As we were talking before our game, I mentioned that tonight should end the present scenario, which I wrote, but I was hoping for another to arrive tomorrow that I plan to adapt. I then listed a few of my complaints about 'professional' scenarios. One of them was really poor plot hooks. I spoke of what I found to be good plot hooks. One of my friends however mentioned one plot hook that even I had not thought about.

"Yeah, I could get all into a scenario where somebody pissed in my cereal, and I have to go teach the guy some manners."

I don't know if I am EVER going to use that as a plot hook, but it does bring up the idea of less than noble plots for a scenario. I normally use the lure of money or magic, which even the most deviant of characters can appreciate. The usual 'published' scenarios have hooks that generally demand a part have a certain attitude, and my group of degenerates usually laugh at such.

Anyway, anyone have their own plot hooks that they prefer to use? Note: don't get gross. I came close to crossing the line on politeness above, so don't get worse.

Money, magic and revenge, are always the big hooks.

I'm a big believer in revenge, money is relatively easy to come by if you're an adventurer and magic (depending on the setting) will be around be revenge is alot harder to get.

As for you guy getting even for the cornflakes, that's minor. As a DM I've always liked murder, kidnapping or even rape. Theft is also good, taking something the PCs have worked hard to get away. gets them riled up.

In the complete book of villains for ad&d it talks about revenge as a plot. It gives an example of PCs are called by a lord to handle a problem. They get to the lord's town and are attacked by a werewolf. They kill the werewolf - which turns out to be the Lord's wife who was cursed. The lord comes back later as a villain to get revenge on the PCs! It would be interesting to have a reverse situation of that kind for the PCs, someone tries to help them but ends up causing harm and the PCs want revenge!

I hate the old "a stranger approaches and want to hire you for an adventure."

I mean, it has its place, but I like to plan my adventures well in advance and let the adventure grow out of the story and involve people the PCs already know.

I ran an adventure recently that started with the ole "stranger approches you" thing, and I changed it this way:

The PCs broke into a house belonging to a fiend, and one art object they found was a stuffed (as in taxidermy) PALADIN. They liberated him (and some treasure) and had him rezzed. He then told his story, including the adventure hook. If the PCs hadn't rezzed him, I would have found some other way to hook them in.

I like using taverns/pubs/bars and the old rumor mill instead of "ye old stranger" routine. Gives them more opitons, but then again, it means you have to be alot more prepared if they don't pick the story arc you want.

Stuffed Paladin, sounds like a culinary dish for evil bastards.
"Yes I'll have the Stuffed Paladin with the mixed green salad, dressing on the side, and your best claret."

Which is why I stated "taxidermy" -- although I believe in the back of "Evil Housekeeping Magazine" last month was a recipe for "Paladin Tenderloin stuffed with Mushrooms and Dried Apricots"

hmmm...i think there will be always something lacking about this 'generic' hooks because they are, by nature, generic. I mean i get the most fun out of reveling in the aspect of being in a group...I know my players, even if I dont know their new characters, but tailoring events to them, based on background not only shows your skill as a st, but also relates to working to what was provided by the pcs. However, theres something to be said for the classic, if you will.

The pc was saying, hell, testosterone, it works for me. granted, this wont work all the time, however, why not have a scene where the pcs toooootally beat the hell out of someone who had it coming? think about the morale potential, granted, you can take this to yet another lvl...maybe they get a rep for barfights, maybe the watch heard of it, but they have no id, ie, giving the pcs some ambiguous props...i mean, no, not what we, and I say we as a collective notion of dms who dont think hack and slash is where its at, and nothing more, we, as st'ers want more for the big things but heck...that dont mean we cant mess with the small things...Ter, you of all folks are someone who can challenge this notion of very generic plot hooks, just cause i know you'll make it interesting and play with the static ideas people would be expecting.

Snake-Eyes wrote:

Ter, you of all folks are someone who can challenge this notion of very generic plot hooks, just cause i know you'll make it interesting and play with the static ideas people would be expecting.

Thanks for the compliment. One strategy that I will use is the 'this is the reason for the fight.' It goes like this.

1) Design a solid fight. No single monster, but a group that clearly spells conspiracy.

2) Party thinks wandering monsters, except that it was a little more involved.

3) Give them a chance to research, Gather Information, and such.

4) Design another solid fight. Hopefully this happens as the party acts upon the information they gained in step #3. If the party however tried to brush the event aside, have this fight erupt as an ambush.

5) As the party licks their wounds, now have somebody show up mentioning that --
A princess needs saving
A major artifact needs finding and retrieving
Old man Yester has fallen into a well and needs help
or whatever the actual plot hook happens to be. I find that the party suddenly becomes intrigued because the challenge has proven itself. They thus accept the mission purely for the test of their abilities even if the actual reason is something old, stale, and slightly not fitting their personalities.

Do you have a random encounter chart by any chance? I used to do that a bit, for sport, then realized I would always have one fight that would stand out, but sometimes wouldnt come up..and I asked myself, does it reaaaally have to be random? Its all about perception...it may seem random, to the pcs, but nothing need be random, save the pcs die rolls (including dm, thats what the screen is for...not to flub, but for the dm to use discretion) which is the aspect of chance, and of course even that is relative to the idea of level.

I do love the research stage myself. I think the finest modules I have ever seen would be the Van Richten Guides. Naturally, im a horror fan and Van Richten, its easy to see was based of Van Helsing, as an educated monster hunter, but having them written as a journal was not only a great read, but an incredible dm and rp tool. I looove the strategic phase, I think thats were we get to be among the most creative, both player and DM in choosing how to proceed, and it can add some great elements, usually of foreboding. And...no one says the information has to be correct....

The other aspect of the hook is, of course, back story. The better you know yous pcs and their characters (as some pc will play their character so well, they wil change their thought pattern) can be a huge boon to plot hooks. As will the pcs reception and willingness. Were all here to game, as much fun as the tavern aspect is, this game is, y nature, combative as even the most pacifistic class will kick around monster in its own way, be you mage, cleric rogue or bard, we all can fight in some variance.

The party theme itself can be a great way to ensure hooks...if you tell everyone "were all in the military, act accordingly" you have an instant in for all manners of jobs and they need to be conventional. Maybe your pcs are too vocal, then they get paired with other npcs who are also vocal and outspoken, then you get sent out on a simple mission where you intel is bad and you get trounced...maybe your commander wanted that to happen...all the outspoken problem solider put in the same place, bad intel...maybe this was a test...maybe they want the pcs to think...it was a test. Ah, the wonders of plot hooks. There are really no limitations....

Snake-Eyes wrote:

Do you have a random encounter chart by any chance?

I have an AWESOME series of wander monster charts. I did it back when I was teaching night school in the late 80s. It was written in DB4 -- not this new one, but the ancient one. Not only did it have almost every monster set for almost every terrain type, but it had the proper print routines to generate proper sheets. I still have the sheets, but I have not been able to sit down and regenerate the data (lost the files long ago). When I need a WM, I open up the folder.

Back to the topic of encounters. I now write my scenarios in a step-by-step breakdown. There is no way to determine what my party will do, but I make my notes according to what is the the next step. If the party is not acting as expecting (or purposely avoiding doing something), the WM tables are pulled out. Sometimes I have to 'force' the encounter by having it not happen where it was supposed to happen. It is all part of me having to stay on my toes as DM.