The Adventure Crafter
The Adventure Crafter
The Adventure Crafter
Artwork
Jorge Muñoz
Word Mill
5055 Canyon Crest Dr. • Riverside, CA 92507
www.wordmillgames.com
The Adventure Crafter © Copyright 2018 by Tana Pigeon and Word Mill. The Adventure Crafter is published by Word Mill. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this work by
any means without written permission from the publisher, except short excerpts for the purpose of reviews or pages clearly marked for personal use, is expressly prohibited.
The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned.
CONTENTS
Adventure Awaits!.............................................4
Adventure Themes.............................................8
Character Crafting.............................................60
Adventure Awaits!
Welcome to The Adventure Crafter, the third book in the
Crafter series by Word Mill Games! The Adventure Crafter PLOTLINES
presents a system for randomly generating story outlines, A Plotline is an open thread in your Adventure. It is the reason
adventure seeds, random events, and plot twists for your role your Characters are adventuring. They are the conflicts to resolve,
playing gaming pleasure. the goals to achieve. An Adventure may have one Plotline or
Although The Adventure Crafter plugs in nicely with the Mythic many, it may have a main Plotline and some lesser Plotlines, or
line from Word Mill Games, it can be used with any RPG system. they may all be of equal merit. A Plotline develops through an
The Adventure Crafter isn’t about the system but the Adventure. Adventure’s Turning Points. Each Turning Point is focused on
Before we get into the nitty gritty, let’s cover some key a Plotline and will either create the New Plotline, develop the
concepts you need to know about The Adventure Crafter. Plotline further through an Advancement, or end the Plotline and
remove it from the Adventure through a Conclusion.
You will keep track of your Plotlines, putting them all in a List
PLOT POINTS that will sometimes be rolled to get a random Plotline, usually at
A Plot Point is the basic building block of everything that the start of a new Turning Point to determine what Plotline the
happens in The Adventure Crafter. Plot Points are discreet story Turning Point is focusing on.
units that offer a point of detail that will go into the stew that The creation, Advancement, and Conclusion of Plotlines are
is your Adventure. Some Plot Points are instructional, such as what make up your ...
telling you to add a new Character to the Adventure, and some
sound like story tropes, like “Betrayed!” or “Something Lost
Has Been Found.” Anywhere from two to five Plot Points are
combined to form ...
TURNING POINTS
Turning Points are the pivotal Scenes in your Adventure
that propel the story along. They are the plot twists within your
Adventure. A Turning Point is composed of a group of Plot
Points put together. You figure out what actually happens during
a Turning Point by using interpretation and combining what you
already know about the Adventure with a group of Plot Points.
Each Turning Point serves a major plot thread in your
Adventure. That thread will either begin in a Turning Point,
develop in a Turning Point, or reach its conclusion in a Turning
Point. The Adventure Crafter refers to these Adventure threads as ...
4
ADVENTURE AWAITS!
ADVENTURE LISTS
The Adventure is exactly what you would think it is: it’s your There are a few Lists you’ll have to maintain when using The
story, what the Characters are doing. An Adventure is composed Adventure Crafter: Plotlines and Characters. Whenever a new
of one or more Plotlines, the resolution of which form the Plotline or new Character enters your Adventure, they get added
Adventure itself. An Adventure is over when all Plotlines, or the to their respective List. When a Plotline is concluded, it gets
main Plotline, is resolved, or you just decide that the Characters struck off the Plotlines List. More rarely, Characters will also exit
have taken it far enough. Not all Plotlines in an Adventure need the Characters List.
to be resolved; it’s okay to have Plotlines remain open for use in Lists serve the dual purpose of keeping track of the important
future Adventures so that the story continues or to just let them story threads and actors in your Adventure, and also serve as random
remain unresolved. tables for when a Plotline or Character needs to be rolled up.
SCENES THEMES
The word “Scenes” will be used in this book to describe Plot Points come in various flavors, which are described as
moments in an Adventure where something definable happens. Themes. The Themes are: Tension, Action, Mystery, Social,
For instance, the fantasy adventurers meet in a tavern to discuss and Personal. Each Theme has Plot Points tailored to that
the upcoming expedition; the secret agent hangs out in an Theme. At the start of an Adventure, Themes are prioritized
apartment building with binoculars spying on the double agent for that Adventure so you can adjust the tone of your story.
across the street; the hero strides up to the villain to do battle. For instance, a horror Adventure may have Tension as its most
Turning Points are special Scenes that are the main sections of important Theme, while a dungeon crawl may have Adventure
an Adventure, but the Adventure itself will likely be made up of as its most important Theme. Themes can be arranged in any
many more Scenes that take place between those points. Using order of priority to achieve a wide range of Adventures that
the term “Scene” just gives us a way to think about all of this. retain a consistent feel throughout. For instance, an Adventure
strong in Tension and Mystery may be a psychological horror
story with lots of detective work and dark corners, but not a lot
CHARACTERS of direct physical action or interpersonal events.
The Characters are all of the people and entities in your The Themes, and the kinds of Plot Points associated with
Adventure. They include the Characters you play, the Player them, could be characterized as:
Characters, as well as Non-Player Characters who are the supporting • Action: These Plot Points focus on direct, physical action
cast of your Adventure. like combat and chases.
Characters can also be non- • Tension: These are Plot Points that create anxiety for
persons, such as organizations Characters, and are common in horror Adventures.
or objects. Basically, anything • Mystery: These Plot Points raise and answer lots of
that can act independently in questions.
your Adventure or that Player • Social: These are Plot Points that involve the interaction
Characters will have to interact of people, or the machinations of social institutions.
with can be considered a • Personal: These are Plot Points where the focus is on an
Character. Characters could be individual Character, whether a Player Character or a
the orc chieftain, the citizens Non-Player Character. Other Themes involve Characters,
of a village, the artificial of course, but the Plot Points of the Personal Theme tend
intelligence running a building, to be more personally oriented, such as involving Character
a starship, a jungle, etc. backstories and people who are close to those Characters.
Like with Plotlines,
Characters are placed in Lists
for use with The Adventure
Crafter.
Let’s talk about ...
5
WAYS TO USE THE ADVENTURE CRAFTER
6
WAYS TO USE THE ADVENTURE CRAFTER
As You Go
You can generate an entire
Adventure outline beforehand and
flesh it out, or, you can generate that
outline as you play. In this way, you
can use The Adventure Crafter to
build an Adventure on the go so that
you are surprised at each new Turning
Point. This can be done by a Game
Master who wishes to develop her
Adventure without prior preparation,
by a group of players who aren’t using
a Game Master at all, or for a solo
player who has The Adventure Crafter
act as the Game Master for story
generation purposes.
This is very similar to making an
Adventure outline, you just do it as
you play.
As Needed
As A Writing Tool
You can also use The Adventure Crafter when you want to
generate a twist in your own, custom-made Adventure. For Finally, I want to mention that not only can The Adventure
instance, maybe you’re a Game Master creating an Adventure Crafter be used to make role-playing Adventures, it can be used
and you’re feeling, midway through the process, that the story by those of you who enjoy writing. The Adventure Crafter is a
is stalling out. Some new ideas would be nice. You may use The story idea generator, with the summaries created being as much
Adventure Crafter to toss in a surprise to add some unexpected story outlines as Adventure outlines. These outlines can be used
flavor to your Adventure. to help you construct ideas for your fiction.
7
ADVENTURE THEMES
Adventure Themes
Every Adventure generated using The Adventure Crafter is
defined by a set of five Themes. These Themes are used to help RANDOM THEME
randomly roll Plot Points that are associated with those Themes. PRIORITY SELECTION
They also help define and shape the overall tone of the Adventure.
To select the priority of Theme’s for your Adventure randomly,
As mentioned previously, the Themes are Action, Tension,
roll 1d10 on the Random Themes Table for each Theme, starting
Mystery, Social, and Personal. Like Characters in an RPG, your
with the first priority Theme and working your way down
Adventure has statistics, and you can think of Themes as the
through to number five. If, when rolling for the next priority
Adventure’s defining stats. Every Adventure is strong in some
Theme, you roll a Theme that has already been selected, then
Themes and weak in others.
continue down the table until you get to the next available
When creating an Adventure, all five Themes will be assigned
Theme. If you reach the end of the table while continuing down
to the Adventure in order of their importance, with the first
it, return again to the start of the table until you find an available
Theme being the most important and the last Theme being the
Theme. Continue on in this way until you are done and have all
least. The order of the Themes determines the likely frequency
five Themes in place.
with which Plot Points associated with those Themes will appear
For instance, let’s
in your Adventure, with the top priority Themes’ Plot Points
most likely to appear, and the lowest priority Themes’ Plot Points
say you’re crafting an Random Themes Table
Adventure for a group of
least likely to appear.
occult investigator Player 1-2 ACTION
Characters. Deciding 3-4 TENSION
to randomly select the
ASSIGNING THEME PRIORITY Themes, you start rolling 5-6 MYSTERY
There are two ways you can assign Theme priorities for 1d10, your first roll 7-8 SOCIAL
an Adventure: you can choose, or you can determine them being a 4. Consulting the
9-10 PERSONAL
randomly. Choosing is your best option if you know exactly what Random Themes Table, we
kind of tone you want for your Adventure. For instance, if the see a 4 gives us Tension.
Adventure is a group of space marines landing on a planet to That seems appropriate that our top priority Theme for a horror
investigate a loss of communication from settlers only to discover Adventure is Tension. We’re off to a good start.
a nest of nasty aliens to fight, you might decide on the following Continuing down the priorities to number 2, we roll a 5 for
Theme order: Action, Tension, Mystery, Social, Personal. Mystery. The third priority rolled is a 4 again, but we already have
You can also combine choosing with random selection if you Tension, so we can’t use that. Going down the Random Themes
know what you want as your top Themes but you aren’t particular Table from Tension, next is Mystery. That also has already been
about the rest. Maybe with our space marines Adventure, we taken. The next down the table is Social, that’s available so that
know we want lots of combat, so we decide that Action is the top becomes priority three. Rolling for the priority four Theme, we
Theme. However, we aren’t as picky about the rest of it, so we roll get a 3, Tension again. We look down the table, with the next
randomly for the remaining Themes. available Theme being Personal, which takes slot four. The only
remaining Theme is Action, which takes Theme priority five.
Starting our occult Adventure, we know that it’s going to be
Tension heavy with doses of Mystery. There may also be some
scattered Social elements, and it’s unlikely that there will be many
Personal or Action Plot Points.
8
ADVENTURE THEMES
Mystery
Mystery Plot Points are all about raising and answering
questions. Adventures with Mystery as the top Theme will likely
feature a lot of investigation on the part of the Characters.
Social
The Social Theme is all about people interacting with each
other and the presence of social institutions. An Adventure with
Social as the top Theme will likely involve a lot of elements that
invoke the goals and aspirations of individuals and groups, and
how those ambitions interact with others. A Social Themed
Adventure may include a lot of negotiation and intrigue.
Personal
The Personal Theme is all about drawing individual
Characters into the Adventure personally, with their backgrounds
and personal stories having direct connections with the Plotlines
of the Adventure. Adventures with Personal as the top Theme will
likely include elements that tie at least one Character directly into
a Plotline.
9
LISTS AND THE ADVENTURE SHEET
10
LISTS AND THE ADVENTURE SHEET
Plotlines List Characters List existing Character is Invoked for this Plot Point. That Character
1-4 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 1-4 NEW CHARACTER
is recorded on the Adventure Sheet next to the Plot Point that
5-8 NEW PLOTLINE 5-8 NEW CHARACTER Invoked them and is written in again on the Characters List on
9-12 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 9-12 NEW CHARACTER the next available open slot, as long as the Character is not already
13-16 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 13-16 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
on the Characters List at least three times.
17-20 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 17-20 NEW CHARACTER
As with Invoked Plotlines, the more often a Character gets
21-24 NEW PLOTLINE 21-24 NEW CHARACTER
45-48 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 45-48 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
53-56
57-60
NEW PLOTLINE
57-60
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
11
LISTS AND THE ADVENTURE SHEET
3 8-9
To make this easy, you can copy or print out an Adventure 4 10
• Adventure: A line for entering a title for your Adventure. PLOT POINTS
Conclusion
CHARACTERS INVOKED
• Date: In case you need it, a place to record the date you’re 1
2
playing your Adventure. 3
Adventure. 5
the Adventure Sheet in these spaces. On the right hand side PLOT POINTS
1
CHARACTERS INVOKED
of the spaces are numbers from 1 to 10. This is listed for your 2
4
will draw from. 5
re Date
Drew prints out an Adventure Themes So Kagal, the local hero and the one most people expect to
Sheet and randomly determines perform the quest, sees an opportunity in having a roving band
1 Tension 1-4
the Themes for this Adventure (as of adventuring strangers in town. He frames Eric, claiming
2 Personal 5-7
discussed on page 8). the knight stole the village’s relic with the intention to sell it
Drew is happy with these 3 Social 8-9
elsewhere. The Characters are surprised to find themselves
results. She sees this Adventure 4 Mystery 10 wrested from their tavern rooms in the morning and dragged
is going to be heavy with 5 Action 10 out to a boisterous mob in the town square. Kagal and a village
Tension and Personal elements. court quickly find Eric and his companions guilty of theft. Their
New Plotline
POINT It’s sounding
PLOTLINE like a horror Adventure to her, so maybe it’ll be
Development punishment is to deliver the relic into the evil temple.
Conclusion
NTS
lighter on the monsters andCHARACTERS heavier onINVOKED
the traps and scares. Drew filled out the Adventure Sheet with the Plot Points she
She doesn’t know any specifics about the Adventure itself, so generated, noting the one Plot Point that required Characters to be
it’s time toSECTION
get to the first Turning Point and find out what this Invoked. Since Eric was Invoked in this Turning Point, and a new
Adventure is all about. Creating Turning Points and generating Character was generated, she adds them to the Characters List.
Plot Points
ADVENTURE SHEETwill be discussed fully in the next chapter (starting
onAdventure
page 18). Date
Since Plotlines
Drew is List
just getting started, there are no Plotlines for
Themes
Characters List
Notes
this Adventure yet, so the first Turning Point is automatically a
1-4 CHOOSE MOST
New Plotline. She rolls the Plot Points and2 Invoked
1
LOGICAL PLOTLINE
1-4
Characters
5-7
1-4 Eric
NEWthe knight
CHARACTER
(as described5-8 in the next chapter).
NEW PLOTLINE Filling out
3
4
her Adventure Sheet
8-9
5-8 Rico the sorcerer
NEW CHARACTER
with her New results,
Plotline
Drew gets this for her first Turning Point: 10
POINT PLOTLINE
9-12
Development
Conclusion CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
x New Plotline
5 10
9-12 Ethenia the cleric
NEW CHARACTER
NTS 1 CHARACTERS INVOKED
Eric
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
PLOT POINTS
13-16 CHOOSE MOST
Conclusion
LOGICAL PLOTLINE
CHARACTERS INVOKED
13-16 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
None
Kagal
1
2 17-20
A high energy gathering CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 17-20 NEW CHARACTER
3 Framed Eric / Kagal
4 21-24
Quiet catastrophe NEW PLOTLINE 21-24 NEW CHARACTER
5 None This Turning Point called for the creation of a new Plotline,
25-28 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 25-28 NEW CHARACTER
Notes the Adventure’s
SECTION first. Drew decides that the Plotline is “Deliver
29-32 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE the relic.”
29-32She notes this onMOST
CHOOSE the Adventure
LOGICALSheet then she adds it
CHARACTER
New Plotline
to the first open line on the Plotlines List ...
TURNING POINT
33-36
PLOTLINE
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
Development
Conclusion 33-36 NEW CHARACTER
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
Drew rolled up a number of interesting Plot Points, including: Plotlines List Char
1
37-40 NEW PLOTLINE 37-40 NEW CHARACTER
A2 high energy gathering, Framed, and Quiet catastrophe. The
Framed
3 Plot41-44
Point required
CHOOSEher to Invoke
MOST Characters
LOGICAL for the Plot
PLOTLINE 41-44
1-4 Deliver the relic
NEW CHARACTER
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 1-4
Point to refer to: someone who is framed, and someone doing
4
the framing.45-48
5
She rolledCHOOSE MOST LOGICAL
and determined PLOTLINE
that the Player Character 45-48
5-8 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
NEW PLOTLINE 5-8
Eric
Notes is being framed by a new Character. She decides the new
49-52 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 49-52 NEW CHARACTER
9-12 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 9-12
Character
10 is a local hero named Kagal.
Putting all of this NEW
53-56 together Drew decides that, following
PLOTLINE 53-56
13-16 CHOOSE
CHOOSEMOST
MOSTLOGICAL
LOGICALCHARACTER
PLOTLINE 13-1
the party’s last adventure, the heroes wandered off to a nearby
village to rest.57-60
Unknown CHOOSE MOST
to them, the LOGICAL
village hasPLOTLINE
been troubled 57-60
This exampleCHOOSE
17-20 gives you MOST
CHOOSE ideaLOGICAL
MOST
an LOGICAL
of CHARACTER
PLOTLINE
how Plotlines and 17-2
lately by a local
61-64 dungeon, the ancient and foul
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINEtemple known Characters
61-64 make their
21-24 CHOOSE
way onto their Lists and
MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
NEW PLOTLINE
how the 21-2
as the Kragan Pit. It’s been stirring and releasing evil creatures Adventure Sheet helps you record your growing Adventure.
into the lands. 65-68The people
CHOOSEneedMOST
someone to enterPLOTLINE
LOGICAL the temple The65-68
next chapter
25-28 NEW will
CHOOSE goMOST
into more
CHARACTER detail on
LOGICAL how all of this
PLOTLINE 25-2
and deliver a holy relic to the heart of the cavern, cleansing the actually works.
69-72 CHOOSE
CHOOSEMOST
MOSTLOGICAL
LOGICALCHARACTER
place of its 69-72 NEW PLOTLINE
evil. The only problem is, no one wants to go in 29-32 PLOTLINE 29-3
and do it. 73-76 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 33-36
73-76 CHOOSEMOST
CHOOSE MOSTLOGICAL
LOGICALCHARACTER
PLOTLINE 33-3
ADVENTURE SHEET
Adventure Date
Notes Themes
1 1-4
2 5-7
3 8-9
4 10
5 10
New Plotline
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
Notes
New Plotline
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
Notes
14
LISTS AND THE ADVENTURE SHEET
New Plotline
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
Notes
New Plotline
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
Notes
New Plotline
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
Notes
15
LISTS AND THE ADVENTURE SHEET
13-16 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 13-16 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
29-32 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 29-32 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
45-48 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 45-48 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
73-76 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 73-76 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
89-92 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 89-92 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
93-96 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 93-96 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
16
SECTION
17
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
18
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
ADVANCEMENT OR results span across Turning Points. For instance, if on the last
Plot Point of Turning Point 3 you rolled a 10 and got the Fourth
CONCLUSION Priority, then when you started Turning Point 4 you rolled a 10
If the Plotline you rolled is an existing Plotline, it starts the again, the Theme would be the Fifth Priority.
Turning Point off as a Plotline Advancement. An Advancement If you roll a 10 and forget what the last priority Theme was that
pushes the Plotline forward, giving new twists and information you selected, then just start the cycle over with the Fourth Priority.
for the Player Characters to deal with. The other two dice are used to determine your Plot Point
While rolling Plot Points for this Turning Point, it’s possible from the Plot Point Table. Go down the numbers in the
for this Turning Point to turn from a Plotline Advancement into column under the Theme you rolled, and find your Plot Point
a Plotline Conclusion. The first result of the Plot Point Table is on the left. Each Plot Point has a title that indicates what it is
“Conclusion,” rolled on a 1-8. about and gives you something you can write on the Adventure
We’ll discuss more about New Plotlines, Plotline Sheet. They also include some explanation and sometimes an
Advancements, and Plotline Conclusions later in this chapter on example. A few Plot Points require additional explanation and
page 22, All About Plotlines. will be discussed further in this chapter.
Some Plot Points will require Characters to be Invoked to
go along with the Plot Point. This means the Plot Point directly
involves those Characters, and their names would be listed on the
ROLL ON THE PLOT POINT TABLE Adventure Sheet beside the Plot Point. We will talk about this
You know your Plotline for this Turning Point. Now it’s time more later in this chapter.
to assemble various Plot Points to figure out what, exactly, is Every Turning Point must have no fewer than two Plot
happening in this Turning Point. Points, and no more than five. This means you will roll five
The Plot Point Table is large, spanning multiple pages with a times on the Plot Point table. Some of the rolls will give you a
couple of hundred Plot Points separated into Themes. To use the result of “None”. This means there is no Plot Point for the slot
Plot Point Table, roll 3d10. One of the dice will be used as a 1d10 you just rolled for and it would be entered on your Adventure
to determine the Theme of this Plot Point, while the other two dice Sheet as a “None” on that line. You can have no more than
will be used as a 1d100 to generate the Plot Point itself. It’s a good three “None” results. If you roll a fourth, then disregard it and
idea to use different colored dice so you know which is which when roll again.
tossing them. You are done rolling Plot Points for this Turning Point when
The 1d10 you have rolled your fifth Plot Point, including the “None” results.
die for the Plot Point Theme Table
Theme will
1-4 FIRST PRIORITY - 1
tell you which
priority 5-7 SECOND PRIORITY - 2
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Theme of the At this point you have a Plotline in mind, you know if it’s an
8-9 THIRD PRIORITY - 3 Advancement or a Conclusion, and you have anywhere between
Adventure this
Plot Point is 10 FOURTH/FIFTH two and five Plot Points for your Turning Point. Combine all of this
for. Remember PRIORITY - 4/5 and interpret what you think this means for your Adventure. This is
at the outset of your Turning Point.
your Adventure you determined the Themes of this Adventure, For instance, let’s say you’re crafting an Adventure for a group
ordered by Priority. The Themes are Action, Tension, Mystery, of space-faring explorers aboard the rogue ship Stardrifter. You’re
Social, and Personal. The roll of the Theme die will tell you to working up a Turning Point, the Plotline is, “Return the rescued
choose the First, Second, Third, or Fourth/Fifth priority Theme. hostage home safely.” The crew of the Stardrifter rescued the
A result of 10 gives you the Fourth and Fifth Themes together. hostage from a group of pirates after a skirmish earlier in the
This result is staggered each time you roll it. The first time a 10 Adventure. The Stardrifter is making its way through space,
is rolled, choose the Fourth Priority Theme. The second time a trying to avoid the pursuing pirates and return the hostage to
10 is rolled, choose the Fifth Priority Theme. When a 10 is rolled her home planet ... and her wealthy family, hopefully with a
again, it’s back to the Fourth Priority Theme, and so on. These substantial reward as a result.
19
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
Rolling up the Plot Points, they get the following: A High Characters List one time during any given Turning Point where
Energy Gathering, None, None, Bad News, and Escort Duty. they are Invoked. In other words, a Character is written down
You decide that this means the crew of the Stardrifter had on the Characters List for being Invoked during a Turning Point,
made arrangements to meet a member of the hostage’s family on whether Invoked once or any number of times.
a space station at a busy nightclub (A High Energy Gathering). • A Plotline or Character can only appear on a List a
The Player Characters are nervous bringing the hostage off the maximum of three times through being Invoked. For instance, a
ship and into the station, fearing the pirates may have agents Plotline is placed on the Plotlines List when it is first created. In
there, but they were instructed to bring her to the meeting. They the next Turning Point it gets Invoked, so the Player writes that
bring her, guarding her carefully along the way (Escort Duty). Plotline down again on the Plotlines List. A couple of Turning
Once they reach the club, however, they find that their point of Points later it again is Invoked, earning its third placement on the
contact has not shown up, and they learn that the emissary was Plotlines List. If the same Plotline gets Invoked in any succeeding
intercepted by pirates and was killed in space before arriving (Bad Turning Points it will not be recorded on the Plotlines List again
News). The Game Master decides to use this Turning Point to since it has already maxed out at three listings. The same goes
show the Player Characters how much danger they are in, and to for Characters. The only exception to this rule are results on the
what lengths the pirates will go to get their hostage back. They Meta Plot Points table that instruct you to add Plotlines and
also know they have no choice, there are no short cuts: they need Characters to the Lists, which can bring you above the usual three
to get the hostage all the way home. listing maximum.
• When a Plot Point Invokes a Character, it means that Plot
Point is about that Character. However, it doesn’t necessarily
mean it is only about that Character. For instance, a Plot Point
INVOKING PLOTLINES that calls for someone to be attacked may cause you to roll to
AND CHARACTERS see which Character is attacked. However, you may decide that
the Character is the first one attacked, and that the attackers also
At the beginning, and throughout, the creation of a Turning
attack others in the Turning Point. Or maybe you decide that the
Point, you will have need to refer to Plotlines and Characters on
Character you rolled represents a group of people, and the entire
the Lists. When a Plotline or Character is called upon, they are
group is attacked. You should follow the logical path that makes
considered Invoked. This will happen, for instance, at the start of
the most sense, whether it makes sense to apply a Plot Point only
a Turning Point when you determine which Plotline this Turning
to the Invoked Character or to the Invoked Character and others
Point addresses.
associated with them.
Similarly, during the rolling and determining of Plot Points,
many Plot Points will need to refer to Characters. These are
determined by rolling on the Characters List. When one or
more Characters have been associated with a Plot Point, they are MAKING IT INTO
considered to have been Invoked.
An Invoked Plotline or Character is considered to be an SOMETHING MEANINGFUL
important element in a Turning Point. The more Plotlines and At the end of this chapter is the Plot Points table, which
Characters are Invoked in an Adventure, the more important sprawls out across 26 pages. Yes, that’s a lot of table (there is also
they become to the Adventure overall. This is represented in a four page summary of the entire table for quicker reference
The Adventure Crafter by writing the Invoked Plotline or if you don’t wish to see the full text of each Plot Point). There
Character down on the Plotlines or Characters List again, earning are hundreds of Plot Points, each with their own descriptions.
them another slot on the List whenever they are Invoked in a Once you are done making your rolls for a Turning Point, you’re
Turning Point. This means that a specific Plotline and individual going to end up with a nice little pile of Plot Points, Invoked
Characters can appear in their List more than once, giving them a Characters, and an Invoked Plotline.
greater chance of being Invoked again in the future. So what do you do with that?
There are a few guidelines to follow when Invoking: Interpretation is the key here. Take all that you have rolled
• A Character may be Invoked more than once during a single and make it meaningful for your Adventure. The Plot Points
Turning Point, for instance being Invoked in two separate Plot give you just enough information to be suggestive of adventuring
Points. However, the Character is only written down on the content, but they are not so specific that they can’t be applied to
20
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
Scripting
When you create a series of Turning Points for a Plotline, the the clearest picture of a Turning Point, and it is now up to you, as
end result will appear very linearly scripted. For instance, let’s say the Gamemaster, how much of this detail you wish to use.
you are running a fantasy Adventure and the Plotline is “Rescue the If you wanted to go with a completely linear and almost fully
princess from the dragon.” This Plotline ends up being made up scripted Adventure, you could go with the results as is. In the
of five Turning Points. In each Turning Point something distinct example of our band of princess-rescuing heroes, you have the
happens. For instance, let’s say the Turning Points end up like this: Adventure neatly laid out for you as the GM, ready to run the
1. The heroes are hired by King Drundor to rescue his Players through.
beloved daughter from the dragon Ylogor, who abducted
her to spite the King for refusing to pay him tribute.
