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* ArchEnemy: The villain is a recurring foil.
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* KnowWhenToFoldEm: The disaster at hand is too big to ''solve'', even [[TheMainCharactersDoEverything by the party]], so they are just asked to mitigate the consequences.
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* RealityEnsues: The disaster at hand is too big to ''solve'', even [[TheMainCharactersDoEverything by the party]], so they are just asked to mitigate the consequences.
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# '''Look, Don't Touch'''. TheStakeout or some other spying operation where the party isn't allowed to interfere. ''Twists'': Whoever they are spying on gets into trouble, forcing them to choose [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FriendOrIdolDecision between continuing the mission and saving them]].
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# '''Look, Don't Touch'''. TheStakeout or some other spying operation where the party isn't allowed to interfere. ''Twists'': Whoever they are spying on gets into trouble, forcing them to choose [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FriendOrIdolDecision [[FriendOrIdolDecision between continuing the mission and saving them]].
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# '''Look, Don't Touch'''. TheStakeout or some other spying operation where the party isn't allowed to interfere. ''Twists'': Whoever they are spying on gets into trouble, forcing them to choose [[MoralDilemma between continuing the mission and saving them]].
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# '''Look, Don't Touch'''. TheStakeout or some other spying operation where the party isn't allowed to interfere. ''Twists'': Whoever they are spying on gets into trouble, forcing them to choose [[MoralDilemma [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FriendOrIdolDecision between continuing the mission and saving them]].
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# '''Blackmail'''. A villain {{blackmail}}s the party into doing his dirty work for him. ''Twists'': His leverage was obtained by TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou. To thwart him, the party has to team up with other people he blackmails. Instead of the party, the villain [[IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure blackmails their friends]] or charges.
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# '''Blackmail'''. A villain {{blackmail}}s the party into doing his dirty work for him. ''Twists'': His The players [[NiceJobBreakingItHero unwittingly hand him the leverage was obtained over them]] by TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou.pursuing a fake adventure hook. To thwart him, the party has to team up with other people he blackmails. Instead of the party, the villain [[IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure blackmails their friends]] or charges.
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# '''Blackmail'''. A villain {{blackmail}}s the party into doing his dirty work for him. ''Twists'': His leverage was obtained by {{Playing the Player}}s. To thwart him, the party has to team up with other people he blackmails. Instead of the party, the villain [[IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure blackmails their friends]] or charges.
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# '''Blackmail'''. A villain {{blackmail}}s the party into doing his dirty work for him. ''Twists'': His leverage was obtained by {{Playing the Player}}s.TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou. To thwart him, the party has to team up with other people he blackmails. Instead of the party, the villain [[IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure blackmails their friends]] or charges.
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# '''Any Old Port in a Storm'''. The PlayerParty seeks shelter in a place that turns out to hide something dangerous, secret, or supernatural. ''Common twists'': The shelter contains the source of whatever they have been trying to avoid. It is the entrance to a '''Hidden Base''' (see below). They are {{Trapped With Monster|Plot}}. It is a HauntedCastle, a TownWithADarkSecret, etc. -- and [[UntrustingCommunity they are not welcome]].
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# '''Any Old Port in a Storm'''. The PlayerParty seeks shelter in a place that turns out to [[OutOfTheFryingPan hide something dangerous, secret, or supernatural.supernatural]]. ''Common twists'': The shelter contains the source of whatever they have been trying to avoid. It is the entrance to a '''Hidden Base''' (see below). They are {{Trapped With Monster|Plot}}. It is a HauntedCastle, a TownWithADarkSecret, etc. -- and [[UntrustingCommunity they are not welcome]].
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# '''Manhunt'''. The party must track down a missing person. ''Twists'': The person was taken hostage (to lure the party). They are dangerous and have EscapedFromTheLab. They are valuable and have escaped from a GildedCage. They are written specifically to invoke LimaSyndrome with the party. They have stumbled into another adventure (as protagonist or victim). An entire group has gone missing. They aren't really missing -- the party has been hired to [[UnwittingPawn track them down on false pretenses]].
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# '''Manhunt'''. The party must track down a missing person. ''Twists'': The person was taken hostage (to (possibly to lure the party).party into a trap). They are dangerous and have EscapedFromTheLab. They are valuable and have escaped from a GildedCage. They are written specifically to invoke LimaSyndrome with the party. They have stumbled into another adventure (as protagonist or victim). An entire group has gone missing. They aren't really missing -- the party has been hired to [[UnwittingPawn track them down on false pretenses]].
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# '''Good Housekeeping'''. YouAreInCommandNow of some large organization and must keep it running smoothly. ''Twists'': Old management knew something bad is about to happen and wants the party to take the fall. The party's new underlings resent them because they liked the old boss.
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# '''Good Housekeeping'''. YouAreInCommandNow of some large organization and must keep it running smoothly. ''Twists'': Old management knew something bad is about to happen and [[TheElitesJumpShip wants the party to take the fall.fall]]. The party's new underlings resent them because they liked the old boss.
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# '''Score One for the Home Team'''. The party must win a BigGame, a {{Tournament|Arc}}, etc. ''Twists'': Other contestants [[NotCheatingUnlessYouGetCaught cheat to win]]. The party's true goal is not victory, but something else pertaining to the contestants or to the arena. They only have to prevent the villain from winning. It is a SecretTest of aptitude. It devolves into a BloodSport.
