Plots (HLC)

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A simple list of encounters, foes, sundry perils, and treasures is just a catalog of obstacles the player characters must face. This is seldom enough for a successful high-level adventure. Players need to feel a sense of purpose and revealed destiny as their high-level characters struggle against the opposition.
A plot provides a unifying theme or story to the adventure; it deals with the adventure's who, what, when, where, why, and how. The plot sets an adventure's tone and form and helps provide the epic scope that separates a simple “monster and treasure hunt” into a heroic venture.
To construct a superior plot, think about the events that lead up to the adventure's first incident or encounter and then create a description of the state of affairs when the player characters get involved. This kind of groundwork allows you to create an adventure that seems believable to the players and gives them a sense that there is more to be discovered if they just dig a little deeper. The best adventure plots seem simple at first, but often prove to be very complex. A good plot also gives the players a clear idea of what their characters might stand to gain if they succeed and what they might lose if they fail.
In high-level campaigns, it is important that your plot relate the adventure to the rest of the campaign in some way. Not every adventure must relate directly to the campaign's major theme, but every adventure should logically arise from some element in the campaign's structure.
A high-level adventure's plot should also be based on player goals or include subplots that incorporate those goals. See Chapter One for an example of a plot that accomplishes this.
Something in the plot must grab the player characters' attention and get them interested in the action; this is called the adventure hook. When dealing with high-level characters, the most effective hooks involve the player characters' personal goals or quirks. For example, a character interested in romance might become embroiled in an adventure after learning of a potential NPC mate or companion who has difficulties. Perhaps the NPC has been kidnapped (a bit overused, perhaps, but a classic), faces financial ruin, or requires a champion to perform some errand. Likewise, a character with an interest in music might be willing to go to extreme lengths to learn a new song or acquire a rare instrument.
A good plot is not rigid. Adventures for high-level characters require flexible plots that keep the story going and allow PCs to move on and resolve the main conflict even if they do something unexpected. An excellent way to keep a plot flexible is to concentrate on what the players decide to do, not what their characters can accomplish.
Even simple adventures can benefit from flexible, decision-oriented plots. For example, let's suppose the player characters become involved in a dispute between two NPCs over a magical item.
The adventure might begin when one of the antagonists (the one who currently owns the item) settles down in the PCs' area without their knowledge. Perhaps one of the PCs is the area's ruler.
The first incident occurs when the villain sends a raiding party to steal the item. The other NPC goes into hiding, leaving the PCs to deal with the raiders.
After dealing with the raiders, the player characters track them back to their lair and ultimately confront the villain, who either is killed or forced to flee.
The adventure has reasonable potential. The party is faced with a variety of difficulties, including dealing with the raiders quickly and with minimal damage to the countryside. They also must deduce where the raiders are coming from, and they face a difficult fight against an entrenched foe. The plot, however, fails to consider actions that thoughtful players might choose to take. A flexible plot that offers the players more choices might go something like this:
The player characters are going about their normal business one day when a newcomer arrives in the area and stops to pay his respects. He is very pleased to meet such famous heroes, and he presents each character with a small, but fairly valuable, gift. Perhaps the stranger shares an esoteric hobby with one of the player characters. In general, the newcomer proves to be a very agreeable person.
The newcomer discovers a team of spies or burglars snooping around his home. A spectacular battle ensues, creating damage that the player characters must clean up.
The newcomer confesses that he has something the villain wants. The player characters now have several choices to make. They can drive the newcomer away, take the disputed item, offer protection from future attacks, tell the newcomer to deal with the problem himself, or confront the villain.
The adventure continues in one form or another no matter what the player characters do. If the item stays in the PCs' area (because they took it away or allowed the newcomer to stay), the raids continue and begin to grow in strength. If the characters seized the item (or offered to guard it), they become the subject of the villain's attention.
If the PCs told the newcomer to scoot, they're still in for trouble. Perhaps the newcomer pretends to leave—but goes into hiding instead—or escapes to another plane, leaving behind a replica of the item to distract the villain. In either case the raids continue.
One way or another, the PCs must locate the villain's lair and confront him. If they don't wish to fight, they can surrender the item—and perhaps the newcomer—to the villain. This approach isn't very heroic, but it's an option.
If the newcomer has fled, the PCs might convince the villain to leave them alone, but the villain might demand a humiliating service or payment in return for the favor.
If the PCs favor a more active approach, they can attack, killing or driving away the villain. In either case, they acquire some new enemies but also gain some treasure, enhance their reputation as heroes, and maybe gain a valuable ally or henchman in the form of the grateful newcomer.