2. The heroes travel through the Fasmore Woods where they
Using Turning Points As Inspiration
encounter and battle cultists who worship Ylogor and A level of detail below following a script would be using the
wish to hinder the heroes assault on his cavern. Turning Point results as a guideline or inspiration. For instance,
3. After getting past the cultists, the heroes have to make their in our rescue Adventure, the GM decides that all of these results
way through the treacherous forest, where they encounter are the most likely courses of action, but things may change
several dangers such as a rickety bridge across a chasm. midway through and the GM makes plans for that. The GM may
4. The heroes discover the dragon’s cavern and make their also change details to suit her tastes as the Adventure takes shape
way inside, battling a nest of giant spiders that serve as in her mind, and she may add additional Scenes and elements to
guardians to their dragon lord’s home. her Adventure to flesh it out more.
5. The heroes make it to the heart of the cavern and For instance, in the first Turning Point, the GM decides to spice
encounter the dragon, where they defeat it in battle and up the initial encounter with the king with an additional event at
rescue the princess. his palace that involves a Ylogor cultist who attempts to assassinate
Here we have a completed Storyline for “Rescue the princess” a Player Character. The GM may decide to do this to add some
composed of five Turning Points. The action described is very action to the first Turning Point since there isn’t a lot going on
specific, and this is typical of how the Adventure Crafter works. besides setting up the Plotline, and that encounter could also serve
Each Turning Point will offer detail and specificity. This gives you as foreshadowing for the troubles they will face later in the woods.
21
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
22
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
SECTION
By now, the Plotlines List might look something like this: Plotline Conclusions
Plotlines List At some point
Characters List a Plotline is going to end. This happens when
you get a result of “Conclusion” on the Plot Points table. This
1-4 Deliver the relic
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
means
1-4
thatNEW
this Turning
CHARACTER
Point is all about the Invoked Plotline
coming to a finish. In Kragan Pit, this most likely means the
5-8 Deliver the relic
NEW PLOTLINE heroes
5-8 haveNEW reached the heart of the cavern and have delivered the
CHARACTER
relic, concluding the first Plotline.
9-12 Save
CHOOSEthe villager
MOST girlPLOTLINE
LOGICAL 9-12
When you NEW CHARACTER
get a result of “Conclusion,” that is considered to
13-16 Deliver the relic
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE be a Plot Point
13-16 CHOOSE item itself.
MOST You can use CHARACTER
LOGICAL it to mean any details that
are necessary to help draw your Plotline to an end.
17-20 Save
CHOOSEthe villager
MOST girlPLOTLINE
LOGICAL 17-20 NEW CHARACTER
For instance, let’s say your Adventure is about a superhero
who has been battling a wolfman type of monster in town.
21-24 Escape the pit before it collapses
NEW PLOTLINE 21-24 NEW CHARACTER
Through the course of the Adventure, the hero has determined
25-28 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE that
25-28 the wolfman is a scientist named Derrek Raines who
NEW CHARACTER
accidentally caused his condition, where he turns into the
29-32 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 29-32 monster
wolfish CHOOSE MOST
at night andLOGICAL
goes on aCHARACTER
rampage. Raines,
33-36 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE despairing
33-36 about his
NEW CHARACTER condition, is hiding somewhere in town.
Each night he appears, he is stronger and more ferocious than
37-40 NEW PLOTLINE 37-40
the NEW CHARACTER
night before, giving our hero strong motivation to capture
him quickly.
The41-44
Players areCHOOSE MOST
likely about LOGICAL
seven TurningPLOTLINE
Points into their 41-44 NEW CHARACTER
Through several Turning Points, the hero discovers that
Adventure by
45-48 now. You’ll notice that “Deliver
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE the relic” has Raines
45-48 is holingCHOOSE up inMOST
an abandoned
LOGICALfunhouse
CHARACTER at the edge of
appeared three times in the List. It may have been Invoked in town. When rolling for the next Turning Point, the Player gets,
49-52
more than CHOOSE
three Turning MOST
Points, butLOGICAL
a PlotlinePLOTLINE
maxes out at three 49-52
“Nowhere NEW
to run,” CHARACTER
“Remote location,” “Chase,” “Conclusion,”
entries on the List. and “None.” As the GM generated the Plot Points, she may have
53-56 NEW PLOTLINE 53-56 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
been thinking that “Nowhere to run” means the hero corners
Raines
57-60 in the funhouse, the “Remote
LOGICALlocation” seems pretty
Plotline
57-60
Advancements
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE CHOOSE MOST CHARACTER
obvious as the funhouse itself. She decides that “Chase” means
61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 61-64
that, whenCHOOSE MOSTRaines
first discovered, LOGICAL willCHARACTER
flee until cornered. Then
As our heroes descend into Kragan Pit and generate more
Turning65-68
Points, most
CHOOSEof theMOST
time the PlotlinePLOTLINE
LOGICAL Invoked for a she
65-68rolls “Conclusion,”
NEW CHARACTER causing her to rethink this Turning Point
Turning Point is going to be an existing Plotline on the Plotlines aADVENTURE SHEET
little. Whatever happens in this Turning Point, the wolfman
69-72this happens,
List. When NEW PLOTLINE
the Turning Point is all about advancing is69-72
not goingCHOOSE
Adventure
to escape.MOST LOGICAL
She decides thatCHARACTER
this Date
means Raines, once
that Plotline, perhaps giving it someLOGICAL
new twists and turns or cornered,
Notes will not find a way out and he and the hero will have
Themes
73-76 CHOOSE MOST PLOTLINE 73-76 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
fleshing it out more. their final, climactic battle. 1 1-4
2
For 77-80 CHOOSE
instance, the “DeliverMOST LOGICAL
the relic” PLOTLINE
Plotline appeared in the Had theCHOOSE
77-80 GM not rolled
MOST“Conclusion,”
LOGICAL CHARACTER she might build into5-7
3 8-9
first Turning Point and got the Adventure started. Maybe in the Turning Point a way for Raines to escape 4
so that the chase 10
81-84 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 81-84 beNEW
wouldn’t over CHARACTER
for the hero just yet.
Turning Point 2 it was Invoked again. That Turning Point may 5 10
2
23
3
5
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
SECTION
Development, then it turns into a Conclusion. This may cause Entering the fourth Turning Point, our Characters List looks
you to rethink how you’d been conceptualizing your Turning like this:
Point up until that time. That’s okay. In fact, this is a good
opportunityPlotlines List ...
to talk about Characters List
5
SECTION TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
The other two dice gave us a result of 75. Checking the Plot
Plotlines List Characters List
Points table (which we’ll be getting to later in this chapter)
under the Tension column, we get a result of “A Need to
1-4 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
Hide.” This Plot Point requires a Character to be Invoked
1-4 Eric
NEWthe knight
CHARACTER
8-9
33-36 Ethenia
NEW CHARACTER
So far, the37-40
Turning NEW
Point PLOTLINE
on the Adventure Sheet looks like this:
4
5
10
10
37-40 Goblins
NEW CHARACTER
TURNING POINT
41-44
4 PLOTLINE CHOOSE MOST
New Plotline
x Rescue
Development
Conclusion
LOGICAL PLOTLINE
the villager 41-44 Dreana
NEW CHARACTER
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
1
45-48
A need to hide CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL
Dreana / Eric PLOTLINE 45-48 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
2
3
49-52 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 49-52 NEW CHARACTER
4
5
53-56 NEW PLOTLINE 53-56 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
Notes 57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
ADVENTURE SHEET
61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
New Plotline
On61-64
Adventure to the second Plot Point.
CHOOSE MOSTRolling
LOGICAL3d10, we get a Theme
CHARACTER
Date
Since two Characters
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE
were Invoked, we need to update the
Development
Conclusion roll of 9 and a Plot Point roll of 12. Normally, Themes
this would indicate
Notes
PLOT POINTS
Characters 65-68
List. Dreana CHOOSE
is a newMOST LOGICAL
CHARACTERS
Character, INVOKED PLOTLINE
having no mentions the Theme65-68is Social,
NEWbutCHARACTER
a result of 12 on the Plot Point table
1 1 1-4
slot.
3 Eric already appears in the Characters List the maximum of second Plot Point. 3 8-9
three
4 times,73-76
so he doesn’t get added
CHOOSE again.
MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE Now 73-76our Turning PointMOST
CHOOSE summary looks 4like
LOGICAL this:
CHARACTER 10
5 5 10
77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
Notes TURNING POINT 4 PLOTLINE
New Plotline
x Development Rescue the villager
Conclusion
10
81-84 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 81-84
PLOT POINTS
NEW CHARACTERCHARACTERS INVOKED
1 A need to hide Dreana / Eric
2 None
85-88 NEW PLOTLINE 85-88 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
3
4
90-92 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 90-92 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
5
93-96 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE Notes 93-96 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
The GM moves
TURNING POINT
on to the third Plot Point, rolling a 3 for
PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
Theme
1
and a 47 on the Plot Point table. That gives us a Theme of
12 Tension
2 again, and a Plot Point of “A Character Is Incapacitated.”
This
3 calls for us to Invoke another Character to see who gets
4
Notes
25
10
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
ADVENTURE SHEET
Adventure Date
Notes Themes
incapacitated. The GM rolls 1d100, gets 40, consults the failed their mission by the locals who sentenced
1
them into the Pit, 1-4
Characters List, and gets “Goblins”. which could cause troubles for them outside.2 5-7
This gives the GM some ideas about this Turning Point. This is how the GM is thinking of this Turning
3 Point now, 8-9
Dreana appears to be free and hiding, and there are incapacitated with the summary looking like this: 4 10
5
goblins.
ADVENTURE The
SHEET GM is thinking now that Dreana did something
10
toAdventure
knock out or kill a pair of goblins who were
Date taking her TURNING POINT 4 PLOTLINE
New Plotline
x Development Rescue the villager
Conclusion
somewhere. She heard the Player CharactersThemesapproaching and PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
Notes
thought they were more goblins, so she hid.1 1 A need to hide Dreana / Eric
1-4
2 None
Since goblins got Invoked, and they only2 appear on the 5-7
3 A character is incapacitated Goblins
Characters List twice, the GM adds them again3 to the List. Our 8-9
4 Character connection Eric / Drago
Turning Point 4 summary looks like this now: 4 10
5
5 10
Notes
TURNING POINT SECTION
4 PLOTLINE x New Plotline
Development Rescue the villager
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
New Plotline
1 A need to hide Dreana / Eric The Characters
TURNING POINT
List looks like this:
PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
2 None PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
Notes
1-4 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 4
1-4 Eric
NEWthe knight
CHARACTER
5
Moving 9-12
TURNING POINT
on to the fourth
PLOTLINE
PlotMOST
Point, LOGICAL
the GM rolls a 7 for the Ethenia the cleric
Development
10
PLOT POINTS
CHOOSE
Conclusion
CHARACTERS INVOKED
PLOTLINE 9-12 NEW CHARACTER
Theme, getting Personal, and a 66 for the Plot Point, getting
Eric
1
“Character
2 Connection.”
13-16 This
CHOOSE Plot Point
MOST requires
LOGICAL you to Invoke
PLOTLINE 13-16 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
two Characters to see whom a connection forms between. Rolling
Kagal
3
1d100
4 twice17-20 CHOOSEList,
on the Characters MOSTwe LOGICAL
end up with PLOTLINE
49 for a new 17-20 NEW CHARACTER
character and 22 for Eric. This Turning Point calls for yet another Eric
5
21-24 NEW PLOTLINE 21-24 NEW CHARACTER
new Character to be generated. The GM determines that the new
Notes
Character
10 is25-28
a warrior CHOOSE
by the name MOST LOGICAL
of Drago. (TherePLOTLINE
are rules for 25-28 Goblins
NEW CHARACTER
generating New Characters, which we’ll get to later on page 60).
29-32 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
At this point, the GM is thinking that Drago is a local
29-32 Villager
CHOOSE father
MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
warrior who33-36 was in pursuit
CHOOSE of theMOST
goblins after theyPLOTLINE
LOGICAL attacked the 33-36 Ethenia
NEW CHARACTER
villagers. He entered Kragan Pit in an effort to rescue the girl.
He succeeded 37-40 NEW
in slaying thePLOTLINE
goblins transporting her, but was 37-40 Goblins
NEW CHARACTER
wounded in the process. He and the girl are both hiding when
41-44 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
the Player Characters enter this area. The GM decides that the
41-44 Dreana
NEW CHARACTER
Character connection
45-48 that the Plot
CHOOSE PointLOGICAL
MOST is callingPLOTLINE
for between 45-48 Goblins
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
him and Eric is because both of them are fighters, and Eric has
heard of Drago. 49-52He knows
CHOOSE MOST
the man LOGICAL PLOTLINE
by reputation and respects 49-52 Drago
NEW CHARACTER
him. This is going to make things difficult for the party, however,
53-56 NEW PLOTLINE 53-56 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
since Drago is going to urge them to abandon their mission and
help him escort 57-60the girl out of the
CHOOSE Pit. IfLOGICAL
MOST they refuse, then Drago
PLOTLINE 57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
will have no choice but to continue on with the party. This will
cause some 61-64 concerns forCHOOSE MOST
the party, sinceLOGICAL PLOTLINE
Drago is badly wounded 61-64
There is one CHOOSE
more Plot MOST
Point toLOGICAL
go for thisCHARACTER
Turning Point. The
and may be65-68 more of aCHOOSE
liability than an aid.
MOST The girl,
LOGICAL also, will
PLOTLINE GM rolls 3d10 and
65-68 NEW gets a 9 for the Theme, Social, and 67 for
CHARACTER
slow them down, giving them something else to worry about. the Plot Point, “Injustice.” The GM decides to interpret this as a
However, if69-72 they leaveNEW
the Pit now, they may be viewed as having
PLOTLINE motive69-72
that the goblins
CHOOSE have for abducting
MOST LOGICALthe villagers in the first
CHARACTER
73-76 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 73-76 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
26 77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
ADVENTURE SHEET
place.
AdventureThey’ve been terrorizing the locals ever
Date since the Pit “woke The Gamemaster takes all of this and considers what she’s
up” and began emanating evil energy. The goblins Themes
take local already thought about her growing Plot Points. She decides that this
Notes
humans to make them work as slave labor deep 1
in Kragan Pit, 1-4
Turning Point means this: As the Player Characters delve deeper into
expanding its caverns and trying to build it2into a fortress. 5-7 the Pit, they will come across a large corridor littered with cages and
As the fifth Plot Point, that’s the last one3 for this Turning 8-9 chains, as well as the body of two dead goblins. If the Characters
Point. The summary now looks like this: 4 10
check, they will discover that the goblins were freshly slain, within
5 10
the last quarter hour even. If they search the area, a wounded man
TURNING POINT 4 PLOTLINE
New Plotline
x Development Rescue the villager armed with a sword, Drago, will surge out of his hiding place
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED behind a barrel and threaten the Characters. Eric will recognize this
1 A need to hide Dreana / Eric man, which will give him the chance to calm hostilities and talk
2 None
with Drago, who will settle down when he discovers that the Player
3 A character is incapacitated Goblins
4 Character connection Eric / Drago Characters don’t work for the goblins. They’ll find that the girl they
5 Injustice learned about from the fatally wounded villager is with Drago, who
Notes
urges the Player Characters to help take her back to the surface
outside. The GM at this points decides to give the Player Characters
New Plotline
a moral dilemma. The relic they’re carrying is no passive holy object.
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion Before entering the Pit, priests had to imbue it with divine power.
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
1
The charged relic will only last for 24 hours before it becomes
2 defunct and can never be charged again. If the Player Characters do
3 as Drago insists and escort the girl back out, they’re going to lose
4 valuable time backtracking and then re-entering the Pit, putting
5
their mission at risk.
Notes The Gamemaster used the Plot Points she rolled and put a
10 few twists of her own into the mix to come up with the above
scenario for this Turning Point. It gives another interesting
wrinkle to her Adventure as well as some fresh challenges to
hinder the Player Characters’ progress.
27
Adventure Date
Notes Themes
1 1-4
3 8-9
4 10
5 10
I would suggest only ignoring random results when it truly TURNING POINT 6 PLOTLINE
New Plotline
it quickly, or it would somehow wreck your Adventure. It may 1 A character is attacked in a non lethal way Nathan / the beast
2 Rescue Sgt. Coker
be tempting to ignore an outcome when you get a result that
3 Conclusion
is a little difficult to interpret. Sometimes it’s worth it to make 4 The secret to the power
the extra effort to see how a new piece of the Adventure could 5 None
possibly fit with the rest. If you still can’t make it work, or the Notes
effort is diminishing your enjoyment of creating or running the
Adventure, then feel free to toss it aside and move on. New Plotline
28
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
The GM decides that the key to killing the beast is destroying there to a mystery they are trying to solve which leads them to a
the orb. If that’s done, then it dies. She decides that this Turning shady place, a hidden nightclub in town where you can only enter
Point is the culmination of the previous Turning Points, leading if you have the password.
the Player Characters to the thing’s lair for the final showdown.
If the GM had not rolled “Conclusion,” the events may have
been similar, but she may have decided that destroying the orb
doesn’t kill the monster. Instead, after the Player Characters Tone
destroy the orb the monster flees. It is less powerful now and will Similar to locations, some Plot Points will suggest a tone for
be easier to hunt. the Turning Point. For instance, the Plot Point “Grisly tone”
Once a Plotline reaches a Turning Point where it is Concluded, doesn’t specify anything in particular happening, what it does
cross out that Plotline on all the lines where it’s listed on the is indicate that whatever is happening in the Turning Point be
Plotlines List. That Plotline is now done. If you roll a Plotline given a macabre flavor. Tone Plot Points also take up a slot on the
later and get a line that is crossed out, treat it as a “Choose most Adventure Sheet just like any other Plot Point.
logical Plotline” result. An example of how to incorporate a tone into a Turning
Point might be if your Turning Point calls for some Characters
to encounter someone in a forest who then attacks them. If the
Locations GM rolls “Grisly tone” as another Plot Point, he might change
the Turning Point a bit and say that the stranger they encounter is
Most of the Plot Points can be thought of as fiction tropes. wearing blood spattered clothing, implying this encounter is not
There are lots of entries like “Wanted by the law” and “A secret his first murderous enterprise of the evening.
weapon”. These Plot Points are meant to be evocative of ideas There are also a few Plot Points that specify a time of day, such
to inspire you, worded specifically enough to make you think of as the Plot Point “At night”. These exist to lend a certain tonal
something in particular but also worded generally enough that atmosphere to your Turning Point.
you can shape the idea into many different forms. There are some
entries, however, that indicate a location instead of a plot concept.
The Adventure Crafter deals a lot with Plotlines, Characters,
Turning Points, the motives of people and the turning of events. Characters
What it doesn’t touch on much are locations. Locations are Some Plot Points, in their descriptions, will specifically say
usually assumed to be inferred when you interpret a Turning that the Plot Point applies to one or more Characters. In this
Point and to come naturally from the other events of the case, you need to roll on the Characters List to figure out who
Adventure. Some locations, however, bring with them a certain the Characters are whom the Plot Point is referring to. However,
mood or opportunities for story elements to develop. This is why whether the description of a Plot Point calls for it or not, it is
the Plot Points Table consists of some general locations, such as up to you if you need to Invoke a Character for a Plot Point.
“Remote location” or “Shady places”. Generally, if the Plot Point would make no sense unless it was
When a location Plot Point pops up, enter it on the line of attached to a Character then roll for someone on the Characters
the Adventure Sheet just like any other Plot Point. This Plot List. If it doesn’t make sense unless there are two Characters
Point means the activity of the Turning Point will take place at a Invoked ... for instance, if one Character has to be interacting
location like that indicated by the Plot Point. with another ... then roll for two Characters.
If you roll more than one location Plot Point for the same For example, the Plot Point “Character has a clever idea” needs
Turning Point, you can try to either combine the two locations a Character Invoked quite clearly. The Plot Point “Suspicion”
into a single location, or consider that this Turning Point involves needs two Characters Invoked; one Character to be feeling
some of the action occurring at one location then moving to suspicious and another for the first Character to be suspicious of.
another. For instance, “Remote location” and “Shady places” may You will rarely Invoke more than two Characters, even if the
be a magical street corner that can only be accessed by special Plot Point would involve more than the two specific Characters
doors and is a place where forbidden lore is sold. Or, you may Invoked. Feel free to use your discretion in interpreting what a
decide that the Turning Point initially takes place in a remote Plot Point means when it Invokes a Character. The one, lone
location, let’s say the outskirts of town. The Characters gain a clue
29
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
30
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
Characters List Alteration only way that a Character’s presence on the Characters List can be
reduced or eliminated.
There are a few Plot Points that call for an adjustment to be The Meta Plot Points that call for a change to a Character
made on the Characters List. For instance, “A figure from the past” listing are Invoking a Character just like any other Plot Point,
automatically adds a new Character to the Characters List. except that the Character isn’t automatically added to the List
When a Plot Point makes a direct change to the Characters again; the Meta Plot Point table will randomize how they are
List the description of the Plot Point will clearly state so. These treated on the List. This means you roll on the Characters List to
results are uncommon. see who this Meta Plot Point affects. Most Meta Plot Points that
pertain to a Character either require that the Character have one
or more entries on the Character List removed, or one or more
entries added. There are a few rules that apply to Meta Plot Points
Meta Plot Points Table to help you carry them out:
A result of 96-100 on the Plot Points Table will have you • The Meta Plot Points that apply to Characters only apply
roll again on the Meta Plot Points Table. These Plot Points to existing Characters in the Adventure. Results of “New
are separated from the main table since their results are rare Character” when Invoking a Character for a Meta Plot
and are qualitatively different than the main Plot Points. Meta Point are treated as “Choose The Most Logical Character”.
Plot Points alter the Characters List and offer a chance to have • If the Character Invoked is a Player Character, and the
combined Plotlines in a Turning Point. The results that impact Meta Plot Point either calls for that Character to be
the Characters List all revolve around increasing a Character’s removed completely from the Characters List or to have
presence on the List or reducing it, sometimes completely. so many slots removed that they are removed completely,
Although Meta Plot Points are still Plot Points and take up a then treat the result as “Choose The Most Logical
Plot Point slot in a Turning Point, it is optional whether you want Character” and choose another Character. A Player
the Meta Plot Point to be reflected in the Turning Point or not as Character cannot be removed from the framework of the
actual Adventure events. Adventure in this way. If there are no viable Characters in
For instance, let’s say we have a group of space explorers the Characters List to choose from, then roll again on the
hurtling through the cosmos looking for wrecked ships in a Meta Plot Points Table until you get a workable result.
battlefield to find valuable salvage. In this Turning Point, the GM • Although Meta Plot Points Invoke a Character, don’t add
has interpreted the various Plot Points rolled to mean that they the Character to another listing on the Characters List
discover an energy signature on a ship that they investigate only to like you would with a normally Invoked Character. The
discover that the energy is emanating from a battledroid that is still results of the Meta Plot Point table bypass the normal List
active and has gone insane from damage. It attacks the exploration management for Invoked Characters.
crew as they make their way through the damaged ship.
The “Plotline Combo” result requires you to roll on the Plotlines
At this point, for the last Plot Point of the Turning Point, the
List for another Plotline to combine with the Turning Point’s
GM rolls a Meta Plot Point and gets “Character Steps Up”. She
original Plotline and make the Turning Point about both of them.
Invokes a Character to apply this to and gets one of the Player
It’s possible to get “Plotline Combo” more than once in a Turning
Characters. The GM will increase that Character’s presence on
Point, calling on you to combine three or even more Plotlines.
the Characters List by writing him in again, and she has the
For instance, going back to our space explorers, let’s say the
additional option of either working this into the narrative of the
Plotline for their Turning Point was “Repair the ship.” Earlier
Turning Point or not. If she doesn’t, then she proceeds with the
in the Adventure, the explorers had a disastrous encounter with
Turning Point as already imagined. If she wishes to give story
pirates that left their vessel badly damaged. They are trying to
meaning to the Meta Plot Point result, she may decide that the
repair the ship, which is what has brought them to the battle
action of the Turning Point focuses on that Character. Maybe the
debris in hopes of finding useful spare parts.
battledroid hones in on him, for instance.
As one of the Plot Points for this Turning Point, the GM
Meta Plot Points are unique in this way, that they may or may
rolls “Plotline Combo”. She consults the Plotlines List and rolls
not have a story impact on the Turning Point. Meta Plot Points
on it, getting “Choose The Most Logical Plotline”. As there
primarily exist to change the importance of Characters in an
was only one other Plotline, she has no choice but to choose it.
Adventure without them having to be Invoked, and they are the
31
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
The second Plotline of “Deliver the secret weapon schematics to Admiral Lenn”
is Invoked and combined with the first Plotline. The GM thinks about this a bit.
This Turning Point was initially about fixing the ship, so it made sense to have it
take place in the battlefield to find useful wreckage. Now she needs to figure out a
way to incorporate the second Plotline into the Turning Point too. The GM decides
that the Character who handled the stolen schematics got a chemical residue left
on them that the battledroid can detect. The war machine is focusing on that
Character and is now aware of the stolen document, attacking the Character while
crying out, “RELINQUISH THE SCHEMATICS OR DIE!”
If “Plotline Combo” is rolled and there is no additional Plotline on the Plotlines
List, then treat it as a “New Plotline”. This can be an opportunity to have an
existing Plotline spawn a new Plotline branching out from it in a Turning Point
instead of developing separately in another Turning Point.
For instance, with the example above, maybe when the GM rolled “Plotline
Combo” there was no second Plotline to choose from, so she had to make a new
one. Based on the events transpiring in the Turning Point, she decides that after the
battledroid takes a certain amount of damage, it’s circuits overload and much of its
programming and memory is wiped out. This causes the droid to undergo a factory
reset, and the Characters realize they can now take the battledroid and attempt to
reprogram and retrain it to serve them. This creates the new Plotline of “Retrain
the battledroid to serve us.” The GM decides this will be a time consuming and
uncertain process, hence why it deserves to be a Plotline all by itself.
Generating a Turning Point can be involved. You are juggling a lot of details,
from a Plotline to multiple Plot Points, Characters, and the overall course of
the entire Adventure itself. A result of “Plotline Combo” can make things more
complicated. If you get this result and have no idea what to do with it ... maybe the
second Plotline rolled has no logical way to have it occur simultaneously with the
original Plotline, or you end up with two results of “New Plotline” and you just
don’t want to come up with two entirely new directions for the Adventure ... feel
free to invoke the I Dunno rule and ignore this result. If you do this, then treat it as
a Plot Point result of “None” and move on. The random results generated by The
Adventure Crafter are meant to inspire your creativity, not stifle them, so whenever
you feel you have run into a wall ignore the result for the good of the Adventure.
