Adapting Linear Stories
Adapting Linear Stories
What would it mean to take a traditional, linear story and adapt it to your gaming table?
I would recommend the podcast Film Reroll to anyone who wants to see this in action. They start from the point of the movie, then let dice rolls and in-character improv decisions reshape the story. That's how Jafar fell in love with Aladdin, Dorothy rained dragon fire upon the armies of Oz and James Bond died.
Sounds fucking awesome and so much like dnd.
They use GURPS! Interesting.
Easy. Its not possible. Because there would be only 2 ways to keep a full storyline intact from start to finish, like if you wanted to redo lotr. Either your players pick exactly the right thing to go to the right next place, or you force them there.
Thats why I never plan more than 2 or 3 sessions in advance. The more I plan, the more I will either force upon my players or lose if they go batshit.
Even baldur's gate 3 with all of his possibilities and interactions can only go so far off the path. And its also why I prefer homebrew to campaigns, both as a player and a DM. I feel like modules are way closer to telltales games than a homebrew games with the choices available and their consequences.
And please dont say a dm can make a module be as opened as a homebrew. Because then the module becomes the starting point, but not the finish line as it will be the DM finishing the rails the players chose to ride to whatever destination they pick.
You didn't read the article, did you?
- It is possible, and he explained how in only 3 steps.
- He does not want the storyline intact. He recommends the opposite.
- He adapts to get a scenario, not a script. The finish line is the objective. The route doesn't matter.
- He referenced adapting Lord of the Rings in a previous article and linked to it, so you picked a bad example.
Everything else you said was just irrelevant.
Yup. Never noticed the article, only saw the single line he bothered to post on this website.
But please, if it's only 3 steps, tell me then. Should be easy. How do I take Lord of the rings and make a campaign out of it while following it to a certain extend ? Because I doubt it's possible without intense railroading OR insane luck.