What actually constitutes a "plot hook" and when is it resolved? I mean consider the following boxed text I wrote for a 1st level adventure:
Heading east up the Valyg River the rutted mud lane continues on over a fieldstone foot bridge. You've found the Grynnynrun; following this southwest will take you into the darkened recesses of the Nettlewood. While the ever-present pine wood dominates the surroundings in the distance you note that the river and the road continue due east; some ways away south of the road you spy a hut ringed with stones just inside the trees; following the Grynnynrun's higher east bank is a narrow game trail but it quickly breaks with the stream.
At this point in the adventure the PCs have been sent to follow the Grynnynrun southeast to a ruin and clear it of evil. The extra trail is a red herring, the road east ends in a small village half a day's walk and the hut is that of a witch who can sell them consumables (more of a survival option than a plot device). Are any of these considered plot hooks? If so, how do I know when they're done? Please discuss.
So by that rationale, if the PCs head down the side path in the boxed text, have a random encounter and end up at an abandoned hunters blind that's a plot hook and it's been resolved? I always thought of a plot hook as something intended to actually drive the plot forward.
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Hook are part of adventures or campaigns, they are linked to it. What I mostly meant, your plot hook will only lead to where you want to.
A Plot hook can simple or complex, yet lead to one shot or an entire campaign. You find a red coin, this red coin could be just the property of the local gnome who needs help with something or said coin could be part of the hoard of Mammon and requires an epic quest to find your way through the nine hells and reach the coffers of Mammon.
All I'm saying, yes it does move the plot forward but how far , it is literally up to you.
Slightly confused. Do you mean as a general term; or one of the words used to set up for various game mechanics like in ultimate campaingn?
Yes, generally what's a plot hook?
So, I would say a plot hook hooks into a plot, not necessarily the plot (you can put in side plots). It's something to raise their curiosity and interest and get them to investigate, and it's resolved as soon as they've decided "go and look? yes or no". They depend heavily on your party and the circumstances.
So how urgently do they want to get to the ruins? Will they investigate the hut anyway? Do you want them to? You could add smoke rising from the chimney and the smell of bread baking, or stew. Or burning, or smoke billowing out of the window. Or pests of some sort raiding the herb garden, or whatever's likely to get them to look.
I suppose if it's to be a plot hook and not just 'notice this' there should be something to do. Is there an encounter here or will he/she ask them to do something or is this (just) a safe house and source of information? Similarly with the trail. Do you want them to investigate it? Put in as big a flag as you want in order to get their attention. (Out-of place footprints in the mud. Lots of out-of place footprints in the mud. Drops of blood. Drops of blood and an injured person. Or a dead person. Or a trail of bodies. Or...) Or just have the witch tell them what's there.
So whatever will get your party to look where you want them to and investigate what you want them to.
I generally count it as something that peeks the interest of one our more of the characters. A shortage of certain spell components interests casters, a blight Druids, etc. I once turned the party into truffle hunters to play out a masked ball. Yes, a scavengers hunt from heck.