Role Playing Tips - By Johnn Four
PLOT HOOKS
1. Grab The PCs' Attention
--------------------------
An effective hook grabs the characters' attention right
away. It gets them to stop what they're currently doing and
pay attention. If you try to make your hook too subtle the
PCs might not notice. Then your hook may need a hook of its
own!
So, go ahead and point your hook right out to the
characters. Be direct. Get things moving.
For example:
* "You see a man across the street staring straight at you."
* "A messenger shoves an envelope in your hand, nods at you
and runs off to his next delivery. You look down to find
that the envelope has someone else's name on it!"
* "You are going to work when suddenly a car rams into the
bus you're on. The car's driver crawls through the shattered
windshield and flees."
2. Clearly Tell What's In It For The Characters
-----------------------------------------------
Your hook also needs to offer something that will compel the
characters to pursue it.
What is most interesting to PCs? Why, themselves, of course!
So, the best hooks reveal a potential solution to a problem
the PCs have, or they relate personally to the PCs in some
way.
Good hooks can also present mysteries that will catch the
PCs' curiosity and imaginations.
For example:
* "You see a man across the street staring straight at you.
You've never seen him before but he wears a lily on his
coat--the same type of lily found near the victim last
night."
* "A messenger shoves an envelope in your hand, nods at you
and runs off to his next delivery. You look down to find
that the envelope has someone else's name on it! You notice
that the envelope also bears the seal of your long-time
enemy"
* "You are going to work when suddenly a car rams into the
bus you're on. The car's driver crawls through the shattered
windshield and flees. You notice though, that the driver's
ear seems to have been ripped off and you see green blood
running down the side of his face."
3. Add A Call To Action
-----------------------
If the PCs do not immediately take action you may need to
give them a little push. You can do this by making them
react if they hesitate, or by providing a strong hint or
suggestion.
For example:
* "You see a man across the street staring straight at you.
You've never seen him before but he wears a lily on his
coat--the same type of lily found near the victim last
night...after a few moments of glaring he starts walking
purposefully towards you. But he doesn't notice the van
driving straight at him!"
* "A messenger shoves an envelope in your hand, nods at you
and runs off to his next delivery. You look down to find
that the envelope has someone else's name on it! You notice
that the envelope also bears the seal of your long-time
enemy...It looks like the seal was poorly done though. You
could possibly open the envelope and re-seal it without anyone
noticing"
* "You are going to work when suddenly a car rams into the
bus you're on. The car's driver crawls through the shattered
windshield and flees. You notice though, that the driver's
ear seems to have been ripped off and you see green blood
running down the side of his face...'Stop him!' someone
yells."
4. Use Different Types Of Hooks To Prevent Your Stories From
Becoming Stale
--------------------------------------------------
Here's what I mean: "You are at an inn. An old man with a
gray beard and pointy hat approaches your table and asks
if you want to get rich quick."
This is a great plot hook, one of my favorites in fact, but
it gets boring when every adventure starts out that way. So,
change your plot hooks every time to keep your sessions from
becoming predictable. Feel free to re-use hooks that worked
really well, but allow some space between the times that you
do.
5. Give The Characters A Choice Whenever Possible
-------------------------------------------------
Players do not like to be forced into things. Plot hooks
that give characters no choices should be used very rarely.
For example:
"A dozen guards confront you. A fat merchant stands beside
the guard leader. The merchant points his meaty finger at
you and declares 'That's the man who stole my life's
savings. I want him arrested now!' You are surrounded and
fleeing will likely get you killed. What do you do?"
Versus:
"You spot a guard patrol marching in your direction. A
sweaty, fat merchant is wringing his hands and scanning the
market crowd intensely. You are also astounded to see a man
who could pass for your twin brother darting between two
stalls nearby and into a shadowed alley. The merchant spots
you, his eyes grow wide and he starts to point..."
Here's a hook I found the other day (sorry, the source
escapes me):
"After going to bed one night in the hotel of a sleepy rural
town, one of the investigators wakes up to find himself
lying inside a padded coffin with air running out!"
That one might just be odd enough that the player will
forgive you for giving him no choices! ;)
Don't forget to send in your favorite plot hooks.
Have more fun at every game!
Johnn Four
