Event: The player characters witness something noteworthy occurring. Anything that
happens more or less on its own, without direct involvement from the PCs or
obvious involvement from the adventure’s villain, can be considered an event:
storms, celebrations, vast natural disasters, brawls between minor NPCs, etc. The PCs
might be swept up in the event in spite of themselves, or they might be
observers who can choose to stand aloof; however, it is best to avoid events where
the player characters are forced to be passive observers.
Events are useful tools for advancing an adventure’s plot. The DM can use them
to provide clues and warnings to the PCs. For example, if the party has
stumbled into an area where magic no longer works properly, a simple event such as an
avalanche or blizzard might prompt them to employ a spell or magical item
which fails, which in turn gives them fair warning that they must depend on their
wits for the rest of the adventure.
Events are also useful for providing a little terror or excitement during an
otherwise dull stretch in an adventure. For example, a party of high-level
characters flying over a desert might believe they have an uneventful trip ahead of
them until a killer sandstorm forces them to take shelter.
A swift stream of events can disguise a single crucial incident or
interaction, leaving the PCs mired in a situation before they know it. For example, the
party is attending a fair when they witness a brawl. Cooler heads prevail and a
singing contest, with the PCs as contestants or judges, gets started. The music
prompts a few onlookers to begin dancing, and several comely locals offer to
shake a leg with the PCs. Afterward, one of the locals spins a tall tale. Some
time during the string of events, perhaps during the brawl or the dance, a
pickpocket steals a crucial item from the party. The search for the culprit is on
when the PCs finally notice the loss.
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