Very well put! I like to structure things out myself, and breaking it down into simpler steps makes it easier to present the information to the players in an orderly fashion. I"m also glad you differentiated between plot based adventures and sandbox style play. I've played with very orderly game masters and ones who improvise most of the session and they are both good in different ways. The good plot based sessions I've played or listened to often follow a similar formula to the one you presented.
I think this was THE KEY concept to make things click in my mind as to why my sessions seems a bit lacklustre and hard to follow. Thank you so much! Its always hard for me to warp my mind around things without some kind of structure and now I have one!
Great advice setting up inevitabilities. That is great framework of thinking. Where I am a bit challenged is as the players dive into their story the harder it gets to pull off these inevitabilities without robbing the players of their agency. I would love to see you tackle this Way of scenario writing in relation to player action.
A lot of it comes down to how in-depth you want to be with inevitabilities. There comes a certain point where you need to back up, and allow them to figure it out. Tricky, and it sort of comes with experience. I think of it a bit like a funnel, where the further on the more constrained their actions are (assuming you are right about their motivations). In the same way you know a superhero will go into a burning building to save a cat, you can have some certainty that the players will prioritize and act in accordance to the constraints on their ability and character. A Starfleet officer will always try to do the ethical thing and complete the mission. I'm not sure how clear I'm being here, but it's definitely a video worth making (how to run a plot and have it not fall apart).
I don’t think constraints are good for us as scenario writers. I personally love when my players surprise me (i.e by playing the starfleet officer that does the unethical thing due to a flawed character trait). If your act 3 is not a premise how do you avoid the railroad? If the scenario has to climax when the characters run into a burning building - how do your write a flexible scenario that allows freedom up until that point. (Subbed by the way) ✌️
Maybe one way to think about it is that you spend time on prep and create acts, inevitabilities, and scenes. However, depending on how the players react, you alter the prep to fit the new situation. Maybe all you alter is to add a new scene. Or maybe you change the 3rd act to have a different BBEG. Or maybe the players missed all the clues, so you have to set up a couple new scenes that have the clues they need to find. If the players havent seen it yet, its up for grabs and can change. Its how you balance the two competing virtues of railroading is bad and of the GM needs to prep something.
Very nice to see videos on this topic instead of the usual “this is why your players hate you”. Will be reflecting on this approach! Some advice, as I think you got great potential! - You cover a complicated concept that would benefit from showing more notes or something visual to support your points, rather than showing yourself. - You don’t look directly at the viewer, but at your notes. This is understandable but also a bit off putting. - More cat 😍 - Your video appeals mostly to viewers that are good listeners. I would add more text on the screen listing what you are talking about in simple text lines. It would broaden your audience, as people have different preferences for learning (listening, seeing, quizzing, hands on etc). Subscribed!
I'm a dev of a small indie game studio, some days ago i was thinkng about how music structure can inspire structure of other media; the moment you start playing the piano i had goosebumps. Then you focus on classic 3 act structure, and man i was a little bit disappointed, but overall it was a very good exposition. I think you are a very smart guy, and maybe next time you can make something more related to music structure, if what i said click somwhow on your personal thought on the matter, ty for the content! Great quality too!
I'm a classical music composer, and I definitely see the connections between music structure and D&D structure and improving as a GM. It's a video I have planned for "eventually." And it's likely something I'd need to compose a lot of music for if I wanted to reinforce the point I was looking at.
It's a video game, not a TTRPG, but SaGa: Scarlet Grace has a nice structure to the game that makes it very reactive and non-linnear while being coherent: There are three main BBEG- the Great Earth Serpent, the Phoenix, and Sigrfei, a seemingly human warlord. There is also a non-BBEG-based plotline where you hunt shards containing the power of the Firebringer, an allegedly dead god who's residual power nevertheless poeses a great harm to the world. The game has a three-act structure where you solve each of these issues and then enter a final mega-dungeon leading to the final boss. One act is one overarching plotline, though the order you do them in has a bit of variation. The world map is divided int 20 or so "regions", each of whom has their own plotline going on. One has a giant volcano that might erupt soon, one has a magical effect that causes rumors to become true if enough people belive in them, a few tie back into one of the "main" bosses. They are interconnected, but self contained enough that they can be done in any order. Heres where it start's getting clever: The BBEG plotlines can be done in multiple combinaions or orders, and still make coherent sense. Furthermore, the local plotlines, which make up the meat of the game, are *changed* in certain ways depending on which act you are in, and which overarching plotline you are currently doing. For example, one region is wracked by earthquakes in act one, has a giant eruption in act two, and is an ashen wastelantd in act three. This is caused by the stirring of the Great Earth serpent, but depending on when you visit and why you visit, dialogue will frame this as foreshadowing for his later arrival, a consequence of his active rampage as you chase him, or a consequence of his death, dynamically. Another province has a piracy and smuggling ring. Normally the plot ends with you just killing all the pirates, but if you're doing Sigfrie's plotline when you enter, DUN DUN DUN! Sigfrei's behind the pirates, collecting money for his other schemes, and you have to fight him and his demons at the same time as the pirates. The *entire game* is like this. On the first playthrough, is basically seamless. The way they designed it so that all the components were seamlessly interlocking pieces that could be altered and made sense of no matter what you wee doing, needs to be studied. In partiuclar, the game remembers the choices you make in certain checkpoints, both on the main quest and side quest, and certain people will hold grudges against you or certain choices will draw magical consequence. Depending on the choices you make, the final mega dungeon could be, effectively an entire *fourth act* where you fight re-matches against a bunch of of other enemies you've fought on the way there.
