You Don’t Need Hooks, You Have Been Lied To
You Don’t Need Hooks, You Have Been Lied To
I’ve seen a lot of critics and readers talk about the strength, quality, quantity and absence of hooks in adventure modules - often held up as an
You're viewing a single thread.
This is a pretty hot take.
Why would I care about the Goblin attacking a remote village, or the kids vanishing from a summer camp ? I have a job to do, don't want to die. Why would I cooperate with person I didn't know a before the game start ? Sure, it's a game, and we all want to play, but when both the player and the GM have to make a lot of compromise to make the scenario playable, it just breaks immersion.
However, where OP is right, is that very often, the plot hook cannot be written by the scenario author, and when they do, it feels artificial (So you were arrested by the cops and are offered a deal to get out , or you dream about a mysterious jail which is now a mental hospital) a GM crafting plot hook based on the PC backstory and the discussion in session zero. Another big question to ask : Why do the PC want to work together ? There is tons of horror stories about our families have been hating each other for generations, I don't trust you which can make campaign complicated, hence things like Camarilla archonts in Vampire or Emerald magistrates in L5R, or even Delta green for call of Chtulhu it gives both plot hook (it's your job to investigate) and reason to cooperate it's your fucking job