32
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
33
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
34
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
35
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
36
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
ILL WILL: A Character harbors ill will toward another Character for
some reason. The animosity should be deep seated and color the
- - - - 30-31
Character’s reactions when it comes to the unliked Character. The
dislike may be reciprocated or not.
AN ORGANIZATION: This Turning Point involves an organization
of some kind. This can be an organization already in the Characters
List or not. Whatever is happening in this Turning Point, the
- - - 33-34 -
organization is formally involved in some way. For instance, a crime
has been committed and a local guild had knowledge of it and
covered it up to protect its own interests.
WANTED BY THE LAW: A Character is wanted for a crime. It
doesn’t matter if they actually did the crime, but the law is after - 43 - - 32-33
them as the main suspect either way.
A RESOURCE DISAPPEARS: An important object or resource is
stolen by an unknown thief. The resource should be something either - - 34-35 - -
useful to a Character, or it should pertain to the Plotline in question.
IT IS YOUR DUTY: A Character is charged with carrying out a
duty. This should be something that the Character has little choice
in the matter, whether they want to do it or not. Whoever the duty
- - - - 34-35
is coming from, that source has authority over the Character.
For instance, a soldier wants to join in the pivotal battle but his
commander gives him the duty of guarding the fortress gate instead.
FORTUITOUS FIND: A Character runs across something very
useful for resolving the Plotline. This may be a piece of information,
a useful tool, a resource that is needed, a person who can help, - - 36 - -
etc. Whatever it is, it’s the right thing at the right time, and it falls
into the Character’s lap.
CHARACTER CONNECTION SEVERED: A Character who has
a connection with another Character severs that connection. This
can happen for any of a number of reasons, from the Character
- - - - 36-37
dropping out of the story to the Character getting angry at the
other Character for something. The severed connection does not
have to be permanent.
ALL IS REVEALED!: A source in this Turning Point gives a lot of
detail about something. For instance, a guard is captured and tells - - 37 - -
where the king has hidden the Sacred Scrolls.
HUMILIATION: This Turning Point involves a Character being
humiliated or facing humiliation. Whatever is happening, it should
be something deeply embarrassing to the Character. For instance, a - - - - 38
member of an unpopular community is being bullied and mocked, or
a public figure has something personal publicly exposed.
37
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
38
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
39
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
40
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
41
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
42
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
43
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
44
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
45
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
46
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
47
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
48
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
49
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
50
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
51
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
52
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
53
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
META: This is a special Plot Point category with Plot Points that
change the Characters List or combine Plotlines. Go to the Meta 96-100 96-100 96-100 96-100 96-100
Plot Points Table and roll 1d100 on it for your Plot Point.
54
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
CHARACTER EXITS THE ADVENTURE: A Character, who is not a Player Character, is removed from the
Characters List completely. Cross out all references to that Character on the Characters List. If there are no non-
Player Characters, then re-roll for another Meta Plot Point. This change can be reflected in the activity in this Turning
Point or not. For instance, you may explain the Character being removed from the Adventure by having that Character 1-18
die in the Turning Point. Or, you simply remove them from the Characters List and decide that their involvement in
the Adventure is over. If, when rolling on the Characters List to determine who this Character is, you roll a Player
Character or “New Character”, then consider it a result of “Choose The Most Logical Character”.
CHARACTER RETURNS: A Character who previously had been removed from the Adventure returns. Write that
Character back into the Characters List with a single listing. If there are no Characters to return, then treat this as a
“New Character” result and use this Plot Point to introduce a new Character into the Turning Point. If there is more 19-27
than one Character who can return, then choose the most logical Character to return. This change can be reflected
in the activity in this Turning Point or not.
CHARACTER STEPS UP: A Character becomes more important, gaining another slot on the Characters List
even if it pushes them past 3 slots. When you roll on the Characters List to see who the Character is, treat a
28-36
result of “New Character” as “Choose The Most Logical Character”. This change can be reflected in the activity in
this Turning Point or not.
CHARACTER STEPS DOWN: A Character becomes less important, remove them from one slot on the Characters
List even if it removes them completely from the List. If this would remove a Player Character completely from the List,
or if when rolling for the Character you get a result of “New Character”, then treat this as a result of “Choose The Most 37-55
Logical Character”. If there is no possible Character to choose without removing a Player Character completely from the
List, then roll again on the Meta Plot Points Table. This change can be reflected in the activity in this Turning Point or not.
CHARACTER DOWNGRADE: A Character becomes less important, remove them from two slots on the Characters
List even if it removes them completely from the List. If this would remove a Player Character completely from the List,
or if when rolling for the Character you get a result of “New Character”, then treat this as a result of “Choose The Most 56-73
Logical Character”. If there is no possible Character to choose without removing a Player Character completely from the
List, then roll again on the Meta Plot Points Table. This change can be reflected in the activity in this Turning Point or not.
CHARACTER UPGRADE: A Character becomes more important, gaining 2 slots on the Characters List even
if it pushes them past 3 slots. When you roll on the Characters List to see who the Character is, treat a result
74-82
of “New Character” as “Choose The Most Logical Character”. This change can be reflected in the activity in this
Turning Point or not.
PLOTLINE COMBO: This Turning Point is about more than one Plotline at the same time. Roll again on the
Plotlines List and add that Plotline to this Turning Point along with the original Plotline rolled. If when rolling for
an additional Plotline you roll the same Plotline already in use for this Turning Point, then treat the result as a
“Choose The Most Logical Plotline”. If there are no other Plotlines to choose from, then create a new Plotline as
83-100
the additional Plotline. If a Conclusion is rolled as a Plot Point during this Turning Point, apply it to the Plotline
that seems most appropriate. If another Conclusion is rolled, continue to apply them to the additional Plotlines
in this Turning Point if you can. It is possible with repeated results of “Plotline Combo” to have more than two
Plotlines combined in this way.
55
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
None 9-24 9-24 9-24 9-24 9-24 A Rare Or Unique Social Gathering - - - 32 -
A Character Is Attacked
25-26 - - - - This Isn’t Working - - 33 - -
In A Non-Lethal Way
A Character Is Attacked
28-29 - - - - All Is Revealed! - - 37 - -
In A Lethal Way
56
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
57
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
An Object Of
- - 75 - - A Meeting Of Minds - - - 75 -
Unknown Use Is Found
A Needed Resource
Standoff - 72 - 70 - - 82-83 - - -
Is Running Short
58
TURNING POINTS AND PLOT POINTS
Expert Knowledge - - - - 87
Abandoned - 87-88 - - -
59
CHARACTER CRAFTING
Character Crafting
When generating Plot Points to construct Turning Points, By the time you’re done, you’ll know this about the Character:
many of the Plot Points will make reference to Characters. A defining trait as to the Character’s place in the Adventure, what
When a Plot Point calls for a Character to be Invoked, roll on their primary Identity is, and their most interesting Descriptors.
the Characters List to see who it is. If you get a result of “New Combine these elements with what you already know about the
Character” you have to figure out who that person is. This Turning Point and the Plot Point that Invoked the Character, and
chapter is about helping you do that. make an interpretation of who this Character is.
Establishing a new Character in an Adventure is about Once you know who the Character is, name them and
determining what’s special about this Character, figuring out the write them next to the Plot Point that generated them on the
Character’s overall Identity, plus tossing in a few interesting facts Adventure Sheet and add them to the Characters List.
about the Character. You mix all of this together and interpret
what it means and who this Character is.
For instance, you need to introduce a new Character into your
Adventure and you determine that this Character is antagonistic CHARACTER SPECIAL TRAIT
to your Plotline about your superheroes rescuing a kidnapped A Character’s Special Trait defines the nature of this
reporter, the Character is determined to have an Identity of a Character within the Adventure. This is a starting point to
“protector”, and has Characteristics of “inept” and “dangerous.” guide you in deciding who this Character is. This table (found
You decide that the Character is another hero, but a new and on page 65) gives a variety of results, from defining the
inexperienced one. This hero has decided to try to save the Character as an individual or an organization, to determining if
reporter himself, but his attempts will only get in the way of the they have a connection with an existing Character or if they are
main superheroes and will be a source of trouble for them. a help to resolving the current Plotline.
When you roll a Special Trait for a Character, you should try
to incorporate that Trait into the Character if you can. However,
The Character Crafting Process this doesn’t mean you can’t use other Traits on the table that
The steps to crafting a new Character for your Adventure are: you didn’t roll. For instance, if you roll the Special Trait of The
Character Is Not Connected To This Plotline, that doesn’t mean
• ROLL 1D100 ON THE CHARACTER SPECIAL you can’t also make them an organization or a hindrance to
TRAIT TABLE: Start by determining a special nature to resolving the Plotline just because you didn’t roll those. The result
this Character, such as is the Character an individual or of this table is meant to give you a starting place to defining who
an organization, does the Character help or hinder the this Character is.
resolution of the Plotline, etc.
• ROLL 1D100 ONCE ON THE CHARACTER
IDENTITY TABLE: This table will give you a general The Character Is An Individual
identity to assign to the Character, lending you some idea
This is the most common result of the Special Trait Table,
about what their role is in the Adventure. Roll for one
and the Character as an individual is usually the default Trait for
Identity unless results indicate to roll for two.
any new Character. This means that the Character is a named
• ROLL 1D100 ONCE ON THE CHARACTER
individual entering your Adventure, as opposed to representing
DESCRIPTORS TABLE: This table fleshes out the
an organization, community, or object.
Character with personality traits and a bit of color. Roll
once on the table, unless results indicate to generate
two Descriptors.
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CHARACTER CRAFTING
The Character Is An Organization someone who was hurt by the gang. Whoever this Character is,
they enter this Turning Point because of the Plotline and as an
The Character is a group of people, an organization or active part of it.
community. For instance, in a fantasy Adventure this Character
may be “Tribe of marauding orcs”. When a collective is listed
as a Character, it means actions taken by that Character are
The Character Is Not Connected To This Plotline
performed by representative members of the community, This new Character enters the Adventure without an existing
often unnamed individuals who represent the community’s connection to the Plotline. They aren’t generated into the Adventure
personality and values as a whole. because of the Plotline, but for some other reason not associated
For instance, if the tribe of orcs is Invoked in a Plot Point with the Plotline. This result usually represents Characters who
about a battle, it might mean that a raiding party of the orcs wander unwittingly into an Adventure. Although they enter the
is attacking. Or, it could mean a single member of the tribe is Adventure as unconnected to the Plotline, they can become part of
taking action. the Plotline thanks to the events of the Turning Point.
It’s possible for individual Characters in a group to also be For example, a group of federal marshals are tracking bank
established separately outside of the group. For example, later robbers across the old west. They enter a dusty town and stop at
in the Adventure the Player Characters may come up against a saloon to ask questions. The bartender of the saloon becomes
the orc’s tribal leader, Grumsh, who earns his own place on the a new Character in the Adventure, one who is not connected
Characters List as an individual Character. to the Plotline. He has nothing to do with the bank robbers
or their crimes, he’s just some guy tending bar who can answer
The Character Is An Object some questions. The bartender may become embroiled in the
Adventure, perhaps he has seen strangers ride into town and he
Just like Character’s can be communities instead of decides to personally guide the marshals to where the strangers
individuals, a Character can also be an object or non-living are staying. However, the bartender starts his existence in the
thing. Anything that can appear to take independent action or to Adventure independent of the events of the Plotline.
impact the lives of other Characters on its own can be considered
a Character. For instance, the “Mystic Silverthorn Woods”
could be listed as a Character. When the woods gets Invoked,
The Character Assists In Resolving This Plotline
the results of the Plot Point would be interpreted as “actions” Whoever this Character is, they will be helpful to the Player
taken by the forest. For example, a Plot Point of Hunted, where Characters in resolving the Plotline of this Turning Point. This
a Player Character is Invoked to be the prey and the Silverthorn result represents the kind of Character who is helpful to the
Woods is the hunter, may mean that a pack of wild wolves is Players, and will probably be instrumental in moving the story of
chasing the Character. the Adventure along.
Characters as objects can also be used to simulate more exotic For example, a group of explorers who have bungled their
Characters, such as robots, constructs, and intelligent inanimate way into a hidden world of dinosaurs and weird magic deep at
things like magic swords or sentient rings. the center of the Earth encounter a beautiful native woman. She
speaks no English, but she knows the terrain and she makes it
The Character Is Connected To This Plotline clear she is offering to help guide the hapless adventurers through
the danger-laden valley.
This new Character enters the Adventure already connected to
the Plotline of this Turning Point. They are an active part of the
Plotline, generated by the Adventure because of the Plotline. For
The Character Hinders Resolving This Plotline
instance, if the Plotline is “Track down the bank robbers”, and a The opposite of the previous result, this Character is a
new Character is generated who is connected to this Plotline, the hindrance to resolving this Plotline. This might mean the
Character would be someone associated with the bank robbers Character is a villain or an agent of the Adventure’s main
or their robberies. This could be a member of the bank robbery antagonist, or it may be someone else who happens to be
gang, or maybe a law enforcement officer chasing them, or standing in the way.
61
CHARACTER CRAFTING
62
CHARACTER CRAFTING
similar car as the existing Character. The nature of the connection Since the nature of this connection is so open to interpretation,
is wide open to interpretation. This allows you to use an existing you may want to consider holding off on deciding what it
Character as inspiration for deciding who the new Character means until after you’ve rolled the new Character’s Identity
is. This also gives Gamemasters a chance to incorporate some and Descriptors. For example, if you generate a new Character
personal elements into an Adventure for the Player Characters. and find they have a connection to a Player Character in the
For instance, if a Player Character is a cleric of a particular sect, Adventure, you may first decide that this new Character is a family
he may discover that the villain he’s tracking down is a rogue member of the existing Character. When rolling for Identity, you
member of his own religion. get Fixer, and you may change your mind and decide that the
new Character is a blacksmith who routinely repairs the Player
Character’s gear, which is how they are connected.
CHARACTER IDENTITY
Now it’s time to determine specifics about the new Character.
Character Identity is about what this Character’s role is in the
Adventure. To determine Character Identity, roll 1d100 on the
Character Identity Table to get a simple phrase. If you roll 1-33
and get “Roll for two Identities”, then roll again on the table and
combine the results. Ignore the “Roll for two Identities” if you get it
again and keep rolling until you have both Identities determined.
The Identities listed are very general, such as “Warrior” and
“Farmer”. They are meant to be specific enough to give you
some idea of what this Character does, but general enough that
they can be flexibly interpreted. If you end up rolling for more
than one Identity, combine them together to determine what
the final Identity is.
For instance, in an adventure about super hero characters
tracking down a mutant with a super powered intellect who is
creating astonishing devices to commit crimes, a new Character
comes into a Turning Point. We’ve determined that this person
is a hindrance to the Plotline of “Capture the mutant”. Rolling
for Identity, we get “Explorer”. Putting this together, the GM
decides that the new Character is a scientist who studies super
powers. He is attracted to the case because he wants to know
more about how the mutant’s super mind works. He’s a hindrance
to the Plotline because he is not interested in stopping the villain,
only in learning more about him in an effort to perhaps exploit
his talents. The “Explorer” aspect of his Identity is interpreted as
being his scientific curiosity about the workings of superpowers.
If we had rolled 13, “Roll for two Identities,” we would
have had to roll for an additional Identity. Continuing to roll,
we get 95, “Organizer”. In this case, the GM interprets this
to mean the Character searches out super powered individuals
(as per “Explorer”) but recruits them as mercenaries for hire (
“Organizer” for mercenary recruiter). He is very interested in the
mutant’s abilities and wants to recruit him for his organization.
63
CHARACTER CRAFTING
64
CHARACTER CRAFTING
THE CHARACTER IS AN INDIVIDUAL: The Character is an individual, as opposed to an organization or object. 1-50
THE CHARACTER IS AN ORGANIZATION: This Character is not a specific individual, but an organization or
51-57
community. General members of this organization are considered part of the Character as a community.
THE CHARACTER IS AN OBJECT: This Character is something other than a typical, living individual or group
organization. The Character is an object of some kind that could also be considered a Character unto itself. Examples 58-64
might include a spaceship that is old and temperamental, or a city teeming with culture.
THE CHARACTER IS CONNECTED TO THIS PLOTLINE: This Character enters the Adventure somehow
65-71
connected with the Plotline of this Turning Point.
THE CHARACTER IS NOT CONNECTED TO THIS PLOTLINE: This Character enters the Adventure not
connected to this Turning Point’s Plotline. The Character may become part of the Plotline in the course of this Turning
72-78
Point, but does not start off that way. Examples include bystanders to the main events of a Turning Point or people
outside the events of the Plotline who get drawn into the Adventure.
THE CHARACTER ASSISTS IN RESOLVING THIS PLOTLINE: This Character is someone who can help resolve
79-85
the current Plotline in some way, likely serving as an aid to the Player Characters.
THE CHARACTER HINDERS RESOLVING THIS PLOTLINE: This Character gets in the way of resolving the
86-92
current Plotline in some way, likely serving as a complication to the Player Characters.
THE CHARACTER IS CONNECTED TO AN EXISTING CHARACTER: This Character has some relationship
to another, existing Character in this Adventure. Roll on the Characters List to see who. A result of New Character
is changed to Choose The Most Logical Character. The connection can be anything, from the two Characters are
93-100
related, they know each other, they were former friends, they both work in the same occupation or belong to the
same organization, they look or act similarly, they have similar skills or equipment, etc. The connection can be as
close or as distant as you like.
sidelined him as a hero. He has been stewing in obscurity for wealthy elite, some of whom profited heavily from the people
years, only now coming out to exact his revenge. For “Different,” he brought to justice. Some of those people used their influence
the GM interprets this to represent how the killer looks. The to frame Jersey for a heinous crime he didn’t commit. They also
source of his super-inventing intellect is that he’s a mutant, and used his disturbing appearance to smear him in the public eye,
he doesn’t look completely human. He is slightly misshapen with painting him as a villain.
green tinged skin. The campaign worked and Jersey Devil was forced to flee from
The GM decides to flesh out the killer more by deciding that, both the law and the public that once adored him. Crushed in
in his heyday, he was a hero known as Jersey Devil. Inventing spirit, Jersey has been laying low all these years, dwelling on the
amazing tools was his signature ability, designing devices to help injustices wrought against him and slowly discovering who it was
him capture villains. He was known as an foe to the mob, and that brought him to ruin. Today, ready to act on his revenge, he
helped to bring in some of the city’s worst underworld criminals. is crazed and obsessed with killing those responsible and he won’t
This, however, earned him many enemies among the town’s let anyone get in his way.
65
CHARACTER CRAFTING
Character Identity
ROLL IDENTITY ROLL IDENTITY ROLL IDENTITY ROLL IDENTITY
66
CHARACTER CRAFTING
Character Descriptors
ROLL CHARACTERISTIC ROLL CHARACTERISTIC ROLL CHARACTERISTIC ROLL CHARACTERISTIC
67
PATHS OF THE ADVENTURE CRAFTER
Paths Of The
Adventure Crafter
Way back on page 6 we briefly went over various ways to use Adventures. However, let’s take a quick look at doing this with a
The Adventure Crafter to help create role playing Adventures. Now single Turning Point.
that we’ve gone over the nitty gritty of actually using the system, In this example, our Adventure takes place in a post-
let’s revisit those approaches and delve into them with more detail. apocolyptic setting. There is a single Player Character, a wasteland
warrior with super speed and incredible martial arts skills. In the
first Turning Point, the GM generated a Plotline about rescuing
an abducted leader of a peaceful village. The warrior Character
TURNING YOUR gets involved when the village helps tend to his wounds, and he
ADVENTURE SCRIPT feels indebted to retrieve their leader from the clutches of a wild
group of mutants.
INTO A FINAL ADVENTURE The next few Turning Points involve a series of encounters
The Adventure Crafter is an idea generator. By the time along the road to the hilly region where the mutants reside. The
you are done crafting an Adventure the story laid out follows GM fashioned these Turning Points into a couple of combat and
a very linear course with Characters doing specific things trap encounters for the Player Character to resolve.
and Plotlines following a clear arc. This is meant to give you For Turning Point 4, the GM generated the following
something to work with, it doesn’t mean you have to go with Plot Points: Rural Setting, A Character Steps Up: Mutant, A
exactly what was generated. Think of it as much as inspiration Celebration, A Rare Or Unique Social Gathering, None.
as a script. When constructing the Adventure, the GM interpreted this
Your final Adventure outline will tell you everything you need to mean that the warrior stumbles upon a farm at the base of
to know to set up your Adventure: what the goals and conflicts a hill. The farm is a community operated by the mutants to
are, who the Characters are, what they are up to, how they will grow food for themselves. Considering that the Turning Point
react under certain circumstances, who friends and enemies are, generated two separate Plot Points about special events, the GM
what surprises lurk around the corners, and what events will decides that the mutants happen to be celebrating an important
happen and when. You can take any of these details and use annual harvest festival. She interprets “A Character Steps Up:
them as they were generated, or you could discard whatever you Mutants” to mean that there are more mutants out here than
wish. The Adventure Crafter gives you the framework of your just a single group of them, there’s an entire community of them
Adventure to base everything off of. living in these hills.
How much work and tinkering you decide to do is entirely up To turn this into something she can use for her Adventure,
to you. You may take the Adventure as randomly created and run the GM mocks up a quick sketch of the farmlands and the road
with it, dealing with course changes as they occur. Or, you may that wends through it on the way through the hills. She marks
use the randomly generated Adventure as a starting point and an area for where the main festivities will take place. Considering
construct additional Plotlines, Scenes, and Characters to flesh the that the mutants are wild and fairly primitive, she decides that
Adventure out more fully. the festival is a brutal affair, with ritual combat around a bonfire
The next chapter is full of examples of using the Adventure at night. The large numbers of mutants will likely cause the
Crafter and turning randomly generated Adventures into final warrior Character to have to abandon his vehicle, since it’ll make
68
PATHS OF THE ADVENTURE CRAFTER
too much noise. However, the festival will afford a great deal of Representing this when using The Adventure Crafter to create
distraction, giving the Character a chance to slip through unseen. an Adventure involves how blank your slate is when you begin.
The GM populates the farmstead area with a couple of In other words, when you create an Adventure, do you start
points of interest if the Player Character decides to poke with completely blank Plotlines and Characters Lists, or do you
around. There’s a main house with various items inside, as populate them with Plotlines and Characters before you begin
well as a potential encounter with a guard dog. There’s a cellar Adventure creation?
with the human bones of victims the mutants have killed and The Adventure generation rules so far assume that you’re
eaten, along with many of their belongings including a few starting from a blank slate. You have an empty Adventure Sheet in
useful items. The GM decides to include a shed on the farm front of you, and blank Plotlines and Characters Lists. However,
filled with fuel; she included this to give the Player Character they don’t need to be blank.
a chance to perhaps use that to create explosives or a fire. She If you are approaching an Adventure with ideas already
dots the area with several guard positions, but decides they are in mind, or you want to carry over elements from previous
not paying attention due to the festival. Adventures, then feel free to write these elements into the Lists.
The GM also decides that if the Player Character fails to For instance, maybe your group of Player Characters in their
sneak through the farm and gets captured, that he’ll be forced previous Adventure saved the day by slaying a dragon. You
to participate in a ritual combat before the assembled mutants. concluded your Adventure after the Plotline of “Kill the dragon”
If he wins the battle, tradition dictates that the mutants was resolved. What if there were other Plotlines still open,
must let him go, however as soon as he sets foot beyond the however, that weren’t resolved? Maybe there was still a “Recover
boundaries of the farm they can begin to pursue him. This the holy artifact” and “Track down the traitor and bring him to
will set up
ADVENTURE a potential chase encounter in the Adventure where
SHEET justice” Plotlines open.
the Character will have to flee through theDatehills at night while
Adventure You could make this next Adventure an extension of the
being
Notes
pursued by blood thirsty mutants. Themes previous Adventure by writing those two Plotlines into the top
All in all, the GM is happy with this new1 addition to her 1-4 slots of the blank Plotlines List before you begin creating your
Adventure. She took the elements provided2 by The Adventure 5-7 new Adventure.
Crafter and embellished them further to create3
the most 8-9
If you do this, then Turning Point 1 of the new Adventure
interesting encounter she could think of her4 for Adventure. 10
does not automatically cause a result of “New Plotline” when
5 10
rolling for the first Plotline. You would roll on the Plotlines List
TURNING POINT 4 PLOTLINE
New Plotline
x Development Rescue the leader
Conclusion
just like you would on any of the later Turning Points.
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED If this Adventure is a direct continuation of a previous
1 Rural setting
Adventure, then you should write the Plotlines into their List
2 A character steps up Mutants
3 A celebration
slots as many times as those Plotlines appeared in the previous
4 A rare or unique social gathering Adventure Plotlines List. So, if you finished the previous Adventure
5 None with “Recover the holy artifact” occupying 2 slots and “Track down
Notes the traitor” occupying 1, those two Plotlines would take the same
number of slots at the beginning of this new Adventure.
New Plotline
If this Adventure is a continuation, but is not directly picking
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion up from where it left off, then have the Plotlines only occupy a
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
1
single line on the Plotlines List. This helps simulate how much
YOUR STARTING POINT
2
3
distance the Player Characters have from the previous Adventure,
and lets you decide how fresh of a start this new Adventure will be.
4 There are many ways your Player Characters may approach This applies not just to Plotlines but to Characters as well.
an5 Adventure. Perhaps this group of Characters are freshly If your Adventure is a continuation of the previous Adventure,
developed
Notes and this is their first Adventure. Maybe they’ve then write in the Characters onto your Characters List from the
been
10 around the block, but are at a point in their ongoing previous List. As with Plotlines, give the Characters an equal
campaign where they are ready for new quests. Maybe they are number of List slots if this Adventure is a close continuation
hip deep in an ongoing campaign where every Adventure is an of the previous Adventure, and only a single slot if it’s a more
outgrowth of the Adventure before. distant continuation.
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PATHS OF THE ADVENTURE CRAFTER
Feel free to edit any of the Plotlines or Characters out, if you When creating your Adventure, if you have a Plotline that
wish. Maybe you want the new Adventure to focus on “Recover ends sooner than you want it to, feel free to ignore random results
the holy artifact” and you want to let the “Track down the of Plotline Conclusion and keep it as a Plotline Advancement. If
traitor” Plotline go. That’s fine. This is your chance to prune and you do this, treat Plot Point rolls of “Conclusion” as “None”.
focus events from the previous Adventure. By the same token, if a Plotline is stretching out further
By the same token, you may want to edit out some of the than you would like, feel free to assign a Turning Point as the
Characters from the Characters List. Maybe there were one or automatic end to a Plotline. If you do this, then consider the first
two who weren’t important enough to carry over, or you only Plot Point of that Turning Point to be “Conclusion”.
want the main Characters to spill over into this new Adventure. Keep in mind that when ending an Adventure, you don’t have
Carry-over Plotlines and Characters don’t have to come to have all the Plotlines wrapped up. In fact, you really don’t even
from previous Adventures. They can originate from the have to have any wrapped up. You could end an Adventure at any
Player Characters’ backgrounds, too. For instance, this may Turning Point and then pick the Adventure up later. However,
be this party’s first Adventure, but those Player Characters if, when designing your Adventure, you want more of a sense of
have backstories that you want reflected as possibilities in this completion then feel free to assign ahead of time a Turning Point
Adventure. Maybe one Character is wanted by the law for a as an automatic Plotline Conclusion.
crime. You might add this to the Plotlines List of “Stay ahead of When The Adventure Crafter is finished, you’ll have what
the law”. You might populate the Characters List with people amounts to an outline of an Adventure with each Turning
important to the Player Characters, like a knight’s feudal lord or Point detailing the major twists and turns of the Adventure.
an occult investigator’s arch-nemesis. After looking at the finished product, you may want to edit the
By placing Plotlines and Characters into the Lists before you Adventure further. Maybe you feel that it needs an additional
begin, you open the Adventure up to pre-existing possibilities. Plotline, or that a Plotline that developed randomly just doesn’t fit.
