it. Then you could let them try to clear their name while being hunted by demon worshippers.

Extra points if you make the captain of the local guard one of the cultists involved in the frame-up and let the PCs save the world while on the lam.

[Kol Korran]

Since you don't yet really have a full plot, how about integrating some of what the palyers would want to do? Now that they played a few sessions, ask them of their characters aspirations, plans, goals and such- this could give you quite a lot of material to work with, and your players will be really invested in it! I suggest supplying some setting info, that might spark interest and ideas perhaps.

The players want to build a base of operations? Suggest 2-3 locations, and possible jobs and dangers to find them.

They want to tackle some kind of organization? (The slavers of X, the cult of Y), give them some basic info, and let them figure out how to deal with (the obviously superior) forces.

They want to get a knighthood, or access to some sort of resource (the great library of koom, the holy celestial gate of zaga-ich) build something around that.

Another idea is to use a "net adventure", which is an adventure filled with all kind of plot hooks (That do not need to be fully fleshed out at this point!) and see what the players bite, and move on from there.

Another idea would be to take some established adventure, but Do this only if you have very little time on your hands.

In campaign I like to have there be several factions competing over the same goal, though for different reasons. The factions are not all clear cut good an evil, and have vastly different strengths and weaknesses. The PCs play amongst them, trying to find their OWN goal and route.

Make a general plan for the factions, and a way for them to interact. The devise some way for factiosn to rmeina relevent even if the PCs foiled some of their plans, without utterly negating the PCs accomplishments. It doesn't need to be a "sum 0" game, despite D&D's general way of doing things...

Important: Make the accomplishments on the way in such a way that failure IS an option that won't grind the game into a halt. Some of the best gaming happens when the bad guys win, due to PC's failure (and not due to deux ex machina). it makes the enmy feel competent, dangerous, and reactive.

Good luck to you!

[Mastikator]

My ideas to make it more interesting:

Have the archdemon rewrite history so that anyone who finds out about it thinks it's an archangel that will defeat some great evil and bring about world peace.
Have the guild be associated with the misguided group trying to resurrect the demon.
Have the mcguffins be used either to resurrect or destroy the demon.
Have the group try to recruit the adventurers though the guilds association.
By the time the 4th or 5th mcguffin is discovered the group finds out that it's probably not an angel but a demon.
When they try to explain to the guild or stop the awakening the guild turns on them and they become outlaw refugees, but they have the mcguffin.

A thing I think is important to note is that the plot is never the most interesting thing, the NPCs are. Make the NPCs interesting and the rest will follow. The NPCs make things real in a way that objects can't.

[Red Fel]

Since you don't yet really have a full plot, how about integrating some of what the palyers would want to do? Now that they played a few sessions, ask them of their characters aspirations, plans, goals and such- this could give you quite a lot of material to work with, and your players will be really invested in it! I suggest supplying some setting info, that might spark interest and ideas perhaps.

I would take this tactic, but in a slightly different direction. Rather than let the players directly choose the path of the plot, let them provide you with material, and you make the choice.

Have your players designed backstories? If they haven't, suggest that they submit them. Give them some bonus exp or some sort of incentive to do so. If they have, skip to the next step.

Go over those backstories. Look at named characters, places, key events that have influenced the PCs. Now use them.

Was a character's home village razed by orcs? Have them encounter numerous wandering orc bands, and reveal gradually that these orcs report to an orc warlord-in-the-making - the same one responsible for the attack on the village.

Is a character seeking a lost civilization? Have the party stumble upon random inscriptions, pieces of pottery or statuary, all pointing to the fact that somebody is also involved in that search - and may be on the verge of finding it.

Does one character have a childhood rival? Bring him in as a recurring NPC. Friend or foe, or both, your call.

Make the characters' backstories relevant to the ongoing plot. It will get the players involved, and if each session involves at least a hint of at least one of their backstories (or better, if you can weave them together - say the rival is working with the orcs in hope of discovering the lost civilization) the players will feel like their PCs got the chance to be stars.

