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The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: Watson on October 12, 2011, 04:23:11 PM

Title: Using Plot Maps for DFRPG
Post by: Watson on October 12, 2011, 04:23:11 PM
I have found a really cool aid for getting inspiration when creating scenarios - the "Plot Maps" from the game Technoir (a really interesting read, more info can be found here: http://www.technoirrpg.com/) and I would like to use it for the Dresden Files RPG.

The basic idea is that the GM randomly rolls up three things (called "nodes") from a table that is representing the city where the story is taking place. The game Technoir comes with a number of pre-set tables called Transmissions (one example can be found as a download here: http://www.technoirrpg.com/download.php?file=28). The tables contains "nodes", six of them: Connections (persons the player character knows), Events (big, important stuff), Factions (major groups or organizations, like the White Council, the Red Court etc), Locations (important places, relevant for the ongoing campaign), Objects (important things, could be physical or stuff like information) and Threats (individual persons or groups that a Faction can use to fulfil a goal, like hitmen or Ghouls). Technoir have six of each, creating a matrix of 6x6 cells for a total of 36 cells. After the initial three are created, place them in a triangle with lines connecting each other and come the reason A is connected to B, B to C etc (thus kickstarting the imagination). The game also have rules (very interesting ones) how to use the Plot Map and expand it during play, but that is outside the scope of this post.

Connections are rather simple - use some of the Faces from City Creation.
Factions are also simple, as some of these most likely have come up during City Creation.
Locations are very simple - use some of the Locations from City Creation.
Threats can be created from the general ideas that have come up during City Creation (either general, or city-specific).
These four are more or less city-specific.

This leaves Event and Objects - what kind of Dresden Files-specific Events and Objects could one have? Example of Events could be A powerful storm or A Ritualistic Murder. Example of Objects could be The Mantle of the Winter Knight or The Word of Kemmler. For instance, the starting point for the Case File Storm Front could be a triangle with A powerful storm, A Ritualistic murder and Marcones Thugs (the last could have been specific to the city of Chicago, most likely Threats).   

The idea is to fill a table with stuff that is both from your own City Creation as well as things that are very much Dresden Files (and things that you as a GM would like to see in the game). What else could we have in terms of Events and Objects?
Title: Re: Using Plot Maps for DFRPG
Post by: JediDresden on October 12, 2011, 06:26:57 PM
It sounds useful, but I do not know anything about this system.  It looks interesting and you are right a lot of the DFRPG (i.e. Faces, Themes/ Threats, Locations, etc.) could be used in this type of format.

 I don't understand the matrix of it very well, what would happen if you expand it to 9x9, since there are up to 9 locations and faces in city creation? 

As for objects and events you could have stuff like Dragon's horde, Faerie bargin, Vampire War, mystic idol and many others.
Title: Re: Using Plot Maps for DFRPG
Post by: Watson on October 12, 2011, 07:01:34 PM
The thing is that you don't have to know anything about the system to use it as inspiration. Just generate three randomly chosen "nodes" and write them down on a blank piece of paper and draw a line between them (thus forming a triangle). Then come up with a reason why, for instance, there is a line between "The word of Kemmler" and "The Armenian Druglord" - has he stolen it? Does he want to use it and in that case why? The relationship between the three "nodes" form the core part of the story.

So ideas for Events and Objects is highly appreciated.
Title: Re: Using Plot Maps for DFRPG
Post by: Mindflayer94 on October 12, 2011, 08:44:11 PM
Okay I think I get it. Take for example the following:

Step One
I create 6 individual parts to each node:

Connections:
Harry Dresden
Karrin Murphy
Thomas Raith
Molly Carpenter
Billy Borden
Gentleman Johnny Marcone

Events:
Mab Wants Harry to be her Winter Knight
Harry has two of the swords
“Lash” has inhabited Harry through the Denarius
Harry has pissed off the Merlin
(click to show/hide)

Factions:
White Council
The Jade Court
Winter
The Red Court
The White Court
The Black Court

Locations:
Lincoln Park
China Town
University Chicago
Caddilac Theatre
Ford Center
Soldier Field

Objects:
The mantle of the winter knight
Bob’s Skull
Harry’s Staff
Harry’s Soul
Murphy’s Gun
(click to show/hide)

Threats:
Hitmen
Ghouls
Corpsetaker
Ivy
Morgan
Lara

Step Two
I create a triangle of three of these individual campaign aspects (selected randomly?), and draw a connection between them.

