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elliott20
2007-06-15, 01:50 PM
I personally like the MacGuffin plot device.

What was your favorite MacGuffin in your campaigns?

Neon Knight
2007-06-15, 01:51 PM
A what now?:smallconfused:

Maxymiuk
2007-06-15, 01:54 PM
Urban Dictionary delivers. (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=macguffin)

Neon Knight
2007-06-15, 01:59 PM
Oh, so its a sort of "GET ON WITH IT!" type thing.

Well, there was this one time I had advanced fiendish dire badgers assault on a group reluctant to enter the certain cave they needed to explore. That got them inside quick.

I've always preferred Chekhov's Gun myself.

Bassetking
2007-06-15, 02:16 PM
Oh, so its a sort of "GET ON WITH IT!" type thing.

Well, there was this one time I had advanced fiendish dire badgers assault on a group reluctant to enter the certain cave they needed to epxlore. That got them inside quick.

I've always preferred Chekov's Gun myself.

Chekov's Gun? A Smith and Wessel?

Neon Knight
2007-06-15, 02:20 PM
Chekhov's Gun? A Smith and Wessel?

That's comedy gold, folks. Can I put that in my signature?

Link for those who might need a definition. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChekhovsGun)

Indon
2007-06-15, 02:23 PM
Chekov's Gun? A Smith and Wessel?

Naw. It's a general 'rule' for stories. Namely, if you see a gun in the first scene, it will be used by the end.

Edit: Mind you, I think it was a humorous reference as well.

Skyserpent
2007-06-15, 02:25 PM
Well, we had a particular super evil magic sword that no one in the party could use but every baddie wanted. So yeah, keep moving.

Yakk
2007-06-15, 02:53 PM
Artifacts of Anatomy. They bond to BBEG, and it is pretty clear it is a bad idea to cut off your hand and replace it with the BBEG's hand.

Hearts of Ice (use: cut out own heart, insert artifact)
Skellital Hands (use: chop off hand, insert artifact)
Eyes of ArchLiches (use: guess)
etc.

...

A pen, that happens to be some creature polymorphed into a pen while carrying what they want: but the player's don't know. They do know that the pen is important to get what they really want, but exactly how is magically tricky to work out.

...

Nobles or other NPCs (Blessed Healers, etc) to escort. Nothing like a MacGuffin that runs around on you!

...

A Ring. I mean, it's a classic.

...

Gems and Idols. Indiana Jones, eat your heart out.

...

A fruit. Apples are traditional. Strawberries are extra tasty. Plus it provides a natural time limit -- the fruit might go bad...

Human Paragon 3
2007-06-15, 03:35 PM
"The Control Ring" A large metalic ring that has the power of controlling a large army of automota. Nobody in the party is capable of using it, but damn is it important.

Fax Celestis
2007-06-15, 03:55 PM
I prefer such motivations as, "DUDE. It's a ****ing TREE."

Or perhaps, "The DM is beginning to ponder smiting you with a heart attack."

In seriousness, a plot tool I use frequently is weather.

cubecrazymonkey
2007-06-15, 04:22 PM
My DM will generally smite us when we're not following the story line. "67 points of divine damage!"

That's also the penalty for being blatantly anachronistic, like looking for a lightswitch in the dark dungeon or purchasing a George Foreman grill to prepare our trail rations.

Mewtarthio
2007-06-15, 05:29 PM
Oh, so its a sort of "GET ON WITH IT!" type thing.

Well, there was this one time I had advanced fiendish dire badgers assault on a group reluctant to enter the certain cave they needed to explore. That got them inside quick.

A MacGuffin is more like something which is, in and of itself, unimportant to the plot, but has a great significance in how people react to it.

For instance, let's say you want to give your party motivation to fight a dragon. The easiest way to do it is to put a MacGuffin in the dragon's lair. Let's also assume that the entire plot is "the party journeys around to find and slay the dragon." In this case, anything's a MacGuffin. The lair could contain a fabulous treasure horde, a harem of princesses kidnapped from all the kingdoms of the world to ensure their fathers' allegiances, a mystical portal to Baator which will bring Asmodeus himself to the Material Plane if not sealed, the mother of one of your PCs, etc: All serve no purpose beyond getting the heroes to travel to the dragon's cave.