Next step, the metaplot. In TV terms, this would be the story arc. You've got your per-session plots, and those are going fine, you're doing a good job of introducing the players to the mechanics, different play styles and story modes. All good. Now it's time to start tying them together. A good DM can produce a string of isolated dungeons and scenarios. A great DM reveals that they were all steps in some overarching story. Now that the players have gone through the tutorial, it's time to get your story underway. Towards that end, consider the advice above - use the elements the players provided. Watch your players and see what they enjoy. Do they enjoy the epic fights? The elaborate mysteries? Exploration and discovery? Are there any NPCs they love? Or love to hate? Use what they enjoy.

For example, say they encounter an enemy NPC who utterly infuriates them, but manages to escape. Use that. This enemy - who may have started as merely a one-off encounter - can become a recurring villain. Similarly, say they encounter an NPC you intended as a mere plot device, and they just adore the little guy. (Don't laugh, it happens.) Make him your voice. Use him to send the PCs on rescue missions, retrieval, diplomacy, hell, he could send them out for Chinese food - they'd do it. Say they do a brief adventure in a creepy forest, which you intended as a simple place setting for them to pass through. They get royally creeped out, start asking you questions, rolling Knowledge checks, casting Detect spells. Clearly, the forest means more to them than it did to you - so use it. Decide that the forest is home to something powerful, something they're not yet ready to face. The forest goes from being Dungeon Location #27 to "The Lair of the Slumbering Tree Demon."

Because they're new, and low-level, you're building from the ground up. Let the plot grow organically, from their in-character decisions and actions, and their out-of-character likes and wants. The plot will grow itself.

[homersolo]

What if the first McGuffin turns one of your party members into the McGuffin? Specifically they find a statute that one of them breaks. The party member who breaks it becomes the McGuffin. This means that your party will always be attacked by other evil peeps and gives them clear motivation to investigate the McGuffin. They could discover that the McGuffin character will slowly turn to stone (ie the statue they broke was a former McGuffin) so that they must get all the McGuffins in place to reverse the effects.

[1pwny]

Something that I've wanted to try recently in a campaign setting is a kind of drug-bust on a criminal guild.

Think about it:
1) You have a few NPC Experts that have super Slight of Hands and Profession (Gambling)s
2) Look at the 3.5 Hooker class, and make a few. I'm not making it up. It is what you think it is.
3) Make the guildmaster a Gambler, who runs a casino.

[Totema]

My ideas to make it more interesting:

Have the archdemon rewrite history so that anyone who finds out about it thinks it's an archangel that will defeat some great evil and bring about world peace.
Have the guild be associated with the misguided group trying to resurrect the demon.
Have the mcguffins be used either to resurrect or destroy the demon.
Have the group try to recruit the adventurers though the guilds association.
By the time the 4th or 5th mcguffin is discovered the group finds out that it's probably not an angel but a demon.
When they try to explain to the guild or stop the awakening the guild turns on them and they become outlaw refugees, but they have the mcguffin.

A thing I think is important to note is that the plot is never the most interesting thing, the NPCs are. Make the NPCs interesting and the rest will follow. The NPCs make things real in a way that objects can't.

I really like this idea. It's an cool twist on the whole "gather x to stop y" story arc. I have a few details on what they are and what they did (pieces of an ancient weapon, shattered upon its use to imprison/kill the archdemon) so it wouldn't take too much to flesh out the details to incorporate this.


Go over those backstories. Look at named characters, places, key events that have influenced the PCs. Now use them.

This is something I've been working on (my players are a little new to the whole backstory thing) so I've been building on the plot with it as well. And I have to say it's helping out a lot in filling in the glaring gaps. For instance, we have a dwarf psychic warrior that's adventuring to restore glory to his tarnished family name - I'm going to plan an awesome boss encounter about 3/4 of the way through the adventure that will serve as trophy kill for him to do so. By then he'll already be pretty tightly wrapped up in the overarching plot, so he will have something to come back to when he kills the beast.

Please keep the advice coming, I'd love to have even more input!