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# '''Score One for the Home Team'''. The party must win a BigGame, a {{Tournament|Arc}}, etc. ''Twists'': [[OpposingSportsTeam Other contestants contestants]] [[NotCheatingUnlessYouGetCaught cheat to win]]. The party's true goal is not victory, but something else pertaining to the contestants or to the arena. They only have to prevent the villain from winning. It is a SecretTest of aptitude. It devolves into a BloodSport.
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# '''Any Old Port in a Storm'''. The PlayerParty seeks shelter in a place that turns out to hide something dangerous, secret, or supernatural. ''Common twists'': The shelter contains the source of whatever they have been trying to avoid. It is the entrance to a '''Hidden Base''' (see below). They are {{Trapped With Monster|Plot}}. It is a HauntedCastle, a TownWithADarkSecret, etc. -- and they are not welcome.
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# '''Any Old Port in a Storm'''. The PlayerParty seeks shelter in a place that turns out to hide something dangerous, secret, or supernatural. ''Common twists'': The shelter contains the source of whatever they have been trying to avoid. It is the entrance to a '''Hidden Base''' (see below). They are {{Trapped With Monster|Plot}}. It is a HauntedCastle, a TownWithADarkSecret, etc. -- and [[UntrustingCommunity they are not welcome.welcome]].
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# '''Blackmail'''. A villain {{blackmail}}s the party into doing his dirty work for him. ''Twists'': His leverage was obtained by {{Playing the Player}}s. To thwart him, the party has to team up with others he blackmails. Instead of the party, the villain [[IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure blackmails their friends]] or charges.
# '''Breaking and Entering'''. The party must [[TheCaper nab an object or person from a secure location]]. ''Twists'': Instead of stealing (or kidnapping), they just have to sabotage (or to assassinate). The "object" is information that [[InformationWantsToBeFree has to be broadcast]]. The heist has to be a [[StealthRun Ghost Run]]. They don't know that the location is secured. The object has to be ReplacedWithReplica.
# '''Breaking and Entering'''. The party must [[TheCaper nab an object or person from a secure location]]. ''Twists'': Instead of stealing (or kidnapping), they just have to sabotage (or to assassinate). The "object" is information that [[InformationWantsToBeFree has to be broadcast]]. The heist has to be a [[StealthRun Ghost Run]]. They don't know that the location is secured. The object has to be ReplacedWithReplica.
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# '''Blackmail'''. A villain {{blackmail}}s the party into doing his dirty work for him. ''Twists'': His leverage was obtained by {{Playing the Player}}s. To thwart him, the party has to team up with others other people he blackmails. Instead of the party, the villain [[IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure blackmails their friends]] or charges.
# '''Breaking and Entering'''. The party must [[TheCaper nab an object or a person from a secure location]]. ''Twists'': Instead of stealing (or kidnapping), they just have to sabotage (or to assassinate). The "object" is information that [[InformationWantsToBeFree has to be broadcast]]. The heist has to be a [[StealthRun Ghost Run]]. They don't know that the location is secured. The object has to be ReplacedWithReplica.
# '''Breaking and Entering'''. The party must [[TheCaper nab an object or a person from a secure location]]. ''Twists'': Instead of stealing (or kidnapping), they just have to sabotage (or to assassinate). The "object" is information that [[InformationWantsToBeFree has to be broadcast]]. The heist has to be a [[StealthRun Ghost Run]]. They don't know that the location is secured. The object has to be ReplacedWithReplica.
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# '''Manhunt'''. The party must track down a missing person. ''Twists'': The person was taken hostage (to lure the party). They are dangerous and EscapedFromTheLab. They are valuable and escaped from a GildedCage. They are written specifically to invoke LimaSyndrome with the party. They have stumbled into another adventure (as protagonist or victim). An entire group has gone missing. They aren't really missing -- the party has been hired to [[UnwittingPawn track them down on false pretenses]].
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# '''Manhunt'''. The party must track down a missing person. ''Twists'': The person was taken hostage (to lure the party). They are dangerous and have EscapedFromTheLab. They are valuable and have escaped from a GildedCage. They are written specifically to invoke LimaSyndrome with the party. They have stumbled into another adventure (as protagonist or victim). An entire group has gone missing. They aren't really missing -- the party has been hired to [[UnwittingPawn track them down on false pretenses]].
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* SadisticChoice: The party must decide which evil to thwart, letting other bad guys escape.
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* SadisticChoice: The party must decide which evil to thwart, letting other bad guys escape.get away.
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# '''Better Late Than Never'''. The party gives SternChase to bad guys who try to escape after doing something evil. ''Twists'': The party is more familiar with the bad guys' means of escape than themselves. The bad guys pull a TryAndFollow move. If they manage to cross a certain line, the party must give up the chase, e.g. due to JurisdictionFriction.
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# '''Better Late Than than Never'''. The party gives SternChase to bad guys who try to escape after doing something evil. ''Twists'': The party is more familiar with the bad guys' means of escape than themselves. The bad guys pull a TryAndFollow move. If they manage to cross a certain line, the party must give up the chase, e.g. due to JurisdictionFriction.
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# '''Clearing The Hex'''. The party must clear out a place where bad things live, such as [[MassMonsterSlaughterSidequest monsters]], {{rat|Stomp}}s, etc. ''Twists'': ViolenceIsNotAnOption. The party first has to learn more about them. A HauntedHouse. An alien infestation.
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# '''Clearing The the Hex'''. The party must clear out a place where bad things live, such as [[MassMonsterSlaughterSidequest monsters]], {{rat|Stomp}}s, etc. ''Twists'': ViolenceIsNotAnOption. The party first has to learn more about them. A HauntedHouse. An alien infestation.
