Story arcs are what connect the PC to the setting and hold the campaign together. A story arc is a cohesive narrative that connects various elements of the campaign together. The typical duet saga will have numerous story arcs in play at the same time. Sometimes they run concurrently while sometimes they overlap and interconnect. For example, consider the Lord of the Rings. There are numerous story arcs at play: destroying the One Ring, Aragorn reclaiming the throne of Gondor, the character growth of the hobbits, the conflict between Saruman and Rohan, the fading of the elves, and many others. Sometimes all of these story arcs all converge together but a lot of times one or two story arcs dominate at a point with the rest in the background. This is how it works with duet sagas. Think of it as juggling. Various story arcs have different narrative values; some might be multicolored balls, some swords, some flaming batons, and you can really only keep so many in the air at once or you might drop them all. So with story arcs, you’re going to have a few for your campaign but it’s best if you hone in your adventures on a few or even one at a time.

The Two Types of Story Arcs

We’ll break down story arcs into two types: PC-driven and NPC-driven. Most story arcs in most campaigns are the work of NPCs. These are often the evil plots common to roleplaying. The Black Baron plots to take over the kingdom and his nefarious machinations and the PC’s efforts to stop him form a complete story arc. In these situations the fate of the story arc is often closely tied to the NPC pulling the strings. Thus if the Black Baron is defeated and killed by the PC, then that might be the end of that story arc, sure another NPC might fill the gap, but in that case it is a new story arc as the new villainous NPC is different. Sometimes there might not be a single NPC but a group. Whether it’s an diabolical secret society, a tyrannical empire, or a greedy trade federation, it’s still NPCs pushing things forward.

The one reason some GMs can make their campaigns seem more fluid and organic than others is that they can separate the NPC from the story arc they control. You have an evil plot with the Black Baron trying to depose the King. It’s dramatic. It’s bold. The PC foils the plot quickly in the campaign. The typical GM keeps the plot alive while the good GM tries to figure out the Black Baron’s next move in being true to his character. So the PC defeats the assassin sent by the Black Baron and suspects the Baron of being connected to the plot. What happens next? Like I said the typical GM might have another assassin succeed in killing the king, but the good GM will stop and think. Maybe the Baron goes into hiding to figure things out, maybe he tries to kill off the PC, maybe he tries to buy off the PC, or maybe his failure pushes him over the edge and he goes loopy. There’s endless options but a fluid campaign is one in which the NPCs have to react legitimately to the PC’s actions.

This brings us to the other type of story arc, one driven by the PC. Here’s a secret: 90% of the time PCs are reactive, not proactive. This isn’t surprising as this is how most of us live our lives. Thus even a story arc driven by the PC might well involve the PC reacting to the actions of other PCs. So if the PC is trying to advance in ranks in a military unit that’s a story arc but NPCs are going to drive the course of that story arc. PC-driven story arcs can also include character growth, romance, family issues, and a rather broad range of ideas. The key though is that the focus of the story arc is on the PC, though this doesn’t mean NPCs bend their reactions and will to the PC. NPCs have to be true to their personalities but the GM also has to remember that she should also give the benefit of the doubt to the PC.

The Reasonable Rule

My general rule as a GM is that if a PC comes up with a reasonable plan or approach to a situation and executes it with some effort then you should give the PC the benefit of the doubt. For example, if the PC comes up with an ambush that seems like it would reasonably work then give the PC and his allies surprise attacks or bonuses depending on the system. What you want is the PC roleplaying and for that you need to get him thinking and planning. A lot of GMs stifle roleplaying by relying too much on mechanics and not enough on thinking. If your PC or PCs concoct a plan that should give them the jump on enemies then let them have the jump. If they develop a plan and then you require some sort of mechanical check to see if they did get surprise with their plan, then you’re encouraging them to not plan and instead just rely upon dice rolls. With duets the less you roll the dice the better and that means invoking the reasonable rule. That said if the PC comes up with a plan that isn’t reasonable then run it accordingly but if you’re not sure whether the PC has a reasonable plan, defer to the PC or add a minor complication to make them earn it.

