Prepping Plots, Part Four: Stringing the Beads
So, you've finally gotten yourself a group of players and are preparing your first session. So, what kind of stuff should you be preparing? In this case, I'll be pulling from my home game, as shown below: A rough diagram for the first (planned) session of my game, diagrammed using the Anal Bead structure. It's probably gonna end up being two sessions. One of the key ways to promote player agency and expression is to construct the individual "beads" as mini-scenarios in the Justin Alexander sense . For instance, the Kobold "Ambush" is just a situation where the kobolds seek to ambush our heroes. There's plenty of guidance on building encounters and dungeons and social situations and so forth, so I'm going to put that to the side and instead focus on the string : how you connect each of your beads. The three keys to a good string is that you need to mind the G.A.P: Glaringly Obvious, Appropriately Paced, and Respectful of the Players Via the Pat...