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# '''Don't Eat The Purple Ones'''. A {{Robinsonade}} on a DesertedIsland. ''Twists'': The party only has to {{surviv|alSandbox}}e for a short time before they can be rescued. They have to discover some fact about the environment to complete TheGreatRepair.
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# '''Don't Eat The the Purple Ones'''. A {{Robinsonade}} on a DesertedIsland. ''Twists'': The party only has to {{surviv|alSandbox}}e for a short time before they can be rescued. They have to discover some fact about the environment to complete TheGreatRepair.
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# '''Help is on the Way'''. Someone is in danger and the party must {{rescue|Arc}} them. ''Twists'': It's a HostageSituation or TheSiege. Any potential rescuer risks [[BadassInDistress needing rescue themselves]]. The rescuees [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman aren't human]]. It's an UnwantedRescue. The danger isn't human, but a natural or man-made disaster, ThePlague, etc. The rescuees cannot leave because they are tending to something or someone immobile. The party starts off as rescuees themselves and have to BringHelpBack.
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# '''Help is Is on the Way'''. Someone is in danger and the party must {{rescue|Arc}} them. ''Twists'': It's a HostageSituation or TheSiege. Any potential rescuer risks [[BadassInDistress needing rescue themselves]]. The rescuees [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman aren't human]]. It's an UnwantedRescue. The danger isn't human, but a natural or man-made disaster, ThePlague, etc. The rescuees cannot leave because they are tending to something or someone immobile. The party starts off as rescuees themselves and have to BringHelpBack.
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# '''How Much For Just The Dingus?''' Multiple factions, including the party, are after a MacGuffin hidden in the area. ''Twists'': The natives require all sides to present their need for it before them. It was being shipped through the area when the transport went down or [[HastilyHiddenMacGuffin vanished]].
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# '''How Much For for Just The the Dingus?''' Multiple factions, including the party, are after a MacGuffin hidden in the area. ''Twists'': The natives require all sides to present their need for it before them. It was being shipped through the area when the transport went down or [[HastilyHiddenMacGuffin vanished]].
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# '''Long Or Short Fork When Dining On Elf?''' A party with NoSocialSkills must complete a diplomatic mission before PoorCommunicationKills. ''Twists'': Someone [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption set them up to fail]] on purpose, to sabotage the negotiations.
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# '''Long Or or Short Fork When Dining On on Elf?''' A party with NoSocialSkills must complete a diplomatic mission before PoorCommunicationKills. ''Twists'': Someone [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption set them up to fail]] on purpose, to sabotage the negotiations.
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# '''No One Has Soiled The Bridge'''. The party must HoldTheLine. ''Twists'': The party was given faulty intelligence. The enemy has a valid reason to want to destroy whatever the party is protecting.
# '''Not In Kansas'''. The party is NotInKansasAnymore and must [[TheHomewardJourney find a way back]]. ''Twists'': They were [[SummonEverymanHero brought there for a specific purpose]]. They were brought there by accident. Some of their enemies were transported along with them.
# '''Not In Kansas'''. The party is NotInKansasAnymore and must [[TheHomewardJourney find a way back]]. ''Twists'': They were [[SummonEverymanHero brought there for a specific purpose]]. They were brought there by accident. Some of their enemies were transported along with them.
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# '''No One Has Soiled The the Bridge'''. The party must HoldTheLine. ''Twists'': The party was given faulty intelligence. The enemy has a valid reason to want to destroy whatever the party is protecting.
# '''NotIn in Kansas'''. The party is NotInKansasAnymore and must [[TheHomewardJourney find a way back]]. ''Twists'': They were [[SummonEverymanHero brought there for a specific purpose]]. They were brought there by accident. Some of their enemies were transported along with them.
# '''Not
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# '''Quest For the Sparkly Hoozits'''. The party goes on TheQuest for a MacGuffin. ''Twists'': It is a DismantledMacGuffin, and the remaining parts still have to be found. Someone else has taken it (stole it, legitimately owns it). It is not a physical object, but information, an idea, a formula, etc. The party has to [[TheInfiltration go undercover]] to obtain the MacGuffin with guile and stealth.
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# '''Quest For for the Sparkly Hoozits'''. The party goes on TheQuest for a MacGuffin. ''Twists'': It is a DismantledMacGuffin, and the remaining parts still have to be found. Someone else has taken it (stole it, legitimately owns it). It is not a physical object, but information, an idea, a formula, etc. The party has to [[TheInfiltration go undercover]] to obtain the MacGuffin with guile and stealth.
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# '''Take Us To Memphis And Don't Slow Down'''. [[DieHardOnAnX "Die Hard" on a Vehicle]] with the party onboard. ''Twists'': The "hijackers" are [[GovernmentConspiracy actually government agents]] executing a caper. There is a secondary danger that the hijackers refuse to acknowledge. Other passengers are [[WeAREStrugglingTogether hostile to the party]].
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# '''Take Us To to Memphis And and Don't Slow Down'''. [[DieHardOnAnX "Die Hard" on a Vehicle]] with the party onboard. ''Twists'': The "hijackers" are [[GovernmentConspiracy actually government agents]] executing a caper. There is a secondary danger that the hijackers refuse to acknowledge. Other passengers are [[WeAREStrugglingTogether hostile to the party]].
