Super Fantasy
Maester
Does anyone know how I could write this?
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Simple quest that evolves into a story arc?
- Thread starter Super Fantasy
- Start date
Step by step.
First step - rescue the princess from the monster.
Second step - princess rescued, but now the kingdom is being invaded by an army of monsters. Rally the troops, man the battlements.
Third step - monsters defeated, but now the kingdom is in shambles, and a lot of people are saying 'we don't need any stinking royalty.'
First step - rescue the princess from the monster.
Second step - princess rescued, but now the kingdom is being invaded by an army of monsters. Rally the troops, man the battlements.
Third step - monsters defeated, but now the kingdom is in shambles, and a lot of people are saying 'we don't need any stinking royalty.'
Finchbearer
Istar
Are they two Italian plumbers?
I was thinking 'Shrek,' but that probably works better.
Queshire
Istar
I'd take some advice from DMing in D&D here.
Your best friends are "Yes, and" or "Yes, but."
You manage to clear out the mutant, giant rats in the tavern's basement, but you discover a hole leading into the town's sewers that the rats came from. You clear out the giant rats from the sewer, but in doing so you find the dusty, abandoned laboratory of an ancient necromancer in the course of doing so. You report the laboratory to the higher ups in the adventurer's guild, and suddenly you got dozens of knights from the capital descending on the town to take over the case. Etc and so on.
Your best friends are "Yes, and" or "Yes, but."
You manage to clear out the mutant, giant rats in the tavern's basement, but you discover a hole leading into the town's sewers that the rats came from. You clear out the giant rats from the sewer, but in doing so you find the dusty, abandoned laboratory of an ancient necromancer in the course of doing so. You report the laboratory to the higher ups in the adventurer's guild, and suddenly you got dozens of knights from the capital descending on the town to take over the case. Etc and so on.
pmmg
Myth Weaver
I suggest checking out the authortube. Here is one you can start with.
I had this many years ago (and suppose I still do), and it was great for getting ideas for adventures. The rules have probably changed a lot, but the ideas are still the same. I'd still use it today if I was needing ideas.
Dungeon Masters Design Kit
Like I've said many times. Those RPG resources may be aimed at the game, but they provide a lot of useful info.
Finchbearer
Istar
Interesting choice given that Shrek is a parody on fairytales and legends.
Prince of Spires
Istar
Watch Star Wars, episode 4, A New Hope.
That evolves from a simple "rescue the princess" mission into "You have to save the galaxy by blowing up a deathstar and become a Jedi."
It's usually that the quest delivers some new information or problems that trigger the bigger story.
That evolves from a simple "rescue the princess" mission into "You have to save the galaxy by blowing up a deathstar and become a Jedi."
It's usually that the quest delivers some new information or problems that trigger the bigger story.
The Dark One
Auror
Yes, you learn what the true mission is (in all its appalling enormity) at the end of Act 2.
- Thread starter
- #10
Super Fantasy
Maester
I want to make a quest/story arc where a princess is captured.
What is a good way of making the quest grand scale, rather than simple and short?
What is a good way of making the quest grand scale, rather than simple and short?
JBCrowson
Inkling
Do you mean the quest to capture her or free her again?
pmmg
Myth Weaver
Add complexity and more characters, and they story will start to grow.
- Thread starter
- #13
Super Fantasy
Maester
Interesting,
Any other tips?
Any other tips?
- Thread starter
- #14
Super Fantasy
Maester
What kind of complexity?
Twists and turns in the story?
Twists and turns in the story?
Prince of Spires
Istar
Increase the consequences.
Just rescuing the princess leads to a straightforward story. Nothing wrong with that of course, Shrek was a great story.
However, if you need to rescue the princess because she's the only heir to the secret magic of kings which is needed because demons from the 7 hells are invading and she's the only one who can stop them, but the grand vizier is trying to stop you because he wants to place his own son on the throne, and the neighboring country will start a war when the princess can't show up to the peace talks because they will feel slighted. Now you have a tale on an epic scale.
It's an example of what pmmg means with add complexity and characters. Shrek again is a great example. There are 4 characters (Shrek, Donkey, Princess and the prince), divided in 2 factions. They want a simple thing. Marry the princess just because. In the random example I gave, the consequences are bigger (end of the world big, but you can also go another direction of course), there are more factions, and more characters.
As for what kind of complexity to add, that's up to you and the story you want to tell.
Just rescuing the princess leads to a straightforward story. Nothing wrong with that of course, Shrek was a great story.
However, if you need to rescue the princess because she's the only heir to the secret magic of kings which is needed because demons from the 7 hells are invading and she's the only one who can stop them, but the grand vizier is trying to stop you because he wants to place his own son on the throne, and the neighboring country will start a war when the princess can't show up to the peace talks because they will feel slighted. Now you have a tale on an epic scale.
It's an example of what pmmg means with add complexity and characters. Shrek again is a great example. There are 4 characters (Shrek, Donkey, Princess and the prince), divided in 2 factions. They want a simple thing. Marry the princess just because. In the random example I gave, the consequences are bigger (end of the world big, but you can also go another direction of course), there are more factions, and more characters.
As for what kind of complexity to add, that's up to you and the story you want to tell.
Mad Swede
Auror
Well, start with your protagonist having a simple task to do, when something unexpected happens which leads them into a more complex series of events. A couple of English language examples for you:
In short story terms, take a look at Dashiell Hammett's short story House Dick, about a private detective who gets engaged to work as a hotel detective for a few days. On the last day, a dead body falls out of a wardrobe and it all goes downhill from there...
For a novel length example I'd suggest reading Gavin Lyall's book The Most Dangerous Game, where a bush pilot flies a hunter out into the wilderness and then finds his past catching up with him. A story where the hero doesn't get the girl...
In short story terms, take a look at Dashiell Hammett's short story House Dick, about a private detective who gets engaged to work as a hotel detective for a few days. On the last day, a dead body falls out of a wardrobe and it all goes downhill from there...
For a novel length example I'd suggest reading Gavin Lyall's book The Most Dangerous Game, where a bush pilot flies a hunter out into the wilderness and then finds his past catching up with him. A story where the hero doesn't get the girl...
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