Those Plotlines and Characters may never enter the Adventure, or Feel free to look through the Adventure and make adjustments.
the Adventure may end up focusing on those elements. You don’t Maybe there’s a stretch of the Adventure where it dwells too much
know until you generate the Adventure, but you’ve allowed for on a single Plotline and you think that would be a good place to
the possibility for those elements to play a part. inject a new twist. You could create a new Turning Point, assign it
automatically to be a New Plotline, and see what you get. When
creating new Plotlines like this, keep generating Turning Points for
the new Plotline until you feel the Plotline is fleshed out enough
EDITING YOUR ADVENTURE or you run into a Plotline Conclusion for it, then inject those
Assuming you’re starting an Adventure with a blank set of Turning Points into the Adventure where you think they best fit.
Lists, you have roughly equal odds of a randomly generated Chronological order of Turning Points is not something
Adventure being a short one, of medium length, or sprawling out. you have to stick to for your final Adventure. It’s more for your
It’s entirely possible to have one as short as acquiring a Plotline convenience when randomly generating the Adventure to help
in Turning Point 1 and concluding it in Turning Point 2. It’s keep everything straight and establish some sense of order. In
also possible to hit Turning Point 10 and beyond with 3 or more terms of actual game events and timeline, you can rearrange the
Plotlines and no end in sight. timing of your Turning Points any way you like.
This is all well and good if you’re okay with The Adventure For instance, you may have a Turning Point in your Adventure
Crafter deciding the length and scope of your Adventure, but that you decide sets the backstory for an important NPC. Instead
you can take some control of this if you wish. Following are a of considering this a part of the Adventure, you may pull it out
few tips and guidelines. and consider it all background material that happened before the
The amount of activity that takes place in a single Turning actual Adventure begins to give the NPC more meaning.
Point can vary widely, but generally an Adventure that would The Adventure Crafter is a toolkit, and the Adventure it makes
span about two hours of actual play time would be comprised of is meant to be inspirational parts for you to manipulate as you wish.
about 4 to 6 Turning Points. Each of these Turning Points would Maybe what you produce is perfect and all you need to do now is
likely comprise a Scene in your Adventure, with a few smaller assemble your Players and start playing. Or, maybe you think the
additional Scenes stuck in between them to fill in gaps and final Adventure is a mess, but it has elements you really like that
account for Player Character decisions. you’ll pull out and fashion into something you can work with.
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PATHS OF THE ADVENTURE CRAFTER
71
PATHS OF THE ADVENTURE CRAFTER
Maybe you produce three Turning Points, which gives you a Do the same with the Characters List, going through
handful of NPC Characters, a Plotline, and an important Plotline and listing all of the important NPCs as well as the Player
Development you can include later in the Adventure. This is a Characters. These are also rated by importance with one, two,
handful of Scenes for your budding Adventure that gives you the or three listings on the List.
inspiration to expand on. Next, make a Turning Point. This is done in exactly the
Combine what you know into an Adventure idea, and then same way as making any other first Turning Point for an
run with it on your own to develop your Adventure. Adventure, except that you have a filled out Plotlines and
Characters List. Also, you won’t necessarily be placing the
events of this Turning Point at the start of your Adventure.
You’re creating this Turning Point for inspiration. Whatever
Opening Scene it comes up with, you can decide where it fits into your
Reducing and simplifying it even further, you can just Adventure, if it fits at all.
produce an opening Scene for your Adventure using The If you like it, develop it further with more Turning Points. If
Adventure Crafter. Unlike making an Adventure seed, this is you don’t like it, then discard it and try again.
even less information, probably a single Turning Point or at
most two. Going this route just gives you the very first Scene of
your Adventure, most likely when your Player Characters step As You Go
into the story. Whereas a full Adventure Script tells you about
everything important that occurs in your Adventure, and an Instead of using The Adventure Crafter to make an
Adventure seed tells you what you need to know to launch a Adventure before you play, you can use it as an Adventure
Plotline, an opening Scene will just tell you how it all begins. oracle to play your Adventure as you go. In this case, you
For instance, your opening Scene may be a Character would create Turning Points as you play, starting with the
meeting with a lawyer in his office to discuss the contents of a beginning. Since each Turning Point gives you a fleshed out
will, with a Plotline of “Disburse the estate of Uncle Wilber”. Scene, use it as inspiration to decide what happens and what
If you were developing this as an Adventure Seed, you might your Player Characters need to do. As your Player Characters
go a few Turning Points further to find out what kind of story move from event to event, you would continue developing
wrinkles develop, who else is involved, why a conflict may Turning Points as they move along.
erupt, etc. For an Opening Scene, you just go with it as is and Using The Adventure Crafter as an Adventure Game Master
decide what it means from there. probably works best if you are playing solo, since generating a
Turning Point takes time. If playing with a group, you aren’t
going to want to stop the action as the GM and have them
wait while you decide what happens next. However, if you are
As Inspiration playing as a group, you can go without having a GM and let
So far in this book it’s assumed that you are starting The Adventure Crafter fill that role. In this case, generating
your use of The Adventure Crafter at the beginning of your Turning Points and deciding what they mean could be a group
Adventure. However, you could also use it to help spice up an activity and is fun in itself.
Adventure you’re developing on your own. As an oracle, The Adventure Crafter is best at creating big ideas,
You may already have an Adventure all planned out, with inspiration for events, and providing structure to your Adventure.
your conflicts and plots, NPCs, important places, events, etc. It doesn’t answer specific questions. Everything that happens within
Thinking you want to see what new twists The Adventure that more general framework created by The Adventure Crafter
Crafter might put into your Adventure, start by filling out the would be up to you to decide on and adjudicate.
Plotlines List with all the Plotlines that you think are relevant
in your Adventure. Write each Plotline into the list anywhere
from one to three times, depending on how important you
think that Plotline is, from one listing being less important and
three listings being very important.
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PATHS OF THE ADVENTURE CRAFTER
USING THE ADVENTURE generates Altered and Interrupt Scenes in the same way you can
use it to replace making the opening Scene.
CRAFTER WITH MYTHIC Again, the advantage to using The Adventure Crafter is you will
Many of you reading The Adventure Crafter are likely get a more detailed version of the new Scene, the downside is that it
familiar with Mythic Role-Playing and the Mythic Game Master takes longer. Also, combining The Adventure Crafter with Mythic
Emulator, also from Word Mill Games. There are similarities will change the way you handle your Lists in Mythic and it will
between the two systems, the most obvious being that both are impact how Random Events are rolled in response to a Fate Roll.
used to generate random Adventures. Where they differ mostly is To use The Adventure Crafter to create Altered and Interrupt
in that The Adventure Crafter is for making a general structure Scenes, when playing out a Mythic Adventure and you roll the
for an Adventure, an outline, whereas Mythic takes it from Chaos Die in a new Scene against the Expected Scene idea and get
the other end and focuses on answering specific questions and an Altered or Interrupt result, you would then generate the Scene
building an Adventure up from the details. You can think of it using The Adventure Crafter as if making a Turning Point.
as The Adventure Crafter starts from the outside and works in, Even though Turning Points are generated for both Altered
Mythic starts from the inside and works outward. and Interrupt Scenes, you should interpret your results differently.
The two can be used together, however. If the Scene is Altered, you should use the Expected Scene idea
as the basis for your Turning Point, using the Plot Points you
generate to alter the Scene from what you thought it would
be. If the Scene is an Interrupt, then use the Turning Point as
Mythic Opening Scene inspiration for an entirely new Scene.
Before you combine The Adventure Crafter with Mythic,
The standard way to create a first Scene in Mythic is to treat however, you need to get your Lists in order. The two systems
it like a Random Event, rolling on the Event Focus and Meaning mesh together well, but not perfectly, so it will change the way
tables and interpreting your results. This is a quick method but your Mythic game plays out. The easiest way to go about this is
it gives few details, instead relying on providing you with general to adopt the way The Adventure Crafter handles Plotlines and
concepts that you interpret into a specific event. Characters Lists into Mythic. Adventure Crafter Plotlines and
You can use The Adventure Crafter to construct the first Scene Mythic Threads are the same thing, so consider the two terms
of a Mythic Adventure instead of using the standard method. interchangeable when rules refer to them.
You would build the Scene just like any other one-shot Scene Use The Adventure Crafter Plotlines and Characters Lists
generated with The Adventure Crafter. sheets for your Mythic Adventure. Plotlines and Characters
The advantage to using The Adventure Crafter is that it will will be added to your Lists at the end of a Scene as normal in a
likely create more detail for you to work with. The disadvantage is Mythic Adventure, just like with Mythic Lists. However, since
that it takes longer and may slow down a GM-free game. If you’re we’re using The Adventure Crafter List method, we’ll also be
going to use The Adventure Crafter to create an opening Scene using how it weights items on the List.
for a Mythic Adventure, you may want to do it ahead of time. After a Mythic Scene, you’ll not only add a Plotline or a
The Plotline generated from an opening Scene made with The Character to its List when it is new, but when a Plotline or
Adventure Crafter would be added to the Mythic Threads List, Character is featured in the Scene up to a maximum of three
and Characters added to the Mythic Character List. entries on the List. This is identical to The Adventure Crafter
populating Lists as Plotlines and Characters are Invoked, only
you’re doing it now as Mythic Scenes play out. Just like with
Replacing Altered And Interrupt Scenes Adventure Crafter Turning Points, you will only add a Plotline
or a Character to a List once for a Scene even if that Plotline or
Mythic Adventures are broken up into Scenes, starting with Character is represented more than once in the Scene.
an Expected Scene concept that you then roll against to see if At the end of a Scene, if a Plotline is wrapped up or a
the Scene happens as expected, or it is Altered or Interrupted. Character drops out of the Adventure, you would remove
An Altered Scene is a variation of the Expected Scene, while an them from their List just like you would in a typical Mythic
Interrupt is a Random Event that creates a new, unexpected Scene. Adventure. Cross out all instances of the Plotline or Character
You can use The Adventure Crafter to replace the way Mythic from their List.
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PATHS OF THE ADVENTURE CRAFTER
When a Mythic Fate Roll generates a Random Event and adds in the new mechanic to Mythic of choosing the most logical
you roll on the Event Focus table, it may reference a Thread or List item sometimes instead of directly rolling it.
Character. Results that point to a Character, whether Non-Player To see an example of combing Mythic with The Adventure
or Player, are rolled on the Character List to see which Character Crafter in action, see page 103.
is Invoked. All references on the Event Focus table to Player Using The Adventure Crafter with Mythic diminishes the
and Non-Player Characters are now treated as just Characters. role of Event Focus tables in your Mythic Adventure since The
Whether the result is a PC or NPC is now determined by the Adventure Crafter will be replacing their use in Interrupts.
Character List and who you roll on it. However, the Event Focus tables are still used to determine
Since in Mythic the Characters List only includes NPCs, don’t Random Events and Event Checks (if you are using Mythic
forget to also add your Player Characters to the Character List. Variations 2 rules).
The rest of the Event Focus table result still applies. So, a If you are using a special Themed Event Focus table (as described
result of NPC Action would call for a random Character to take in Mythic Variations), you can help tailor it to the Themes of The
an action. A result of Introduce A New NPC would be equivalent Adventure Crafter to make the results of the two come in line
to The Adventure Crafter generating a New Character result. PC/ together for your Adventure.
NPC Negative/Positive results would mean something negative
or something positive happens to the random Character rolled.
Move Toward A Thread and Move Away From A Thread would
call for you to Invoke a Plotline to move toward or away from. Themes
Likewise, Close a Thread would be equivalent to The Adventure Both The Adventure Crafter and Mythic use the concept of
Crafter generating a Plotline Conclusion. Themes in generating Adventures. Mythic Variations introduced
Remote Event and Ambiguous Event would still be handled the idea to Mythic of having genre specific Themes to make new
as Mythic typically handles them since these don’t call for rolls Event Focus Tables for use with generating Random Events.
on the Lists. Whether you’re using The Adventure Crafter just to create an
The results of NPC Action, Move Toward A Thread, Move opening Scene for your Mythic Adventure, or using it to create
Away From A Thread, Close A Thread, PC Negative, PC Positive, Altered and Interrupt Scenes, you’ll still have to assemble your
NPC Negative, and NPC Positive would all still be followed up Adventure Crafter Themes for the Adventure like you would for
with rolls on the Event Meaning tables after you determine which any Adventure Crafter project.
Plotline or Character is being Invoked. Also, when the Event If you are using Mythic without Themes, then generate
Focus table Invokes a Plotline or Character, it gets added to their Adventure Crafter Themes as you normally would. The Themes
List again up to a maximum of three times. will only come into play when creating an opening Scene or
If you roll Introduce A New NPC, the Character would be Altered and Interrupt Scenes, using The Adventure Crafter.
generated using The Adventure Crafter Character Crafting rules. If you are using Themes from Mythic Variations, you can
If an Altered or Interrupt Scene generates a result of bring the Mythic and Adventure Crafter Themes into line with
Conclusion on the Plot Points table, it means that Plotline each other so that Opening Scenes, Altered Scenes, and Interrupt
concludes in this Scene just like it would in a regular Adventure Scenes will have the best chance of having tones similar to
Crafter Turning Point. You’ll need to engineer the Scene in such a Mythic Random Events.
way where the Plotline comes to an end, and it would be removed Check the Theme Translation Table on the next page. Mythic
from the Plotline List after the Scene is over. Themes from Mythic Variations are linked to the closest matching
When Invoking Plotlines or Characters, whether in response to Adventure Crafter Theme. This would become the First Priority
an Altered or Interrupt Scene or as the result of a Random Event, Theme for your Adventure Crafter generated Scenes. The rest of
treat the Lists as you would when Invoking them when making the Themes would be chosen randomly, as the normal Adventure
a Turning Point. Roll 1d100 on the Lists like normal. Results of Crafter rules.
New Plotline, New Character, Choose Most Logical Plotline, And Most of the Themes use the same names, so their connection is
Choose Most Logical Character all still apply. obvious (the only Theme that uses a different name is the Mythic
This opens up additional possibilities of New Plotlines and New Horror Theme, which corresponds to the Tension Theme in The
Characters appearing at Random Events during a Mythic Scene as Adventure Crafter). The Mythic Variations Themes of Standard
a result of rolling on the Lists, which is a change for Mythic. It also and Epic don’t have a corresponding Adventure Crafter Theme
74
PATHS OF THE ADVENTURE CRAFTER
associated with them Theme Translation Table “Most Likely Theme”. This makes the first Theme be Horror.
as those Themes Rolling for the second Theme, she gets 93 for Standard Theme.
MYTHIC THEME ADVENTURE CRAFTER THEME
are so open ended She has her two Themes as generated by Mythic Variations. Since
that they can be Standard Theme Any Theme she plans to use The Adventure Crafter as well, she needs to figure
applied to any genre. Horror Theme Tension out those Themes to use when rolling on the Plot Points Table.
In those cases, you Action Adventure Theme Action
The First Priority Theme is automatically Tension, since
would roll your the first Mythic Theme is Horror. The second Theme can be
Mystery Theme Mystery
Adventure Crafter anything, since the Mythic Theme is Standard. She rolls 1d10 for
First Priority Theme Social Theme Social the remaining four Themes. She gets an 8 for Social as the Second
randomly as per the Priority Theme.
Personal Theme Personal
normal rules. Now that Jill has The Adventure Crafter Themes matched to
It doesn’t matter Epic Theme Any Theme her Mythic Themes, she rolls for the remaining three Themes.
which one you She rolls 8 again for the next Theme. Since Social is already
choose first for your taken, she goes down the list to the next available Theme which is
Adventure, the Mythic Theme or the Adventure Crafter Themes. Personal. The roll for Theme four is 3 for Tension, which is taken,
If you select the Mythic Theme first, then you automatically so the next available Theme is Mystery. Finally, the last Theme is
have your First Priority Theme for Adventure Crafter Scenes. taken by the only remaining Theme, which is Action.
If you generate your Adventure Crafter Themes first, then you Jill has her Themes now: Horror and Standard to use when
automatically have your Mythic Theme set based on the First rolling on Mythic Event Focus Tables, and Tension, Social,
Priority Adventure Crafter Theme. Personal, Mystery, and Action when rolling on the Plot Points
If you are using the Mythic Variations rules for allowing more Table for the first Scene and for Altered and Interrupts.
than one Theme at a time, then have the additional Themes
correspond to the additional Mythic Themes in order. For instance,
after the first Mythic Variations Theme is matched to the First
Priority Adventure Crafter Theme, the second Mythic Variations USING THE ADVENTURE
Theme would be matched to the Second Priority Adventure CRAFTER AS A BACKGROUND
Crafter Theme, the third Mythic Variations Theme to the third
Adventure Crafter Theme, etc. After you are done matching, roll GENERATOR
randomly for the remaining Adventure Crafter Themes. Another way you can use The Adventure Crafter is to create
If you’re using a Custom Theme of your own creation in your backstories for your Characters or for NPCs in an Adventure. By
Mythic Adventure, then when determining the Adventure Crafter rolling up a couple of Turning Points, you can use the narrative
Themes, for the First Priority Theme choose the one that most this conjures up to be inspiration for important events in a Player
closely corresponds to the flavor of your Custom Theme. If there Character’s history, the story of how a starship became lost in
isn’t a match, then choose the Adventure Crafter Themes randomly. deep space, the historical background of a metropolis, or just
Let’s run this through the paces! Jill’s whipping up a Mythic about anything where a story is involved.
Adventure for her game group. The campaign setting is the Although The Adventure Crafter is designed to help you make
American old west with supernatural elements thrown in. amazing Adventures, at the end of the day it’s a story generator.
She decides to use the Mythic Variations Theme rules and is Stories come at us from all directions, from a person’s history
going to combine the Adventure with the Adventure Crafter to tales of mythology and even the backgrounds of objects and
for creating the first Scene and for figuring out Altered and important possessions.
Interrupt Scenes. She rolls 1d100 on the Number of Themes If using The Adventure Crafter to come up with a background
Table and gets a 67 for two Themes. or side story, start generating Turning Points like you would for
She decides that the most likely Theme is Horror, and the any new Adventure. Keep developing Turning Points until you
second most likely is Action. Rolling 1d100 on the Theme have enough to give the inspiration for a cohesive narrative. Odds
Choice Table in the Mythic Variations book, she gets 49 for are good that you’ll only need from one to three Turning Points.
75
THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
A COMPLETE
17-20 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 17-20 NEW CHARACTER
ADVENTURE
21-24 NEWOUTLINE
PLOTLINE 21-24 NEW CHARACTER
77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
Date
She rolls 9 for the Theme, which is Action, and 68 for the
Themes Plot Point, which is “Physical barrier to overcome”. She rolls on
the Characters List to see who this applies to, and gets 96 for
“Choose Most Logical Character”. She selects Captain Reegan,
1 Personal 1-4 although most likely he’s going to represent the crew for this.
Since she Invoked Reegan for a Plot Point, she writes his name
2 Tension 5-7 down again on the Characters List.
Jill has no idea what this result means at this point. She
3 Action 8-9
decides to continue with more Plot Points and see if a clearer
picture starts to develop.
The next Plot Point roll is 4 for Theme, which is Personal, and
4 Mystery 10 78 for the Plot Point, “Bribe”. Jill rolls on the Characters List to
see who is bribing whom. She gets 11 for “Major Jarella” and 51
5 Social 10
for “New Character”. Rolling for the new Character, Jill learns
that this new person will be a hindrance to the Plotline. The
Character’s Identity is “Gambler” and Descriptor is “Wealthy”.
Jill moves on to the first Turning Point. There’s no need Jill thinks about this a bit. She decides that the Adventure will
to roll for the Plotline, since there are none so the Plotline is start at a space station out at the fringes of Imperium territory.
automatically a New Plotline. She rolls 3d10 for the first Plot The station is a near lawless place owned and operated by a shady
Point, with one die designated to determine the Theme and the
other two
CHARACTERS to determine the specific Plot Point. The Theme die is
INVOKED
5, for Tension. The Plot Point roll is 93, “A New Enemy”.
Jill grins; this is already interesting. She needs to create a new
Character to determine who the enemy is. Rolling 1d100 on the
Character Special Trait Table, she gets 89 for “The Character
Hinders Resolving This Plotline.” Jill doesn’t even know what the
Plotline is yet, but she keeps in mind that whatever Plotline this
first Turning Point generates the enemy is going to be a problem
for the Player Characters.
Rolling for Character Identity, we get 2, “Roll for two
Identities”. Jill rolls 37, “Assistant”, and 47, “Supporter”.
Interesting. Jill is thinking that the new Character used to crew
with Captain Reegan before as an underling. Perhaps the two had
a disagreement and went their separate ways. For “Supporter,” Jill
figures the enemy is a supporter of the Imperium which would
give him an additional reason to be enemies with the Cavalier
crew, since they are on the outs with the stellar government.
Rolling the new Character’s Descriptors, Jill gets 7 for “Roll
for two Descriptors.” She rolls 9, which she ignores since this new
Character already is at the maximum of two Descriptors. Rolling,
she gets 72 for “Commanding” and 36 for “Rough”.
Thinking about all of this, Jill decides that the new Character
is Captain James Rill, a former crewmate of Reegan’s before they
had a falling out. Rill now commands his own ship, part of the
Imperial Navy. Most likely, he’s out hunting down the Cavalier.
CHARACTERS INVOKED
Jill adds “Captain Rill” to the Characters List and continues to
the next Plot Point.
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THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
underworld thug known as Skeeve. The Cavalier needed to dock maybe something like shooting the apple off of the head of one of
for fuel and supplies before heading out further into space to hide Skeeve’s lackeys ... then Skeeve will let them go.
from Imperium
ADVENTURE SHEET forces. Failing that, the ship and its crew can attempt to force their
Jill adds
Adventure another entry on the CharactersDateList for Jarella and way out through the docking doors. This would involve either
adds the new Character, Skeeve, to the List.Themes overwhelming guards to get into the control room to open the
Notes
She rolls for the next Plot Point, getting1a Plot Point of 1-4
doors or using the Cavalier’s weapon systems to blast their way out.
“None”. On to the next and final Plot Point, 2 she rolls Tension for 5-7 The closed docking doors is the “physical barrier” from the
the Theme and “Time Limit” for the Plot Point.3 Jill has all of her 8-9 Plot Point, and the urgency to escape before Rill arrives is the
Plot Points for the first Turning Point. 4 10
“time limit”.
5 10
Jill is happy with this interpretation of the Turning Point. She
SECTION x decides that the Plotline will be “Escape from Rill” and writes
TURNING POINT 1 PLOTLINE New Plotline
Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED that on the Plotline List.
1 A new enemy Captain Rill Her Lists look like this now:
2 Physical barrier to overcome Captain Reegan
3 Bribe Jarella / Skeeve
4 None Plotlines List Characters List
5 Time limit
Notes
1-4 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 1-4 Captain Reegan
NEW CHARACTER
Since this
TURNING POINT
is the first
PLOTLINE
TurningMOSTPoint,LOGICAL
it’s goingPLOTLINE
to largely Major Jarella
Development
PLOT POINTS
9-12 CHOOSEConclusion
CHARACTERS INVOKED
9-12 NEW CHARACTER
define the Adventure and give the first Plotline. Jill decides
1
this
2 is the scenario:
13-16 Fleeing
CHOOSE from the Imperium
MOST LOGICAL after the
PLOTLINE 13-16 Cavalier
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
last Adventure, the crew of Cavalier head to deep space to
Captain Rill
3
17-20
lose
4 themselves in theCHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
lawless frontier beyond the edges of 17-20 NEW CHARACTER
Imperium control.
21-24 BeforeNEW they can do that, however, they Reegan
5
PLOTLINE 21-24 NEW CHARACTER
need
Notes to resupply. The only dock in sight is the space outpost
Morgane;
10 a25-28 CHOOSE
space station MOST dangerous
with rough, LOGICAL PLOTLINE
residents all 25-28 Jarella
NEW CHARACTER
commanded by underworld crime boss Skeeve.
29-32 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
Jill constructs the beginning of the Adventure to give the crew
29-32 Skeeve
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
of the Cavalier some time
33-36 CHOOSEto explore
MOST theLOGICAL
Morgane.PLOTLINE
She builds a 33-36
SECTION NEW CHARACTER
few key sites, such as a pub, the docks, and the administrative
offices. She 37-40
encouragesNEW PLOTLINE
the crew to split up, organizing a few 37-40 NEW CHARACTER
separate small encounters for each of them.
41-44 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 41-44 NEW CHARACTER
The crew will be at the station for a few days when Captain Plotlines List Character
Reegan gets45-48 word thatCHOOSE
his formerMOST
friendLOGICAL
and now Imperial
PLOTLINE Navy 45-48 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
ship captain Rill is en route to the Morgane to apprehend the
49-52 CHOOSE
1-4
49-52
Escape
CHOOSEfrom
MOSTCaptain Rill
LOGICAL PLOTLINE
NEW CHARACTER
1-4
outlaws of the Cavalier. They willMOST LOGICAL
need to PLOTLINE
leave quickly to stay
ahead of their pursuer.NEW PLOTLINE
53-56
5-8
53-56
NEW PLOTLINE
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
5-8
Skeeve also notices the warrant out for them, and the reward.
Jill prepares57-60
an encounter where the Player Character Jarella, who’s 9-12 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 9-12
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
the crew’s muscle, must deal with Skeeve as he informs her that he 13-16 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 13-16
isn’t going to61-64
open theCHOOSE
bay doors MOST
and letLOGICAL
the Cavalier PLOTLINE
leave. 61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
Jill is going to give the Players a few ways out of this 17-20 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 17-20
65-68 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 65-68 NEW CHARACTER
predicament. Jarella can attempt to bribe Skeeve with something This is exactly the kind of adventuring space romp Jill was
21-24 NEW PLOTLINE 21-24
more valuable 69-72
than theNEW PLOTLINE
reward. Jill gives Skeeve some personality, hoping69-72 CHOOSE
for. She likes MOST angle
the personal LOGICAL
that CHARACTER
the enemy pursuing
deciding that he is wealthy and powerful, but at heart he’s a them is25-28
a formerCHOOSE
subordinate of Captain Reegan’s.
MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE That may give 25-28
73-76 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 73-76 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
gambling man. If Jarella can talk him into a game of chance ... some additional plot twists later.
29-32 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 29-32
77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
33-36 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 33-36
81-84 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 81-84 NEW CHARACTER
78
37-40 NEW PLOTLINE 37-40
85-88 NEW PLOTLINE 85-88 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
41-44 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 41-44
90-92 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 90-92 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
Adventure Date
Notes Themes
1 1-4
3 8-9
4 10
5 10
Jill designs the opening scenario so it’s not too difficult to TURNING POINT 2 PLOTLINE
New Plotline
x Development Escape from Rill
Conclusion
escape from the Morgane. She wants the crew of the Cavalier out PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
in the depths of space with Rill hot on their heels. 1 Do it or else Rin
2 It is your duty Jarella
Jill moves on to the second Turning Point. She rolls on the
3 A crucial life support system begins to fail
Plotline List to see what Plotline this Turning Point will be about. 4 None
Since there’s only one Plotline, there’s only two possibilities: it’s 5 None
either going to be “Escape from Rill” or “New Plotline”. She rolls Notes
94, “Choose Most Logical Plotline”. “Escape from Rill” it is.
Since this is an existing Plotline being Invoked, she writes it into New Plotline
escape from Rill. Since the Player Character Rin didn’t get a lot to Most of the piloting and tactical moves are in Reegan’s hands.
Notes
57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER 79
61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
80
Adventure Date
Notes Themes
1 1-4
2 5-7
THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
3 8-9
4 10
5 10
1
Characters
on List List to Invoke a Character for this and gets
the Characters
2 “Choose Most Logical Character”. The most powerful Character
3 1-4 Escape
CHOOSEfrom
MOSTCaptain Rill
LOGICAL PLOTLINE so
1-4far in theNEW Adventure
CHARACTERis Rill, so Jill chooses that Character to
4 Invoke. She writes Rill into the Characters List again.
5 5-8 Escape from Captain Rill
NEW PLOTLINE 5-8Jill moves NEW on CHARACTER
to the next Plot Point, rolling “None”.
She rolls a 2 for Plot Point 3, which would be “Conclusion”
Escape
CHOOSEfrom
MOSTCaptain Rill
Notes
9-12 LOGICAL PLOTLINE 9-12 NEW CHARACTER
10 except for the fact that this is a New Plotline in this Turning
13-16 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE Point,
13-16 so itCHOOSE
can’t be a MOST
Conclusion.
LOGICAL She counts
CHARACTERthis result as
another “None”.
17-20 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 17-20
She moves NEW onCHARACTER
to Plot Point 4, getting a Theme of Personal
Characters
21-24 List PLOTLINE
NEW and
21-24 a Plot NEW
Point CHARACTER
of “Protector”. She rolls to Invoke a Character to
attach to this Plot Point, and gets “New Character”.
LINE 25-28
1-4 Captain
CHOOSE
NEW Reegan
MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
CHARACTER 25-28
Rolling NEW
for theCHARACTER
new Character, Jill determines that this
Character is an organization, the Character’s Identity is “Scholar”
29-32
5-8 Science
CHOOSE
NEW Officer
MOST
CHARACTER RinPLOTLINE
LOGICAL 29-32
and CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
Descriptors are “Unusual” and “Clean”.
LINE 33-36
9-12 Major
CHOOSE
NEW Jarella
MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
CHARACTER
Jill
33-36 thinks about this. The Cavalier is in deep space now,
NEW CHARACTER
beyond the borders of the Imperium. Things are a bit different out
LINE 37-40
13-16 Cavalier
NEW PLOTLINE
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER 37-40with rules
here, NEWofCHARACTER
its own since the Imperium’s laws aren’t in force.
Jill decides that the Cavalier will come upon a small city built
LINE 41-44
17-20 Captain
CHOOSE
NEW RillLOGICAL PLOTLINE
MOST
CHARACTER 41-44 NEW CHARACTER
upon an asteroid. This area of space is dotted with such cities.
45-48
21-24 Reegan
CHOOSE
NEW MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
CHARACTER
This
45-48one isCHOOSE
a famed university of deep space
MOST LOGICAL lore, Armitage. It has
CHARACTER
a treaty with the Imperium, where it declares itself neutral and
LINE 49-52
25-28 Jarella
CHOOSE
NEW MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
CHARACTER 49-52take place
won’t NEW in CHARACTER
disputes and the Imperium leaves it alone. This
would make Armitage a safe haven for the Cavalier to land; Rill
LINE 53-56
29-32 Skeeve
NEW PLOTLINE
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER 53-56 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
would have no legal right to apprehend the crew and would in fact
LINE 57-60
33-36 Rin
CHOOSE
NEW MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
CHARACTER be breakingCHOOSE
57-60 the Imperium’s
MOSTaccord
LOGICAL withCHARACTER
Armitage if he tried.
Jill adds Armitage to the Characters List and continues.
61-64
37-40 Jarella
CHOOSE
NEW MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
CHARACTER 61-64
There’s CHOOSE
one more PlotMOST LOGICAL
Point CHARACTER
to roll for this Turning Point. Jill
rolls “Character Connection”. Rolling to see who gets connected,
LINE 65-68
41-44 Grissom
CHOOSE
NEW MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
CHARACTER 65-68 NEW CHARACTER
she rolls “Science Officer Rin” and “New Character”.
LINE 69-72
45-48 Rin
NEW PLOTLINE
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER The new
69-72 Character
CHOOSE is: anLOGICAL
MOST individual, has Identities of
CHARACTER
“Performer” and “Mediator”, and Descriptors of “Ignorant”
LINE 73-76
49-52 Cavalier
CHOOSE
NEW MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
CHARACTER 73-76
and “Small”.CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
Jill decides that onMOST
Armitage is a small, elf-like mutant
77-80
53-56 Rill
CHOOSE MOST
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL
LOGICAL CHARACTER
PLOTLINE 77-80 CHOOSE LOGICAL CHARACTER
woman named Leyla. She is a citizen of the scholar city, living
LINE 81-84
57-60 CHOOSE MOST
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL
LOGICAL CHARACTER
PLOTLINE 81-84
in NEWdistrict.
its merchant CHARACTER She is a professional singer who sells her
talents to local traders because she also has a slight telepathic
LINE 85-88
61-64 NEW PLOTLINE
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER 85-88 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
LINE 90-92
65-68 CHOOSE
NEW MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
CHARACTER 90-92 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
81
93-96
69-72 CHOOSE MOST
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL
LOGICAL CHARACTER
PLOTLINE 93-96 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
LINE 97-100
73-76 CHOOSE MOST
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL
LOGICAL CHARACTER
PLOTLINE 97-100 NEW CHARACTER
THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES SECTION
ability to make those who hear her songs become more pliable to
suggestion. She hires herself out to merchants to sing in lounges Plotlines List Character
while they negotiate, using her abilities to help her clients get
better deals. She is a small, delicate woman who is rough around 1-4 Escape
CHOOSEfrom
MOSTCaptain Rill
LOGICAL PLOTLINE 1-4
the edges and knows little beyond her own world and interests.
Jill decides to create an encounter on the Armitage that will forge
5-8 Escape from Captain Rill
NEW PLOTLINE 5-8
a bond between Rin and Leyla. 9-12 Escape
CHOOSEfrom
MOSTCaptain Rill
LOGICAL PLOTLINE 9-12
Jill decides that this is what the Turning Point means: after
narrowly escaping Rill’s ship, the crew of the Cavalier are desperate 13-16 Stay safe
CHOOSE at Armitage
MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 13-16
to find a safe haven since they won’t likely be able to outrun the
SECTION 17-20 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 17-20
Imperium officer forever. They come across Armitage, a natural
place for them to land where Rill can’t legally touch them. Armitage 21-24 NEW PLOTLINE 21-24
welcomes the Cavalier, as it welcomes all visitors. The meteor city
is a gleaming, beautiful metropolis in space devoted to academic 25-28 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 25-28
Plotlines List Characters List
study of the cosmos with a bustling trading district around the 29-32 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 29-32
university. When the crew of the Cavalier lands here, they will find
1-4 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 1-4 Captain Reegan
NEW CHARACTER
the place friendly, but will also discover that its doors are open to 33-36 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 33-36
Captain Rill.5-8 The Imperium naval ship will also dock at Armitage.
NEW PLOTLINE 5-8 Science Officer Rin
NEW CHARACTER
Jill devises a number of locations in Armitage for the Cavalier 37-40 NEW PLOTLINE 37-40
9-12 She cooks
crew to explore. CHOOSE MOST
up some LOGICAL
places PLOTLINE
in the trading district 9-12 Major Jarella
NEW CHARACTER
41-44 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 41-44
where they can 13-16
buy parts for the engine to help repair damage
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 13-16 Cavalier
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
done in the pursuit, a few bars and taverns, maybe a mugging 45-48 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 45-48
encounter to17-20 give Jarella and Reegan
CHOOSE MOST someone
LOGICAL to fight.
PLOTLINE 17-20
49-52
Captain Rill
NEW CHARACTER
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 49-52
One of the mugging encounters will involve Rin. Leyla will
21-24 andNEW
witness the attack, PLOTLINE
will use her singing powers to sooth the 21-24
53-56
Reegan
NEW CHARACTER
NEW PLOTLINE 53-56
would be attackers.
25-28 She’ll take an
CHOOSE MOST interest LOGICAL
in Rin, wishing to
PLOTLINE 25-28
57-60
Jarella
NEW CHARACTER
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 57-60
accompany the crew of the Cavalier as she wants to move on
from Armitage. 29-32When CHOOSE MOST
she discovers they LOGICAL
are on the PLOTLINE
run from the 29-32
61-64
Skeeve
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 61-64
Imperium, it makes her want to join them more as she is no friend
33-36
of the government. CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
This also makes her distrustful of their stowaway 33-36
65-68
Rin
NEW CHARACTER
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 65-68
engineer, Grissom,
37-40 since NEWhe’s PLOTLINE
a former employee of the Imperium. 37-40
69-72
Jarella
NEW CHARACTER
NEW PLOTLINE 69-72
Since Rill and the Cavalier crew will be in the same area,
ADVENTURE SHEET
but Rill won’t
Adventure
41-44be ableCHOOSE MOSTofLOGICAL
to act because PLOTLINE
legal restrictions,
Date
the 41-44
73-76
Grissom
NEW CHARACTER
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 73-76
GM also allows for the possibility of Reegan and Rill meeting
atNotes
45-48 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL
some point and talking. This would give Themes PLOTLINE
Reegan’s Player a
45-48
77-80
Rin
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 77-80
chance to role-play
49-52 the captain,MOST
and it LOGICAL
gives Jill an opportunity Cavalier
1 1-4
CHOOSE PLOTLINE 49-52 NEW CHARACTER
2
to flesh out Rill’s motivations for chasing 3his former friend.
5-7
81-84 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 81-84
Rill
8-9
53-56
Jill creates the newNEW PLOTLINE
Plotline “Stay safe at4Armitage” and writes 53-56 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
10
85-88 NEW PLOTLINE 85-88
it on the Plotlines List.
Rill
5 10
57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
x New Plotline 90-92 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 90-92
4 Stay safe at Armitage
Armitage
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
1
85-88 NEW PLOTLINE 85-88 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
2
3
90-92 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 90-92 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
4
THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
to keep the Player Characters busy for a while and to develop their one Player Character is traveling on a monorail train in the city
Characters more. Jill considers ending the development of this when Captain Rill attempts to arrest them, which is against
Adventure right here, since she figures these 4 Turning Points give the law since Armitage is a neutral city state. Jill allows for the
her about two hours of actual game time with her Players. possibility of the encounter to get heated, perhaps with combat
Just in case, she pushes on further, deciding to generate the between the Player Characters involved and Rill’s soldiers. At
fifth Turning Point. Rolling for the Plotline, she gets “Choose some point, Armitage security forces will break it up and remind
The Most Logical Plotline”. She decides to go with “Escape from Rill that he is not allowed to apprehend the crew of the Cavalier.
Captain Rill” since the last Turning Point likely was a long one, Jill decides to use this Turning Point as an opportunity to show
with the Player Characters kicking around Armitage. That part how desperate Rill is to capture the Characters, but also how safe
of the Adventure was a break from the pursuit, but at some point they are at
ADVENTURE Armitage. The Player Characters now know that Rill
SHEET
Rill will have to make his next move. can’t touch them and they can stay as long asDatethey like in the city.
Adventure
Jill doesn’t make another entry for “Escape from Captain Rill” Jill figures, when she plays this Adventure with her Players,
Themes
Notes
on the Plotlines List because it already has three entries. she’ll likely conclude the Adventure right here.
1
She decides to 1-4
She starts rolling Plot Points. For the first Plot Point, she rolls keep developing Turning Points though, just 2 to see where the 5-7
a Theme of “Personal”, but that doesn’t matter since the Plot Plotlines lead and to perhaps use them as a 3second part to this 8-9
Point is a Meta Plot Point. Rolling on the Meta Table, she gets Adventure for when she meets with her group 4
of Players again. 10
5
“Character Steps Down”. Rolling for which Character this refers 10
to, Jill gets “Choose Most Logical Character”. TURNING POINT 5 PLOTLINE
New Plotline
x Development Escape from Captain Rill
Conclusion
Thinking about this, Jill considers having Grissom step down PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
a notch, which would remove him from the Characters List. She’s 1 Character steps down Skeeve
2 None
thinking maybe she’ll kill him off and set up a murder mystery.
3 None
After considering this, Jill decides there’s already enough going on 4 Travel setting
without adding a wrinkle like that, and she decides to use this as an 5 A moment of peace
opportunity to house clean. She applies the “Character Steps Down” SECTION
Notes
result to Skeeve, the underworld boss who runs the Morgane. This
removes Skeeve completely from the list, which is fine with Jill as New Plotline
she doesn’t expect him to be a factor any further in the Adventure. TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
Jill scrawls a line through Skeeve on the Characters List. 1 Plotlines List Char
Jill decides this will have no in-Adventure impact, it’s just List 2
management on her part. She writes the entries in for Plot Point 3
1-4 Escape
CHOOSEfrom
MOSTCaptain Rill
LOGICAL PLOTLINE 1-4
1 of this Turning Point and goes on. 4
discards it which automatically makes this Plot Point “None”. 17-20 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 17-2
She’s got three Plot Points done for this Turning Point and
21-24 NEW PLOTLINE 21-2
none having produced any Adventure material yet. Jill hopes the
next two rolls give her some meat to work with. 25-28 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 25-2
Rolling for Plot Point 4, she gets Tension as the Theme and
“Travel Setting” as the Plot Point. Jill doesn’t know what this 29-32 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 29-3
means yet, so she goes on to the final Plot Point to see if it brings
33-36 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 33-3
any ideas to the table.
She rolls a Theme of Action and a Plot Point of “A Moment 37-40 NEW PLOTLINE 37-4
Of Peace”.
Jill decides to make an encounter in Armitage where at least 41-44 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 41-4
longer safe for the crew. She decides to roll more Plot Points
Characters List before she decides.
Plot Point 3 is a Theme of Action and a Plot Point of “Defend
1-4 Captain Reegan
NEW CHARACTER Or Not To Defend”. She rolls to Invoke a Character to see who
5-8 Science Officer Rin
NEW CHARACTER needs defending, and gets “Science Officer Rin”. Rin is already on
the Characters List three times, so Jill doesn’t add him to another
9-12 Major Jarella
NEW CHARACTER entry. She Invokes another Character to see who will have to
choose whether to defend him or not and gets “Rill”. That’s
13-16 Cavalier
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
interesting. Jill reserves judgement on this for now.
17-20 Captain Rill
NEW CHARACTER Plot Point 4 is Theme of “Tension” and Plot Point of “A
Problem Returns”.
21-24 Reegan
NEW CHARACTER These results are churning ideas in Jill’s head. She’s thinking
that, during the previous Turning Point, the crew of the
25-28 Jarella
NEW CHARACTER
Cavalier enjoyed a short period of peace on the Armitage
29-32 Skeeve
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER with a couple of opportunities for encounters and Character
development. Now that peace is ending. Although Rill can’t
33-36 Rin
NEW CHARACTER legally arrest the crew, she decides that bounty hunters have
arrived in Armitage to try and capture the crew of the Cavalier
37-40 Jarella
NEW CHARACTER
and collect on the price on their heads set by the Imperium.
41-44 Grissom
NEW CHARACTER The bounty hunters don’t care about Armitage’s laws.
The “problem returning” in this case would be the crew’s
45-48 Rin
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER lack of safety, which would also conclude this Plotline of
staying safe at Armitage.
49-52 Cavalier
NEW CHARACTER
Jill has one more Plot Point to roll. She gets a Theme of
53-56 Rill
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER “Tension” and a Plot Point of “Something Exotic”.
Jill decides this Turning Point means this: The crew of the
57-60 Rill
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER Cavalier have been safe on Armitage for a week. Rill and his
men have been shadowing them, discreetly following although
61-64 Armitage
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
they aren’t allowed to arrest them. Captain Reegan and his crew
65-68 Leyla
NEW CHARACTER know that Rill is just waiting for the Cavalier to take off, and
he will pounce.
69-72 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
While out one day, Science Officer Rin is attacked by a
73-76 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER cloaked figure who turns out to be a bounty hunter robot (this
is the “Something exotic” that Jill decided on). Rin tries to flee
77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER from the robot. Rill and his men, who have been following the
Cavalier crew, see this attack and intervene, rescuing Rin and
81-84 NEW CHARACTER
destroying the robot. Rill felt he had no choice; he wants to
Jill85-88
goes on toCHOOSE
Turning Point
MOST6.LOGICAL
The Plotline rolled is “Stay
CHARACTER bring in the Cavalier crew, and not have the shame of a bounty
safe at Armitage”. She writes this into another entry on the hunter completing his job for him.
90-92
Plotlines List. CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER The crew of the Cavalier survive this encounter, but they
Plot Point 1 is a Theme of Tension and a Plot Point now know that Armitage is no longer safe. There will be more
93-96 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
“Disarmed”. She rolls to Invoke a Character to apply to this bounty hunters coming, and staying at the scholar city will
Plot Point and gets
97-100 NEW“Cavalier”.
CHARACTER only make them sitting ducks. If they check on their ship, they
For Plot Point 2, she rolls “Conclusion” on the Plot Point will discover that the weapon system has been sabotaged, most
Table. This means this Turning Point ends the Plotline of likely by the bounty hunter before it was destroyed. Not only
“Stay safe at Armitage”. There’s only two ways Jill can see that must the crew flee from Armitage, but they must do it with a
Plotline ending: the Cavalier leaves Armitage, or the place is no weaponless ship and Rill waiting for them.
84
ADVENTURE SHEET THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
Adventure SECTION Date
Notes Themes
1 1-4
Jill scratches the Plotline of “Stay safe at2Armitage” from the 5-7
2
Disarmed
9-12
Conclusion
Cavalier
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 9-12 Major Jarella
NEW CHARACTER
13-16 Cavalier
3 Defend or not to defend Rin / Rill
4
13-16
A problem returns
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
25-28 Jarella
New Plotline
TURNING POINT
25-28
PLOTLINE
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
Development
Conclusion NEW CHARACTER
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
1 Plotlines List
29-32 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 29-32 ListSkeeve
Characters CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
2
Escape
5-8 37-40 NEWNEWfrom Captain Rill
PLOTLINE 5-8 37-40NEWJarella
NEW CHARACTER
5
PLOTLINE CHARACTER
9-12 41-44NEWGrissom
Notes
10 Escape
9-12 41-44 from
CHOOSE
CHOOSE Captain
MOSTMOST RillPLOTLINE
LOGICAL
LOGICAL PLOTLINE NEW CHARACTER
CHARACTER
13-1645-48
Stay CHOOSE
safe
CHOOSE atMOST
MOST LOGICAL
Armitage
LOGICAL PLOTLINE
PLOTLINE Rin
13-1645-48CHOOSE
CHOOSE
MOSTMOST LOGICAL
LOGICAL CHARACTER
CHARACTER
17-2049-52CHOOSE
CHOOSE
MOSTMOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 17-2049-52NEWCavalier
NEW CHARACTER
Stay safe at Armitage
LOGICAL PLOTLINE CHARACTER
21-2453-56NEWNEW PLOTLINE
PLOTLINE 21-2453-56NEWRill
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
CHARACTER
25-2857-60CHOOSE
CHOOSE
MOSTMOST LOGICAL
LOGICAL PLOTLINE
PLOTLINE 25-2857-60NEWRill
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
CHARACTER
29-3261-64CHOOSE
CHOOSE
MOSTMOST LOGICAL
LOGICAL PLOTLINE
PLOTLINE Armitage
29-3261-64CHOOSE
CHOOSE
MOSTMOST LOGICAL
LOGICAL CHARACTER
CHARACTER
33-3665-68CHOOSE
CHOOSE
MOSTMOST LOGICAL
LOGICAL PLOTLINE
PLOTLINE 33-3665-68NEWLeyla
NEW CHARACTER
CHARACTER
37-4069-72NEWNEW PLOTLINE
PLOTLINE 37-4069-72NEWCHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
CHARACTER
41-4473-76CHOOSE
CHOOSE
MOSTMOST LOGICAL
LOGICAL PLOTLINE
PLOTLINE 41-4473-76NEWCHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
CHARACTER
45-4877-80CHOOSE
CHOOSE
MOSTMOST LOGICAL
LOGICAL PLOTLINE
PLOTLINE 45-4877-80CHOOSE
CHOOSE
MOSTMOST LOGICAL
LOGICAL CHARACTER
CHARACTER
49-5281-84CHOOSE
CHOOSE
MOSTMOST LOGICAL
LOGICAL PLOTLINE
PLOTLINE 49-5281-84NEWNEW CHARACTER
CHARACTER
The action of the last Turning Point further reinforces Jill’s
53-5685-88NEWNEW PLOTLINE
PLOTLINE 53-5685-88CHOOSE
CHOOSE
MOST MOST LOGICAL
LOGICAL CHARACTER
CHARACTER
idea that she was going to end the Adventure after Turning
57-6090-92CHOOSE
CHOOSE
MOSTMOST LOGICAL
LOGICAL PLOTLINE
PLOTLINE Point 5, and
57-6090-92 sheCHOOSE
CHOOSE would
MOSTuseMOST
Turning
LOGICAL Point
LOGICAL 6CHARACTER
as the start of the
CHARACTER
follow-up Adventure. It would make a nice, dramatic way to get
61-6493-96CHOOSE
CHOOSE
MOSTMOST LOGICAL
LOGICAL PLOTLINE
PLOTLINE 61-6493-96
going, the CHOOSE
withCHOOSEpeaceMOST MOST
at Armitage LOGICAL
LOGICALbroken CHARACTER
and
CHARACTERbounty hunters
now hot on
97-100
their heels too.
NEW CHARACTER
65-6897-100 CHOOSE
CHOOSE MOSTMOST LOGICAL
LOGICAL PLOTLINE
PLOTLINE 65-68 NEW
Jill decides to CHARACTER
turn up the heat on the Player Characters,
69-72 NEW PLOTLINE filtering
69-72 rumorsCHOOSEto them
MOSTthatLOGICAL
the word CHARACTER
is out that there is a
bounty on their heads. Maybe Armitage security forces will
12
73-76 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 73-76 them,
inform CHOOSE MOST
with a not LOGICAL
so subtle hint CHARACTER
that they want the crew of
77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
Notes Themes
1 1-4
3 8-9
4 10
5 10
the Cavalier to depart their peaceful city before more bloodshed TURNING POINT 7 PLOTLINE
New Plotline
Jill moves on to Turning Point 7, rolling the crossed out 1 Sudden cessation
2 Conclusion
Plotline of “Stay safe at Armitage”. Since that Plotline has been
3 A celebration
removed, this becomes a result of “Choose Most Logical Plotline”. 4 None
There is only one Plotline left, “Escape from Captain Rill”. 5 None
Plot Point 1 is a Theme of Action and a Plot Point of “Sudden Notes
Cessation”. Jill doesn’t know what this means yet, but decides
she’ll figure it out after a few more Plot Points. New Plotline
Plot Point 2 is “Conclusion”. So, this Plotline will end in this Jill is pleasedPLOTLINE
TURNING POINT
with the entire Adventure. It gives her plenty of
Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS
Turning Point. Since this is the last Plotline of her Adventure, this room
1
to embellish where she wishes,CHARACTERS
such as INVOKED
creating encounters
will end the Adventure completely. at2 Morgane and Armitage. She may decide to toss in a few more
For Plot Point 3, she rolled a 10 for the Theme. This is bounty
3 hunters into Turning Point 6 if the Player Characters
the second time she’s rolled a 10 when rolling Themes for this delay.
4 The length of the Adventure gives Jill the option of
Adventure, which means she chooses the second 10 result, breaking
5
it into two separate Adventures, depending on how
the fifth priority Theme of “Social”. The Plot Point is “A quickly
Notes her Player Characters speed through the Turning Points.
Celebration”. 10 The Non-Player Characters of Grissom and Leyla add some
Plot Point 4 is “None”. interesting twists and gives Jill some creative license if she wants
Plot Point 5 is a Theme of “Action” and a Plot Point of those Characters to do actions that help move the story along.
“Victory!” She Invokes two Characters to see who is victorious She allows for the possibility that one of them may become a
over whom, and gets “Captain Reegan” and “Rin”. These are casualty, dying in a bounty hunter attack.
both Player Characters, so it doesn’t make much sense to Jill that
Reegan would have a victory over Rin. If she thought about it
long enough, she could probably come up with something, but
she decides to discard the result instead and use “None”. AN ADVENTURE SEED
Jill considers the elements in front of her. The Plotline of
“Escape from Captain Rill” ends in this Turning Point. That
Hysteria At Stillwater
means, most likely, that they either escape from him for good or Jorge wants to prepare a fantasy Adventure for a group of
they are captured. Players. The Characters are fairly new, having only had one
Jill decides that Armitage is coming upon its largest annual Adventure so far. Their first Adventure had a lot of pirate action
festival, the Rite Of Domiscus. This is a celebration of the scholar on the high seas and served as a way to bring the Characters
city’s founder, the monk Domiscus, who established the meteor together. That Adventure ended with the party in the coastal
city three hundred years earlier as a haven of cosmic study and town of Stillwater. Jorge doesn’t have much of a campaign going
peace. The celebration involves parades in the streets and activity yet, but he views this as an opportunity to see what ideas The
all over the city. This is the perfect distraction for the crew of the Adventure Crafter will come up with. He wants to design his own
Cavalier to try and slip away without Rill noticing. Adventure, but he chooses to have The Adventure Crafter develop
Jill constructs this part of the Adventure to give the Player a seed idea.
