Multiple Plot Arcs

[Black Rose]

Okay, I don't know if this is going to sound very obvious or not, but here goes....

 

When you are running your campaigns, do you have a single major plot arc going, with minor, character-focused arcs in the background, or multiple major plot arcs? To give an example of what I mean, say each character has their schtick (powered armour, mystic, martial artist, alien, etc) and there is (probably) something happening in each session for each of them, completely (or partly so) unrelated to the other arcs in progress:

 

The powered armour guy is trying to track down a new criminal threat using man-portable weapons that have the same energy signature as his Concussion Cannon . Where did they get them, and how many more are they?

 

The mystic is hunting down a pack of messy vampires, encountering both assistance and opposition from the mystic community.

 

The martial artist has learned of a new body of techniques that allow the user to manipulate chi to purge the body of poison and disease, and reenergise the body, restoring youth and vigor. Other martial artists are after this as well; most shouldn't ever get their hands on it.

 

The alien is searching for clues of a fleet resupply ship that crashed here several decades ago, in the middle of the southwestern quadrant of the North American continent. Unfortunately, there appears to be a well-established military base right near the crash site. Surely they must have harvested the ship for parts, but why doesn't he see any of the obvious effects in terrestrial technology?

 

Would you ever try to run all the arcs at once, and if so, how would you go about it?

[Tamashii2000]

Re: Multiple Plot Arcs

 

Originally posted by Black Rose

Okay, I don't know if this is going to sound very obvious or not, but here goes....

 

When you are running your campaigns, do you have a single major plot arc going, with minor, character-focused arcs in the background, or multiple major plot arcs? To give an example of what I mean, say each character has their schtick (powered armour, mystic, martial artist, alien, etc) and there is (probably) something happening in each session for each of them, completely (or partly so) unrelated to the other arcs in progress:

 

The powered armour guy is trying to track down a new criminal threat using man-portable weapons that have the same energy signature as his Concussion Cannon . Where did they get them, and how many more are they?

 

The mystic is hunting down a pack of messy vampires, encountering both assistance and opposition from the mystic community.

 

The martial artist has learned of a new body of techniques that allow the user to manipulate chi to purge the body of poison and disease, and reenergise the body, restoring youth and vigor. Other martial artists are after this as well; most shouldn't ever get their hands on it.

 

The alien is searching for clues of a fleet resupply ship that crashed here several decades ago, in the middle of the southwestern quadrant of the North American continent. Unfortunately, there appears to be a well-established military base right near the crash site. Surely they must have harvested the ship for parts, but why doesn't he see any of the obvious effects in terrestrial technology?

 

Would you ever try to run all the arcs at once, and if so, how would you go about it?

 

I have always done it this way. One or two major plots involving all the players plus a side plot per PC (on average, some players dont want the extra attention) The side plots all run at 'different speeds' so that there are several sideplots getting resolved at the same time. and they always take back seat to the 'major plot(s)'

[Tech]

I tend to vary between one single plot to several plots. There's even the rare no-plot: these push me to the limit as I purposely create the episode as characters react. Fortunately, I only do those kinds when I'm extremely pumped to handle the challenge.

[NuSoardGraphite]

That completely depends on the Genre I'm running.

 

However, for a Supers genre, I generally do it the way you laid it out. Several plots for the individual characters running concurrent with the main plot of the game. I will usually have at least one or two of the sub-plots tie into the Main Plot (whichever ones make the most sense to connect with it) so that players don't lose focus.

 

Its not that difficult really, just have a PC's sub-plot take center stage when there is a lull in the action of the Main Plot and it'll all work out okay (at least in Theory)

[Tom McCarthy]

I try never to have more than two major plot arcs going on at one time, and find fewer than half my players pursue subplots.

[zornwil]

I usually have several subplots and a small number of major plots running at any given time. Just depends on what cans of worms the PCs open.

 

As far as how I go about it, no real magic, I just make time for the plots that seem to have something going on, either by PC prodding or the actions of determined NPCs. I try to give everyone some time though the characters contribute so much "color" it's hard sometimes to appropriately give out the according amount of time.

 

Before a game I normally have a list of the ongoing activities of NPCs and what things the PCs are abosrbed in. A few are "must do" items as indicated above (someone is forcing the issue), others are elective according to how much time we have in the session. Also a few go on in the background without the PCs knowing for a long time, as NPCs do their thing which eventually intertwines with the PCs.

[TheEmerged]

I tend to build things as a world. Things the players don't get involved with continue forward until they do.

[SleepyDrug]

Multiple intertwining plot arcs in the style of a White Wolf Vampire game

[Lightray]

I tend to have one major plotline going on in the background. Adventures occasinally tie in with this plot, but many of the adventures are just other things that happen.

 

My players often erroneously connect everything together in huge chains of coincidence. They're usually wrong. Unless their supposed connection is cool, in which case I might change my mind.

 

All of the PCs have their own plots to deal with in the background, as well. Lately I've been running solo adventures simultaneously, so we'll take a night to see what Dragon Lady, Force, and Shadowstalker (f'r ex) have been up to in their spare time.

