Plotting a one-shot or journey will be onerous: having nice concepts is just not sufficient, it’s good to string them collectively right into a single plot too! And that’s the place Whiteboards is available in—a instrument that allows you to plan and see your journey in full. So let’s have a look at how you need to use this characteristic to plan your subsequent recreation!
Utilizing Whiteboards to Plot Your Journey
Each GM has their very own preferences to design an journey, however on the very least you’ll wish to put together a number of scenes and NPCs. So, begin with that! Use the textual content instrument (or the rectangle instrument) and sort a single brief sentence to your opening scene. From there, begin sketching out the remainder of scenes. Since it is a one-shot or brief journey, you wish to keep away from branching paths as a lot as potential. A primary one-shot construction may appear to be this:
It’s would possibly look primary, nevertheless it’s basis to your prep!
Want inspiration to design a one-shot? We interviewed Amanda Hamon, senior designer for Dungeons & Dragons, to learn the way she does it. Test it out!
So, now we’ve a primary (however stable) construction to your journey. It’s time to spruce it up!
1. Sketch rudimentary maps
This might be particularly helpful should you don’t have a map for a particular scene. Typically, figuring out the place issues are is vital even should you don’t give your gamers a battle map. It would make it easier to create extra immersive and constant descriptions! Now, in fact, you can go search out a map that matches the scene (or make your personal), however which means interrupting your journey design circulation! By drawing it instantly on the whiteboard, you’ll have a fast reference you can then increase to a full-sized map whenever you end designing the sport.
So, both use the pencil instrument for freehand drawing or allow the grid to be extra exact and do a few tough sketches. That is the way it would possibly look:
“I can’t draw” is just not an excuse—I can’t both, as confirmed on this screenshot. It’s simply to your private reference, in any case!
2. Present relationships between NPCs
What’s (or can be) the connection between the primary NPCs and your social gathering? And what concerning the relationship between the NPCs? This could be particularly attention-grabbing if social interplay is an enormous a part of your recreation. Begin by embedding the character article for the NPC within the whiteboard (utilizing the inexperienced plus button). Then, use arrows in several colours to point out how pleasant a personality is to another person. If social interplay is just not that vital, you’ll be able to join your NPCs to the completely different scenes to know at a look who’ll be there to fulfill the social gathering!
Now that’s beginning to appear to be a correct session plan!
3. Various paths to plot your journey
What if the PCs take a distinct route? This may be harmful in a brief recreation like a one-shot. So it’s vital to maintain it in thoughts through the journey design course of, too. Take a look at your plan and see if there are any scenes that the gamers may derail. For every of those scenes, discover a technique to put the gamers again on monitor and write it down within the whiteboard: it might be an NPC, a ticking clock, or a sudden occasion.
And that’s it! Doesn’t that look shiny?
4. Verify that all the things’s good
Even the most effective GMs make errors—so be sure to test all the things earlier than working the sport! Re-read your notes, attempt to discover weak factors or locations the place your gamers may derail the session, and be prepared for them. And, in fact, put together some other supplies you would possibly want: stat blocks, description read-alouds, extra NPCs… Then, open the Digital Storyteller Display screen on World Anvil and prepare to have a tremendous recreation!
Not aware of World Anvil’s RPG options? Take a look at this fast information video to be taught extra!
Put together a dungeon with Whiteboards
Dungeons (or any type of construction the social gathering will discover) are some of the typical instruments for journey design. They allow you to simply management the pacing and the instructions your gamers can take. If you’re utilizing theater of the thoughts, utilizing Whiteboards will make it easier to not get misplaced in your personal dungeon! The method can be just like the above, however as an alternative of plotting out scenes, you’ll plot out locations. I like to recommend numbering them so you’ll be able to then shortly reference them in a separate doc (like a Plot article) with their full descriptions.
It’s to not scale—the purpose is to raised image its construction in your thoughts!
Able to plan your subsequent journey? Create a World Anvil account now to make use of Whiteboards and the Marketing campaign Supervisor!
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