I have been a forever DM for years and want to get into an ongoing or episodic story as a player, but I've struggled to find a game that gets out of the low-level slog. I've decided to start a game with my spouse as a player and want to find a way to run the game, but also have some surprises and RP hooks to really get a story going.
The way I see it, I can either (A) homebrew a campaign with lots of random tables ("Choose-Your-Own-Adventure" style), (B) use a pre-written module, but never read ahead, or (C) basically run a one-on-one game that a prepare like a normal game I'd run and just try not to meta game at all (leaving all the decisions up to the PC.)
Does anyone have any experience with this kind of game? Any advice or tips would be a huge help.
If I understand your question, you want to run a game for your spouse, but you as the DM also want to be surprised as things happen?
There are a couple of boxed sets (I think there is a Tomb of Annihilation one) where you basically form the maps as you go and you don't really need a full DM.
Maybe something like that would be an option.
Another tack would be as a DM just prep a bit of an area and a concept (ie there is a small town with a creepy graveyard). Then as your player (spouse) interacts with the area you just make things up, based on how they interact and the questions they ask.
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"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
I would do some searching online for D&D duets. There's actually a lot of material about 1-DM/1-Player games - including how to use "sidekicks" effectively.
In a lot of cases, they don't use a DMPC. Sidekicks are NPCs who are weaker and with less volition than the PC, who is actually in charge. Sidekicks are usually a 1-function utility aid / comic relief.
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I've definitely had negative experiences using DMPCs, but I think what we're searching for is something on a line between tabletop board game and TTRPG, where we are both playing characters. That said I really like the sound of the Sidekicks approach for other situations!
That second option is probably the best and easiest for me. I might have a handful of hooks/leads to guide the story one way or another. Improvisation is also the most organic way to get the narrative going and still make it feel surprising to both of us as players.
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I have been a forever DM for years and want to get into an ongoing or episodic story as a player, but I've struggled to find a game that gets out of the low-level slog. I've decided to start a game with my spouse as a player and want to find a way to run the game, but also have some surprises and RP hooks to really get a story going.
The way I see it, I can either (A) homebrew a campaign with lots of random tables ("Choose-Your-Own-Adventure" style), (B) use a pre-written module, but never read ahead, or (C) basically run a one-on-one game that a prepare like a normal game I'd run and just try not to meta game at all (leaving all the decisions up to the PC.)
Does anyone have any experience with this kind of game? Any advice or tips would be a huge help.
Hey there and welcome!
If I understand your question, you want to run a game for your spouse, but you as the DM also want to be surprised as things happen?
There are a couple of boxed sets (I think there is a Tomb of Annihilation one) where you basically form the maps as you go and you don't really need a full DM.
Maybe something like that would be an option.
Another tack would be as a DM just prep a bit of an area and a concept (ie there is a small town with a creepy graveyard). Then as your player (spouse) interacts with the area you just make things up, based on how they interact and the questions they ask.
"An' things ha' come to a pretty pass, ye ken, if people are going to leave stuff like that aroound where innocent people could accidentally smash the door doon and lever the bars aside and take the big chain off'f the cupboard and pick the lock and drink it!"
I would do some searching online for D&D duets. There's actually a lot of material about 1-DM/1-Player games - including how to use "sidekicks" effectively.
In a lot of cases, they don't use a DMPC. Sidekicks are NPCs who are weaker and with less volition than the PC, who is actually in charge. Sidekicks are usually a 1-function utility aid / comic relief.
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
I've definitely had negative experiences using DMPCs, but I think what we're searching for is something on a line between tabletop board game and TTRPG, where we are both playing characters. That said I really like the sound of the Sidekicks approach for other situations!
That second option is probably the best and easiest for me. I might have a handful of hooks/leads to guide the story one way or another. Improvisation is also the most organic way to get the narrative going and still make it feel surprising to both of us as players.