The last time we spoke it was about making sure our players understood the information that was presented at the table (READ HERE). But that does little in the way of actually grabbing their interest. So let's talk about crafting compelling adventure threads for any TTRPG. Not just a simple prompt that may or may not interest our players. Something that will keep them interested in the adventure from start to end. Something that will pull our players in, hook, line, and sinker.
The 4 parts to crafting a solid adventure hook are;
The Bait: Is the activities and things our players want to explore in the game. Like playing a detective or building wacky inventions.
The Hook: Is the call to action and a choice for the players to engage in the adventure. Like a mayor pressuring the detective to take a case or the important parts the inventor needs are being stolen from shops constantly.
The Line: Lets our players decide how to pursue the adventure while allowing us to keep them connected to the story.
The Sinker: Is the revelation that shows this adventure is a part of something bigger and can't be left alone. Like finding out the case involves a serial killer and not a single murder. Or that cultists are responsible for the part theft & are using it to complete something under the city.
Bait
Our player's characters should be the focus of the adventure, as their focus is what is going to drive the game forward. Each player is entering a game to satisfy a specific interest and will snap up any bait that will fulfill that interest, no matter how obvious. Some players want a cathartic power fantasy, others want to solve an elusive mystery, and a few just want to facilitate their friend's journeys.
Sometimes it is easy to intuit, but we should ask bluntly if we aren't sure. "What about the campaign excites you?", "What is something you want to do in the campaign?", or "What is your character's current goal?" are all great ways to ask this. Different TTRPGs will make us ask different questions, but the core principle is the same. Just remember we should check in now and again to see if we are using the right bait still.
Hook
Now crafting the hook is a little bit trickier than finding the bait. It is a combination of a call to action and a choice. The mayor asking for help or hearing a rumor about a lost treasure is the call, and then choosing to accept or not is their choice. We need to make it clear that if they choose to decline the bait will also be left behind. A.K.A the players' interest they want to engage with. A hook isn't for trapping players on a quest. They should always be able to leave should they wish. This combination gives our players something to look forward to and do while they continue to enjoy their activities (bait).
Line
If our players have accepted the hook then we can relax just a bit. It's a bit counterintuitive but this is the time to give them some slack. An adventure is just a problem that needs a solution. So the party is going to try to solve it one way or another. But how they are going to do that is anyone's guess. All we need now is a general layout of the adventure, some leads to move a shy party forward, and the endgame to the adventure.
What this means is regardless of what our players do to solve the problem, we can easily use our line to connect their endeavors to the adventure. A kidnapping has happened and they begin investigating a local baker? In their investigation, they can find copies of the ransom letter, but all are written left-handed when the baker is right-handed. A frame job could point to a variety of people for our people to investigate.
Sinker
At this point, our players should be well and truly invested in the adventure. They've followed the clues, encountered resistance, and now is time for us to let them swallow a revelation that will sit in their guts. Making them realize there is no turning back without major consequences.
The Sinker, in this context, is where we unveil the scope of the end game. This would be finding out that the people in charge of the kidnapping are cultists with no intention of returning the victims. Or the bandits they are hunting are part of a larger effort to take over a town. It might even be a threat the players wouldn't have consciously chosen to face. But at this point, they have invested time, energy, and resources while indulging in the bait. So the uncomfortable truth is this is a threat they HAVE to address if they want to continue playing the way they have been.
Conclusion/Example
Let's put this all together and see how it works. We have an adventure where the players would have to go up against a small pirate fleet to retrieve a lost heirloom that can summon a sea monster. Our players want to be a bunch of thieves and pull off heists. So how about we do…
Bait: Set up a small heist or two for our players to be good.
Hook: Have a noblewoman approach them for a special job. Accept and get paid handsomely. Refuse and she will alert the guards. Not get them arrested mind you, just making it difficult for future thefts.
Line: They decide to jump right into the heist. Get recruited by the pirates, learn about their island HQ, and the pirate leader personally holds the heirloom.
Sinker: Before they are allowed to know where the pirate HQ island is, they get to see the pirate captain in action. At the helm of the ship commanding a sea monster to help during a raid. While wearing a necklace that glows when she commands the monster. A necklace that matches the noblewoman's description.
Now you don't need all this if this was supposed to be a small side quest or something as simple as a "kill it" quest. But it is something good to have in your toolbox next time you want your players to go on an adventure. Because let's be honest, we spend a lot of time preparing our games. Sometimes we want our players to experience something we've taken the time to build. So fingers crossed that this works as well for you all as it has for me.
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