Characters a chance to plan a way to use the festival as a Jorge pulls out an Adventure Sheet and blank Lists. He could
diversion. They may use crowds to lose the men following them. add items to the Lists from the previous Adventure, but he wants
Maybe their are fleets of starships in formation during parts of a fresh start so he decides not to. However, he does write down
the celebration, and the crew could disguise the Cavalier as one of the names of the four Player Characters onto the Characters List
these parade ships to depart Armitage unnoticed. since he knows at least that much.
This Turning Point will conclude the Plotline of “Escape from
Captain Rill” with either the Cavalier crew being successful in
their attempts to escape, or their plans fail and Rill finally captures
them. Either way, the Plotline is over, and so is the Adventure.
86
THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
Jorge rolls for the second new Character involved in this Plot
Characters List Point. He rolls that the new Character is helpful to the resolution
of the Plotline. The Character’s Identity is “Farmer” and his
LINE 1-4 Nathaniel, fighter
NEW CHARACTER Descriptor is “Impulsive”.
Jorge decides that the people of Stillwater are aware of the
5-8 Jazeel, wizard
NEW CHARACTER orc dwelling in the forest and are annoyed by his frequent
thefts. The people have been on guard, including a local
LINE 9-12 Rindghast, rogue
NEW CHARACTER
farmer. Nevertheless, the orc ransacks his barn one night. The
LINE 13-16 Grot,
CHOOSEbarbarian
MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER farmer, hearing the commotion of his animals, runs out to
check but the orc makes his escape.
LINE 17-20 NEW CHARACTER Jorge names the orc Gnash and the farmer Divin and records
them both on the Characters List.
21-24 NEW CHARACTER
Jorge doesn’t know yet what the Plotline is going to be but an
LINE 25-28 NEW CHARACTER idea is starting to form that involves the orc and the farmer.
He rolls for Plot Point 2 and gets “Action” for the Theme
LINE Jorge29-32 CHOOSE
starts rolling MOST
for the LOGICAL
Themes. CHARACTER
He rolls a 1, “Action”. That again, and a Plot Point of “A Character Is Attacked To Abduct”.
seems fitting since their last Adventure was also very action Jorge Invokes Characters to see who is getting attacked by whom.
LINE 33-36 NEW CHARACTER
oriented. Next he rolls 6, “Mystery”. The third Theme is an 8, for He rolls “Choose Most Logical Character” for the person being
“Social”.37-40 He rollsNEWa 5 for the fourth Theme, but since “Mystery” is
CHARACTER attacked, and decides on Divin. For the attacker, Jorge rolls
already taken he goes down the Theme list to the next available “Choose Most Logical Character” again. The only other Character
LINE Theme, 41-44which isNEW CHARACTER
“Personal”. Finally, the only Theme remaining is on the List that makes sense is Gnash. Jorge writes the Invoked
“Tension”, so that fills the fifth Date
slot. Characters on the Adventure Sheet, but he doesn’t write them onto
LINE 45-48 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
It looks like this the Characters List again because both of those Characters already
Themes
LINE Adventure49-52idea willNEW mostly
CHARACTER got a slot on the List during this Turning Point.
be an Action Mystery of 1 Action 1-4 The Plot Points are building a chain of events. Gnash raids
53-56ThatCHOOSE
some kind. sounds MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
2 Mystery 5-7
Divin’s farm and gets away with it, then Gnash attacks Divin in
LINE good to 57-60Jorge. CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER an attempt to kidnap him.
3 Social 8-9
He starts rolling for the Jorge goes on to Plot Point 3, rolling a Theme of Mystery
LINE 61-64 Point.
first Turning CHOOSESince MOST PersonalCHARACTER 10
4 LOGICAL and a Plot Point of Conspiracy Theory. Jorge rolls to Invoke
there’s no Plotline on the 5 Tension 10 a Character to see who believes in the conspiracy, and gets
65-68
LINE
Plotlines List, theNEW
TurningCHARACTER
New Character. This Turning Point is generating lots of new
Point automatically
69-72
New Plotline CHOOSEis a MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER Characters. Jorge rolls to see who he gets, coming up with
PLOTLINE Development
“New
ConclusionPlotline”. the new Character being an organization. Jorge rolls a 19 for
LINE 73-76for theCHOOSE
Rolling Plot MOST
firstCHARACTERS LOGICAL
Point, Jorge gets a CHARACTER
INVOKED Theme of “Action”, Identity, which means this Character has two Identities. He rolls
and a Plot Point of “Beat You To It”. Who beat whom to what? This “Subverter” and “Student”. Subverter seems perfect for someone
LINE 77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
calls for Invoking two Characters, Jorge decides. He rolls on the with a paranoid conspiracy theory. For a Descriptor, Jorge rolls
LINE Characters
81-84List and NEW getsCHARACTER
“New Character” and “New Character”. “Intrusive”.
He rolls for the first new Character and gets that the Character Jorge decides that the new Character is a young acolyte of
85-88
is an individual. CHOOSE
The Character MOST hasLOGICAL CHARACTER
an Identity of “Thief” and the local temple, a Cleric of the goddess Ishanti. The acolyte,
“Villain” and a Descriptor of “Rough”. This sounds like an Zianda, is only a young student but she is charismatic and has a
LINE 90-92 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
interesting Character. forceful personality. She rose to local fame during the recent orc
LINE Jorge93-96 decidesCHOOSE
that this new MOST Character
LOGICALbeatCHARACTER
someone to battles when she waded into battle using her powers to ignite her
something. He’s thinking right now that the Character is an orc, sword and slay a number of the marauders. This Character will be
LINE 97-100
a leftover from aNEWrecentCHARACTER
war that the hamlet of Stillwater had with representative of the temple as a whole, serving as the voice and
a roving raider band from the hills. The town wiped out most of personality of it for this Adventure.
New Plotline
PLOTLINE the orcs, but this one is still lurking in the woods, stealing food
Development These results paint this picture to Jorge: The community of
Conclusion
and supplies from townsfolk. CHARACTERS INVOKED
Stillwater is anxious about Gnash’s frequent thefts of goods. One
87
THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
night, he robs Divin’s farm. Divin goes after Gnash in the forest and dangerous. This leads to a confrontation with a belligerent
and the orc waylays the farmer, abducting him. The next day, local, a carriage driver named Castin. Gnash has been observing
the village is in an uproar about the apparent raid and assault on events in the village over the past week, becoming aware of the
Divin. Zianda increases the tension by publicly theorizing that rising tensions. He’s been getting alarmed that the hamlet may
this is not just the work of one orc, but it signals the return of form a party and come after him, so he’s been lurking near
more orcs from the hills to wage war on Stillwater again. This the town edges to keep an eye on things. He’s surprised to see
increases local fears even higher, and paranoia sweeps Stillwater. someone in the public square trying to talk them into being more
Jorge still has two more Plot Points to go for this Turning calm. When he sees the stranger attacked by the man, he steps
Point but he’s liking how this is shaping up. As an Adventure seed forward and defends him much to the stranger’s surprise.
it’s giving him an idea for what he’s going to do. Jorge decides that this event is just going to escalate tensions
Jorge rolls for Plot Point 4, getting a Theme of Action and a in the village more. Zianda will seize upon this confrontation to
Plot Point of Defend Or Not To Defend. This Plot Point calls show that orcs are gathering at the very borders of the town and
for three Characters to be Invoked; two who are in a conflict will openly assault anyone who publicly stands up to them. She’ll
with each other, and a third who observes the conflict and must expand on her fear-mongering by implying that there are villagers
choose whether to get involved or not. Jorge rolls for the three who may be in league with the orcs. The tensions in the small
Characters on the Characters List and gets New Character, country town will rise even higher as neighbor suspects neighbor
New Character, and Gnash. of being an orc sympathizer.
For the first new Character, Jorge rolls that the Character Jorge writes Gardun and Castin onto the Characters List.
is not part of the Plotline, has an Identity of “Explorer”, and Jorge has one more Plot Point to generate, rolling a Theme
Descriptors of “Helpful” and “Frightened”. of Mystery and a Plot Point of An Old Deal. Jorge decides to
The second new Character is an individual, has an Identity of use this to reinforce the idea of locals conspiring by saying in
“Driver/Pilot”, and a Descriptor of “Bold”. the previous war with the orcs several years ago, there was a
Jorge decides that this Plot Point means a wandering stranger, small group of villagers who betrayed everyone and helped the
Gardun, stumbles into town while temperaments in the village orcs. Zianda raises the spectre of that old betrayal to feed her
are heating up. Gardun is well meaning but naive. The stranger conspiracy theory that it’s happening again and that another war
observes the mounting paranoia in the village and attempts to with the orcs is imminent.
talk some sense into the people before they do something rash Jorge looks over his Plot Points. This Turning Point got
88
THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
more complicated than he thought it would, but it gives him Jorge decides that his Adventure will involve encouraging the
lots of grist for an Adventure seed. The Player Characters, Player Characters to resolve this mess. Perhaps they receive some
recovering from their previous Adventure and thinking extra information that Zianda’s wild theories are all wrong. If they
Stillwater will be a calm place to hunker down for a while, enter the forest, locate Gnash, and rescue Divin, they may be able
find themselves in a community on the brink of hysteria. As to get the truth out and stop the hysteria in the village before
strangers in town it’s likely that they will be treated coldly as everyone grabs their pitchforks and burns down the entire forest,
Stillwater residents become more and more fearful, stoked by
ADVENTURE SHEET endangering everyone in the process. The degree of paranoia in
the rhetoric of Zianda.
Adventure Date Stillwater is starting to tear the social fabric of the place apart, as
What’s actually going on is the workingsThemes
of a single orc. He neighbors become more and more suspicious of each other.
Notes
keeps Divin in captivity, afraid now to release
1
him lest the farmer 1-4
Jorge considers generating another Turning Point to flesh out
run back and tell more wild tales of the orc.2 He can’t kill him, 5-7 more information, but decides that he got so much detail from
either, as that would just reinforce the villager’s
3 fears. 8-9 this Turning Point that it’s enough of an Adventure seed to craft
Jorge’s Lists look like this: 4 10
his Adventure from. To give the Player Characters more reason
5 10
to get involved, he decides that while they’ve been in Stillwater
x New Plotline
TURNING POINT 1 PLOTLINE Development they’ve been staying at the home of a local merchant and have
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED befriended him and his family. This family has come under the
1 Beat you to it Gnash / Divin suspicion of Zianda and her supporters and have experienced
2 A character is attacked to abduct Gnash / Divin
vandalism at their shop. Fearing for their safety, they beseech the
3 Conspiracy theory Zianda
4 Defend or not to defend Gardin / Castin / Gnash Player Characters to help.
5 An old deal Jorge comes up with a couple of confrontation events within
Notes
Stillwater to illustrate the rising tensions. The Characters will
observe arguments, a fight at a tavern, and villagers being targeted
New Plotline
by other villagers. Some of these confrontations give the Player
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion Characters a chance to get involved. Jorge focuses his attention
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
1 Characters List on the forest, however, which is where the bulk of the Adventure
2 will play out. He places several encounters within the forest,
LINE 3
1-4 Nathaniel, fighter
NEW CHARACTER including a wild wolf that Gnash has tamed and trained to guard
4 the woods. He’s also placed several traps throughout the forest in
5
5-8 Jazeel, wizard
NEW CHARACTER anticipation of villagers coming after him.
Jorge creates a cave to serve as Gnash’s lair for when the Player
Rindghast, rogue
Notes
LINE 9-12 NEW CHARACTER
10 Characters eventually find it. The cavern is fairly extensive,
LINE 13-16 Grot,
CHOOSEbarbarian
MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER having once served as a base for the orcs in the previous war.
Jorge maps out the cavern, making several encounters inside of it
LINE 17-20 Gnash
NEW CHARACTER which consist mostly of traps laid by Gnash. He also places a cell
deep inside where Divin is being held and Jorge creates statistics
21-24 Divin
NEW CHARACTER
for Gnash. Jorge decides that Gnash is terrified of the villagers’
LINE 25-28 Zianda
NEW CHARACTER hysteria and will throw himself on the mercy of the Player
Characters when they finally find him.
LINE 29-32 Gardun
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER Jorge figures that the Adventure will likely conclude with the
Player Characters returning to Stillwater with Divin, shaken but
LINE 33-36 Castin
NEW CHARACTER
alive. Gnash will either be dead at this point or in the Characters’
37-40 NEW CHARACTER custody. Divin will explain that this was all Gnash’s doing, a single
orc, deflating Zianda’s wild theories of imminent orc invasion
LINE 41-44 NEW CHARACTER and calming tensions in the hamlet. The family whom the Player
LINE 45-48 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
Characters are helping will be grateful for their assistance.
AN OPENING SCENE For Plot Point 3 he rolls 10. Since this is the first 10 he’s rolled,
he goes with Theme 4, Mystery. For the Plot Point, he rolled 65,
War’s End for A Crucial Life Support System Begins To Fail. Again.
Getting that result twice makes him think. Whatever his
Mark is constructing an Adventure for a campaign where the Character sees beyond the doors, it involves either two crucial
main Player Character is an uber-genius alien who travels through system failures of some kind, or one system failure that’s failing
space and time having adventures with his erstwhile human really, really badly. Right now, Mark is leaning toward the second
companion by his side. One of the things Mark loves best about option, and is thinking that having two results of A Crucial Life
these Adventures is not knowing what, when, and where will be Support System Begins To Fail indicates some kind of apocalypse
behind the doors of the explorer’s craft when they slide open. He world or setting in a cataclysmic state. He goes on to the rest of
decides that he doesn’t need to sequence out an entire Adventure, the Plot Points to see what ideas they generate.
just an opening Scene. He’ll take it from there. For Plot Point 4, Mark rolls a 1 for a Theme of Social, and
Mark pulls out a blank Adventure Sheet and a fresh set of 55 for a Plot Point of Not Their Master. This requires Invoking
Lists. He knows he’s likely only going to need a single Turning a Character. Mark rolls on the Characters List, getting 68 for
Point so he won’t be using the Adventure Sheets much for this. New Character. Rolling for the new Character, Mark gets that
The only thing he knows ahead of time are the two Player the Character is helpful toward resolving the Plotline. For
Characters, the alien Dr. Kazoo, and his human companion Identity, Mark rolls 8 which means two Identities. Rolling for
Matilda. He writes those names onto the Characters List. those, he gets 35 for Healer, 32 which he ignores since it’s Roll
There’s no need to roll for the Plotline of the first Turning For Two Identities again, and 91 for Killer. For Descriptor,
Point since there is no Plotline yet. He won’t even need to Mark rolls 32 for Trained.
record one, since he’s only using The Adventure Crafter to Mark thinks about this for a moment. He doesn’t know
make an opening moment. yet what the Plotline is going to be for this Scene, but he does
Mark knows The Adventure Crafter won’t specifically say what know that this new Character will be helpful toward resolving
they see when the doors open, but it will paint a scenario that he it. Mark figures this means the new Character will be an
can extrapolate a location out of. With this in mind, he starts information source for the Player Characters as opposed to a
rolling to generate the Themes. He rolls an 8 for Social for the villain of some kind. The Identities of Healer and Killer are
Primary Theme. For the second Theme he rolls 1 for Action. interesting. Mark is thinking that perhaps this is a battlefield.
Next is 2, but since Action is already taken he moves on down to This new Character may be a soldier and medic. The
the next available Theme, which is Tension. He rolls 3, but since Descriptor of Trained reinforces for Mark that this Character is
Tension is taken he moves down to Mystery for Theme 4. That a professional, so medic makes sense.
Date
leaves only Personal for the last Theme. Combining this Character with the Plot Point of Not Their
This Turning Point, Themes Master makes Mark think. Since this is only an opening Scene,
which Mark will use to and there is very little information to go on, he doesn’t know who
construct an opening 1 Social 1-4 the Character serves or might serve. But, going with the concept
Scene of his Adventure, 2 Action 5-7 of a war, he thinks that it makes sense for it to be unclear whose
will most likely combine side this new Character is on. Maybe when he encounters Kazoo
3 Tension 8-9
Social and Action and Matilda he is leery of them, not knowing which faction they
elements, with perhaps 4 Mystery 10 are with, so he keeps it unclear who he is loyal to.
some Tension thrown in 5 Personal 10 Mark names the new Character Teon and writes him onto the
as well. Characters List.
NewGetting
Plotline to work on Mark has one more Plot Point to generate. He rolls 1 for
PLOTLINE Development
the Turning Point, he rolls for the first Plot Point and gets 8 for
Conclusion a Theme of Social, and 29 for a Plot Point of Retaliation. An
a Theme of Tension, CHARACTERS
and 61 for a INVOKED
Plot Point of A Crucial Life element of retaliation makes sense with what Mark is thinking
Support System Begins To Fail. regarding this being a war zone.
For Plot Point 2, he rolls 5 for a Theme of Action and 12 for Putting all this together, Mark comes up with the following
the Plot Point, which is None. He writes that into the Adventure interpretation: When the doors of the Doctor’s craft open,
Sheet and moves on. they see a smoldering cityscape of devastation. They are in the
90
SECTION THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
10
91
THE BIGSECTION
CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
Why
5-8 61-64 are people
NEWCHOOSE
PLOTLINE
MOSTacting strange?
LOGICAL PLOTLINE 5-8It’s61-64
timeNEW CHARACTER
to generate
CHOOSE Turning
MOST Points and see
LOGICAL what we get. Even
CHARACTER
though he starts with Turning Point 1, he rolls on the Plotlines
Why
9-12 65-68 areMOST
CHOOSE people
CHOOSE MOSTacting
LOGICAL strange?
PLOTLINE
LOGICAL PLOTLINE 9-12 65-68NEWNEW
List because
CHARACTER
CHARACTER
there are Plotlines there unlike a completely fresh
13-1669-72CHOOSE
NEWMOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
PLOTLINE
Adventure whereCHOOSE
13-1669-72CHOOSE thereMOST
would haveLOGICAL
LOGICAL
MOST
beenCHARACTER
none.
CHARACTER
Jesse rolls 37 for the Plotline, New Plotline. Good, he was
17-2073-76CHOOSE MOST
CHOOSE LOGICAL
MOST PLOTLINE
LOGICAL PLOTLINE 17-2073-76
hoping for NEW CHARACTER
a newCHOOSE
twist in the Adventure
MOST and CHARACTER
LOGICAL a fresh Plotline would
help. This may be a subplot he can weave around the other events.
21-2477-80NEWCHOOSE
PLOTLINEMOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 21-2477-80NEWCHOOSECHARACTER MOST LOGICAL
Moving on to the first Plot Point, he rollsCHARACTER
9 for the Theme,
25-2881-84CHOOSE MOST
CHOOSE LOGICAL
MOST PLOTLINE
LOGICAL PLOTLINE Social, andNEW
25-2881-84 66 for the Plot
CHARACTER
NEW CHARACTERPoint, Injustice.
For Plot Point 2, he rolls 9 again for the Theme of Social, and
29-3285-88CHOOSE
NEWMOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
PLOTLINE a29-32 PointCHOOSE
Plot 85-88 A MOST
CHOOSE
of 53, LOGICAL
GroupMOST CHARACTER
LOGICAL
Is In Trouble. CHARACTER
33-3690-92CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
Jesse’s thinking
33-36 NEWCHOOSE
that these two Plot Points sound like they
CHARACTER
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
should90-92
go together. Whatever MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
injustice is happening is probably
37-4093-96NEWCHOOSE
PLOTLINEMOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE occurring
37-4093-96 to a group,
NEW placing
CHARACTER
CHOOSE it in LOGICAL
MOST trouble. CHARACTER
For Plot Point 3, he rolls 10 for the Theme, which makes
41-4497-100
CHOOSE MOST
CHOOSE LOGICAL
MOST PLOTLINE
LOGICAL PLOTLINE it41-44 97-100
Personal NEW CHARACTER
since NEW
this isCHARACTER
the first 10 rolled. The Plot Point is
45-48 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 46, Headquarters.
45-48 CHOOSE MOSTtoLOGICAL
He rolls Invoke a CHARACTER
Character to see whose
headquarters the Plot Point is referring to, and he rolls 76 for
12
49-52 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 49-52 Most
Choose NEW CHARACTER
Logical Character. The only Character in the
Characters List with a real headquarters are the cultists, so
53-56 NEW PLOTLINE 53-56 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
92
61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
Adventure Date
1 1-4
2 5-7
3 8-9
Jesse Invokes them for this Plot Point. He writes them on the Jesse’s Adventure Sheet and Lists look like
4
this after finishing: 10
5
Characters List again. 10
x New Plotline
For Plot Point 4, he rolls 1 for the Theme, Tension, and 85 for TURNING POINT 1 PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
the Plot Point, Bad News. PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
For Plot Point 5, Jesse rolls 2 for the Theme, Tension, and 90 1 Injustice
2 A group is in trouble
for the Plot Point, Creepy Tone. That’s perfect for this Adventure.
3 Headquarters Cultist
Jesse thinks about this. He decides that the group that an 4 Bad News
injustice is being done to is the cultists, believe it or not. They are 5 Creepy tone
loyal to the dead sorcerer and are trying to bring him back, but Notes
SECTION
the sorcerer is going to betray them. Jesse decides that something
horrible happens at the cultist headquarters, the jazz club. It New Plotline
should be something creepy, so Jesse decides that one of the TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS
Plotlines List
CHARACTERS INVOKED
cultists got a handful of the evil sand and ingested it. Taking such 1
Char
a large dose of the sorcerer’s tainted substance has warped and 2
mutated the cultist into a hideous, deformed creature. It lurks in 3 1-4 What
CHOOSEis MOST
the cult’s goal?
LOGICAL PLOTLINE 1-4
the basement of the speakeasy, preying on other cultists as well as 4
unwary patrons who wander down below. 5 5-8 Why are people acting strange?
NEW PLOTLINE 5-8
The Bad News Plot Point is going to be how Jesse introduces
Why areMOST
peopleLOGICAL
actingPLOTLINE
strange?
Notes
9-12 CHOOSE 9-12
this new Plotline to the Player Characters. If they are already 10
aware thatSECTION
the club is the cultist’s headquarters, then they hear 13-16 Destroy the lurker
CHOOSE MOST at PLOTLINE
LOGICAL the club 13-1
that some deaths have happened at the location and the cultists
are trying to cover it up. If the Player Characters don’t know it’s 17-20 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 17-2
the headquarters, then they hear through other channels about a 21-24 NEW PLOTLINE 21-2
Plotlines
body that turned up List
near the club, horribly mauled. Characters List
This forms a new Plotline for the Player Characters, a 25-28 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 25-2
monster they 1-4can destroy
CHOOSE
if theyMOST
choose.LOGICAL
Jesse callsPLOTLINE
the Plotline 1-4 Eduardo, art historian
NEW CHARACTER
29-32 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 29-3
“Destroy the lurker at the club.” He writes that onto the
5-8
Plotlines List.
NEW PLOTLINE 5-8 Eduardo, art historian
NEW CHARACTER
33-36 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 33-3
This is exactly
9-12 the CHOOSE
kind of subplot
MOSTJesse was hoping
LOGICAL for. His
PLOTLINE 9-12 Pete, retired cop
NEW CHARACTER
Adventure was complete already, but he wanted to add some extra 37-40 NEW PLOTLINE 37-4
13-16
spice to it. The CHOOSE
main part MOST LOGICAL
of his Adventure alreadyPLOTLINE
involves some 13-16 Pete,
CHOOSEretired
MOST cop
LOGICAL CHARACTER
41-44 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 41-4
strange events going on through the town, caused by a couple of
17-20 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 17-20 Lisa,heiress
NEW CHARACTER
people infected by the sorcerer. A monster in a jazz club basement 45-48 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 45-4
makes for another
21-24 strange
NEWevent in the city.
PLOTLINE 21-24 Lisa,heiress
NEW CHARACTER
Jesse considers whether he wants to develop this Plotline 49-52 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 49-5
further. He25-28 CHOOSE
could generate moreMOST LOGICAL
Turning Points PLOTLINE
for it and see 25-28 Z’Kal, dead sorcerer
NEW CHARACTER
53-56 NEW PLOTLINE 53-5
what the Plotline
29-32 grows into. However, he already
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE has a full 29-32 Z’Kal,
CHOOSEdead
MOSTsorcerer
LOGICAL CHARACTER
Adventure; he decides that expanding this Plotline any further 57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 57-6
would just 33-36
be too much. It makes
CHOOSE MOSTa good singularPLOTLINE
LOGICAL encounter 33-36 Bertrand, curator
NEW CHARACTER
the Player Characters can engage in at the jazz club. Depending 61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 61-6
on when the37-40 NEW PLOTLINE
Characters discover that the club is the cultist 37-40 Bertrand, curator
NEW CHARACTER
65-68 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 65-6
lair, the cultist
41-44degenerating
CHOOSE may be atLOGICAL
MOST different stages
PLOTLINE of 41-44 Cultist
NEW CHARACTER
corruption. Jesse decides what those stages are and when they 69-72 NEW PLOTLINE 69-7
45-48 theCHOOSE
take place during Adventure. MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 45-48 Nicky,
CHOOSEmuseum janitorCHARACTER
MOST LOGICAL
Jesse’s happy with this addition to his Adventure as it adds 73-76 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 73-7
49-52 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
a little extra something to the jazz club location he had already
49-52 Cultist
NEW CHARACTER
77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 77-8
written up. 53-56 NEW PLOTLINE 53-56 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
81-84 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 81-8
57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
85-88 NEW PLOTLINE 85-8
61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER 93
90-92 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 90-9
65-68 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 65-68 NEW CHARACTER
93-96 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 93-9
THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
AS YOU GO his first two Themes should make this an exciting Adventure,
perhaps a horror story. For his third roll, he gets 10 for Personal.
The Corrupt Grimoire His fourth roll is 9, Personal again, so he proceeds back to the top
of the Random Themes Table moving along until he finds the
Karl wants to start a new solo role playing experience with next untaken Theme, which is Mystery. There’s only one Theme
a modern, urban fantasy setting. He sketches out a secret, left, Social, which takes up the fifth slot.
underground world of magic and intrigue that takes place in Karl’s ready to generate his first Turning Point, which will
the shadows of our contemporary world, where magicians and likely be the opening Scene of his Adventure. There are no
monsters lurk and live within their own communities. Plotlines yet, so the Plotline for this first Turning Point is
This is going to be a solo game for Karl. He has a role playing automatically New Plotline.
system he’s going to use that should emulate the mechanics He rolls, getting a 1 for Theme, Tension, and 8 for Plot Point.
that he needs for his urban fantasy setting. He plans to use The Normally this would be a result of Conclusion, but since this is
Adventure Crafter as he goes to create the events of his story that a new Plotline it can’t be Concluded yet, so this result turns into
his Character will play in. Since this is a solo venture, Karl isn’t None. Karl writes that onto the Adventure Sheet and moves on.
worried about the speed with which each Turning Point gets For Plot Point 2, Karl rolls 7 for the Theme, Action, and 91
generated, making The Adventure Crafter a good choice for this. for the Plot Point, Protector. A Character is actively protecting
Karl pulls out a blank Adventure Sheet and Lists. Since something in this Plot Point. Karl rolls on the Characters List
he’s starting completely fresh, he has only one detail to enter to see who the protector is, getting 95 for Choose Most Logical
on his Lists: the name of his Player Character, Christopher. Character. Karl decides that he wants his Adventure to start off
Christopher is a modern mage with a touch of elf blood from with a bang, so he chooses his Player Character, Christopher, as
a distant relative who spent time in the elven kingdom that is a the protector. Karl doesn’t know what Christopher is going to
displaced dimension alongside our own. In Karl’s fantasy setting, have to protect in this Turning Point, but he figures the other Plot
Christopher is an outcast, not trusted by human mages for his Points will suss that out for him.
mystic ancestry and not accepted by elves for his human blood. Karl writes Christopher onto another slot on the Characters
Karl decides that Christopher operates a bookstore in New List since the Character was Invoked for a Plot Point.
