The Enchantment Under the Sea dance in Back to the Future, for example, uses the dance floor, the punch bowl, the backstage area, and even the parking lot outside. On the other hand, it doesn’t hurt to incorporate a wholistic environment, either. For example, in a nightclub the dance floor, the bar, and the VIP area are probably all in view of each other, but they’re distinct areas that people can congregate in. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need lots and lots of different rooms. (That’s a different kind of event – a board meeting or a union rally or something of that ilk.) In order for that to work, there needs to be a lot of different areas that the group can move between. Similarly, as we’ll see, what makes this scenario structure tick is that the PCs are NOT simultaneously engaged with every single NPC at the event. The key to any good party is having multiple zones of activity, so that social groups can form and break apart freely. What you want to avoid, however, is making the location too small or too simple. I’ve run these types of events in everything from a simple ballroom to multiple flying ships ( with the event moving back and forth between the vessels). You’ve got a lot of flexibility with this. The structure can be broken down into four tools: The location, the guest list, the main event sequence, and the topics of conversation. Over the years, I’ve used the same scenario structure repeatedly in a wide variety of circumstances – political caucus, soiree on a flying ship, dinner in a mystic castle, journey on a long-haul space freighter – and it’s proven to be remarkably reliable in producing great gaming experiences featuring intensive roleplaying opportunities. The difficulty, of course, is getting them to work properly: They require the GM to juggle a lot of different characters and getting the players to actually form a meaningful relationship with the NPCs at the party can often feel like a crapshoot.įifteen years ago, however, largely through trial and error, I sort of “cracked the code” on how to prep and run these types of scenarios. When these events work, they’re exciting and engaging experiences, often providing a memorable epoch for the players and spinning out contacts and consequences that will drive the next phase of the campaign. And you’re going to discover that powerful and important people have become very interested in making your acquaintance. You rescued the mayor’s daughter from a dragon? Chances are you’re going to be the belle of the ball. I’ve also found them to be effective as a way of signaling when the PCs have changed their sphere of influence. If the PCs are trying to pull a heist, they delightfully complicate the proceedings. If there’s to be a murder, they provide a wealth of suspects. If violence needs to break out, the innocent bystanders raise the stakes. Big social events are a great set piece for an RPG campaign: They’re hotbeds of intrigue.
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