Tuesday 13 December 2016

10 Rounds of Initiative: Side-Quests

Side Quests

It is well known that computer games were preceded by tabletop games and when you compare the two, the similarities are incredible. When playing tabletop RPGs the one thing that changes depending on who I am playing with is the use of side quests.
I started with the comparison of computer games and tabletop games because I grew up an avid gamer and a total sucker for a good RPG I could spend hours in front of. I would explore every avenue and delve into the lore and mechanics of the world I found myself in. I couldn't continue with the main storyline until every possible side quest was completed and I find myself doing the same thing today with games like The Witcher 3, Skyrim, Assassins Creed etc. These worlds are designed to give you the impression that they are endless visceral worlds and I believe it is the side-quests and the interaction with NPC's and backstory that make it so. 
In our tabletop worlds they end only when our imaginations falter, I love to include side-quests in my campaigns and I believe a cleverly constructed side quest doesn't have to detract from an overarching storyline; it can enrich and build upon character relationships and develop your heroes into the characters deserving of their epic tales. My question is this:

Do you use side quests?

How do you incorporate them into your game?

If not, why not?


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