My strategy is listen to a DnD podcast/vids and Steal. Ooooh Cleric lady wants to become a god and does so by consuming their hearts. Well meet Kiana the God eater who goes around collecting hearts for more power. Oh a court case determining your not fit to take care of your son resulting in a time/space warp where your kid has a new dad? Well I got an idea for your favorite pet that you constantly need to resurrect cause it dies all the time cause you use them as a meat shield. A experimental monkey that got his hand replaced that gives him magic but also makes him unstable. Well lookie lookie. A sweet lady who keeps talking about how pure you are before kidnapping and preforming a similar BUT LEGALLY DISTICT operation. The Third one is very appropriate now because in 2024 rules Sorcerers don't get Subclass till level 3 and I currently have a player who based their character on Mr. Clean, can't get much purer than that.
![15 Tips For Writing Better Dialogue [MASTERCLASS]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yWQxaQ_tJVY/mqdefault.jpg)
this came up in my recommended, instant click, love the presentation so far great work :]]
Thank you :)
Thanks for this very important coverage! Love your content!
I was watching this and didn't even realize this wasn't a big youtuber. I like the quality you put in your videos.
@@robertbowen6181 thank you! Made my day!
i feel the exact same way
the cutting back and forth to the shot of the yam over and over again killed me LMAO
Nice one, thank you!
Very well put! I like to structure things out myself, and breaking it down into simpler steps makes it easier to present the information to the players in an orderly fashion. I"m also glad you differentiated between plot based adventures and sandbox style play. I've played with very orderly game masters and ones who improvise most of the session and they are both good in different ways. The good plot based sessions I've played or listened to often follow a similar formula to the one you presented.
i like how this video slows down my brainrotted brain
This was great! I like the vocabulary of "inevitabilities".
I think this was THE KEY concept to make things click in my mind as to why my sessions seems a bit lacklustre and hard to follow. Thank you so much! Its always hard for me to warp my mind around things without some kind of structure and now I have one!
I'm happy I was able to help you! Comments like this are why I make these videos :)
A very well done video. I am looking forward to seeing what else you produce.
Great advice setting up inevitabilities. That is great framework of thinking. Where I am a bit challenged is as the players dive into their story the harder it gets to pull off these inevitabilities without robbing the players of their agency. I would love to see you tackle this Way of scenario writing in relation to player action.
A lot of it comes down to how in-depth you want to be with inevitabilities. There comes a certain point where you need to back up, and allow them to figure it out. Tricky, and it sort of comes with experience. I think of it a bit like a funnel, where the further on the more constrained their actions are (assuming you are right about their motivations).
In the same way you know a superhero will go into a burning building to save a cat, you can have some certainty that the players will prioritize and act in accordance to the constraints on their ability and character. A Starfleet officer will always try to do the ethical thing and complete the mission. I'm not sure how clear I'm being here, but it's definitely a video worth making (how to run a plot and have it not fall apart).
I don’t think constraints are good for us as scenario writers. I personally love when my players surprise me (i.e by playing the starfleet officer that does the unethical thing due to a flawed character trait). If your act 3 is not a premise how do you avoid the railroad? If the scenario has to climax when the characters run into a burning building - how do your write a flexible scenario that allows freedom up until that point.
(Subbed by the way) ✌️
Maybe one way to think about it is that you spend time on prep and create acts, inevitabilities, and scenes. However, depending on how the players react, you alter the prep to fit the new situation. Maybe all you alter is to add a new scene. Or maybe you change the 3rd act to have a different BBEG. Or maybe the players missed all the clues, so you have to set up a couple new scenes that have the clues they need to find. If the players havent seen it yet, its up for grabs and can change. Its how you balance the two competing virtues of railroading is bad and of the GM needs to prep something.
Very nice to see videos on this topic instead of the usual “this is why your players hate you”. Will be reflecting on this approach!