   Harry
Ivy      Mab Wants Harry to be her Winter Knight

Harry-Ivy: Harry and Ivy are close friends, who care for each other
Harry-Mab…: Harry still owes Mab favors
Ivy-Mab…: Ivy knows of the danger in becoming the Winter Knight

Step Three:
Voila, I create an adventure from there.

Anything I missed or screwed up on?
Title: Re: Using Plot Maps for DFRPG
Post by: JediDresden on October 13, 2011, 02:45:06 AM
Oh, OK.  I understand it now.  I thought there was some kind of mechanic that I was missing.  I need to look at it again, but you could probably link the six thing in each category and use a dice roll or some random way to chose the items for you, re-rolling for weird combos.  If you are really lazy like I am sometimes.

As for the other categories I really think that PC aspects could be inserted here for some personal ties to your game.  For example, an aspect for one of my characters once was ' My families ruby pendant" - there you go instant object!  Now granted it probably won't work for every character, but you could rally customize it to your group.
Title: Re: Using Plot Maps for DFRPG
Post by: MAK on October 13, 2011, 07:58:25 AM
This looks a lot like a Fiasco playset, as well. Just yesterday there was a blog post about using a Fiasco playset for city building, but I can see the concept easily being extended. Also, Evil Hat published a free Fiasco playset "Hocus Focus", set in the Dresdenverse Chicago...

http://dresdenfilesboston.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/fiasco-a-tool-for-collaborative-campaign-development/

http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/2011/09/26/halloween-surprise-hocus-focus/

Title: Re: Using Plot Maps for DFRPG
Post by: Watson on October 13, 2011, 10:25:52 AM
Quote from: Mindflayer94 on October 12, 2011, 08:44:11 PM
Anything I missed or screwed up on?

You are correct - the triangle created between the "nodes" shall be used to kick-start ideas - that's all.
Title: Re: Using Plot Maps for DFRPG
Post by: Watson on October 13, 2011, 10:39:08 AM
Other ideas (more "generic, but still Dresden Files"):

Events
A Ritual Murder (using Thaumaturgy or a Common Ritual)
An Execution (of course with witnesses)
A Special Time of the Year (Midsummer, Halloween)
A Prophecy
A Curse

Items
A Book of Rituals (or spell or something else similar)
A Symbolic Link (to someone powerful)
A Spirit of Knowledge (like Bob)
A Religious Artifact (like the shroud of Turin)
A Warden's sword
A Sword of the Cross
A Hexenbelt

Title: Re: Using Plot Maps for DFRPG
Post by: devonapple on October 14, 2011, 01:00:15 AM
This is pretty cool, and an excellent way to visualize the guidelines which DFRPG already includes about how to create adventures: namely, by picking 3 or more Aspects/Faces and drawing connections between them. In this case, we are zooming out a little (referring to characters by name, not by the Aspect we want to use as a hook), but this is all pretty useful for getting to a well-formulated scenario!
Title: Re: Using Plot Maps for DFRPG
Post by: Watson on October 14, 2011, 05:25:59 PM
Quote from: devonapple on October 14, 2011, 01:00:15 AM
This is pretty cool, and an excellent way to visualize the guidelines which DFRPG already includes about how to create adventures: namely, by picking 3 or more Aspects/Faces and drawing connections between them. In this case, we are zooming out a little (referring to characters by name, not by the Aspect we want to use as a hook), but this is all pretty useful for getting to a well-formulated scenario!

Exactly! It is in a way "zooming out" a bit, and adding some more "things" (like Objects, Events and Threats* etc). The Aspects on the Locations and Faces/Connections can be used as inspiration as to why a certain node is connected to another node.

Another idea is to create another type of nodes and pull them from the City's Themes and Threats**.

*Threats as described above - not the "city-Threats" from the rulebook
**The "city-Threats" from the rulebook
Title: Re: Using Plot Maps for DFRPG
Post by: Pbartender on October 14, 2011, 07:34:35 PM
Quote from: Watson on October 14, 2011, 05:25:59 PM
Exactly! It is in a way "zooming out" a bit, and adding some more "things" (like Objects, Events and Threats* etc). The Aspects on the Locations and Faces/Connections can be used as inspiration as to why a certain node is connected to another node.

Yeah...  I'm looking to use this method as an alternate method for running a "globe trotting" campaign that isn't quite so localized to a single city.