October 5, 2024: Put A Pin In It

Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest ones. I tend to run fairly complicated RPGs, so occassionally I have a hard time making sure the players and I are all on the same page as far as what they know, what's important, etc. I just had an idea I want to try for my next sprawling complex tendrilled mystery: a corkboard.

Basically, as important (or possibly important) elements are discovered, I can put them on the corkboard . . . or perhaps hand the element to the players to put on the corkboard themselves. There's something very tactile to putting a pushpin into cork, and I suspect it'll be fairly satisfying to the players.

With a long or multifaceted story, the pieces will literally be in front of them to make connections, remind themselves, etc. (I can even use my papercraft skills to ensure the individual elements they're putting on the board look cool.) Having a spot on the board means the element is likely to be important. Conversely, if the quirky hotdog vendor the heroes interrogated for 20 minutes doesn't have a handout for the corkboard, they're not vital to the story. Probably.

If anyone tries this idea before I do (or has already done so!), feel free to share your experiences on the forums.

-- Steven Marsh