I want _________________________________.You and your traveling companions have at least one goal in common. This is the major plot hook that keeps your party together. You can use that same storytelling lever to deepen and make more complex your existing relationships. This exercise will help you create character goals and enlist specific party members to aid you. Some of these activities will bring two characters closer together; others will drive them apart. Ask different party members to perform the exercise in order to create new connections.
This should be something small, perhaps frivolous. Some good examples are:
• An adjustment to my primary weapon
• To taste the meat of a beast I read about
• A song to win the heart of someone I admire
• A fine drink that I don’t have to pay for
I want _________________________________.
The person most suited to help me would be ______________________
because ___________________________________.
I might have to: (choose one)
Trick this person with cunning and guile
Offer him, her, or them a share of the treasure I expect to get
Apologize for an offense I caused
Teach the secret of my trade
This should be related to a personal goal your character consciously pursues. Something related to your backstory or main character arc is perfect for this. It should be narrow in scope, a goal that could realistically be accomplished in a few sessions. Some good examples are:
• To identify the mysterious jewel given to me by my mentor
• To find stories of the killer I plan to bring to justice
• To research a better component for a complicated spell
• To create a convincing forgery for a noble title
I need _________________________________.
The person most suited to help me would be ______________________
because ___________________________________.
I might have to: (choose one)
Convince him this is a righteous cause
Pay her with a favor in kind
Do something to earn their respect
Reveal a secret about myself to her
This should be a desire your character is not consciously aware of. It is a long-term character transformation that might play out over a significant period. It may be a goal that is completely unattainable but is interesting to chase after. Some good examples are:
• The parent I never had
• Peace with the person I used to be
• A person to share my life with
• A reason to keep fighting
I long for _________________________________.
The person most suited to help me would be ______________________
because ___________________________________.
I may have to: (choose one)
Expose that which I wish to conceal the most
Swear to this person an oath I would die to keep
Betray a part of my personal moral code
Steal something that can never be returned