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Post by joatmoniac on Sept 16, 2019 6:57:12 GMT
In DMB episode 183: Drawing Out Creativity, Jonathan Tweet brought a discussion of letting players have a greater role in the creative side of our campaigns. Letting the players introduce details and story elements can be daunting, knowing that we will have to adapt as DMs to integrate the aspects they introduce into the world. Recognizing that, practice makes perfect! rorrik and I thought that we should all help each other in this training session by passing the weights in to the next one. Use the questions below to respond to the creation introduced by the "player" before and plant the seed for the next poster with another unique creation: 1. What are two things in the world that connect to the player creation? 2. How does the player creation impact the story going forward? 3. What creative opportunity would you float next? 4. Switching gears to player mode, what creation do you respond to that opportunity with? To set the initial seed of this pattern, we'll use an example Jonathan gave in the episode: Scenario (3): The players needed to bring a gift to a party at the thieves' guild. Creation (4): a poisonous soup with love eels in it that absorb the poison and when they are all dead the soup can be eaten. Let's all help each other lift summer mental weights! |
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Post by rorrik on Sept 16, 2019 16:36:19 GMT
Scenario (3): The players needed to bring a gift to a party at the thieves' guild. Creation (4): a poisonous soup with live eels in it that absorb the poison and when they are all dead the soup can be eaten. 1. What are two things in the world that connect to the player creation? 2. How does the player creation impact the story going forward? 3. What creative opportunity would you float next? 4. Switching gears to player mode, what creation do you respond to that opportunity with? Sometimes if I don't feel good about how I've written the prompt, I respond to help make it clear what I was envisioning. This is one of those times. 1. Two things to integrate the player creation (poisonous eel soup). The soup is a delicacy in the PCs homeland, but the poison used is highly illegal in this land ever since a Duke was assassinated by such a soup where half of the eels were introduced after already nearly killed from a different batch. The leader of the thieves' guild is also from the PCs homeland and will consider it a welcome taste of home, although he was involved in poisoning the Duke and knows better than to trust such a soup immediately. 2. Impact on the story (from the poisonous eel soup). After a sequence to contact a black market vendor for needed poison, they get the soup to the thieves' guild. There, an agent of the vengeful Duchess will contact them and congratulate them on the irony of using the same soup the guild leader used to poison him as well. He will ask if they need any support with this plan. 3. Next creative opportunity. Allow one of the players create the Duchess's agent. Pick a PC that the agent recognizes and ask them who it is and where they met before. 4. Player creation responding to the opportunity above (Duchess's agent). The player says his name is Sammy the Cheek, that they used to run together on the streets of the Duchess's seat but the when she left the city to take to adventuring, she never expected that Sammy would come into the Duke's employ. |
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Post by letterlost on Sept 23, 2019 6:30:15 GMT
3. Next creative opportunity. Allow one of the players create the Duchess's agent. Pick a PC that the agent recognizes and ask them who it is and where they met before. 4. Player creation responding to the opportunity above (Duchess's agent). The player says his name is Sammy the Cheek, that they used to run together on the streets of the Duchess's seat but the when she left the city to take to adventuring, she never expected that Sammy would come into the Duke's employ. - Sammy, despite being an agent for the duchess, has infiltrated the thieves guild and is the second assistant to the chief overseer (so naturally the one who does all the leg work) of the black market being run in the sewers.
- Sammy the Cheek now discretely funds the orphanage “the Duchess’s Seat”, where he and the PC grew up. The orphanage was originally named “Stand Alone”, it was renamed “the Duchess’s Seat” after the previous duchess donated many of her chairs to the orphanage.
2. How does the player creation impact the story going forward?After a lot of debate whether to assassinate the thieves guild leader, PC1 decides to increase the infamy of eel soup. Unfortunately, the thieves’ guild leader is wary of the soup; the poisoning fails, he PC’s are blamed. While being taken captive, Sammy creates a distraction by starting a large fire in the guild hall. Sammy helps the players escape, they hide out in “the Duchess’s Seat” orphanage and it’s just like going home for PC2 who gets a little emotional. Sammy the Cheek becomes their contact with the duchess. 3. What creative opportunity would you float next?The PC’s are in real danger and need to make a choice: run or work against the thieves’ guild. Either way, the Duchess will help them change their identities; you (the DM) choose to let one of the players decide how. 4. Switching gears to player mode, what creation do you respond to that opportunity with?Player 3 decides that they want "to be put into new bodies". |
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DM Just Jersh
Commoner
Posts: 9
Favorite D&D Class: Warlock
Favorite D&D Race: Gith
Gender: Male
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Post by DM Just Jersh on Oct 22, 2019 17:21:02 GMT
3. What creative opportunity would you float next?The PC’s are in real danger and need to make a choice: run or work against the thieves’ guild. Either way, the Duchess will help them change their identities; you (the DM) choose to let one of the players decide how. 4. Switching gears to player mode, what creation do you respond to that opportunity with?Player 3 decides that they want "to be put into new bodies". Hopefully not too twisted: 1. What are two things in the world that connect to the player creation? Player 3 had met a man, Sir Alon Husk, in the past who has claimed that he wasn't in his original body, but instead a well disguised construct being controlled by him at home. The Dutchess knows an insane Wizard, just outside of town that may be able to help. But his magic had deemed unlawful and dosen't take well to outsiders 2. How does the player creation impact the story going forward? Well the party wants to go against the thieves guild now. The party decides to play it safe, and go talk to Alon. Alon, when met, still in the disguise the player 3 met him in. He says he could help, but first needs the party to acquire a pardon from the Dutchess for trying to take something from her in the past (twist, they're ex lovers) when they broke up so that he can wonder in his real body, but will begin creating their bodies. The party acquires the pardon and returns. 3. What creative opportunity would you float next? The bodies are humans and can use each characters stats, except something is wrong with them. What is it? 4. Switching gears to player mode, what creation do you respond to that opportunity with? He created them based on some old friends of his, but those friends are already in the thieves guild the group is up against. |
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Post by phos on Nov 16, 2019 5:35:37 GMT
1. What are two things in the world that connect to the player creation?
The players learn they are doppelgangers of living Guild members when they are recognized by Sammy the Cheek who attempts to imprison them. In that interaction player 2 discovers they are in the body of the person who killed their mother and younger sibling, (The Reason they ended up in "The Duchesses Seat".) They had never known the face of the killer, but they knew the name. (or perhaps Sammy moves to reveal a tattoo that is not on this body, but the player recognizes the description of the tattoo, and their blood runs cold.)
They also discover, in Alon's possession, a medallion, once belonging to player 2's mother and handed down to her from her family, suggesting Alon had something to do with or knows something about the murder
2. How does the player creation impact the story going forward?
The players are now caught between two choices, use their new bodies to frame the thieves guild, thus eliminating the threat against them and regaining their old bodies, per their agreement with Alon,(at which time Alon will have gained a new identity and disappear), as well as fulfilling their original mission. OR move against Alon while they can and discover his involvement with the murder of player's 2's family (but loose any chance of regaining their old bodies, and making them even greater targets of the thieves guild.)
3. What creative opportunity would you float next?
What is important about the medallion that belonged to player 2's mother and why did Alon want it?
4. Switching gears to player mode, what creation do you respond to that opportunity with?
Upon close inspection, on it's back the medallion has groves and markings suggesting it fits into a larger mechanism, almost like a key. On its front, some of the decorative work is reminiscent of art they've seen in both the thieves guild hall and the Duchesses Manor (Or the offices of Sammy, a gift from the Duchesses hanging on the wall, if they haven't actually been to her manor.)
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