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GameMastery Guide / Running a Game / How to Run a Game / The Art of GMing / Narrative Techniques

Cliffhangers

Source GameMastery Guide pg. 32
Leaving the outcome of any suspenseful moment in doubt is a time-honored technique from the early days of movies and literature, and the same trick works just as well for RPGs. When time’s running out, and the party is ready to wrap up for the week’s game, it’s always nice to leave them wanting more. The idea is to present just enough of a hint to make the party curious how events turn out, without requiring them to immediately roll initiative. Some ideas include:

An injured NPC claws his way out of a nearby passage
A messenger arrives with bad news just as the party thinks all is well
A monster bursts in on the party
The party is falsely accused
A villain arrives to gloat
A defeated foe shows up prepared to settle old scores

The point is that a new plot thread starts as soon as the old ones drop, and if you’re still in the middle of a story, freezing the frame on the cusp of a battle or huge revelation keeps player excitement high all the way until the next session.

Archives of Nethys

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Cliffhangers