Sean Does Games

Random Plot Generator Before COVID, shelter in place, and masks were household topics, I ran one-shot Dungeons and Dragons  adventures at my local comic book stores and for Time2Tabletop events. A one-shot, in case you haven't heard the term before, is a full story/adventure that can be completed in a single session of a few hours. Sometimes I show up to these events fully prepared. Other times, I end up running a game on the fly, either because no one else can or because I simply didn't prepare ahead of time. Luckily, many of these one-shots include players who have never picked up dice before let alone played Dungeons and Dragons , so while the players are creating their characters and I'm explaining the rules, I'm also working out the plot in my meat thinker. There are times when I am particularly inspired and the ideas flow. Other times, I struggle to find even a seed of an idea upon which to rest the session. It's at those dry times when I wished I had a cheat ...

In the first part of this post , I discussed how to use trinkets in character backstories as well as how to develop side quests that help players discover the hidden meanings, if any, behind their characters' trinkets. In part 2 of this post, I continue with one-shots, story arcs, and campaigns. I also provide some additional pointers on their use. Enjoy! One-shots and Story Arcs A one-shot is one adventure that can be completed in a single session, such as stealing a single valuable object from a rich landlord, spying on a goblin camp, or clearing a one-room temple of invading aberrations. It is by necessity a short, simple story that takes place in one or two settings and with minimal NPCs. Once again thinking of the trinket as a puzzle, the one-shot gives the player one or two pieces to that puzzle in a fully realized, though short, story that does not have to either involve the other characters or have any impact on the campaign as a whole. In most cases, the one-sho...

I love trinkets in Dungeons and Dragons! Whenever I run a campaign, I always have players roll on the trinket table during character creation. I also periodically sneak in trinkets as part of the payment characters receive for completing a job or as part of the loot the characters find. “But then what?” you say. "They're an empty purse. Count them, go broke. Eat them, go hungry. Seek them, go mad! " Part of the power of the trinkets concept comes from their descriptions, which tend to be brief, open-ended statements leaving more questions than answers. And where there are questions there is story. So I use trinkets to flesh out the character’s backstory, spawn expected side quests, inspire one-shot adventures, provide the foundation for story arcs, and even shape the course of entire campaigns. That’s right, trinkets can do all that. Don’t believe me? Keep reading. Character Backstory When a character starts a campaign with a trinket, it is de facto ...