Plot device items


RPG Superstar™ 2011 General Discussion

RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32 aka Hydro

In the "Judges, Please Critique my Item" thread, one of the judges used "This item is a plot device" as a shorthand response to many items. Could someone elaborate on what this means? I'm not complaining or criticizing that judge (if I were reviewing a thousand-ish items I'd drop a lot of canned responses too), but I'm sure a lot of submitters were confused by it, because it reads kind of like a compliment.

Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut

It's not a compliment. I'll elaborate further when I've got more time. I'm babysitting three small children at the moment. I'll jump back into the forums a little later tonight.

Star Voter Season 8

A plot device item is one that would require a story line to see in use. Unlike a magic item that you could see on "any hero" or "any hero of this type" a plot device item makes you ask, "Who specifically would use this?"

It almost requires a character to be built towards the item in question. One easy example of this actually still made it into the superstars: Ampoule of False Blood requires a specific class to be useful and even then it doesn't "give" you anything -- it changes what you are. There are few characters that would want or need that sort of change and in such cases it's the want for the change is probably as much who they are as anything else -- granting such a change would probably change the character's personality and indicate a shift in plot for that character.

Hence a "plot device" -- it moves the plot and becomes the story instead of the characters doing so.

Sczarni RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 , Champion Voter Season 6, Champion Voter Season 7, Champion Voter Season 8, Champion Voter Season 9

Plot device items are usually just for advancing the plot of a story. Or tied into a certain location creature, or event. Not much use besides one or two situations. A chime that summons only one named demon. A portal that leads to a certain pocket dimension. A drum that calls back the Deku Nut tribe from their conquest against the elves. Etc...

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

Plot Devices were part of Sean's Autoreject Advice #4 post:

Sean K Reynolds wrote:
Every year we get a lot of submissions that are basically plot devices—things that you'd use to assassinate the king and conceal the assassin, and so on. Your wondrous item should not be a plot device. If you can only see one specific use for the item, and especially if you can't see PCs (whether evil or good) having a use for this item, and if the item is more a story element than an item, try a different idea.

Contributor, RPG Superstar 2009, RPG Superstar Judgernaut

Alright, my wife has the kids occupied for a few minutes. So, here we go:

A Plot Device Item:

Spoiler:

Really, when we cite an item for being a plot device, it's because it comes across more as an item you'd see in play once...maybe twice...usually to help move along a campaign or a single adventure...and that's about it. There's a specific kind of story in which that item would see use or make an appearance. And, outside of the box, it really doesn't have much else going for it.

An earlier poster made reference to the ampoule of false blood, which lets you adopt a different sorcerer bloodline, either temporarily (as it attunes to you), or permanently (if you drink it). Is this a plot device item? Not entirely, no. If it were just an item that let you permanently change your bloodline, then...yes, maybe so. There'd be a situation where that would come up. You'd drink it. Change your bloodline. And you're done. Mostly a plot device. It serves a story purpose, either for an NPC or some stage of a PC's adventuring career. But that's not all the ampoule does. You can also wear it and temporarily adopt a certain bloodline, either to gain access to a bloodline power your sorcerer (or adventuring buddies) need...or to blend in with other sorcerers of that bloodline...or to make yourself more appealing to creatures who share that bloodline...and so on. As written, that item goes further than a mere plot device. Hence, in some ways, it uses auto-reject advice #27 and managed to find a way around a potential pitfall.

The best way to avoid making the mistake of a plot device item is to assess all the ways it would see use in a game. If they all pretty much lead back or to the same storyline everytime, you're bordering on plot device. And you should change it up. The ampoule is a good example for how you can do that. Ultimately, you need to widen it out so the item can see play in more situations and by more characters (both NPCs and PCs).

Hope that helps,
--Neil

Star Voter Season 8

Just a note -- I'm not knocking the Ampoule -- I like it, and believe (like Neil said) that it moves beyond simply being a plot device -- but it did get really close to the guidelines. Besides the guidelines are just that -- if it's awesome enough it can blow them out of the water and move on (like the eye did -- a classic spell in a can, but one that was built better than the others).

RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32 aka Hydro

So, what is being said isn't just that it's a plot device, but that it fails to have utility beyond being a plot device?

If so then thanks (as always!) for clarifying.

Contributor

Nicolas Quimby wrote:

So, what is being said isn't just that it's a plot device, but that it fails to have utility beyond being a plot device?

If so then thanks (as always!) for clarifying.

Yes, that's a good way of looking at it.

Marcellus' suitcase from Pulp Fiction is a plot device. It doesn't DO anything, but the plot revolves around it.

Iron Man's "suitcase armor" is actually a functional device in addition to being part of a plot element. If Marcellus' suitcase from Pulp Fiction also turned into a suit of armor that one of the characters wore in a battle, then it would no longer be just a plot device--it has a function other than "this moves the plot along."


Sean K Reynolds wrote:
Nicolas Quimby wrote:

So, what is being said isn't just that it's a plot device, but that it fails to have utility beyond being a plot device?

If so then thanks (as always!) for clarifying.

Yes, that's a good way of looking at it.

Marcellus' suitcase from Pulp Fiction is a plot device. It doesn't DO anything, but the plot revolves around it.

Iron Man's "suitcase armor" is actually a functional device in addition to being part of a plot element. If Marcellus' suitcase from Pulp Fiction also turned into a suit of armor that one of the characters wore in a battle, then it would no longer be just a plot device--it has a function other than "this moves the plot along."

Very well.

Liberty's Edge Dedicated Voter Season 6

I think it also good to note, that many items were labeled plot device items, even though they did allow the character to “power up” so to speak. But that the “power up” only happened once, ever and significantly changed the character and might only ever be available or said affect might only ever matter in a specific adventure or campaign.

I’d agree that this is also a plot device item, or at the very least a home campaign item.

Silver Crusade

Sean K Reynolds wrote:
Marcellus' suitcase from Pulp Fiction is a plot device. It doesn't DO anything, but the plot revolves around it.

It's also a McGuffin.

I fell foul of this one (along with other issues that I entirely agree with). Was there an auto reject thread on this and if not should there be?

RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32 aka Hydro

I think Sean's illustration is very helpful and insightful, but I also think the difference between 'tool' and 'McGuffin' varies considerably from one game to another.

In every game, you have some parts which are considered challenges or encounters (where the PCs decisions and abilities help them succeed or fail), and some parts that might be dismissed as 'plot' or backdrop (where stuff happens to bring them from one challenge to the next). Where the difference is can vary a lot. For instance, in a fairly straightforward campaign the Assassin's Rose is a "plot item", which will come up once to resolve something (or someone) and never be used again. In a more scheming and sandbox-ey game, however, it could be a legitimate tool which the PCs could use again and again, in a variety of situations depending on what challenges they're facing.

Contributor

True, which is why there's Auto-Reject #27. :)

In most campaigns, the Death Star is a plot device. In a very small number of campaigns, it may be a tool rather than a plot device....

Dark Archive Contributor , Marathon Voter Season 6, Marathon Voter Season 7, Dedicated Voter Season 8, Star Voter Season 9 aka Boxhead

Sean K Reynolds wrote:

True, which is why there's Auto-Reject #27. :)

In most campaigns, the Death Star is a plot device. In a very small number of campaigns, it may be a tool rather than a plot device....

Oh man, that just made my day...

Paizo Employee Chief Technical Officer

FallofCamelot wrote:
Was there an auto reject thread on this and if not should there be?

It was a subset of Autoreject Advice #4.

RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32 aka Hydro

Eric Hindley wrote:
Sean K Reynolds wrote:

True, which is why there's Auto-Reject #27. :)

In most campaigns, the Death Star is a plot device. In a very small number of campaigns, it may be a tool rather than a plot device....

Oh man, that just made my day...

Yea, sign me up for that game. :)

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