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Post by preehofthetrees on Mar 8, 2016 17:13:43 GMT
Hey guys, I could use some advise on hooks for your campaign when your groups alignments are all over the map. No one is strictly evil but I have lawful good all the way to chaotic neutral - borderline evil, and not only are the group dynamics tough with this array but incentivizing them is difficult. Some PCs will happily kill NPCs to make their goals easier and others will only take the high road. It leads to interesting conversations but is very hard to motivate the group to work together.
My question is: how do you allow for open character building but also create a linear-loose campaign hook which doesn't result in the party always splitting up?
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Post by lasersniper on Mar 8, 2016 19:34:34 GMT
Use a barbed hook. When something like this happens I start barbing my hooks, meaning if they bite the are getting pulled in for the long haul. Forcing them together or to work together for a while usually allows party relations to bridge over those character flaws or views. Something like they get imprisioned, or trapped in a dungeon, or the key to a treasure is magically bound to on of the party members. The pressure might not make a diamond, but it will at least make the coal stick together.
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Post by dmsam on Mar 9, 2016 16:59:05 GMT
Knowing your PCs motivations are better than knowing their alignments when trying to figure out plot hooks. See what they gave you in their back story and work off of that. If you want, post them here and we can always help you out.
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Post by preehofthetrees on Mar 9, 2016 18:47:03 GMT
Knowing your PCs motivations are better than knowing their alignments when trying to figure out plot hooks. See what they gave you in their back story and work off of that. If you want, post them here and we can always help you out. That's a good point. I won't post motivations for all of them here in case some of them are in the forums but I appreciate the offer. This also brings to light the importance of having the players develop a goal for their PCs during character creation. Some of my PCs motivations are primarily "getting stronger" or simply "being a hero" and this is good insight into how I can improve my next creation night. Aside from motivating them via the event within the campaign I may need to request that they provide me with current motivations their characters would have come upon while adventuring. I think I could also use use side quests to bring about this insight as well; if they stop the thieves guild from stealing from one house perhaps they will decide they want to either join it or overthrow it. Or if they find an exciting artifact they may decide they want to collect all other related artifacts. I try to offer a main plot as well as side quests to break up the story so that may work nicely. |
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Post by dmsam on Mar 9, 2016 19:24:30 GMT
I hate the "I want to be more powerful" motivation. Whenever I hear it, I usually ask "for what? To rule the world? To overcome past adversities? To make your parents proud? "
Anyhow, give your players a common enemy to build comradery. It is a time tested method that is very effective.
This can be as simple as having the good PC wrongfully accused of a crime that the bad PC did, making them both fugitives that must work together to evade their captors.
Similarly, having a criminal organization (or BBEG) attack the good PC for meddling while having the bad PC caught in the crossfire also works.
Or the BBEG simply betrayed the bad PC, and is now attacking the good PC. One player is motivated by revenge while the other is trying to defend his life and honor.
The possibilities are endless!
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Post by ino on Mar 12, 2016 2:21:44 GMT
I like to use interesting npc's and moral dilemmas to test the player's intentions. If an npc has a unique story or problem, see how the players react. If interested, use that as a hook.
Even with the best hooks possible, if players don't grab on, it might as well not be there. Players that are invested often have their own hooks. I try to flush these out using their backstory or during character creation. Ask what their characters care for. I also try to make the players invested before the campaign even starts by having them add to the world or scenario. I use their sense of ownership by having them make a place, a few npcs, or items. You can also have them play through a preview with commoners, having a BBEG mercilessly hunt them down to make ur players crave payback.
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Post by ino on Mar 12, 2016 2:24:04 GMT
In my current campaign, I made each player write their family into the town, and make 10 npc's each. Then an evil descends upon the town, infecting the very npc's they created. It immediately makes them more invested in the town, especially since most players made npc's that aided their individual character.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2016 3:30:47 GMT
The onus is not entirely upon you. You could just ask the players not to split up/invent their own reasons for sticking together.
Being true to one's character is not more important than having a fun game, and party cohesion is one of the instances where I'm cool with deviating from one's stated personality, both as a player and GM.
For instance, say I'm playing a CN mercenary who refuses to participate in a dangerous quest unless he's getting paid for it, but the poor villagers can't meet his price. Assuming the party cannot convince him to help out, it then falls upon me to come up with a reason to accompany them. Maybe it's a chance to express his point of view to his allies, and prove that risk without reward is a waste of time. Maybe he's optimistic he'll discover some wealth along the way. Maybe he wants to get in good with these folks so he has a reliable safehouse when his illegal shenanigans catch up with him.
Whatever the case, the approach is basically the same. When the party is struggling to work together, press the pause button and ask if they can invent their own reasons to cooperate. Feel free to help them come up with ideas. I will add that this might feel kind of rail roady to the players, but if the alternative is an impasse or the headache of running divided parties, it's still preferable.
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DM Rowan
Adventurer
The DM Renaissance is in full swing!
Posts: 96
Favorite D&D Class: Bard/Paladin
Favorite D&D Race: Half Elf
Gender: NB Lesbian
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Post by DM Rowan on Mar 20, 2016 17:08:32 GMT
For a recent game I ran for 8 brand new players, I took some time to physically write letters to each of their characters and then handed them to the player the day before the game, explaining that a mysterious courier delivered it and then disappeared. The letters explained that someone had been watching them and thought they had talent. He requested they complete a task for him and promised a great reward depending on the character's motivations (Money for some, a chance to find their lost parent, passage to a new land, etc). Enclosed in the letter was a piece of an artifact and only when the 8 pieces are combined do they form a compass that points to the treasure. As soon as one piece is removed the thing collapses and since none of the players trust each other yet and none of them want to give up their reward, they stay together so that they can keep their piece while still forming the compass.
What the player's don't know is that the man who sent the letters isn't going to follow through. When they find the treasure, he'll meet them with his men and demand the treasure or else. Hopefully that "betrayal" will bring them even closer together.
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