York City. Although Christopher’s bookstore sells standard books For Plot Point 3, Karl rolls 6 for Theme, Action, and 37 for
to regular customers, it also has a secret back room where he sells Plot Point, Distraction. A Character is distracted in this Turning
very special books to magic wielding clients. Karl decides that Point in a way that’s important. Karl rolls on the Characters List
this is Christopher’s main focus as a Character: he is constantly in to Invoke a Character for this Plot Point, rolling 90 for Choose
search of new tomes to add to his inventory and he is an expert Most Logical Character. Karl chooses Christopher again to
on mystic lore and the volumes that contain them. Karl figures Invoke for this Plot Point. Now Karl knows that Christopher
this should give The Adventure Crafter plenty of possible hooks needs to protect something in this Turning Point and Christopher
for his off-the-cuff Adventure to grow into. is dangerously distracted by something. Karl still doesn’t know
After coming up with this backstory, Karl decides to add a what Christopher is protecting, or what distracts him, but he’ll
second Character to the Characters List: bookstore clients. He figure it out when he’s done generating Plot Points.
considers putting the bookstore itself as a Character, but decides Since Christopher was already Invoked in this Turning Point
that the clients would suffice forDate
that. previously, Karl doesn’t write the Character into another slot on
Karl has his Lists ready, the Characters List.
Themes
a blank Adventure Sheet, For Plot Point 4, Karl rolls 8 for Theme, Personal, and 25
and his role playing game 1 Tension 1-4 for the Plot Point, Persuasion. One Character is going to try
ready to adjudicate his 2 Action 5-7
to persuade another Character to do something. Karl needs to
Adventure. He rolls for the Invoke two Characters, the persuader and the persuaded. He rolls
3 Personal 8-9
Themes. Karl rolls a 3 for on the Characters List and gets 22 for New Character and 57 for
Tension, making this his 4 Mystery 10 Choose Most Logical Character.
First Priority Theme. Next, 5 Social 10 Rolling to see who the new Character is, Karl rolls 35 for
he rolls a 2 for Action. the Character being an individual. For Identity, Karl rolls 93
Tension
New Plotline and Action as for Driver/Pilot and for Descriptor he rolls 20 for Roll for two
PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
CHARACTERS INVOKED
94
THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
Descriptors, 67 for Harmful and 33 for Rude. volume is in Christopher’s special book room under the thrall of
For the second Character to Invoke, since Karl must choose, the cursed tome, so Christopher can’t turn the book over.
he chooses Christopher to be the target of the persuasion. Since Karl is playing this Adventure solo, generating events
Karl interprets all of this to mean that this new Character as he goes, he uses the third-party RPG system he chose to
is going to be Christopher’s distraction in this Turning Point. adjudicate Christopher’s actions. His Player Character made
Judging from the Character’s Descriptors this is not a nice several successful skill tests allowing him to figure out what was
person: harmful and rude. Karl decides that the Character acts going on with his books.
belligerently toward Christopher. When Kristoff enters the store, Christopher attempts to talk
Karl decides that the new Character is Kristoff, the chauffeur him down but fails in his diplomacy rolls. Kristoff gets violent,
and servant of a local New York mage. Kristoff has come down pushing Christopher around his store. Christopher is forced to
to Christopher’s store to inquire about a tome his mistress resort to magic, using a spell to paralyze Kristoff for a moment
ordered weeks ago that hasn’t come in yet. Kristoff will become to calm him down. Christopher is able to eventually convince
angry, even pushing Christopher and threatening him, because Kristoff
ADVENTURE to leave. However, now Christopher not only has an evil
SHEET
the book hasn’t appeared. This isn’t going to be the Plotline, book devouring
Adventure his store to worry about, but
Datea ticked off wealthy
which Karl decides will focus on what Christopher is protecting, customer and her angry, violent servant. Themes
Notes
but Kristoff’s intrusion into the shop will make it harder for Karl plays out this Turning Point until1 he feels it’s 1-4
Christopher to protect whatever it is he has to protect in this concluded. He writes onto the Plotlines List 2 the new Plotline 5-7
Karl writes Kristoff onto the Characters List and moves on to Karl’s Adventure Sheet and Lists look like 4
this now: 10
5
the final Plot Point. 10
x New Plotline
He rolls 7 for a Theme of Action, and 75 for a Plot Point of TURNING POINT 1 PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
Dealing With A Calamity. Karl rolls to Invoke a Character to PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
attach to this Plot Point, rolling 31 on the Characters List for 1 None
2 Protector Christopher
Choose Most Logical Character. Karl chooses Christopher.
3 Distracted Christopher
Karl interprets this to mean that the calamity Christopher is 4 Persuasion Kristoff / Christopher
dealing with connects with the Protector Plot Point. Christopher 5 Dealing with a calamity Christopher
must protect something from a calamity. Karl decides that this SECTION
Notes
will form the New Plotline of this Turning Point, effectively
becoming the purpose of this Adventure. New Plotline
Karl has a lot of creative leeway here in how to interpret TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS
Plotlines List
CHARACTERS INVOKED
these results. All he knows is that Karl must protect something 1
Char
from a calamity. He decides that, upon entering his shop one 2
morning, Christopher notices that one of his magical warning 3 1-4 Break
CHOOSEthe evilLOGICAL
MOST curse PLOTLINE 1-4
systems is SECTION
flashing red. He keeps several amulets in the shop 4
that detect mystical dangers, such as curses and intrusions from 5 5-8 NEW PLOTLINE 5-8
other dimensions. Upon investigating, he realizes that one of his Notes
9-12 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 9-12
newest acquisitions, The Destitute Grimoire, is cursed. The book 10
other books9-12
in Christopher’s
CHOOSE collection. He will need
MOST LOGICAL to break the
PLOTLINE 25-28
9-12 Christopher
CHOOSE
NEW MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
CHARACTER 25-2
curse soon or he’ll lose everything.
13-16
While Christopher CHOOSE
is dealing MOST LOGICAL
with this PLOTLINE
catastrophe, a limo 29-32
13-16 Kristoff
CHOOSE MOST
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL
LOGICAL CHARACTER
PLOTLINE 29-3
pulls up to the curb and Kristoff enters the store. He is on an 33-36 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 33-3
17-20 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 17-20 NEW CHARACTER
errand from his mage boss to collect a book she ordered. That
21-24 NEW PLOTLINE 37-40
21-24 NEW CHARACTER
NEW PLOTLINE 37-4
That took Karl about thirty minutes of real time to play out; 47 for the Plot Point, A Character Is Incapacitated. Karl rolls
about ten minutes to work up the details of the Turning Point on the Characters List to Invoke a Character for this Plot
and about twenty to play it through. Now that the Turning Point Point, rolling 18, Lady Lydia. Hmm, that’s interesting. Karl is
is done he moves on to the next Scene. going to reserve judgement on that result for the moment until
Karl knows what his Character is going to do. He needs to he gets his final Plot Point.
figure out how to break the curse. He can’t use his own books Rolling for Plot Point 5, Karl rolls 5 for Theme, Action, and
as a resource since they’re in the process of being corrupted, so 66 for the Plot Point, Crash. This means a vehicle crashes in this
he decides Christopher will need to visit another mystic library Turning Point, endangering a Character. Karl rolls on the Character
in New York. Karl decides that this will likely be what the next List to Invoke who that Character is, and gets 80 for Choose Most
Turning Point is about. Logical Character. He considers making it Lady Lydia, since a crash
Rolling on the Plotlines List, Karl rolls 38 for New Plotline for would explain her incapacitation. However, there hasn’t been a Plot
Turning Point 2. It looks like the plot is going to thicken. Point yet in this Turning Point that suggests a new Plotline to Karl,
For Plot Point 1, Karl rolls 6 for a Theme of Action and 91 so he decides to Invoke Christopher as the Crash recipient since it
for a Plot Point of Protector. Once again, someone has to protect generates an idea for him.
something. Karl rolls on the Characters List to invoke a Character Karl writes Christopher onto another entry on the Characters
for this Plot Point, rolling 52 for New Character. Rolling for List since he just Invoked him in this Turning Point.
the new Character, Karl rolls 96 on the Character Special Trait Considering these Plot Points, Karl comes up with this
Table for The Character Is Connected To An Existing Character. scenario for the Turning Point: Given Christopher’s extensive
Karl rolls on the Characters List and gets Choose Most Likely knowledge of eldritch tomes in New York City, he knows of
Character. He chooses Kristoff, meaning that this new Character a special library in town that is open to mages (Karl made a
is connected to that one. For Identity, Karl rolls 13 for Roll For knowledge roll for his Character using the RPG system he’s
Two Identities. He rolls 52 for Socialite and 76 for Deceiver. For using for this Adventure to determine that Christopher had this
Descriptors, Karl rolls 49 for Interesting. option). Christopher doesn’t often go there since he isn’t well
Karl decides that this new Character is the mistress of liked, but he’s on a timetable and doesn’t have many choices.
Kristoff. She is a wealthy woman who spends all of her Christopher gets into his car and makes his way across town. As
time delving into magic. She’s also well known as a liar and he wends his way through traffic, the air in the car shimmers and
a sociopath. She’s an interesting, intelligent woman with Lady Lydia appears in the passenger seat having teleported to him.
expensive tastes. For the Plot Point, what she’s protecting are As Christopher fights traffic, Lady Lydia verbally berates him about
her own interests. She not only wants the book she ordered, how he treated Kristoff that morning and demands her book.
she needs it for something. Since Christopher was able to Christopher has no choice but to come clean and explain to
repel Kristoff in the previous Turning Point with magic, his Lady Lydia what is happening. Christopher is hoping to enlist
employer, Lady Lydia, has personally come to collect. her help at this point. Making persuasion rolls in the RPG system
Karl decides that Lydia is not directly connected to the new Karl is using, Christopher makes some headway with talking
Plotline developing in this Turning Point. She’s another distraction Lydia into helping him to break the curse.
Christopher must deal with. Karl decides that whatever the new Unfortunately, as Christopher is driving his brakes suddenly
Plotline is will be guided by the other Plot Points in this Turning go out. Swerving out of control, he slams into a light post,
Point. He’s thinking it’ll still likely be library related. totalling his car. Making damage rolls, Christopher takes some
Karl writes Lady Lydia onto the Characters List and moves on harm, but Lady Lydia is hurt so badly she’s out of commission.
to Plot Point 2. He rolls 10 for Theme. Since this is the first 10 Since Karl is playing this Adventure solo, he role plays out
Karl has rolled for a Turning Point Theme in this Adventure the the careening out of control car and the aftermath of the crash.
result is Mystery, Theme Priority 4. However, he rolled an 11 for After an ambulance takes Lydia away, Christopher has a mechanic
the Plot Point, which is None, so the Theme is irrelevant anyway. inspect the wreckage of his vehicle. The mechanic determines that
Karl makes a mental note that he did roll a 10. The next time he Christopher’s car was deliberately sabotaged by someone. The
rolls it, he’ll have to go with the Priority 5 Theme. crash was not an accident, someone tried to kill Christopher.
For Plot Point 3, Karl rolls 9 for the Theme, Personal. He rolls Karl decides that this is the new Plotline: “Who wants
14 for the Plot Point, another None. Christopher dead?” Karl writes that onto the Plotlines List.
For Plot Point 4, Karl rolls 2 for the Theme, Tension, and That whole Turning Point also took about a half hour to
96
THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
ADVENTURE SHEET
Adventure Date
determine and play through for Karl. He’s happy
Themes
with how the Karl decides that Christopher phones in an order of flowers
Notes
Adventure is going so far; his Character has1 a cursed book to 1-4
to be sent to Lady Lydia’s hospital room, then rents a taxi to visit
contend with that threatens to ruin his livelihood
2 and a mystery 5-7 a book client of his who is also a fellow New York mage and
person is trying to kill him. Christopher is having
3 a bad day. 8-9 owns a decent library. It’s late at night now, and the public mage
Karl’s Lists right now look like this: 4 10
library is closed. Christopher doesn’t want to waste time waiting
5 10
until tomorrow, even though his friend’s library will be inferior.
x New Plotline He hopes to find an answer to his cursed book there during the
TURNING POINT 2 PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED night, and hopefully destroy the evil book by morning.
1 Protector Lady Lydia Karl begins work on Turning Point 3. He rolls for the
2 None
Plotline, getting 17 for Choose Most Logical Plotline. Given that
3 None
4 A character is incapacitated Lady Lydia Christopher is heading to a library to solve his evil book problem,
5 Crash Christopher Karl decides the most logical Plotline is “Break the evil curse.”
SECTION Since he’s Invoking this Plotline for this Turning Point, he writes
Notes
it into another slot on the Plotlines List.
New Plotline
Now it’s time to generate Plot Points. For his Character’s
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion sake, Karl is hoping Christopher catches a break in this Turning
Plotlines List
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
Characters
Point. List one problem after another for Christopher this
It’s been
1
day, he needs a win.
2
3 1-4 Break
CHOOSEthe evilLOGICAL
MOST curse PLOTLINE 1-4Karl rolls
NEW CHARACTER
for Plot Point 1, getting 1 for the Theme, making
it Tension. He rolls 53 for the Plot Point, Dead. Well that’s not
Who wants Christopher dead?
4
5-8 NEW PLOTLINE 5-8 NEW CHARACTER
5
good. Karl rolls to Invoke a Character to see who ends up dead,
Notes 9-12 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE and
9-12gets 93,NEWChoose Most Logical Character. Karl considers going
CHARACTER
10 with Lydia, since she’s already suffering injuries in the hospital, but
13-16 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 13-16
he CHOOSE
doesn’t see how thatMOST
wouldLOGICAL
impact theCHARACTER
current Turning Point.
17-20 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
What
17-20
would make more sense is if the person Christopher is going
NEW CHARACTER
Characters List to meet is dead. The owner of the personal library is a client of
21-24 NEW PLOTLINE Christopher’s,
21-24 NEW and “Bookstore clients” is already on the Characters
CHARACTER
LINE 1-4 Christopher
NEW CHARACTER List, making this a valid Character choice to Invoke. Karl goes
25-28 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 25-28that. He
NEW CHARACTER
5-8 Bookstore clients
NEW CHARACTER
with writes “Bookstore clients” onto the Characters List
29-32 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE again
29-32 since he’s Invoking
CHOOSE MOST thisLOGICAL
CharacterCHARACTER
for this Plot Point.
LINE 9-12 Christopher
NEW CHARACTER Even though Christopher is going to meet an individual, Karl
33-36 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE is33-36 NEW
abstracting thisCHARACTER
Character as a generic “bookstore client”. In
LINE 13-16 Kristoff
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER Adventure Crafter terms, this Character isn’t important enough
37-40 NEW PLOTLINE 37-40 NEW CHARACTER
LINE 17-20 Lady Lydia
NEW CHARACTER
to have their own name and slot on the Characters List. This
41-44 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE Character
41-44 serves more as a plot device for this Turning Point.
NEW CHARACTER
21-24 Christopher
NEW CHARACTER For Plot Point 2, Karl rolls 8 for Theme, Personal, and 100 for
45-48 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 45-48
Plot Point, CHOOSE
a Meta PlotMOST
Point.LOGICAL
Rolling onCHARACTER
the Meta Plot Point Table,
LINE 25-28 NEW CHARACTER Karl gets 24 for Character Returns. Since no Characters have left the
49-52 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 49-52 NEW CHARACTER
LINE 29-32 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER Adventure to return, this result turns into a New Character result.
53-56 NEW PLOTLINE Karl rolls
53-56 for the new
CHOOSE MOSTCharacter’s
LOGICAL Special Trait and gets that
CHARACTER
LINE 33-36
Karl’s NEW CHARACTER
been playing his solo Adventure for an hour and the Character is an object. Karl rolls for this new Character’s
57-60
considers callingCHOOSE MOST LOGICAL
it for the moment PLOTLINE
and picking up again later, 57-60 and
Identity CHOOSE MOST
gets 60 for LOGICAL
Servant. CHARACTER
For Descriptors, Karl rolls 69 for
37-40 NEW CHARACTER
but he decides to play through one more Turning Point to see Erratic and 62 for Different.
61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
LINE what happens
41-44 next.NEW Christopher
CHARACTER still needs to find his way to a Karl thinks about it for a moment. The idea of this Character
library.65-68
AlthoughCHOOSE
someone MOST
is tryingLOGICAL
to kill him, there’s little he
PLOTLINE being
65-68an object
NEWand “different” really sticks out to him, giving
CHARACTER
LINE can do45-48 CHOOSE
about that while theMOST
cursedLOGICAL
book is a CHARACTER
known threat that he Karl an idea. He decides that the Character is actually another
can do69-72
somethingNEW PLOTLINE
about. 69-72of theCHOOSE
copy MOST
evil Grimoire LOGICAL
itself. CHARACTER
It would be connected to
LINE 49-52 NEW CHARACTER
73-76 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 73-76 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
53-56 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER 97
LINE 57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
81-84 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 81-84 NEW CHARACTER
LINE 61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
85-88 NEW PLOTLINE 85-88 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
the Plotline of “Break the evil curse”, and it wants to hinder decides he already knows what it means: Flynn will offer to help
Christopher’s efforts to resolve this Plotline. That would certainly work with Christopher, assuming he survives the Scene.
be a “different” kind of Character, being a malignant book, and Putting all of this together, Karl decides that this Turning
“erratic” could be used to describe the kind of magic it wields. Point pans out like this: Christopher is anxious to get answers to
Karl writes Grimoire onto the Characters List and continues. the book devouring his collection, so he pays a late night call to a
Rolling for Plot Point 3, Karl gets 6 for the Theme, Action, client of his who owns a large, personal mystic library. The man is
and 53 for the Plot Point of Mass Battle. He writes that on the an eccentric recluse who lives in a secluded area in a dilapidated,
Adventure Sheet and continues. Karl has an idea for this but ruined old house. It’s near midnight as Christopher walks up the
decides to wait until the last two Plot Points are done before stone steps of the falling down old place that looks something like
making up his mind. a classic haunted house. The front door is open, and is hanging
For Plot Point 4, Karl rolls 9 for the Theme, Personal, and 42 from one hinge as if it was broken down.
for the Plot Point, A Character Is Incapacitated. Karl rolls to Invoke Stepping inside the house’s dusty foyer, Christopher can smell
a Character for this Plot Point and gets 81 for New Character. magic in the air. Wicked magic. The place is a shambles, as if it
Rolling for the new Character, Karl gets that the Character is had been ransacked by a mob.
helpful toward resolving the Plotline, has an Identity of Guard, and As Christopher makes his way toward the library a figure shuffles
Descriptors of Commanding and Curious. Karl decides that the from the darkness, lurching toward him. Christopher realizes with a
new Character is Flynn, the dead client’s personal bodyguard. shock that it’s a zombie, and there are more behind it.
Karl works up the last Plot Point of this Turning Point, rolling Karl decides to turn this encounter into a mass combat between
10 for the Theme. Since this is the second 10 rolled in this Christopher and a group of zombies that had invaded the house at
Adventure for a Theme, Karl goes with the Priority 5 Theme of the summons of the evil book. The battle itself can be drawn out,
Social. He rolled 82 for the Plot Point, Alliance. Karl considers involving Christopher using his magic to defend himself as well as
rolling to Invoke a Character to attach to this Plot Point, but he running around the house to hide when he is overwhelmed.
Eventually, Christopher prevails and destroys all of the
zombies. Shaken and wounded, but alive, he heads to the library
and finds the client laying dead on the floor and his bodyguard,
Flynn, injured. A book sits on a desk, and it looks exactly like the
cursed Grimoire that is troubling Christopher.
Christopher goes to the aid of the wounded man, weaving a
spell around him to help bring him back from the brink of death.
When he regains consciousness, Flynn explains that his employer
had been examining a new volume when it suddenly began to
throw off a great deal of magical energy. Within the hour a small
horde of zombies, raised from a nearby cemetery, was battering at
the front door of the house. The creatures broke in and his boss
was killed. Flynn tried to save him but was mauled by the undead
mob until he collapsed, surviving only because Christopher
entered the house and distracted the creatures.
Christopher uses his powers to examine the Grimoire, and it
appears to be a duplicate of his own. It is also cursed, but in a
different way.
Someone in New York appears to be feeding the mystic
community a number of these cursed volumes, placing them into
established libraries and collections to ... do what? Destroy the
collections? Kill their owners?
Although Flynn is still wounded and is barely able to walk, he
offers his aid to Christopher. Flynn wants to know who killed his
employer and to put a stop to it.
98
SECTION THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
2
Dead
57-60
New character
Bookstore clients
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
Grimoire
The57-60
Kingdom of Kardusk
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
3 Mass battle
4
61-64
A character CHOOSE MOST
is incapacitated LOGICAL PLOTLINE
Flynn
Keith is GMing
61-64 a fantasy
CHOOSE campaign
MOST in a homebrew
LOGICAL CHARACTER world of
5 Alliance his own creation. He wants to base the campaign in the kingdom
65-68 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 65-68 where
of Kardusk, NEW CHARACTER
all of the Player Characters are from and where
SECTION
Notes
69-72 NEW PLOTLINE
most of the
69-72
action will take place. He wants Kardusk to have
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
a distinct and original flavor. He decides to let The Adventure
New Plotline
TURNING POINT
73-76
PLOTLINE
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
Development
Conclusion Crafter73-76
have a crack
CHOOSEat constructing Kardusk’sCHARACTER
MOST LOGICAL history so he can
PLOT POINTS
Plotlines List
CHARACTERS INVOKED
extrapolate
Characters from that what the kingdom
List CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTERis like in the present day.
1
77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 77-80
Keith decides he’s not going to prejudice the process with any
2
13-1693-96CHOOSE MOSTMOST
CHOOSE LOGICAL PLOTLINE
LOGICAL PLOTLINE Adventure storyline,
13-1693-96CHOOSE CHOOSE so
MOSTMOST LOGICALMystery
CHARACTER
1 LOGICAL CHARACTER 1-4
Keith starts by rolling the 2 Tension 5-7
17-2097-100
CHOOSE MOSTMOST
CHOOSE LOGICAL PLOTLINE
LOGICAL PLOTLINE 17-2097-100
Themes. HeNEW CHARACTER
rollsNEW
5 forCHARACTER
3 Social 8-9
Mystery as the Primary
21-24 NEW PLOTLINE 21-24 NEW CHARACTER
Theme. Next, he rolls a 4 Personal 10
12
25-28 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 425-28
for Tension
NEW forCHARACTER
Theme 5 Action 10
Priority 2. For the third
29-32 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 29-32
New Plotline
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
33-36 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 33-36 NEW CHARACTER
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED 99
37-40 NEW PLOTLINE 1 37-40 NEW CHARACTER
41-44 2
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 41-44 NEW CHARACTER
THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
Theme, he rolls 4 again, so he goes down the list to the next to see who wants to talk, and rolls 44 for New Character.
available Theme, which is Social. The fourth roll is 9 for Personal. The new Character has a Special Trait of Hinders Resolving
That leaves Action as the last Theme. The Plotline, an Identity of Fighter and Student, and Descriptor
Moving on to the first Turning Point, he doesn’t roll for a of Elegant. Keith decides that “fighter” and “student” implies
Plotline since there are none yet, defaulting to New Plotline. this Characters is a soldier in training, probably young. Elegant
For Plot Point 1, he rolls 8 for the Theme, which is Social, and implies that he’s educated, maybe from a wealthy or noble family.
95 for the Plot Point, which is Servant. This Plot Point involves He names the Character Nigel.
a servant of someone, so Keith decides to Invoke a Character to A picture is starting to form in Keith’s mind about what’s
see whom the servant serves. Since the Characters List is blank going on. Gasteen angers someone, probably someone powerful,
and there is no one to roll, it defaults to a result of New Character and uses his influence with Ronaldo’s troupe to talk them into
because that’s the only possible result right now. letting him hide with them. A young soldier in training learns of
Rolling for the new Character, Keith gets a Special Trait this, and turns Gasteen in to gain favor for himself.
of Individual, Identity of Entertainer, and Descriptors of Keith has two more Plot Points to generate to flesh this
Common and Inept. fledgling Plotline out more. He still doesn’t know what Gasteen
Keith thinks about this for a moment, and decides that the has done, or who he has angered.
Character is a traveling actor from the days before the kingdom For Plot Point 4 Keith rolls 10. This is his second 10 result
was founded. This actor and his roving troupe are ordinary when rolling for the Theme, so he goes with Theme Priority
for their time, nothing remarkable. In fact, he is a somewhat 5, Action. For the Plot Point, he rolled 36, Hunted. He rolls
incompetent actor and troupe leader, just barely getting by. on the Character List to Invoke the Character who is being
Keith names the Character Ronaldo and writes him onto hunted, and gets 35 for New Character. For this new Character,
the Characters List. The Plot Point involves one of Ronaldo’s Keith rolls a Special Trait of The Character Assists In Resolving
servants, which Keith decides would be a member of his troupe of This Plotline, an Identity of Scientist, and Characteristics
traveling entertainers. Keith at this point has no idea what these of Respectful, and Wild. Since this is a fantasy world, Keith
people have to do with the history of Kardusk, but he figures it’ll decides that “scientist” in this regard actually means mystic and
become clear soon enough. sorcerer. He interprets these results to mean this Character is
For Plot Point 2, Keith rolls 7 for Theme, which is Tension, a community of druids. They are respected by the locals who
and 74 for the Plot Point, which is A Need To Hide. He rolls on receive periodic aid from them, even though the druids live in
the Characters List to Invoke a Character to see who needs to the wilds of the forests and are somewhat feral and uncivilized.
hide, getting 68 for New Character. Keith calls them the Margan Druids.
