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Post by syviaz on Aug 29, 2018 20:28:42 GMT
I'm trying to create a game based of a book series called throne of glass and I was curious on how to go about doing something like that for I am a relatively new DM but would like to do something other than a prewritten campaign. If you have want tips or could point me in the right direction I would really apreciate it.
Syv
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Post by randosaurus on Aug 30, 2018 5:58:14 GMT
I looked up a little about the Throne of Glass series. It seems like it has a pretty strong protagonist character -- a single voice driving the narrative.
Those sorts of novels don't always translate to a group game so well; there are multiple voices & multiple narratives that might not hew to a set plot from a novel.
If you are a new DM, or new to a system, I would start with running existing adventures or modules. One-offs or pure dungeon-delves should be pretty easy to find.
Then you'd come up with a template for Throne of Glass lore, and apply it where possible.
- Locations -- sites, lairs, towns should have a tie in to a novel location. The author has imagined a world, but you'll need to establish it for the players. Players interact with locations, that's why most every published adventure has a map. How does that location tie into the novel?
- Characters -- background and foreground. Foreground is any character from the novel, a character that serves an irreplaceable role in the narrative; keep PCs away from those characters under all circumstances. Background character may be a character from a novel, but could as easily be anyone in the entire setting. A good detail to apply to any NPC in the module is an inventory item or piece of gear with a clear link to the novel; a good archetype of this is a signet ring by an NPC-- that signet is used by some larger organization. The players are introduced to the wider setting of the novel through that organization, to which they're now associate ring bearers.
- Plot -- subplots in this case. Story elements from an adventure or module should run parallel to events in the novels. Supplement the story. Once you establish the location and characters, you can return and incorporate them to tell the novel narrative in a way that connects to players through prior experience.
You'd want the player persons to have familiarity with the setting. This might be something for a 'Session 0'. In Session 0, you're just establishing the characters, and creating some background in the setting. If the player has no familiarity with Throne of Glass, ToG, what do they need to know to play their character?
I'm not sure what all is available for ToG as far as handouts. A wiki can provide plenty of content as far as designs, character elements, setting flourishes that you can use. If the novels include maps of the setting, that is useful to enlarge and reprint for players.
I find it useful to write out a description of the setting to either give the players or make into an introduction.
Sorry for no discrete examples on adapting novels into adventures. Generally, do what you can that the player's knowledge of the published novels won't spoil the story you want to tell.
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Post by DM Onesie Knight on Sept 21, 2018 7:33:45 GMT
Haven’t read it myself, but going by what randosaurus said, if it’s heavily centered on one protagonist you could benefit from skimming through it and taking notes. A story like that is prone to making a railroady game, so to avoid that you need to abstract the setting from the plot.
I’d go through it and keep notes on things like
-important cities, regions, and other landmarks. Especially in relation to each other—if you can sketch a rough map of the world you’re golden (and it’s okay to make some executive decisions if the book is ambiguous about where stuff goes)
-how does magic work, and how common is it? Are the standard magic rules gonna work? How are NPCs going to interact with a spellcaster?
-who’s important? Is the protagonist of the book going to appear in the campaign? Who are the big rulers, villains, and celebrities?
-where are your players going to fit in? If they’re gonna fit their backstories into the setting, they need to know what their options are for the various cultures and locations in the world, including what’s off limits (if anything).
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gsmitty44
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Post by gsmitty44 on Sept 27, 2018 1:35:55 GMT
I agree with the above. One of my campaigns is based off of Into the Badlands. While it started similar to the series, by now it is night-and-day different, and as a DM you've got to be cool with that. Treat it more as an "alternate universe" or "spin off". Maybe your players aren't actually following the narrative from the books, but are undergoing their adventures at the same time as those canonical events. Use strong character as NPC's, and important events as plot and quest motivators. Don't force your players to get into the story, but instead create a drive which allows them to love that world like you do!
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