I’ve long held the belief, here, that by analyzing a simple flowchart of an adventure in a roleplaying game one can quickly deduce the level of “railroading” and linear plot devices inherent to that adventure. With that in mind, I am very proud to show off a flowchart I created for the upcoming Fane of the Sith Lords Star Wars adventure.
This flowchart serves multiple purposes.
Firstly, it shows off the interesting, complicated web of potential actions and exploration that could, though doesn’t necessarily have to, occur within the advneture. All of these criss-crossing lines represent many meaningful choices that the players must make, each with their own major impact on how the adventrue unfolds.
Secondly, I am proud to show off the stunning, evocative place names within the adventure. My hope is to further whet the appetite of the Star Wars RPG for this coming adventure. Who wouldn’t want to delve into the mysteries locked away in the FORBIDDEN ARCHIVE? Or shake in terror when trapped in the PTERO-RANCOR’S CRUCIBLE?
Lastly, this flowchart serves a very practical function for the Galaxy Masters across the globe who will be running this massively detailed and intricate adventure. Knowing which spaces connect to other spaces and where those connections are one- or two-way, is vitally important. The flowchart is an invaluable aid to running a smooth, seamless adventure at the table, allowing Galaxy Masters to focus on their delivery and presentation by cutting down on confusion as much as possible.
C. Steven Ross
Iamfivebears
mdl780
Triumph & Despair 
December 10th, 2013 at 11:20 am
One of my greatest joys in playing an RPG is the sense of exploration.
Linearity kills that joy.
Would-be adventure and dungeon designers can learn a lot from this flowchart!
December 10th, 2013 at 1:39 pm
Absolutely love this, but it seems there are quite a few (6?) end results. Is that deliberate? Would love a bit more insight, as this is something I’ve tried in the past and have a lot of room to improve on.
December 10th, 2013 at 1:42 pm
There are only two end results: victory, or death.
There are, however, many different “dead-end” rooms that each provide a special benefit and/or progress the adventure as a whole or affect another room. The finale always happens in Room N: Inner Sanctum, if the crew survive, however to get there the crew must delve through many locations in the Fane.
December 10th, 2013 at 1:54 pm
Thanks for the clarification. Very much looking forward to the release. Also, those place names are very cool. :-)
December 12th, 2013 at 12:02 am
mmmmflow chart. I love spider webbing plot points/arcs/character interactions/etc. in this fashion. It very quickly gives you a broad idea of where things can go and can be easily used to make connections to other ideas.
Location names are also a pretty big deal, in my opinion. In a word or two you can set the tone for the area and put minds into overdrive. Why is it called the Forbidden Archive? What is it hiding or protecting? What consequences could arise by my entry into this location?