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# '''We're On The Outside Looking In'''. Any of the plots above, but {{Inverted|Trope}} (e.g. [[TheHunterBecomesTheHunted instead of hunting]] a beast, they are [[HuntingTheMostDangerousGame themselves hunted]], etc.).
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# '''We're On The on the Outside Looking In'''. Any of the plots above, but {{Inverted|Trope}} (e.g. [[TheHunterBecomesTheHunted instead of hunting]] a beast, they are [[HuntingTheMostDangerousGame themselves hunted]], etc.).
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"The Big List of RPG Plots" was created by S. John Ross from examining hundreds of TabletopRPG adventure modules and originally published as a supplement to his game ''TabletopGame/{{Risus}}'' in 1999. In 2002, he has uploaded an updated version of it to [[https://web.archive.org/web/20110902100434/http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/blueroom/plots.htm his (now archived) website]], but it is also available as a free PDF on [[https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/202670/Big-List-of-RPG-Plots DriveThruRPG]]. Owing to the nature of the source medium, these "RPG plots" are not {{Plots}} in the classical sense of [[{{Railroading}} rigidly structured sequences of events]], but combinations of {{Inciting Incident}}s and {{Plot Twist}}s that have to be adapted to and brought to life by {{Player Character}}s. The list is intended as an aid for {{Game Master}}s who must come up with an entertaining adventures for their groups on short notice.
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"The Big List of RPG Plots" was created by S. John Ross from examining hundreds of TabletopRPG adventure modules and originally published as a supplement to his game ''TabletopGame/{{Risus}}'' in 1999. In 2002, he has uploaded an updated version of it to [[https://web.archive.org/web/20110902100434/http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/blueroom/plots.htm his (now archived) website]], but it is also available as a free PDF on [[https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/202670/Big-List-of-RPG-Plots DriveThruRPG]]. Owing to the nature of the source medium, these "RPG plots" are not {{Plots}} in the classical sense of [[{{Railroading}} rigidly structured sequences of events]], but combinations of {{Inciting Incident}}s and {{Plot Twist}}s that have to be adapted to and brought to life by {{Player Character}}s. The list is intended as an aid for {{Game Master}}s who must need to come up with an entertaining adventures for their groups on short notice.
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# '''Pandora's Box'''. A SealedEvilInACan was released must be stopped. ''Twists'': The released evil cannot just be beaten -- it has to be rounded up and re-sealed [[GottaCatchThemAll piecemeal]]. A PlotCoupon is required to plug the breach. MakeWrongWhatOnceWentRight is a related premise.
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# '''Pandora's Box'''. A SealedEvilInACan was released and must be stopped. ''Twists'': The released evil cannot just be beaten -- it has to be rounded up and re-sealed [[GottaCatchThemAll piecemeal]]. A PlotCoupon is required to plug the breach. MakeWrongWhatOnceWentRight is a related premise.
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Added DiffLines:
"The Big List of RPG Plots" was created by S. John Ross from examining hundreds of TabletopRPG adventure modules and originally published as a supplement to his game ''TabletopGame/{{Risus}}'' in 1999. In 2002, he has uploaded an updated version of it to [[https://web.archive.org/web/20110902100434/http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/blueroom/plots.htm his (now archived) website]], but it is also available as a free PDF on [[https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/202670/Big-List-of-RPG-Plots DriveThruRPG]]. Owing to the nature of the source medium, these "RPG plots" are not {{Plots}} in the classical sense of [[{{Railroading}} rigidly structured sequences of events]], but combinations of {{Inciting Incident}}s and {{Plot Twist}}s that have to be adapted to and brought to life by {{Player Character}}s. The list is intended as an aid for {{Game Master}}s who must come up with an entertaining adventures for their groups on short notice.
!!The Big List of RPG Plots
# '''Any Old Port in a Storm'''. The PlayerParty seeks shelter in a place that turns out to hide something dangerous, secret, or supernatural. ''Common twists'': The shelter contains the source of whatever they have been trying to avoid. It is the entrance to a '''Hidden Base''' (see below). They are {{Trapped With Monster|Plot}}. It is a HauntedCastle, a TownWithADarkSecret, etc. -- and they are not welcome.
# '''Better Late Than Never'''. The party gives SternChase to bad guys who try to escape after doing something evil. ''Twists'': The party is more familiar with the bad guys' means of escape than themselves. The bad guys pull a TryAndFollow move. If they manage to cross a certain line, the party must give up the chase, e.g. due to JurisdictionFriction.
# '''Blackmail'''. A villain {{blackmail}}s the party into doing his dirty work for him. ''Twists'': His leverage was obtained by {{Playing the Player}}s. To thwart him, the party has to team up with others he blackmails. Instead of the party, the villain [[IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure blackmails their friends]] or charges.
# '''Breaking and Entering'''. The party must [[TheCaper nab an object or person from a secure location]]. ''Twists'': Instead of stealing (or kidnapping), they just have to sabotage (or to assassinate). The "object" is information that [[InformationWantsToBeFree has to be broadcast]]. The heist has to be a [[StealthRun Ghost Run]]. They don't know that the location is secured. The object has to be ReplacedWithReplica.
# '''Capture the Flag'''. The party must StormTheCastle. ''Twists'': They first have to [[AvengersAssemble muster additional forces]]. They have to plan with flawed or incomplete intelligence. They have to coordinate with allies or {{rivals|TeamUp}}. There are {{Innocent Bystander}}s in the combat zone.
