Ripples in a Pond: Every adventure changes the world in some fashion, even if the only change is
a temporary reduction in the orc population. Sometimes, however, even a simple
adventure can have far-reaching effects. Chapter One explored this concept in some detail.
This method uses the consequences that arise logically from one adventure as a
springboard for further adventures. Often, the linked adventures occur in a
specified order, but it is possible to create a set of adventures that can be
played in any order. The latter task can be difficult, and it usually requires the
DM to make alterations in the plot to account for what the party already has
accomplished. The three adventures from the previous example might be linked in
the following ripple sequence:
· · The player characters discover a clue to the sword’s whereabouts. With help
from an NPC wizard, they enter the labyrinth and recover the sword.
· · As part of the price for his help, the PCs have agreed to allow the wizard a
chance to examine the blade. On the way to his home, however, they are ambushed
and nearly lose the weapon. When they arrive at the wizard’s home, they
discover it has been burglarized.
· · The burglars are a group of dopplegangers hired by the vampire whose downfall
the sword’s reappearance is supposed to herald. False clues implicate the
family opposing the vampire, and the PCs must determine the truth before the
villains can be defeated.
A more complex ripple sequence might begin with any of the three adventures.
For example, if the PCs recover the sword first, they draw quite a bit of
attention to themselves. The wizard approaches them and offers to pay handsomely for
a chance to examine the weapon.
Meanwhile, the two families are anxious to get their hands on the sword. One
family would like to buy it or to convince the PCs to attack their rival with
it. The other family wants to make sure the blade is not used against them under
any circumstances. They might try to buy it, steal it, or exile the PCs to a
distant world or another plane.
The wizard is impatient to examine the sword, but he waits until the party is
finished with their other business. Nevertheless, the vampire’s family is
anxious to learn all it can about the sword and helps arrange the burglary at the
wizard’s home. If the PCs visit the wizard first, both families harass the wizard
and the PCs while they try to unravel the mystery of the burglary.
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