Hey there everyone. I'm a new-ish GM (I've run some games before, but a long time ago and never the whole way through). I love to GM, but at the same time, I struggle with understanding exactly how to create custom encounters and storyline branches for my players. I'm watching a lot of Critical Role, and I LOVE how Matt asks the players to leave while he and a single player has a customized encounter - even a dream sequence - tailored specifically for that character. My question is this: do I force that and write that for each character, or is it more common to work with said player to develop a branching storyline element for their character? Or is it up in the air and sort of both? I don't want to tell the stories of my players...I want them to do that. But at the same time, I also want them to know that I am 100% behind the idea of custom content for their characters. In the past, I basically asked my players at the beginning of a campaign what kind of magic items they'd be interested in finding or procuring along the way. I never promised anything, but I sort of looked at custom content in a very one-dimensional manner (e.g. only in terms of items they'd receive). I want my players to be invested, and customized loot is a way that can happen. But as I age and get more into storytelling, I like the idea of having "moments" with the players to help them feel as though parts of the world and story are only theirs. :) Any advice on that? I'm sure this is not a new question. I just want a general idea of how to approach this with my players. Thanks to all who offer constructive assistance.
I don't usually do too much single player, everyone else leave stuff, at least during the regularly scheduled session, as I find for me, its more fun if everyone can stick around. Unless something is supposed to be a surprise and something happened where it needs to dealt with right then. Usually I will do whatever short scenes need done in between games with the player.
That said, I usually use their backstory as hooks for adventures, aka "this person from your past finds your at your bar, and tells you a little of this thing you might have heard of." That way they do get to feel like something from their character impacts the world a little.
I definitely tailor loot towards what I think characters would be interested in and can use. You don't need to necessarily plan ahead though. Two examples:
One of my players is a Tabaxi Rogue, so of course she will steal anything shiny that isn't nailed down. In one scene, she stole this small ornamental butterfly that flaps is wings when you blow on it. I had not intended for it to be anything other than set dressing, but to reward her, I told her after she took it "You feel something magical about the butterfly. I will tell you what it does next week" and then over the week, took time to figure out what the hell it did. It became a Figurine of Wondrous Power: Brass Butterfly.
Another of my players is a jeweler, and they had defeated a nimblewright (low CR magical construct with spell resistance). He appraised its body and asked "Can we make anything out of it" so I told them, sure, you can salvage its weapons for a +1 Rapier and +1 Dagger, can gather enough materials to commission a set of +1 light or medium armor, and then with whats left, you can make some sort of ring or amulet that grants part of its spell resistance. And then we hashed out after game what that ring would do, and I gave him a choice or Ring or Amulet, with either 3 charges on 1, or 1 charge on 3 different ones. And so the party ended up with 3 Rings of Spell Protection
Hey there everyone. I'm a new-ish GM (I've run some games before, but a long time ago and never the whole way through). I love to GM, but at the same time, I struggle with understanding exactly how to create custom encounters and storyline branches for my players. I'm watching a lot of Critical Role, and I LOVE how Matt asks the players to leave while he and a single player has a customized encounter - even a dream sequence - tailored specifically for that character. My question is this: do I force that and write that for each character, or is it more common to work with said player to develop a branching storyline element for their character? Or is it up in the air and sort of both? I don't want to tell the stories of my players...I want them to do that. But at the same time, I also want them to know that I am 100% behind the idea of custom content for their characters. In the past, I basically asked my players at the beginning of a campaign what kind of magic items they'd be interested in finding or procuring along the way. I never promised anything, but I sort of looked at custom content in a very one-dimensional manner (e.g. only in terms of items they'd receive). I want my players to be invested, and customized loot is a way that can happen. But as I age and get more into storytelling, I like the idea of having "moments" with the players to help them feel as though parts of the world and story are only theirs. :) Any advice on that? I'm sure this is not a new question. I just want a general idea of how to approach this with my players. Thanks to all who offer constructive assistance.
I don't usually do too much single player, everyone else leave stuff, at least during the regularly scheduled session, as I find for me, its more fun if everyone can stick around. Unless something is supposed to be a surprise and something happened where it needs to dealt with right then. Usually I will do whatever short scenes need done in between games with the player.
That said, I usually use their backstory as hooks for adventures, aka "this person from your past finds your at your bar, and tells you a little of this thing you might have heard of." That way they do get to feel like something from their character impacts the world a little.
I definitely tailor loot towards what I think characters would be interested in and can use. You don't need to necessarily plan ahead though. Two examples:
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