A lot of the MacGuffins listed in this topic are of a different variety: The kind of MacGuffin that serves to bring lots of enemies to the party. Evil Artifacts that the heroes can't use but the Forces of Darkness would love to get their hands on are popular. The Artifacts will never be used, so their powers are unnecessary, but they serve to create ready-made excuses to send in the assassins. Additionally, they generally point the way to the next destination (eg Where to destroy them). Other MacGuffins that serve the same purpose would include medical supplies worth a fortune on the black market or a rare flower tied to an ancient prophesy ("Once the Chartreuse Rose blooms within the Dark Lands, the Dread Emperor will be overthrown!").

Diggorian
2007-06-15, 06:18 PM
IIRC, it was called the "Box of Undeath". Open it and you would automatically command any number of undead within sight.

Our party assailed a castle where it was stored. The set up was four exterior walls connected by four rope bridges to a central tower, the interior ground level was filled with various undead -- one per 5ft square.

The center tower held the Box at the bottom and was guarded by a monstrous adventuring party of four: kobold monk, minotaur barbarian, lizardfolk ranger, and a half-fiend elf sorcerer. They had an average party level equal to ours.

DaMullet
2007-06-15, 06:20 PM
My favorite macguffin was actually just that; The Macguffin stone.

It was a mildly magical stone whose greatest power (unbeknownst to the PCs) could only be unlocked after it was returned to it's owner. Therefore, they had to go find the maker.

technomancer
2007-06-15, 08:03 PM
I think my favorite one was a Ring of Fabulous Wealth -- anyone who found it would gain fabulous wealth. The catch? Well, you generally accumulate wealth while you level up, and it's been owned by many wealthy people, so it's always found in a huge treasure pile. It's actually just a mundane (if well made) ring that just got a reputation.

Kurald Galain
2007-06-15, 09:29 PM
I think my favorite one was a Ring of Fabulous Wealth
Yeah. Have you heard of the Ring of Three? It's a magical ring that gives you one additional "ring slot", in effect letting you wear three of them.

I don't recall ever using a "true" Macguffin - I've put a number of major artifacts in some stories, but all had some or several effects that the PCs could invoke. Even if those weren't necessarily a good idea.

Speaking of which, artifacts with an emotional feedback loop are great fun. If the character holding the artifact gets angry, scared or otherwise upset, the artifact activates by wildly striking at the general area. For elemental artifacts, this is BAAAAD.

Ditto
2007-06-15, 09:32 PM
Artifacts of Anatomy? You mean like a Head (http://www.qrivy.net/~ender/Stories/head_of_vecna.html) of Vecna (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/oa/20070401a)?

There's already a woundrous item that lets you use an extra ring slot...


Our party assailed a castle where it was stored. The set up was four exterior walls connected by four rope bridges to a central tower, the interior ground level was filled with various undead -- one per 5ft square.
Great Cleave FTW! :smallbiggrin:

DaMullet
2007-06-15, 10:21 PM
The item is a gag, Ditto... It gives you a third ring slot, and occupies one. It is the third ring. It's like a pair of socks with the magic effect: Can wear another set of magical shoes. It's the only thing they do.

The mythical socks, and the Ring of Three, all might as well be mundane for all the help they give you.

Knight_Of_Twilight
2007-06-15, 11:34 PM
The Rod of Seven parts. Everyone wants it, no designer can really keep consistant with what it actually does.

Edit: Dur, I'm a moron, it was MAKE, not state....

Uh, if I were to make one, it'd be an amulet that gave the user exactly what they deserved. Everyone would want it, thinking it would give them there fondest wishes...

Diggorian
2007-06-16, 12:20 AM
Great Cleave FTW! :smallbiggrin:

If only! :smallbiggrin:

These guys must've made a trip through Ravenloft first: allips, shadows, zombies, ghouls, ghasts, a few wraith, ... I think one mummy. We joked it was like the game ya played as a kid where the floor is lava or crocodiles and only the furniture is safe. :smallwink:

Bassetking
2007-06-16, 01:21 AM
That's comedy gold, folks. Can I put that in my signature?