# '''Clearing The Hex'''. The party must clear out a place where bad things live, such as [[MassMonsterSlaughterSidequest monsters]], {{rat|Stomp}}s, etc. ''Twists'': ViolenceIsNotAnOption. The party first has to learn more about them. A HauntedHouse. An alien infestation.
# '''Delver's Delight'''. A classic DungeonCrawling adventure. ''Twists'': The treasure the party is after is {{Cursed|Item}} or otherwise dangerous. It isn't in the dungeon, but [[YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle somewhere else entirely]]. It already belongs to someone by law. It has a [[EmpathicWeapon will of its own]].
# '''Don't Eat The Purple Ones'''. A {{Robinsonade}} on a DesertedIsland. ''Twists'': The party only has to {{surviv|alSandbox}}e for a short time before they can be rescued. They have to discover some fact about the environment to complete TheGreatRepair.
# '''Elementary, My Dear Watson'''. A {{Whodunnit}} mystery. ''Twists'': The party or someone else is WrongfullyAccused. They have to work together with an InspectorJavert. They have to [[TurnInYourBadge Turn in Their Badges]] half-way through the investigation. The climax is a CourtroomEpisode.
# '''Escort Service'''. An EscortMission. ''Twists'': It's a LiveActionEscortMission or a MacGuffinEscortMission. The destination was destroyed or taken over by the enemy. It is a political defection. It has to be a StealthEscortMission.
# '''Good Housekeeping'''. YouAreInCommandNow of some large organization and must keep it running smoothly. ''Twists'': Old management knew something bad is about to happen and wants the party to take the fall. The party's new underlings resent them because they liked the old boss.
# '''Help is on the Way'''. Someone is in danger and the party must {{rescue|Arc}} them. ''Twists'': It's a HostageSituation or TheSiege. Any potential rescuer risks [[BadassInDistress needing rescue themselves]]. The rescuees [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman aren't human]]. It's an UnwantedRescue. The danger isn't human, but a natural or man-made disaster, ThePlague, etc. The rescuees cannot leave because they are tending to something or someone immobile. The party starts off as rescuees themselves and have to BringHelpBack.
# '''Hidden Base'''. The party discovers a SupervillainLair and must either BringNewsBack or sabotage it on their own. ''Twists'': The party has to figure out how to use local resources to defend themselves inside the den of evil.
# '''How Much For Just The Dingus?''' Multiple factions, including the party, are after a MacGuffin hidden in the area. ''Twists'': The natives require all sides to present their need for it before them. It was being shipped through the area when the transport went down or [[HastilyHiddenMacGuffin vanished]].
# '''I Beg Your Pardon?''' The party is [[ChandlersLaw attacked or threatened by an unknown party]]. ''Twists'': The attackers want something the party carries [[MacGuffinDeliveryService without realizing it]]. They are AvengingTheVillain from a previous adventure. They [[MurderByMistake mistook the party for someone else]].
# '''Long Or Short Fork When Dining On Elf?''' A party with NoSocialSkills must complete a diplomatic mission before PoorCommunicationKills. ''Twists'': Someone [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption set them up to fail]] on purpose, to sabotage the negotiations.
# '''Look, Don't Touch'''. TheStakeout or some other spying operation where the party isn't allowed to interfere. ''Twists'': Whoever they are spying on gets into trouble, forcing them to choose [[MoralDilemma between continuing the mission and saving them]].
# '''Manhunt'''. The party must track down a missing person. ''Twists'': The person was taken hostage (to lure the party). They are dangerous and EscapedFromTheLab. They are valuable and escaped from a GildedCage. They are written specifically to invoke LimaSyndrome with the party. They have stumbled into another adventure (as protagonist or victim). An entire group has gone missing. They aren't really missing -- the party has been hired to [[UnwittingPawn track them down on false pretenses]].
# '''Missing Memories'''. One or more party members are suddenly {{Amnesiac Hero}}es. ''Twists'': They were pulling off a MemoryGambit or have otherwise deliberately RepressedMemories.
# '''Most Peculiar, Momma'''. VaguenessIsComing and the party must stop it. ''Twists'': [[NiceJobBreakingItHero They are unwittingly responsible for it.]] The big problem is of an entirely different nature (technological, personal, biological, chemical, magical, political, etc.) than it first appears.
# '''No One Has Soiled The Bridge'''. The party must HoldTheLine. ''Twists'': The party was given faulty intelligence. The enemy has a valid reason to want to destroy whatever the party is protecting.
# '''Not In Kansas'''. The party is NotInKansasAnymore and must [[TheHomewardJourney find a way back]]. ''Twists'': They were [[SummonEverymanHero brought there for a specific purpose]]. They were brought there by accident. Some of their enemies were transported along with them.
# '''Ounces of Prevention'''. The party learns of an EvilPlan in motion and must thwart it. ''Twists'': The initial tip-off was a RedHerring to distract them from the real plan. There are actually ''two'' evil plans underway, with [[SadisticChoice no apparent way to thwart both]].
# '''Pandora's Box'''. A SealedEvilInACan was released must be stopped. ''Twists'': The released evil cannot just be beaten -- it has to be rounded up and re-sealed [[GottaCatchThemAll piecemeal]]. A PlotCoupon is required to plug the breach. MakeWrongWhatOnceWentRight is a related premise.
# '''Quest For the Sparkly Hoozits'''. The party goes on TheQuest for a MacGuffin. ''Twists'': It is a DismantledMacGuffin, and the remaining parts still have to be found. Someone else has taken it (stole it, legitimately owns it). It is not a physical object, but information, an idea, a formula, etc. The party has to [[TheInfiltration go undercover]] to obtain the MacGuffin with guile and stealth.
