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\title{Thirty-Six Plots}
\author{\copyright1990 Loren J. Miller}
\date{millerl@wharton.upenn.edu}
\maketitle
\setcounter{page}{111}

{\it \noindent
{\Large T}o plot or not to plot. The controversy over the GM's
role in role-playing rages on. Loren reminds the astute reader of
thirty-six arguments in favor of the plotted campaign.\\}

{\noindent \Large S}ome folx have been complaining about plotted games,
and I have come to speak out in defense of plot, to show that plotted games
aren't that bad, and to share some nice tools to help you plot stories.

Assuming a RPG is like a story, what are the different structural parts
of the story and how do they work in the RPG?

\begin{itemize}
\item{Plot. basic form of the story, includes major incidents and
   encounters. decided by the GM. subplots can be partially or totally
   the work of players.}
\item{Theme and strategy. how do the PCs go about solving their problems?}
\item{Character. the GM provides lots of characterization, players still
   provide the bulk of all characterizations.}
\item{Dialogue. jointly the job of players and GM, though mostly the
   players' job.}
\item{Setting. the GM's job.}
\end{itemize}

Those who argue against storytelling within RPGs seem to say that the GM's
only jobs are setting and character (and maybe dialogue) and that plot isn't
important, much like slice of life writers argue with more traditional
writers over the proper structure of short stories.\\

I don't agree, though I can't give a short reason why. Instead, I'll
look at how to construct a plot for a story and how it would be done in
an RPG. First, the thirty-six dramatic plots as interpreted from Georges Polti's
work, \underline{The 36 Basic Plots}.\\

Each short plot description starts with the title of the plot pattern.
After a colon the main characters to be found in the plot are given,
separated by commas.\\

{\small
\begin{enumerate}
\item{Supplication: Persecutor, Suppliant, a Power in Authority}
\item{Deliverance: Unfortunates, Threatener, Rescuer}
\item{Revenge: Avenger, Criminal}
\item{Vengeance by Family upon Family: Avenging Kinsman, Guilty Kinsman, Relative}
\item{Pursuit: Fugitive from Punishment, Pursuer}
\item{Victim of Cruelty or Misfortune: Unfortunates, Master or Unlucky Person}
\item{Disaster: Vanquished Power, Victorious Power or Messenger}
\item{Revolt: Tyrant, Conspirator(s)}
\item{Daring Enterprise: Bold Leader, Goal, Adversary}
\item{Abduction: Abductor, Abducted, Guardian}
\item{Enigma : Interrogator, Seeker, Problem}
\item{Obtaining: Two or more Opposing Parties, Object, maybe an Arbitrator}
\item{Familial Hatred: Two Family Members who hate each other}
\item{Familial Rivalry: Preferred Kinsman, Rejected Kinsman, Object}
\item{Murderous Adultery: Two Adulterers, the Betrayed}
\item{Madness: Madman, Victim}
\item{Fatal Imprudence: Imprudent person, Victim or lost object}
\item{Involuntary Crimes of Love: Lover, Beloved, Revealer}
\item{Kinsman Kills Unrecognized Kinsman: Killer, Unrecognized Victim, Revealer}
\item{Self Sacrifice for an Ideal: Hero, Ideal, Person or Thing Sacrificed}
\item{Self Sacrifice for Kindred: Hero, Kinsman, Person or Thing Sacrificed}
\item{All Sacrificed for Passion: Lover, Object of Passion, Person or Thing
    Sacrificed}
\item{Sacrifice of Loved Ones: Hero, Beloved Victim, Need for Sacrifice}
\item{Rivalry Between Superior and Inferior: Superior, Inferior, Object}
\item{Adultery: Deceived Spouse, Two Adulterers}
\item{Crimes of Love: Lover, Beloved, theme of Dissolution}
\item{Discovery of Dishonor of a Loved One: Discoverer, Guilty One}
\item{Obstacles to Love: Two Lovers, Obstacle}
\item{An Enemy Loved: Beloved Enemy, Lover, Hater}
\item{Ambition: An Ambitious Person, Coveted Thing, Adversary}
\item{Conflict with a God: Mortal, Immortal}
\item{Mistaken Jealousy: Jealous One, Object of Jealousy, Supposed Accomplice,
    Author of Mistake}
\item{Faulty Judgement: Mistaken One, Victim of Mistake, Author of Mistake, Guilty
    Person}
\item{Remorse: Culprit, Victim, Interrogator}
\item{Recovery of a Lost One: Seeker, One Found}
\item{Loss of Loved Ones: Kinsman Slain, Kinsman Witness, Executioner}
\end{enumerate}}

RPG scenarios too often tend to be Daring Enterprises: The PCs
bravely go on a quest to bring back some priceless relic and enough gold
to give a hundred horses hernias. I like to use other plots though, they
make me think up better, more original, gaming scenarios.

To use these things, sometime in your planning, pick one of the 36 plots
to use for your adventure. Then choose the main characters who are
necessary for that plot. Say you choose Ambition as the basic plot (how
Shakespearean) and decide that the players are going to be the
ambitious person(s) (not a far stretch for most PCs). The Adversary is
to be the main opposition to the PCs, so make it a wealthy, traveled
businessman with his own bodyguards and quite a bit of fighting skill
himself, so the PCs won't kill him out of hand to solve their problem.
Also give him good features, something that will make the players
sympathize with him. Maybe he's the father of a boy or girl who is in
love with one of the PCs. The coveted thing is pretty easy to figure,
find something that one of the PCs wants enough to start laying plans to
gain it. Also give the ambitious PC a friend who supports her ambition
and keeps tempting her further into the messy situation.

\begin{description}
\item[Example:] Most campaigns have a player who loves to play politics,
involve her in this. Assume for the sake of argument that the goal is
the office of district attorney. Enigma has ambitions to be the DA, the
chief force for justice in Gotham. He is opposed by Buck Stevens, son of
the founder of Stevens Brick Co., which is the second largest employer
in Gotham. Darla Stevens is in love with the Enigma's alter ego, Bing
Strawberry, and keeps telling him he ought to get in politics and make
sure her slimy brother doesn't achieve political office \ldots etc etc etc \ldots
you get the idea.
\end{description}

That's a skeletal plot, right there, but it's enough to guide the rest
of the adventure. The acts in the plot almost write themselves:

\begin{itemize}
\item{The Enigma discovers that candidates must turn in petitions with 1000 names
in order to register for the election, and he blew it off so long that
he needs to get them all {\em tonight} (where do you get 1000 valid signatures
at this time of the night?) to be turned in at 8am tomorrow morning.}
\item{The primaries, mostly complicated by tedium although this is
a good time for enemies to show up with embarrassing photos in hand.}
\item{Election season, complicated by reporters who circle, vulture-like, over
the troubled campaign HQ, and by a televised public debate between the
candidates.}
\item{The election and its aftermath --- did the PC win? what
will happen to the party now? what if the press finds out about the
vampires the party staked a few years ago in the abandoned buildings in
the ghetto? what about the crook who recognizes Enigma's voice and
threatens to publicize his secret identity?}
\end{itemize}

Complications can be created by the GM from various PCs' friends and
enemies, and several very interesting ethical dilemmas can be emphasized
in the game, making this type of scenario wonderful ground for
roleplaying, and a natural for fisticuffs and other conflict (though it
would cause big problems with the press and voters if the candidate hurt
or killed someone, or were even {\em suspected} of it).

\vspace{2in}
\begin{quote}
``If you choose not to decide, \\ you still have made a choice."

\ \ \ --- Rush
\end{quote}

\end{document}