Link for those who might need a definition. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChekhovsGun)

Please feel free to Sig.

AngelSword
2007-06-16, 01:32 AM
I think the best MacGuffin I've ever seen was Scottish, the fallen Solar who only ever showed up to deliver plot hooks, plot devices, or plot hints. He was extremely charismatic, and I'm not entirely sure why.

Hmm, a MacGuffin of my own…rumors of rewards are always nice…

Orzel
2007-06-16, 01:41 AM
I once traveled for a translator for the recipe for the ultimate pizza.
The recipe was in Ignan and so were the locations of the ingredients.

never heard "This pizza better be good" so many times.

Nerd-o-rama
2007-06-16, 01:47 AM
I tend to steal things from video games.

Six crystals that, together, can call down city-destroying meteor showers, or apart, call down nasty giant boss monsters.

Whatever the hell amulet the princess is wearing.

Powerful magic swords, which usually come intelligent or with instructions on who to use them on.

Original and also considered: superadvanced airships, self-replicating gold coins, and the Head of Vecna. Okay, that one's not original.

thehothead
2007-06-16, 01:56 AM
An NPC named Mr. McGuffin

MinusInnocence
2007-06-16, 04:55 AM
A gnome had kidnapped the town drunk and the party chased her to a recently opened tomb in the hills outside the village. Inside there was a sealed door with a riddle; essentially the riddle said "Pour some water in this bowl and the door will open" but because they were in a tomb and had encountered Undead, they kept thinking "nectar of life" meant "blood" so they assumed the place was full of vampires.

Later, they came across the drunkard who had apparently passed out in the dirt around an open casket. He was also soaked thoroughly with spilled wine, and again the party almost jumped to conclusions and skewered the poor guy. Even after they calmed down, one of the heroes remained convinced the drunk was, in fact, the vampire all along.

Having not encountered the vampire inside the tomb, coupled with the fact that the door remained open and it was the middle of the night, panic escalated to hysteria when the party realized the villain must be stalking the hills outside, waiting for them to emerge! A debate ensued whether it was safer to stay inside and wait for the vampire to come home or rush out into the night and take their chances running back to town.

There was never a vampire. I just spent the whole session listening to them scare the crap out of each other.

Diggorian
2007-06-16, 05:52 AM
MinusInnocence, there's a PC Stupidity thread. You may want to share the above gem with them. :smallbiggrin:

Overlord
2007-06-16, 01:40 PM
That's comedy gold, folks. Can I put that in my signature?

Link for those who might need a definition. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChekhovsGun)

Hey, off topic, but that's a pretty cool site.

skywalker
2007-06-16, 04:52 PM
NPC MacGuffin's are great.

The king requests you guard him on his way to blank.
The king requests you guard him on his way home from blank.

Etc.

My favorite thing my DM ever did to move plot along was TPK us in a non-lethal combat. So he TPD(disabled) us.

Matthew
2007-06-17, 05:15 PM
The Rod of Seven parts. Everyone wants it, no designer can really keep consistant with what it actually does.

I have always wanted to play that one, but have never gotten round to it. I always thought the first D&D film would have been a lot better if it had used this plot (and also ditched most of its cast, changed director, got some real funding, better script writer... okay, maybe it would have been only one element).

Kurald Galain
2007-06-17, 05:34 PM
I always thought the first D&D film would have been a lot better if it had used this plot

From what I've been told, the D&D movie was written by some third-grade DM who somehow obtained the rights at a time when TSR wasn't doing too well and a film was wildly unfeasible anyway, and managed to stick to His Pet Project because he legally could, and despite WOTC's wishes to the contrary managed to get enough funding with the resurgence of 3.0 to actually get it made. It should be obvious that none of e.g. the D&D novel writers were involved in that particular piece of dung. It was very funny to watch though :)

Matthew
2007-06-17, 05:50 PM
Yeah, that sounds about right. All the same, wizard's policy was not to disparrage the film, even when directly questioned about it. The Web site was pretty neat, but, yeah, the film was obviously the result of somebody with a lot of passion, a dash of good fortune, and very little film making talent. Jimmy from Superman, for crying out loud! I liked D&D 2, though.