# '''Recent Ruins'''. The party must investigate an UnexpectedlyAbandoned place. ''Twists'': Whatever caused it to be abandoned remains a present danger. Its inhabitants destroyed themselves. It is a GhostShip (or spaceship). It is a GhostTown, but marked as a BoomTown on their maps.
# '''Running the Gauntlet'''. The party must run a DeathCourse. ''Twists'': There isn't any actual danger, just someone attempting to communicate with them.
# '''Safari'''. The party must [[BigTropeHunting hunt down]] a large, dangerous creature in the wild. ''Twists'': The creature is ImmuneToBullets and to everything else the party has. Another group [[AnimalWrongsGroup protects it]]. Its lair contains a hook to another adventure on this list.
# '''Score One for the Home Team'''. The party must win a BigGame, a {{Tournament|Arc}}, etc. ''Twists'': Other contestants [[NotCheatingUnlessYouGetCaught cheat to win]]. The party's true goal is not victory, but something else pertaining to the contestants or to the arena. They only have to prevent the villain from winning. It is a SecretTest of aptitude. It devolves into a BloodSport.
# '''Stalag 23'''. The party must execute a GreatEscape. ''Twists'': TheGuardsMustBeCrazy because something happened in the outside world. The party was hired by the prison to proof-test it from the inside. Other inmates [[TheInformant alert the guards]] out of spite or revenge. The party was undercover but got mistaken for actual inmates. They have to escape in time to take on another adventure outside.
# '''Take Us To Memphis And Don't Slow Down'''. [[DieHardOnAnX "Die Hard" on a Vehicle]] with the party onboard. ''Twists'': The "hijackers" are [[GovernmentConspiracy actually government agents]] executing a caper. There is a secondary danger that the hijackers refuse to acknowledge. Other passengers are [[WeAREStrugglingTogether hostile to the party]].
# '''Troublemakers'''. The bad guys are doing bad things, and the party must stop them. ''Twists'': The bad guys are [[BountyHunter wanted alive and unharmed]]. They have made preparations in case they got captured. The "bad guy" is a monster, a dangerous animal, or an intelligent creature everyone thinks is a monster. The bad guy has [[VillainWithGoodPublicity Good Publicity]]. The trouble is diplomatic or political, so the party has to [[ReconcileTheBitterFoes make peace, not war]].
# '''Uncharted Waters'''. The party are {{Bold Explorer}}s scoping out unknown territory. ''Twists'': The territory itself is [[NatureIsNotNice dangerous]]. It is wonderful and valuable -- and something doesn't want [[IdTellYouButThenIdHaveToKillYou the party telling anyone about it]]. The party is stranded, cuing into '''Don't Eat The Purple Ones'''.
# '''We're On The Outside Looking In'''. Any of the plots above, but {{Inverted|Trope}} (e.g. [[TheHunterBecomesTheHunted instead of hunting]] a beast, they are [[HuntingTheMostDangerousGame themselves hunted]], etc.).
!!The Little List of Nearly-Universal {{Plot Twist}}s That Work With Almost Any Plot Ever
* ChainOfDeals: The party finds others who'd help them, but only if they help ''them'' first.
* IAmWho: One party member is {{Really Royalty|Reveal}}, TheChosenOne, an AngelUnaware, etc., which is why they must get involved.
* TheInfiltration: The party must pretend to be someone else, to have switched allegiances, etc.
* InMediasRes: The party is thrown into action with little build-up or warning.
* InnocentBystander: The party must protect innocents who are caught up in the central conflict.
* ItsPersonal: The villain is someone a party member knows personally, respects, or even loves.
* TheNeedsOfTheMany: The party must make a personal sacrifice for the good of everyone else.
* NoGearLevel: The adventure has to be completed without using the party's usual weapons, gear, superpowers, etc.
* PrecursorHeroes: Another group has already attempted to complete the same task, with their remains guiding the party.
* RealityEnsues: The disaster at hand is too big to ''solve'', even [[TheMainCharactersDoEverything by the party]], so they are just asked to mitigate the consequences.
* TheRival: Another party, equal in strength, competes to complete the adventure first, albeit with a different motivation.
* SadisticChoice: The party must decide which evil to thwart, letting other bad guys escape.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: The party must work together with their {{rivals|TeamUp}}, [[EnemyMine enemies]], or some InsufferableGenius.
* ViolenceIsNotAnOption: The adventure has to be resolved without fighting.
* WoundedGazelleGambit: The "victims" are actually the villains, and ''vice versa''.
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!!The Big List of RPG Plots
# '''Any Old Port in a Storm'''. The PlayerParty seeks shelter in a place that turns out to hide something dangerous, secret, or supernatural. ''Common twists'': The shelter contains the source of whatever they have been trying to avoid. It is the entrance to a '''Hidden Base''' (see below). They are {{Trapped With Monster|Plot}}. It is a HauntedCastle, a TownWithADarkSecret, etc. -- and they are not welcome.
# '''Better Late Than Never'''. The party gives SternChase to bad guys who try to escape after doing something evil. ''Twists'': The party is more familiar with the bad guys' means of escape than themselves. The bad guys pull a TryAndFollow move. If they manage to cross a certain line, the party must give up the chase, e.g. due to JurisdictionFriction.
# '''Blackmail'''. A villain {{blackmail}}s the party into doing his dirty work for him. ''Twists'': His leverage was obtained by {{Playing the Player}}s. To thwart him, the party has to team up with others he blackmails. Instead of the party, the villain [[IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure blackmails their friends]] or charges.