 

My problem has never been advancing the plotline without PC involvement. My problem has been passive PCs. They seem content to just wait idly in their base for bad things to happen that they can go take care of. Even when I dangle obvious plot hooks, they've only gotten involved with much grumbling. Almost makes me wish they take the Authority route...

[Mayday]

I run best on the fly, but when I run I design the world, some basics and then in the back of my mind pieces fall into place and become potential plot points.

 

Then I run the game and let the heroes decide which ones to go after. If they read the newspaper sports and skip the headlines, in the back of my head something begins to form based around a baseball team or field. If they do Want Ads or Personals there might be an inventor trying to sell his designs out of his home who has underworld problems, or is expecting a visit from VIPER. If they go for astronomy news maybe later that night when they watch the meteor showers, one of them was not a meteor at all.

 

Once while shopping for a new car my heroes found themselves in the middle of a car theft ring.

 

Or, sitting at a stop light they notice a car beside them with muffled thumps coming from the trunk. Who is in there and why?

 

If they dont follow up on something it continues in the back of my head as the villains go about their plans, and the problem becomes worse down the road.

 

The world doesnt revolve around the heroes, but what parts of it they choose to interact with they can shape as much as they like. Some will be long arcs, some short interludes.

[MPT]

I generally have one major plot arc that defines the whole campaign. I then mix adventures that further the plot with 'stand alone' adventures (rather like a long running TV series such as Deep Space Nine or the X Files).

 

I feel, however, that the actions of the PCs should influence the world as this way the players can really feel that they make a difference. For example, in one adventure the group was very considerate to a group of OAPs. As a result I will be running an adventure in which one of these turns to the players for help.

[WilyQuixote]

I never used to do this as a DM/GM until I was playing in a AD&D campaing when I lived in Bethesda,MD. The DM introduced me to the idea and playing style of multiple plots going on behind the scenes of the current major plot/quest the party was persueing. It worked fantastically well due to the great story-telling skills of this particular DM. I found it far more difficult to execute and adjudicate as a DM however but when it worked it was great fun.

 

Sometimes the little side things all the PCs were doing involved other PCs for one reason or another or ended up having major consequences on the group and the campaign itself for better or for worse. The current GM I hang with now (Killer Shrike) does things along these lines as well. Unfortunately I'd say 90% of our group never bothers to persue these plots and side quests. I try to follow every single one of them that I can when I can. I'm not sure why the other players in the group don't take advantage of this. Maybe their not used to that sorta role-playing, or maybe their just not interested, I honestly don't know. The group has seen the benefits of doing these little side things on my characters not to mention the draw backs(when you screw up in Shrike's campaigns be prepared to pay the piper for a long time and not just the very next gaming session:( ).

 

My characters were leaps and bounds ahead of the other characters in powers and abilities and I'm not just talking about the statted ones. I had political,mercantile,domestic, and legal connections all through out the campaign city and a list of enemies and problems longer then my arm which could not be resolved just by finding their lair and killing them either. Most times they only made my life hell but sometimes the group got dragged into it as well much to their chagrin:) .

 

I am a strong proponent of this sort of gaming and now that I have once again taken up the reigns of GMing I'm going to do my level best to provide these sort of opportunities for my players that I so enjoyed. Only one of them will probably engage in these opportunities but thats fine too. He will reap the fruits of his labor. Whether that fruit is ripe or rotten will depend on his actions:D .

 

As for how I will go about it...I'll just throw the baited hooks out there in the water and see who bites. Then I'll just sorta wing it until I get a feel for the players intentions and motivation. If he's serious about it then I'll give him all that I can and hope to encourage the others into doing the same. As I said when this works right it will be remembered for years to come.

[Killer Shrike]

Hey WilyQ, throw the side plots out there and Ill jump on them with both feet.

[Killer Shrike]

Double Take

 

Hey, Black Rose, you live in San Diego? What part? Do you have a HEROs group that you play with?

[Prydwin]

Story arcs ... or plans with in plans

 

I usually work with a lose framework that involves major NPCs, major locations and events. Details are hung from the framework as they are needed.

I look at it as having a base (massive) story arc that is slated to take several years (both real and ingame) to resolve. Individual plotlines take on two forms. The first are the ones that I create for the characters. These may or may not be related to the Base plotline, but are never resolved in a single game session. Sometimes they are never resolved (much like real life). The second are those that the players elect to persue because they find some aspect of the game environment interesting. This is usually an event or NPC that has peeked either the player's or the character's interest.

I usually suffer from extraordinarily proactive players. I attempt to create very vibrant and animated gaming envionments, usually with upwards of two hundred pregenerated NPCs for the players to interact with. The result is that the character specific plot lines usually end up almost writing themselves.

[MarkusDark]

Probably repeating people here but...

 

I usually have one major story arc per gaming "episode". I will tailor that plot though to include other player's backgrounds into it. Such as if someone who is being hunted by VIPER, I will make VIPER the main 'evil group' that is causing the trouble. Someone's DNPC will become the focus of that trouble - be it a lab assistant who just happened to be a bit of a buff about quantum physics as it relates to black holes to having her being the Sergeant on the police force who investigates the PC's actions.

 

I will always leave a few 'loose ends' around and depending upon which ones the PC's seem most interested in, I will start working that one into the new major plotline for the next session.