Wednesday, February 20, 2019

Interludes for 5e Dungeons and Dragons

Art by Max Gibson

Interludes
It isn’t unusual for the characters in heroic fiction to engage in dialog or acts of storytelling that reveals something important about their pasts or gives the reader further access to their personalities. The system below gives a mechanical incentive for scenes of revelatory characterization:
  • During a period of natural downtime, a player may nominate themselves to roleplay an interlude scene.
  • That player must draw a single card from a standard deck. The value and suit of the card drawn determines the essential content of the interlude, as per the Interlude Table.
  • The player will then tell a story based on that theme in the voice of their character. The story should reveal something about the character’s backstory or give the other players a greater sense of who that character is, their motivations, their hopes and fears, etc.
  • After a player completes an interlude scene, their character immediately gains inspiration.
  • The next time an interlude scene is invoked, a different player must nominate themselves.

Interlude Table

Clubs
Diamonds
Hearts
Spades
Ace
Realization
First day on the job
Blossoming romance
New insight
Two
Cunning plan
Patience rewarded
Dangerous attraction
False impression
Three
Skilled leadership
Teamwork leading to success
Celebration
Failure to express an idea
Four
Goal achieved
Victim of greed
Solitude
Recovery from injury
Five
Competition
Victim of theft
Tragic loss
Hollow victory
Six
Glorious victory
Spending a vast sum
Childhood nostalgia
Long journey
Seven
Last-ditch defense
Changing your path
Treasured daydream
Practiced deceit
Eight
Short journey
The devil in the details
Leaving someone behind
Feeling trapped
Nine
Prolonged battle
Self-reliance
Sexual satisfaction
Guilty nightmare
Ten
Burden of duty
Inheritance
Familial happiness
Martyrdom
Jack
Quick temper
Hard work
Falling in love
Fiery rebellion
Queen
Utter chaos
Maternal instinct
Emotional dependence
Sharp intellect
King
Artistry
Rags to riches
Wise diplomacy
Self-reflection

***

NOTE: This system is an adaptation of the interludes from Savage Worlds Deluxe, but I have significantly expanded the table found in those rules.