# '''Breaking and Entering'''. The party must [[TheCaper nab an object or person from a secure location]]. ''Twists'': Instead of stealing (or kidnapping), they just have to sabotage (or to assassinate). The "object" is information that [[InformationWantsToBeFree has to be broadcast]]. The heist has to be a [[StealthRun Ghost Run]]. They don't know that the location is secured. The object has to be ReplacedWithReplica.
# '''Capture the Flag'''. The party must StormTheCastle. ''Twists'': They first have to [[AvengersAssemble muster additional forces]]. They have to plan with flawed or incomplete intelligence. They have to coordinate with allies or {{rivals|TeamUp}}. There are {{Innocent Bystander}}s in the combat zone.
# '''Clearing The Hex'''. The party must clear out a place where bad things live, such as [[MassMonsterSlaughterSidequest monsters]], {{rat|Stomp}}s, etc. ''Twists'': ViolenceIsNotAnOption. The party first has to learn more about them. A HauntedHouse. An alien infestation.
# '''Delver's Delight'''. A classic DungeonCrawling adventure. ''Twists'': The treasure the party is after is {{Cursed|Item}} or otherwise dangerous. It isn't in the dungeon, but [[YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle somewhere else entirely]]. It already belongs to someone by law. It has a [[EmpathicWeapon will of its own]].
# '''Don't Eat The Purple Ones'''. A {{Robinsonade}} on a DesertedIsland. ''Twists'': The party only has to {{surviv|alSandbox}}e for a short time before they can be rescued. They have to discover some fact about the environment to complete TheGreatRepair.
# '''Elementary, My Dear Watson'''. A {{Whodunnit}} mystery. ''Twists'': The party or someone else is WrongfullyAccused. They have to work together with an InspectorJavert. They have to [[TurnInYourBadge Turn in Their Badges]] half-way through the investigation. The climax is a CourtroomEpisode.
# '''Escort Service'''. An EscortMission. ''Twists'': It's a LiveActionEscortMission or a MacGuffinEscortMission. The destination was destroyed or taken over by the enemy. It is a political defection. It has to be a StealthEscortMission.
# '''Good Housekeeping'''. YouAreInCommandNow of some large organization and must keep it running smoothly. ''Twists'': Old management knew something bad is about to happen and wants the party to take the fall. The party's new underlings resent them because they liked the old boss.
# '''Help is on the Way'''. Someone is in danger and the party must {{rescue|Arc}} them. ''Twists'': It's a HostageSituation or TheSiege. Any potential rescuer risks [[BadassInDistress needing rescue themselves]]. The rescuees [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman aren't human]]. It's an UnwantedRescue. The danger isn't human, but a natural or man-made disaster, ThePlague, etc. The rescuees cannot leave because they are tending to something or someone immobile. The party starts off as rescuees themselves and have to BringHelpBack.
# '''Hidden Base'''. The party discovers a SupervillainLair and must either BringNewsBack or sabotage it on their own. ''Twists'': The party has to figure out how to use local resources to defend themselves inside the den of evil.
# '''How Much For Just The Dingus?''' Multiple factions, including the party, are after a MacGuffin hidden in the area. ''Twists'': The natives require all sides to present their need for it before them. It was being shipped through the area when the transport went down or [[HastilyHiddenMacGuffin vanished]].
# '''I Beg Your Pardon?''' The party is [[ChandlersLaw attacked or threatened by an unknown party]]. ''Twists'': The attackers want something the party carries [[MacGuffinDeliveryService without realizing it]]. They are AvengingTheVillain from a previous adventure. They [[MurderByMistake mistook the party for someone else]].
# '''Long Or Short Fork When Dining On Elf?''' A party with NoSocialSkills must complete a diplomatic mission before PoorCommunicationKills. ''Twists'': Someone [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption set them up to fail]] on purpose, to sabotage the negotiations.
# '''Look, Don't Touch'''. TheStakeout or some other spying operation where the party isn't allowed to interfere. ''Twists'': Whoever they are spying on gets into trouble, forcing them to choose [[MoralDilemma between continuing the mission and saving them]].
# '''Manhunt'''. The party must track down a missing person. ''Twists'': The person was taken hostage (to lure the party). They are dangerous and EscapedFromTheLab. They are valuable and escaped from a GildedCage. They are written specifically to invoke LimaSyndrome with the party. They have stumbled into another adventure (as protagonist or victim). An entire group has gone missing. They aren't really missing -- the party has been hired to [[UnwittingPawn track them down on false pretenses]].
# '''Missing Memories'''. One or more party members are suddenly {{Amnesiac Hero}}es. ''Twists'': They were pulling off a MemoryGambit or have otherwise deliberately RepressedMemories.
# '''Most Peculiar, Momma'''. VaguenessIsComing and the party must stop it. ''Twists'': [[NiceJobBreakingItHero They are unwittingly responsible for it.]] The big problem is of an entirely different nature (technological, personal, biological, chemical, magical, political, etc.) than it first appears.
# '''No One Has Soiled The Bridge'''. The party must HoldTheLine. ''Twists'': The party was given faulty intelligence. The enemy has a valid reason to want to destroy whatever the party is protecting.
# '''Not In Kansas'''. The party is NotInKansasAnymore and must [[TheHomewardJourney find a way back]]. ''Twists'': They were [[SummonEverymanHero brought there for a specific purpose]]. They were brought there by accident. Some of their enemies were transported along with them.