Some advice, as I think you got great potential!
- You cover a complicated concept that would benefit from showing more notes or something visual to support your points, rather than showing yourself.
- You don’t look directly at the viewer, but at your notes. This is understandable but also a bit off putting.
- More cat 😍
- Your video appeals mostly to viewers that are good listeners. I would add more text on the screen listing what you are talking about in simple text lines. It would broaden your audience, as people have different preferences for learning (listening, seeing, quizzing, hands on etc).
Subscribed!
I'm a dev of a small indie game studio, some days ago i was thinkng about how music structure can inspire structure of other media; the moment you start playing the piano i had goosebumps.
Then you focus on classic 3 act structure, and man i was a little bit disappointed, but overall it was a very good exposition. I think you are a very smart guy, and maybe next time you can make something more related to music structure, if what i said click somwhow on your personal thought on the matter, ty for the content! Great quality too!
I'm a classical music composer, and I definitely see the connections between music structure and D&D structure and improving as a GM. It's a video I have planned for "eventually." And it's likely something I'd need to compose a lot of music for if I wanted to reinforce the point I was looking at.
@@TheWeepingStag WOW, i know it! Looking forward it!
ik this isn't related to the content of the video, but you have such cool eyes, i don't think Ive ever seen eyes that are that light of a brown
Thanks lol
Came for the content , stayed for the eyes
☮
It's a video game, not a TTRPG, but SaGa: Scarlet Grace has a nice structure to the game that makes it very reactive and non-linnear while being coherent:
There are three main BBEG- the Great Earth Serpent, the Phoenix, and Sigrfei, a seemingly human warlord. There is also a non-BBEG-based plotline where you hunt shards containing the power of the Firebringer, an allegedly dead god who's residual power nevertheless poeses a great harm to the world. The game has a three-act structure where you solve each of these issues and then enter a final mega-dungeon leading to the final boss. One act is one overarching plotline, though the order you do them in has a bit of variation.
The world map is divided int 20 or so "regions", each of whom has their own plotline going on. One has a giant volcano that might erupt soon, one has a magical effect that causes rumors to become true if enough people belive in them, a few tie back into one of the "main" bosses. They are interconnected, but self contained enough that they can be done in any order.
Heres where it start's getting clever: The BBEG plotlines can be done in multiple combinaions or orders, and still make coherent sense. Furthermore, the local plotlines, which make up the meat of the game, are *changed* in certain ways depending on which act you are in, and which overarching plotline you are currently doing.
For example, one region is wracked by earthquakes in act one, has a giant eruption in act two, and is an ashen wastelantd in act three. This is caused by the stirring of the Great Earth serpent, but depending on when you visit and why you visit, dialogue will frame this as foreshadowing for his later arrival, a consequence of his active rampage as you chase him, or a consequence of his death, dynamically. Another province has a piracy and smuggling ring. Normally the plot ends with you just killing all the pirates, but if you're doing Sigfrie's plotline when you enter, DUN DUN DUN! Sigfrei's behind the pirates, collecting money for his other schemes, and you have to fight him and his demons at the same time as the pirates.
The *entire game* is like this. On the first playthrough, is basically seamless. The way they designed it so that all the components were seamlessly interlocking pieces that could be altered and made sense of no matter what you wee doing, needs to be studied. In partiuclar, the game remembers the choices you make in certain checkpoints, both on the main quest and side quest, and certain people will hold grudges against you or certain choices will draw magical consequence. Depending on the choices you make, the final mega dungeon could be, effectively an entire *fourth act* where you fight re-matches against a bunch of of other enemies you've fought on the way there.
You have exactly 666 views. I feel I'm spoiling it for you but I have to watch too 😭
Bad news, any amount of views increases the count lol
@@TheWeepingStag exactly !
My strategy is listen to a DnD podcast/vids and Steal.
Ooooh Cleric lady wants to become a god and does so by consuming their hearts. Well meet Kiana the God eater who goes around collecting hearts for more power.
Oh a court case determining your not fit to take care of your son resulting in a time/space warp where your kid has a new dad? Well I got an idea for your favorite pet that you constantly need to resurrect cause it dies all the time cause you use them as a meat shield.
A experimental monkey that got his hand replaced that gives him magic but also makes him unstable. Well lookie lookie. A sweet lady who keeps talking about how pure you are before kidnapping and preforming a similar BUT LEGALLY DISTICT operation.
The Third one is very appropriate now because in 2024 rules Sorcerers don't get Subclass till level 3 and I currently have a player who based their character on Mr. Clean, can't get much purer than that.
Oh, i see new name for railroad dropped. INEVITABILITY. Cool.
But now seriously. Don't write that way, don't run that way.