TV Storytelling Secrets Every GM Should Know

Unlock the secrets of television storytelling to elevate your D&D campaigns! In this video, we explore how GMs can use the tried-and-true techniques from TV writing to craft more engaging, dynamic adventures. Ready to take your game to the next level? Let’s dive in!
#DND #GameMasterTips #Storytelling #TTRPG #DungeonMaster
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Hi, we're Ryan and Dawn! Here on Roll 4 Initiative we discuss all things geeky: Tabletop RPGs, Board Games, Warhammer, Books, and Geek Lifestyle.
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[@MastertheGamerpg]

Great video!

[@andysimmons2648]

An excellent video. Years ago I read Syd Field’s book on scriptwriting and took elements from for my games. Nowadays, I stick to the idea of the 3 Act structure pretty much all the time. I try to keep the idea of a 3 Acts for each session, as well as each campaign so I generally have an idea of where my games are going. (Generally; but not always…) I like to end with a cliffhanger if possible, as long as it isn’t forced. One thing that I have done, as a sort of cliffhanger, is a ‘post credit scene’; after everyone has packed away I might ask someone to quickly roll a dice and (no matter the result) say that you think that you have spotted evidence of someone following the party or there is a knock at the door and it turns out to be a known NPC that needs to talk to them; of course they have to wait until the next session to find out what they want.

[@Roll4Initiative]

Oh, post-credit is a great concept and term for this idea!

[@roam_free]

This is great advice. Making sessions episodic has not just the benefit of solid story structure, it allows for easier narration if a player and their PC has to miss a session.

[@Roll4Initiative]

That's true as well! Also someone on FB commented mentioning stand-a-lone episodes and I think that's another great concept to steal. Not every session needs to advance the overall campaign plot and especially if you're missing players stand-a-lone sessions can be great mini breaks from the story

[@TheIncredibleHuls]

I am a firm believer in recycling or borrowing tropes and stories from shows and movies, much of my homebrew has been inspired by these elements. The same goes for other media as well, borrowing from videogames and movies works just as well!

[@Elven63]

Great video! I recently ran two games inspired by television. Once was a noir/detective game which was literally what if I ran the Rockford Files as a campaign and the other was a Flash Gordon inspired game borrowing the language from old movie serials. In both cases I did "research" watching episodes and trying to be aware of the pacing of the story and when to add the cliffhangers and looking at the structural. Both games were awesome and the players really enjoyed it. for the Sci-fi game I even wrote session recaps with a framing of a little girl listening to the campaign as a radio show. It was really fun and thinking of the game like a television series really helped me write and come up with scenarios.

[@koenigya]

Thank you for the tips and tricks! I really enjoy the videos you guys are creating. I use a lot of things I've seen done in TV writing and just series in generell but never thought about writing it in six acts, i usually just go with 3. I will try with more acts!

[@DoubleCritFail]

I'm unfamiliar with the six act structure, so I found this video super interesting. Thank you for sharing! (And sidenote: I love the shirt!)

[@sappho114]

I cannot recommend "zooming out" to end a session enough. I tend to use it fairly sparingly, usually to book-end an theme or a specific episode/chapter, maybe to hint at something important later, but whenever I do I can /see/ them lean forward and get invested because I usually keep everything so "in scene." Makes me feel like I opened a can of TTRPG gamer wet food.

[@saraphys5555]

So, two things... 1. I absolutely have stolen from TV...Nothing...*NOTHING*...beats stealing idea's or whole episodes from the original "Scooby-Doo"! That show is the penultimate in RPG storytelling for any genre! ...hell, the reveal can be that the monster, IS a monster! There's just so much too it! 2. So, alittle more personal... Have you guys run games since havin' the baby? Because for my partner and I, we initially kinda worked around the baby's sleeping...but as they got older, it became more-and-more difficult to plan game sessions. And now that there's two...and they're 3 & 4... Iv lost all control of planing *ANY* games... How've you guys been doing?

[@Roll4Initiative]

Neither of us have run any games since having the baby. Ryan played in a couple and I'm just wrapping up playing in another game (the person running it had to move for work stuff). Now that she's a toddler, it's definitionally harder to find time. Especially for us both to play. We're thinking about trying out a Duet game that we can do like once a week after bedtime. Other than that, I have a feeling it's going to be a while until we're both in the same game. But she's already shown some interest in minis, dice, and the books so here's hoping we can do a family game when she's old enough!

[@saraphys5555]

I was afraid of that response... My 4yo doesn't really have much interest in the minis and books and stuff that my Partner and I have; but our 3yo keeps talking about "Dwarf's" and "Daddy D&D" and the mini's up high on the shelves... I think she'll be into it, once she has a few years of school in her! ...But that's so far away!!! 😭

[@haojumonjumo1074]

messy n laborious explanation...