The new Character’s Special Trait is Hinders Resolving Since the druids are being hunted, Keith decides that a local
This Plotline, has an Identity of Socialite, and Descriptor of warlord who holds power over the region has a campaign against
Commanding. Keith decides that this Character is Gasteen, a them to wipe them out, perhaps because he perceives them as a
moderately successful merchant who is a patron of the arts and a threat to his control.
frequent bankroller of Ronaldo’s plays. Gasteen is a commanding The druids are helpful toward resolving the Plotline. Keith
man with his fingers in lots of enterprises. For some reason, decides this means Gasteen seeks help from them for his
probably resulting from a complication of one of his business problem. The picture this paints for Keith is that Gasteen got
ventures, Gasteen needs to hide. Keith decides to combine this in trouble with the local warlord. When Nigel discovers where
Plot Point with the first one; the merchant has gotten himself he’s hiding, the young soldier informs on him to the warlord.
into trouble and approaches a member of Ronlaldo’s troupe Needing more protection, Gasteen goes to the druids, since
for help in hiding him, probably having him masquerade as a they and the warlord are enemies.
member of the cast. Since Gasteen’s Special Trait is he hinders the Keith has one last Plot Point to generate, rolling a Theme of 7,
resolution of the Plotline, Keith figures whatever trouble Gasteen for Tension, and a Plot Point of 50, for At Night.
is in may be the cause of the growing Plotline. Keith interprets all of this to mean: in the prehistory of
Keith writes Gasteen onto the Characters List. Kardusk, the land was wild and inhabited by commoners working
For Plot Point 3, Keith rolls 10 for the Theme. This is his first lonely farmsteads and a handful of warlords and barons operating
10, so he goes with Theme Priority 4, which is Personal. For the independent feudal zones. The Margan Druids lived among the
Plot Point, he rolled 69, Willing To Talk. Keith Invokes a Character woods and sometimes gave aid to the poor, but were oppressed
100
THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
SECTION
been removed from this Adventure so far, so this result turns More enraged than ever, the warlord began sending soldiers into
into New Character. the woods to harass the druids and flush out Gasteen. As the conflict
Keith rolls for the new Character, getting 64 for the Special escalated the druids knew they could not fend off the warlord for
Trait of The Character Is An Object, Identity of Performer, and long. Instead of handing Gasteen over and giving in to the tyrant
Descriptor of Strong. they hated, they contacted another enemy of the warlord: the
Keith decides this is a magic object. He’s going with his initial ruthless criminal organization known as The Legion Hand.
estimation of what is happening, that events are escalating and Together, the druids and the Legion began marshalling their
the druids have sought to band together with the Legion Hand numbers, attracting locals who were also opposed to the warlord’s
to defend themselves against the warlord and fight back. This has tyranny. They began to grow into an actual army, although they
turned into a war. Ronaldo and his acting troupe unexpectedly were rarely a match for the warlord’s more organized troops.
find themselves in the midst of all of this, becoming unlikely As events unfolded toward a showdown battle, desperate for
heroes. The rag tag alliance army is in need of any tool they can resources the allies turned to the legend of the Strings of Aria,
get their hands on to fight the warlord and his soldiers. Ronaldo a mystical guitar said to have the power to increase the strength
knows of a legend about a mythic guitar, crafted in the ancient and power of an army. Ronaldo the Actor and a group of stalwart
days of Deep Magic. Hidden in a distant tomb, the guitar, named heroes braved the Tomb of Aria and retrieved the magical guitar
Strings of Aria, when played in the midst of a marching army will on the eve of the battle.
grant the soldiers fantastic strength. However, the warlord’s spies were aware of the druid’s secret
Keith rolls for the last Plot Point and gets 2 for a Theme weapon and stole it in the night. The next day, the forces of the
of Mystery and 35 for a Plot Point of A Resource Disappears. druids and the Legion met the army of the warlord, with the Strings
He decides that this means Ronaldo and a band of adventurers of Aria in their possession. The warlord defeated the combined
succeed in delving into the tomb and recovering the artifact, forces of the druids and the Legion with ease, crushing the rebellion.
only to find it stolen the night before their greatest battle with The battle solidified the warlord’s power in the region. With
the warlord’s forces. The tyrant’s agents had become aware of the this victory under his belt, his army more organized than ever,
magic object and took it in the night. and the power of the Strings of Aria at his command, the warlord
Keith could generate another Turning Point to continue this conquered the other barons in the area and cemented his power
story, but he thinks he has enough now to turn this into a founding as the sole sovereign of the entire countryside. He founded the
history of Kardusk. He comes up with the following summary: city of Kardusk to be his capitol.
A hundred years ago the land was populated by feuding Over the course of the next 100 years, Kardusk has grown
warlords and barons, overseeing independent farmsteads in power and influence. The Margan Druids have all but been
and small, rural villages. A merchant, Gasteen, conducted a wiped out, with only remnants of the order remaining in
business arrangement with the area’s most powerful warlord, distant hovels of the woods. The Legion Hand was also crushed,
and the deal went bad when the merchant lost the goods he represented today only by the Guild of the Hand in Kardusk; a
was selling. Enraged, the warlord demanded Gasteen’s head. small, weak thieve’s organization that smuggles goods in and out
Desperate to save his life, the man sought aid from a wandering of the kingdom.
band of performers whom he was a patron of. Ronaldo’s troupe The magic guitar has become the symbol of Kardusk, with the
hid the merchant for months as the warlord put out a bounty royal crest dominated by a sigil of the power instrument. Kardusk
on the man. soldiers are fabled for their strength in battle.
One night, during a performance in a village, a young soldier Since their source of pride is the magic guitar, Kardusk has
recognized Gasteen on stage. The soldier, eager to collect the become a mecca for the arts. The kingdom holds several annual
reward and make his mark with the warlord, informed on music festivals and is thick with entertainers of all stripes. Even
Gasteen. Ronaldo learned in the nick of time that the warlord’s though Ronaldo was executed as a traitor to the land, he is held in
forces were on their way to apprehend Gasteen. In haste, they fled high regard by the commoners today as the recoverer of the Strings
the village and into the woods, encountering a group of Margan of Aria, and even the descendents of the warlord have come to
Druids and begging for their help. accept Ronaldo Day as a time of merriment and celebration.
As they were persecuted mercilessly by the warlord, the druids This history isn’t what Keith expected, but original is what he
aided Gasteen and Ronaldo, keeping them safe in their hidden wanted for Kardusk and original is what he got. He likes the tone
forest sanctuaries. and flavor this gives to his capitol city, and it even suggests to him
102
THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
ADVENTURE SHEET
Adventure Date
some potential plot hooks for future Adventures
Notes Themes
for his Player
Characters. Who knows, maybe the druids 1plan their revenge
WITH MYTHIC
1-4
3
another magic 5-7
8-9
Nathan Sorenson And The Planet Of Mystery!
After Turning Point 2, Keith’s Lists look4like this: 10
Some of you reading this book will be familiar with other titles
5 10
from Word Mill Games, in particular Mythic Role Playing and
TURNING POINT 2 PLOTLINE
New Plotline
x Development Escape from the warlord Mythic Game Master Emulator. Mythic is a solo role playing tool
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED designed to replace the decision making of a living Gamemaster
1 Hunted The Legion Hand with a system that serves as the GM for any role playing game.
2 None
At it’s core, it answers Yes/No questions as you present them,
3 None
4 New Character Strings of Aria furthering the story and plot as you go.
5 A resource disappears Elements of the Mythic system include generating an
SECTION Adventure as you go, coming up with an opening Scene, and
Notes
developing Scenes as the Adventure progresses. Mythic has tools
New Plotline
to handle all of those steps, but The Adventure Crafter can be
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion plugged in with Mythic to replace some of those mechanisms.
Plotlines List
PLOT POINTS
1
CHARACTERS INVOKED
Characters The
Specifically, List Adventure Crafter can be used to replace the
generation of an opening Scene for a Mythic Adventure, and it can
Escape
CHOOSEfrom
MOSTthe warlord
2
Rolling for Themes, Patrick gets a 7 for Social as the first For Plot Point 1, Patrick rolls 9 for the Theme of Tension,
Theme, 8 for the next Theme which Date is also Social so he moves to and 51 for a Plot Point of A Secret Weapon. He rolls to Invoke
the Theme of Personal. The a Character to see who has a secret weapon, getting 31 for
Themes
third Theme rolled is 3 for “Zun’s scientist priests”. That’s appropriate. Patrick records
Tension, then 6 for 1 Social 1-4 this on the Adventure Sheet and gives the priests another entry
Mystery. The last remaining 2 Personal 5-7
on the Characters List for being Invoked. He’s glad to get this
Theme is Action, filling up result, as it’s always fun to see what evil weapon the scientists
3 Tension 8-9
the fifth slot. come up with.
Next up, Patrick gets 4 Mystery 10 For Plot Point 2, he rolls 3 for a Theme of Social, and 35
his Adventure Sheet and 5 Action 10 for a Plot Point of People Behaving Badly. He rolls to Invoke a
Lists in order. He leaves Character for this and gets Choose Most Logical Character, and
the Plotlines List blank
New Plotline he chooses the scientists.
PLOTLINE Development
because
Conclusion he’s starting this Adventure with a clean slate. However, For Plot Point 3, Patrick rolls 1 for a Theme of Social and
he wants to populate CHARACTERS
the Characters List with important
INVOKED 84 for a Plot Point of Power Over Others. Again, Invoking a
personalities from his previous two Adventures. He writes Character generates Choose Most Logical Character. Patrick has
Characters in, starting with his own, Nathan Sorenson. an idea forming, so he chooses Zun Marga’s scientists again.
His Characters List looks like this: Zun’s scientists have come up with a new, strange device
that gives them power over people. They are the ones behaving
Characters List badly, as this tool is meant to control a population, probably
villagers somewhere. Patrick will flesh this idea out more, but this
1-4 Nathan Sorenson
NEW CHARACTER is his working theory for now.
For Plot Point 4, he rolls 9 for a Theme of Tension and 32 for
5-8 Zyra villagers
NEW CHARACTER a Plot Point of Shady Places.
9-12 Rhonda, village queen
NEW CHARACTER
For Plot Point 5, Patrick rolls 2 for a Theme of Social and 38
for a Plot Point of The Observer.
Serpent folk LOGICAL CHARACTER
New Plotline
PLOTLINE 13-16
Development CHOOSE MOST Patrick doesn’t have to think of this for long as he has an idea
Conclusion
for what all of this means. He decides that his Opening Scene
17-20 Random wildINVOKED
NEWCHARACTERS
CHARACTER beast is this: A stranger staggers into Rhonda’s village where Nathan
21-24 Zun Marga
NEW CHARACTER
is currently living. The stranger is exhausted from apparently
having run through the desert. The villagers tend to the man,
25-28 Zun’s soldiers
NEW CHARACTER and as he comes to, he has a strange tale to tell. The night before,
he was cooking in the kitchen of a tavern at a nearby township
29-32 Zun’s
CHOOSEscientist priestsCHARACTER
MOST LOGICAL when a group of men in Zun Marga’s uniforms walked in.
33-36 NEW CHARACTER The tavern went silent as the men closed and barred the door,
then set up a strange looking machine. As bar patrons began
37-40 NEW CHARACTER to become afraid and protest, Zun’s agents turned the machine
on, bathing the room in a weird green light. Suddenly, everyone
41-44 NEW CHARACTER
felt the machine taking command of their bodies. Against their
Since Patrick CHOOSE
45-48 is combining
MOSTMythic with The
LOGICAL Adventure Crafter,
CHARACTER wills, they began to attack each other as the scientists watched in
he’ll be managing his lists using The Adventure Crafter’s methods. dispassionate interest.
49-52is running
Patrick NEW his
CHARACTER
Adventure as a solo game, writing out Being in the kitchen, the stranger was spared from the
the story as he goes. Speed isn’t an issue with him, so he decides malicious ray and the attention of the cold scientists. He escaped
53-56 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
to take his time with generating the Opening Scene. To get from the tavern out a back door, running into the desert and
going,57-60
he makesCHOOSE
a TurningMOST
Point to act as theCHARACTER
LOGICAL first Scene and fleeing all night until he came to the village.
starts rolling for Plot Points. There’s no need to check for the Nathan Sorenson knows what this means: Zun’s scientists
61-64
Plotline as thereCHOOSE MOSTyet
are no Plotlines LOGICAL CHARACTER
in this Adventure, defaulting have come up with a new weapon, a mind control ray. They were
to a New Plotline. clearly testing the device the night before. Nathan has to find the
65-68 NEW CHARACTER
Adventure
THE BIG CHAPTER
Date
OF EXAMPLES
Notes Themes
1 1-4
2 5-7
His Adventure Sheet and Lists at the end3 of this Scene look 8-9
like this: 4 10
5 10
x New Plotline
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
SECTION
Notes
New Plotline
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
2
Plotlines List Char
Destroy the machine
3
tavern in shambles. Patrick plans to have Nathan search the place have been mind controlled, but dozens, maybe even hundreds.
and question locals who may have seen what happened. Nathan is going to face a mob.
Patrick rolls 1d10 against his Expected Scene to see if that’s Patrick plays out the Scene with Nathan and his companions
how it plays out. He rolls a 1, which is well within the Chaos riding into the town. People on the street stare at them strangely,
Factor of 6, and means his Expected Scene is Altered. the place more silent than Nathan would have thought. They
Normally in Mythic Patrick would shift his idea to something arrive at the tavern to find it a wreck, with bodies strewn about
similar but different, whatever the next most likely expectation the floor. It looks like the site of a riot.
would be. This time, he’s going to let The Adventure Crafter do it. Using questions Patrick is putting to Mythic, he determines
Creating a new Turning Point, he rolls against the Plotlines that this is when a pair of villagers burst into the tavern and
List and gets 70 for New Plotline. This should be interesting, the attack Nathan and his companions. Nathan is aware that these
plot is already thickening for Nathan. people are likely being controlled, so he doesn’t want to use
Patrick moves to generating the Plot Points, rolling 10 for deadly force against them. This puts him at a disadvantage as he
the Theme, which gives him a Theme of Mystery since this is and his companions get into a fist fight with their attackers.
his first 10 rolled in this Adventure. For the Plot Point, he rolled More mind controlled villagers enter the fray as Nathan
4. Normally that would be Conclusion, but since this is a New and his friends try to fight their way back to their mounts to
Plotline in this Turning Point, the result turns into None. Patrick escape. Patrick is resolving the confrontations using Mythic. He
writes None for Plot Point 1 and moves on. determines that Nathan and one of the warriors with him get
For Plot Point 2, he rolls 10 again for the Theme, which back to their beasts, but the other companion is overwhelmed and
is Action since this is his second 10 for a Theme rolled. For dragged away. There are too many people for Nathan to fight, so
the Plot Point, he rolled 39, for A Character Is Attacked To he and the remaining companion gallop swiftly out of town.
Abduct. Now things are getting interesting! Patrick decides Nathan isn’t giving up on his friend, however. He rides out
to Invoke two Characters to see who gets attacked by whom. and to the rise of a hill to watch the town below. Nathan reasons
He rolls on the Characters List, getting 63 for Choose Most that if the villagers have been mind controlled to abduct intruders
Logical Character and 93 for Choose Most Logical Character. then perhaps they’ve been instructed to bring their prisoners to
Patrick keeps in mind that this is an Altered Scene, it’s still the scientists.
ADVENTURE SHEET Nathan hopes he can observe and see where they
his original Expected Scene but with changes. Thinking about bring
Adventure companion.
his Date
it a moment, he decides that it would make sense that the Patrick plays out his Altered Scene usingThemes
Mythic. Since things
Notes
scientists may have left a trap behind. Using the power of did not go Nathan’s way in this Scene, Patrick 1
increases the Chaos 1-4
their mysterious ray, they left some locals who have been mind Factor another point to 7. 2 5-7
controlled to abduct anyone who comes by investigating the The new Plotline established in this Turning
3 Point is, “Rescue 8-9
tavern fight. Patrick Invokes Nathan for this Plot Point as the captured companion.” 4 10
5
Character attacked, and “Zyra villagers” as the other Invoked 10
Character to represent the people of the town who are being x New Plotline
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
manipulated. He writes them onto the Characters List again. PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
For Plot Point 3, Patrick rolls 8 for the Theme, Tension, and 1 None
2 A character is attacked to abduct Nathan / Zyra villagers
79 for the Plot Point, It’s A Trap! This result makes perfect sense
3 It’s a trap!
with what Patrick has already thought of, and he decides this Plot 4 None
Point just reinforces his existing idea. 5 Retaliation
For Plot Point 4, Patrick rolls 4 for a Theme of Social and 20 Notes
for a Plot Point of None.
For Plot Point 5, Patrick rolls 4 again for the Theme, Social, New Plotline
and 29 for the Plot Point Retaliation. Again, Patrick uses this Plot TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
Point to reinforce his original idea that the evil scientists have left 1
a trap behind of mind controlled villagers who will attack those 2
who come snooping around. Since Patrick rolled yet another Plot 3
Point that pushes the idea of the town being trapped, he decides 4
Notes
10
106
THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
SECTION
37-40 Nathan
NEW CHARACTER 13-16 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 13-16
Zyra
41-44Plotlines villagers
NEWList
CHARACTER Characters
17-20 List
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 17-20
sneak 57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER 33-36 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 33-36
into the cavern,
13-16
attempt to rescue his friend,
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
machine and any plans they discover for it inside. The Expected
and destroy the
13-16 Serpent folk LOGICAL CHARACTER
CHOOSE MOST
61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER 37-40 NEW PLOTLINE 37-40
Scene is entering
17-20the cavern
CHOOSE and MOST
discovering what’sPLOTLINE
LOGICAL inside. 17-20 Random wild beast
NEW CHARACTER
Patrick
65-68rolls against this
NEW CHARACTER expectation and gets 8, the Scene goes 41-44 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 41-44
21-24
off as expected. NEW PLOTLINE 21-24 Zun Marga
NEW CHARACTER
69-72 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER 45-48 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 45-48
Using
warrior73-76
Mythic
25-28
successfully
to play out the Scene, Nathan
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
sneak into the mine,
and his fellow
discovering that it is
25-28 Zun’s soldiers
NEW CHARACTER
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER 49-52 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 49-52
old but shows signs
29-32 of new construction. They
CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE subdue a pair 29-32 Zun’s
CHOOSEscientist priestsCHARACTER
MOST LOGICAL
of guards near the
77-80 entranceMOST
CHOOSE and take a ricketyCHARACTER
LOGICAL elevator down to 53-56 NEW PLOTLINE 53-56
33-36They CHOOSE
the lower levels. get into allMOSTkinds LOGICAL
of trouble PLOTLINE
down there, 33-36 Zun’s scientist priests
NEW CHARACTER
81-84 and NEW CHARACTER 57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 57-60
encountering 37-40 fighting a few
NEW PLOTLINE patrols and even defeating 37-40 Nathan
NEW CHARACTER
a lizard85-88
creature CHOOSE
that had been MOST trained as a lethal
LOGICAL watchdog.
CHARACTER 61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 61-64
41-44 isCHOOSE
Nathan’s companion woundedMOST in the LOGICAL
battle, butPLOTLINE
they are able to 41-44 Zyra villagers
NEW CHARACTER
rescue90-92
the warriorCHOOSE
who wasMOST abducted. LOGICAL CHARACTER
They found him locked in 65-68 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 65-68
45-48
a cell. The man CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
tells Nathan that the scientists were going to use 45-48 Serpent folk LOGICAL CHARACTER
CHOOSE MOST
93-96 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER 69-72 NEW PLOTLINE 69-72
him for experiments
49-52 with
CHOOSEMentatum
their MOST LOGICAL Vortex PLOTLINE
device, which is 49-52 Zun’s soldiers
NEW CHARACTER
what they call the mind
97-100 NEW CHARACTER control machine. 73-76 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 73-76
53-56 thatNEW
Patrick decides PLOTLINE
rescuing the companion is the end of 53-56 Nathan’s warrior
CHOOSE MOST companions
LOGICAL CHARACTER
this Scene. He reviews the events of the Scene and decides that 77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 77-80
57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE
the Chaos Factor goes down another point since Nathan made
57-60 Attack
CHOOSElizards
MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
headway in 61-64
this Scene.CHOOSE
The Chaos Factor is now back to 5. 81-84 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 81-84
MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
85-88 NEW PLOTLINE 85-88
65-68 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 65-68 NEW CHARACTER
By asking Mythic Questions, Patrick decides that Nathan’s themselves overwhelmed and on the run, hiding from the
captured companion saw enough of the underground complex physically superior Serpent Folk.
and heard enough of what the villagers and scientists said that he Patrick has no idea what Useful Information From An
has a good idea of where the Mentatum machine is being kept. Unknown Source means in this context, so he invokes the I
Patrick decides that the next Expected Scene is Nathan and his Dunno rule and ignores it, turning that Plot Point into a None.
group making their way through the caverns to the machine in an Patrick uses Mythic to play out this Scene, involving Nathan
attempt to destroy it. and his two warrior companions delving deeper into the
Patrick rolls against the Chaos Factor of 5 to see if this is how caverns. They battle another set of guards, and finally the place
it plays out, and gets 2, an Interrupt. Not only does the Expected is ringing with alarms. As Nathan makes his way forward, he
Scene not occur, but something new and unexpected happens. sees guards running for their lives, being pursued by Serpent
Patrick turns to The Adventure Crafter again to come up with Folk armed with spears and makeshift weapons culled by
this new Scene. Rolling for the Plotline, he gets a roll of 45 for grabbing tools at hand.
Choose Most Logical Plotline. Since there is only one Plotline This Scene
ADVENTURE SHEET ends up becoming a chaotic mess as Nathan and
left, “Destroy the machine,” that’s the Plotline he goes with. hisAdventure
party attempt to avoid the panicked guards
Date and the Serpent
Patrick starts rolling the Plot Points, starting with the first Folk, battling when they have to. Themes
Notes
one and getting 7 for a Theme of Personal and 15 for a Plot Patrick updates the Characters List with1 the newly Invoked 1-4
Point of None. Characters, as well as the Plotlines List. He2increases the Chaos 5-7
Plot Point 2 is 10 for Theme. Since this is the third time Factor to 6 because of how crazy this Scene3 got; Nathan and his 8-9
Patrick has rolled a 10 for a Theme in this Adventure, he’s back friends barely made it through the Scene alive.
4 10
5
to the Theme of Mystery. The Plot Point he rolled is 27, Useful 10
Information From An Unknown Source. Patrick has no idea what TURNING POINT PLOTLINE
New Plotline
x Development Destroy the machine
Conclusion
this might mean just yet, waiting to see what further light is shed PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
wait and see what the final Plot Point of this Turning Point is TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
and 43 for a Plot Point of Wanted By The Law. He Invokes a 3 1-4 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 1-4
Character to see who is wanted, and gets 16 for “Serpent Folk”.
Destroy the machine
4
5-8 NEW PLOTLINE 5-8
Patrick ponders these Plot Points, and decides that the “law” 5
in this case is Zun and his soldiers. They are apparently after Notes
9-12 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 9-12
Serpent Folk, probably rounding up local ones they find for 10
experimentation. Patrick decides this makes sense considering 13-16 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 13-1
that Nathan encountered Serpent Folk in the desert so they
17-20 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 17-2
probably have a colony near. Zun’s scientists must be nabbing
anyone they can find to experiment on. 21-24 NEW PLOTLINE 21-2
If Zun’s soldiers have a need to hide in this Turning Point,
Patrick figures something has gone wrong with their operation 25-28 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 25-2
in the caverns. He decides what happens in this Turning Point is 29-32 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 29-3
that Nathan’s invasion of the mines has caused enough chaos to
create an opportunity for the captured Serpent Folk to escape. 33-36 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 33-3
They are attacking and hunting the soldiers, who are finding
37-40 NEW PLOTLINE 37-4
61-64 Zun’s
CHOOSEsoldiers
MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
110
THE BIG CHAPTER OF EXAMPLES
111
COLLECTED TABLES
None 9-24 9-24 9-24 9-24 9-24 A Rare Or Unique Social Gathering - - - 32 -
A Character Is Attacked
25-26 - - - - This Isn’t Working - - 33 - -
In A Non-Lethal Way
A Character Is Attacked
28-29 - - - - All Is Revealed! - - 37 - -
In A Lethal Way
112
COLLECTED TABLES
113
COLLECTED TABLES
An Object Of
- - 75 - - A Meeting Of Minds - - - 75 -
Unknown Use Is Found
A Needed Resource
Standoff - 72 - 70 - - 82-83 - - -
Is Running Short
114
COLLECTED TABLES
Expert Knowledge - - - - 87
Abandoned - 87-88 - - -
115
COLLECTED TABLES
116
COLLECTED TABLES
THE CHARACTER IS AN INDIVIDUAL: The Character is an individual, as opposed to an organization or object. 1-50
THE CHARACTER IS AN ORGANIZATION: This Character is not a specific individual, but an organization or
51-57
community. General members of this organization are considered part of the Character as a community.
THE CHARACTER IS AN OBJECT: This Character is something other than a typical, living individual or group
organization. The Character is an object of some kind that could also be considered a Character unto itself. Examples 58-64
might include a spaceship that is old and temperamental, or a city teeming with culture.
THE CHARACTER IS CONNECTED TO THIS PLOTLINE: This Character enters the Adventure somehow
65-71
connected with the Plotline of this Turning Point.
THE CHARACTER IS NOT CONNECTED TO THIS PLOTLINE: This Character enters the Adventure not
connected to this Turning Point’s Plotline. The Character may become part of the Plotline in the course of this Turning
72-78
Point, but does not start off that way. Examples include bystanders to the main events of a Turning Point or people
outside the events of the Plotline who get drawn into the Adventure.
THE CHARACTER ASSISTS IN RESOLVING THIS PLOTLINE: This Character is someone who can help resolve
79-85
the current Plotline in some way, likely serving as an aid to the Player Characters.
THE CHARACTER HINDERS RESOLVING THIS PLOTLINE: This Character gets in the way of resolving the
86-92
current Plotline in some way, likely serving as a complication to the Player Characters.
THE CHARACTER IS CONNECTED TO AN EXISTING CHARACTER: This Character has some relationship
to another, existing Character in this Adventure. Roll on the Characters List to see who. A result of New Character
is changed to Choose The Most Logical Character. The connection can be anything, from the two Characters are
93-100
related, they know each other, they were former friends, they both work in the same occupation or belong to the
same organization, they look or act similarly, they have similar skills or equipment, etc. The connection can be as
close or as distant as you like.
117
COLLECTED TABLES
Character Identity
ROLL IDENTITY ROLL IDENTITY ROLL IDENTITY ROLL IDENTITY
118
COLLECTED TABLES
Character Descriptors
ROLL CHARACTERISTIC ROLL CHARACTERISTIC ROLL CHARACTERISTIC ROLL CHARACTERISTIC
119
COLLECTED TABLES
120
Plotlines List Characters List
13-16 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 13-16 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
29-32 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 29-32 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
45-48 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 45-48 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 57-60 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 61-64 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
73-76 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 73-76 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 77-80 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
89-92 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 89-92 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
93-96 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL PLOTLINE 93-96 CHOOSE MOST LOGICAL CHARACTER
121
ADVENTURE SHEET
Adventure Date
Notes Themes
1 1-4
2 5-7
3 8-9
4 10
5 10
New Plotline
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
Notes
New Plotline
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
Notes
New Plotline
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
Notes
New Plotline
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
Notes
New Plotline
TURNING POINT PLOTLINE Development
Conclusion
PLOT POINTS CHARACTERS INVOKED
Notes
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