Hey, I've been DMing a few years but only in short low level sessions. Still, I know the rules well and I can make good adventures.
My problem is with adventure hooks that will interest players more. Could I have any suggestions on what a player looks for as insentive to go into that dark dungeon?
My players are very focused when it comes to dramatic battles, or even funny NPC situations, but the adventure hooks NEVER seem to spark a great interest. Any pointers?
Making interesting adventure hooks
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Steelcecil
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Darth Gavinius
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There are only really three incentives for entering a dark dungeon and they can best be summarised as:
1) Item/person of importance - i.e the dungeon/cave/crypt contains something that will drive the plot forward
2) Transition - you are going from A-B but the only way to B is to pass through dungeon/cave/crypt
3) Heroics - rescue mission - damsel in distress, mine collapse, etc.
Sadly these are all done to death.
There are other variations... like not choosing to go into the dungeon at all... i.e being captured and trying to escape. Or the environment is so hostile that going into dark dungeon is the only way to escape.
1) Item/person of importance - i.e the dungeon/cave/crypt contains something that will drive the plot forward
2) Transition - you are going from A-B but the only way to B is to pass through dungeon/cave/crypt
3) Heroics - rescue mission - damsel in distress, mine collapse, etc.
Sadly these are all done to death.
There are other variations... like not choosing to go into the dungeon at all... i.e being captured and trying to escape. Or the environment is so hostile that going into dark dungeon is the only way to escape.
Two wrongs don't make a right... but three lefts do!
If beauty is in the eye of the bee-holder, then why are hives considered unattractive features?
If beauty is in the eye of the bee-holder, then why are hives considered unattractive features?
Your player feels a surge, and a need to relieve himself. After going somewhere to do his things, he gets bitten, and his leg/arm/something gets green. No kinds of magic can heal it. Asking around in town you learn he has around 3 days until he falls into an unhealable comatose condition.
The mayor says that the coma is caused by some vermin, and they cannot cure it. The vermin seem to come from the graveyard area.
Party enters a crypt, finding the weak wall through which something seems moving. They break it and go forward. (your dungeon here)
After coming to the necromancer/alchemist/etc which is spreading the disease through his rats/undead-rats/other vermin they learn that he is a part of a greater cause, hell bent on destroying the word or whatever. Let the plot commence. (if your players don't give a **** about the world
Oh, they also find a cure spell, but it doesn't really work totally and he needs to find more of the stuff, or he's goners, also it spread to other members while fighting the vermin to come to the necro.
The mayor says that the coma is caused by some vermin, and they cannot cure it. The vermin seem to come from the graveyard area.
Party enters a crypt, finding the weak wall through which something seems moving. They break it and go forward. (your dungeon here)
After coming to the necromancer/alchemist/etc which is spreading the disease through his rats/undead-rats/other vermin they learn that he is a part of a greater cause, hell bent on destroying the word or whatever. Let the plot commence. (if your players don't give a **** about the world
Oh, they also find a cure spell, but it doesn't really work totally and he needs to find more of the stuff, or he's goners, also it spread to other members while fighting the vermin to come to the necro.-
Steelcecil
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Excellent ideas!
In reply to Darth Gavinius: I have actually tried most of the things you suggested except being captured or escaping. Good ideas, though.
@Ur-Quan What an in-depth idea! The classic 3 days to live idea puts some good desperation into play.
Another idea I thought of is to have bandits steal some gold/items and then run into a dungeon as a hideout.
My only problem with these well thought out "prods" toward a DM made adventure is that the players feel they have no control of the game . . . and the players never seem to move the story forward on their own either.
In reply to Darth Gavinius: I have actually tried most of the things you suggested except being captured or escaping. Good ideas, though.
@Ur-Quan What an in-depth idea! The classic 3 days to live idea puts some good desperation into play.
Another idea I thought of is to have bandits steal some gold/items and then run into a dungeon as a hideout.
My only problem with these well thought out "prods" toward a DM made adventure is that the players feel they have no control of the game . . . and the players never seem to move the story forward on their own either.