The King is Dead: Plotting

 
I've been roughing out the shape and scope of the TKID book, and I find myself in a quandary.  I am, on the whole, an improvisational and (more or less) DIY GM.  I've run the Rippers plot-point campaign, but I can't think of any other canned plots I've actually used.   I've used the Forgotten Realms as a setting in which to improvise plots on numerous occasions, but I'm hardly the kind of obsessive FR fan that knows the different coins of Waterdeep and Cormyr.

In other words, I'm not the kind of GM who needs or uses hyper-detailed adventure paths or settings, so why would I write one?

Hmm...  A part of me would feel guilty if I didn't include a plot-point campaign, because that's the Savage Worlds trademark, but it's a small part.  Obviously, the whole goal of The King is Dead is to break the setting, but why should I dictate the path others want to take to get there?  No, my book is going to be low on metaplot and high on campaign seeds.

I think I'll look toward Pirates of the Spanish Main as my model: character creation, setting notes, a gazetteer that provides plenty of seeds but dictates very little, and a thorough bestiary with plenty of nonplayer character archetypes.  Perhaps I'll throw in a fleshed-out example NPC for every few archetypes.  I think a few more-detailed adventure locations (a rural shire, Hammerstadt) would be good.

Yeah, that should strike a good balance.

P.S. Expect an announcement about the secret mystery project on Monday.

Comments

  1. I, for one, love adventure seeds! You might want to look at Day After Ragnarok; there's no Plot Point, but several "Savage Skeletons," that give a thin brief on possible campaigns and campaign styles.

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    1. Yup, I was gonna suggest DaR as well. It's got a handful of campaign seeds, plus a great set of adventure generators in the back.

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    2. Iron Dynasty (which I've recently reread) has something like that as well, so the idea had crossed my mind. I'll give DAR another look and see if the style works for me.

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  2. A full plot point isn't always necessary for a Savage setting, but I hope you'll include a few fleshed out Savage tales. It's always helpful to have some examples of what the author of a setting thinks of as a good adventure for that particular setting.

    Might I offer another suggestion? Give each of your fleshed out NPC's a specific one-sentence goal. Put "Goal" right there in the stat block under it's own header. Instant campaign seeds. Just another thought.

    And to answer your question from a few posts back, no I haven't yet seen the new Hellsing episodes yet. They're on my list though.

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    1. I agree that an included adventure definitely helps set the tone. As much as I never read setting fiction, I know it helps too (which is why I will reluctantly write some). I like the "Goal" idea. Very savvy, my friend.

      Hellsing Ultimate adapts the manga much more faithfully than the original anime could (most of the manga wasn't published yet, after all). It is seriously freakin' crazy. The first 8 parts were licensed by Funimation (and are available on Hulu Plus, including several dubbed by the original stateside cast) but the last two YOU might have to seek out on another TUBE.

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