# '''Ounces of Prevention'''. The party learns of an EvilPlan in motion and must thwart it. ''Twists'': The initial tip-off was a RedHerring to distract them from the real plan. There are actually ''two'' evil plans underway, with [[SadisticChoice no apparent way to thwart both]].
# '''Pandora's Box'''. A SealedEvilInACan was released must be stopped. ''Twists'': The released evil cannot just be beaten -- it has to be rounded up and re-sealed [[GottaCatchThemAll piecemeal]]. A PlotCoupon is required to plug the breach. MakeWrongWhatOnceWentRight is a related premise.
# '''Quest For the Sparkly Hoozits'''. The party goes on TheQuest for a MacGuffin. ''Twists'': It is a DismantledMacGuffin, and the remaining parts still have to be found. Someone else has taken it (stole it, legitimately owns it). It is not a physical object, but information, an idea, a formula, etc. The party has to [[TheInfiltration go undercover]] to obtain the MacGuffin with guile and stealth.
# '''Recent Ruins'''. The party must investigate an UnexpectedlyAbandoned place. ''Twists'': Whatever caused it to be abandoned remains a present danger. Its inhabitants destroyed themselves. It is a GhostShip (or spaceship). It is a GhostTown, but marked as a BoomTown on their maps.
# '''Running the Gauntlet'''. The party must run a DeathCourse. ''Twists'': There isn't any actual danger, just someone attempting to communicate with them.
# '''Safari'''. The party must [[BigTropeHunting hunt down]] a large, dangerous creature in the wild. ''Twists'': The creature is ImmuneToBullets and to everything else the party has. Another group [[AnimalWrongsGroup protects it]]. Its lair contains a hook to another adventure on this list.
# '''Score One for the Home Team'''. The party must win a BigGame, a {{Tournament|Arc}}, etc. ''Twists'': Other contestants [[NotCheatingUnlessYouGetCaught cheat to win]]. The party's true goal is not victory, but something else pertaining to the contestants or to the arena. They only have to prevent the villain from winning. It is a SecretTest of aptitude. It devolves into a BloodSport.
# '''Stalag 23'''. The party must execute a GreatEscape. ''Twists'': TheGuardsMustBeCrazy because something happened in the outside world. The party was hired by the prison to proof-test it from the inside. Other inmates [[TheInformant alert the guards]] out of spite or revenge. The party was undercover but got mistaken for actual inmates. They have to escape in time to take on another adventure outside.
# '''Take Us To Memphis And Don't Slow Down'''. [[DieHardOnAnX "Die Hard" on a Vehicle]] with the party onboard. ''Twists'': The "hijackers" are [[GovernmentConspiracy actually government agents]] executing a caper. There is a secondary danger that the hijackers refuse to acknowledge. Other passengers are [[WeAREStrugglingTogether hostile to the party]].
# '''Troublemakers'''. The bad guys are doing bad things, and the party must stop them. ''Twists'': The bad guys are [[BountyHunter wanted alive and unharmed]]. They have made preparations in case they got captured. The "bad guy" is a monster, a dangerous animal, or an intelligent creature everyone thinks is a monster. The bad guy has [[VillainWithGoodPublicity Good Publicity]]. The trouble is diplomatic or political, so the party has to [[ReconcileTheBitterFoes make peace, not war]].
# '''Uncharted Waters'''. The party are {{Bold Explorer}}s scoping out unknown territory. ''Twists'': The territory itself is [[NatureIsNotNice dangerous]]. It is wonderful and valuable -- and something doesn't want [[IdTellYouButThenIdHaveToKillYou the party telling anyone about it]]. The party is stranded, cuing into '''Don't Eat The Purple Ones'''.
# '''We're On The Outside Looking In'''. Any of the plots above, but {{Inverted|Trope}} (e.g. [[TheHunterBecomesTheHunted instead of hunting]] a beast, they are [[HuntingTheMostDangerousGame themselves hunted]], etc.).
!!The Little List of Nearly-Universal {{Plot Twist}}s That Work With Almost Any Plot Ever
* ChainOfDeals: The party finds others who'd help them, but only if they help ''them'' first.
* IAmWho: One party member is {{Really Royalty|Reveal}}, TheChosenOne, an AngelUnaware, etc., which is why they must get involved.
* TheInfiltration: The party must pretend to be someone else, to have switched allegiances, etc.
* InMediasRes: The party is thrown into action with little build-up or warning.
* InnocentBystander: The party must protect innocents who are caught up in the central conflict.
* ItsPersonal: The villain is someone a party member knows personally, respects, or even loves.
* TheNeedsOfTheMany: The party must make a personal sacrifice for the good of everyone else.
* NoGearLevel: The adventure has to be completed without using the party's usual weapons, gear, superpowers, etc.
* PrecursorHeroes: Another group has already attempted to complete the same task, with their remains guiding the party.
* RealityEnsues: The disaster at hand is too big to ''solve'', even [[TheMainCharactersDoEverything by the party]], so they are just asked to mitigate the consequences.
* TheRival: Another party, equal in strength, competes to complete the adventure first, albeit with a different motivation.
* SadisticChoice: The party must decide which evil to thwart, letting other bad guys escape.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: The party must work together with their {{rivals|TeamUp}}, [[EnemyMine enemies]], or some InsufferableGenius.
* ViolenceIsNotAnOption: The adventure has to be resolved without fighting.
* WoundedGazelleGambit: The "victims" are actually the villains, and ''vice versa''.
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