Today's edition of #WestMarchesWednesday is about plots and subplots!
Some people say that a West Marches game should have no plot and be a true sandbox only. However, it's my belief that games like this work best if there are several mild subplots - no "chosen one who can defeat the forces of darkness", but "if we don't do something about those invaders, they're going to win the war and then they'll be in charge of this area." If some players choose to focus on one specifically, that might become the major plot for them, While working on my own West Marches campaign (as detailed in previous posts), I've been operating with a few mild subplots. The idea with these is that these are just little ticking clocks sitting in the background for the Game Master to track, and get advanced as the plot develops. They don't have to micro-manage everything, just remember how progress on "Subplot A" affects other aspects of the game. For example, the subplots I've been working on are as follows: - Discovery of the lost Dwarven Thaig of Gundaar and the horde of monsters within it: -- If the Great Gate to the Thaig is opened, the Darkspawn inside can escape. -- If the Broodmothers are slain, the Darkspawn stop being able to restock their numbers. -- If the Hurlock Apostate is slain, the other Emissaries lose some of their mage powers. - Awakening of the Mageking from his imprisonment in the Carnage Grove: -- If the seven Arcane Horrors across the Slaughtergrounds are destroyed, the Carnage Grove opens. -- If the shattered staff of Archmage Valencian is reforged, it makes a powerful weapon which can harm the Mageking. - The Relics of Saint Ushada becoming reunited: -- The reliquary of Saint Ushada points the way to the other three relics. -- Reuniting the relics will miraculously restore Saint Ushada to life. - An invading army from across the border: -- Scouts begin crossing the border and skirmishes begin. -- Companies of soldiers follow and begin to set up camps as they prepare to assault important towns and sites. -- The full army of thousands arrives, and the entire map is filled with occupying armies and skirmishing troops. -- The war is successful and the invaders take ownership of the land. - Tracking the gigantic Blightwolf Fen'Harillion's depredations across the land: -- Fen'Harillion attacks a village and slaughters several inhabitants. -- Fen'Harillion attacks a village and eats everyone. -- Fen'Harillion expands his territory and starts marshalling a large force of Blightwolves. Other subplots might arise as the game develops- if an adventuring part riles up a dragon and then flees, that dragon is going to be much more likely to attack nearby towns. That can turn into another subplot rather than just an encounter. These are just a few ideas to drive some writing. Also posted on Game Masters Stash on 29 January 2019. Comments are closed.
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AuthorI'm Luke. He/him pronouns. Archives
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