Structure of a Story Arc

There are four phases to a story arc: 1) Introduction, 2) First Contact, 3) Development, 4) Conclusion. The Introduction is when the PC is given clues or information about the story arc. Thus when the PC first hears of the ambitious and ruthless Black Baron, he’s been introduced to the story arc though he may have no idea that the Baron actually plots to take over the kingdom. The Introduction phase can be lengthy. Imagine if you want to use a war as a story arc; well, the build up to the war and the beginning of the war might not involve the PC at all. These events happen off stage with the PC hearing about them; this is all part of the introduction phase. Eventually the PC will make contact with a story arc; for example, he becomes involved with the Black Baron’s plot to discredit a noble who serves the king. The PC is now in the story arc, though he might not know what’s exactly going on. The development phase can be lengthy as the PC delves into the story arc. All of these phases can be stop and go. So one adventure might involve the Black Baron’s plots but the next could be the PC’s courtship of Marquessa Moira. Anyway, at some point a story arc ends with a conclusion. This might be anticlimactic. That’s okay; players are often just as happy to resolve a story arc as get that dramatic fight scene. The structure of a story arc can last a campaign or a few adventures but it isn’t a story arc if it doesn’t stretch across multiple adventures.

Tips and Caveats

1) Story arcs are driven by NPCs so make those NPCs interesting. If a dragon is terrorizing the countryside and this is a story arc the PC has to deal with, then make sure this isn’t a run-of-the-mill dragon. Make the dragon quirky. Quirky can be personality, motivation, or maybe even just a physical characteristic. For example, I used in an adventure the Great White Worm of Arno’shae as a monster threatening a set of ruins in addition to its many other menaces. For several adventures the party sacked the ruins and encountered people talking about the monster. They heard “Great White Wyrm” and were convinced it was a white dragon. In reality it was a massive albino purple worm. Sure it was silly, but it was memorable. Quirky is key.

2) Make the story arc matter to the PC. Make connections between the story arc and the PC while giving the PC opportunities to make decisions related to the story arc. So there’s a war on the other side of the kingdom that the PC isn’t involved in but he is informed that his dominion has to send 10 soldiers to the war effort. Who of his men does he send? This is a decision that connects the PC to the conflict. Also sometimes give the PC a real campaign-changing choice from time to time. The Black Baron comes to the PC for help as he has real evidence the king is a changeling! This could turn a story arc and campaign on its head for multiple reasons. First, the PC may do the unexpected. Second, the PC may get a heads up on the truth of the story arc and better involve himself in it. Either way, it’s empowering to the PC, which is always the point.

3) You have plenty of good ideas. If a story arc falls flat, then drop it. Resolve what you have going on in some fashion and come up with a new one. You are a font of ideas and can always come up with something new. Don’t cling to an idea just because it’s the one you have, though I know this is hard if you’ve put a lot of effort in an idea. Often though work can be recycled and used differently. The Black Baron’s plot fails early on but all those minions and ideas you drew up might be used instead by the Cruel Countess in her evil doings.

4) Pacing is key. Don’t drag out a story arc that’s not worth it but don’t waste a brilliant story arc by rushing through it. This is really hard to gauge. I’m very hit and miss on this but think of it this way - if the PC is really engaged then take your time and enjoy the moment. The typical instinct is to take that enthusiasm and rush through it while it lasts but really enthusiasm is what you want all the time. So when you see it you need to cultivate it, collect the seeds, and keep it growing. Yes, a tortured analogy but it does sort of fit.

5) Connecting story arcs is very rewarding for PC and GM. Everyone loves it when things come together at the end of a book or movie. Sure some of us dislike when everything ties up at the end but it is cool to see things weave together. This is hard to do with roleplaying as it’s a far more fluid and dynamic narrative than with books and movies. However, with a little planning and little luck you might be able to connect the Black Baron’s plots with the Marquessa Moira and even foreshadow the Cruel Countess all in relation to that distant war. Players love this and it makes them feel more connected to the setting when they discover such connections. It’s important to note that NPCs are connected and it’s often a useful mind exercise to consider how the NPCs of your campaign relate. This is a nifty trick for all GMs. Often NPCs only relate to PCs and everything has a computer game feel where you have this sense that when the PCs leave the stage everything fades away. Imagine though if the innkeepers of two inns in separate towns that the PC frequents were once friends and business partners but are now estranged for some reason. It’s just little things like this that make settings, campaigns, and story arcs seem more solid. This also works with the NPCs in story arcs. What if the Cruel Countess and the Black Baron were once lovers but their mutual betrayal and loveless marriages have driven them to evil intrigues? Okay that’s a little melodramatic but I’ve found that going a little overboard is better than being bland.

Anyway that sums up story arcs for this installment and next time we move on to adventures, which may take a few articles to cover.