TTRPG Module Type Structures
Linear / Railroaded
Opening Hook: Inciting event that compels action.
The Opening Hook introduces players to the adventure’s central conflict in a linear module. It creates urgency, establishes tone, provides a personal reason for the characters to engage, and clearly signals the story’s genre and stakes. A well-crafted hook ensures that even within a guided narrative, players feel immersed, motivated, and invested from the very first scene.
1. **Summarize the Narrative Crisis and Character Entry Point:** Start with a disruptive event (inciting incident) that forces immediate attention. Then establish the characters’ emotional or situational connection to the event (point of engagement). These two elements work together to answer: Why should the players care—and why now?
2. **Define the Stakes and Next Steps:** Clarify what will happen if the players take no action (initial stakes) and provide a clear direction (call to action). These sharpen the urgency and guide players toward productive engagement with the plot.
3. **Introduce Foreshadowing:** Embed subtle cues about future developments (foreshadowing) to add thematic richness and make early decisions feel more meaningful in retrospect.
4. **Establish Tone and Genre:** Use setting, dialogue, NPC behavior, and initial conflict design to define the mood and type of story being told (tone and genre establishment). This aligns expectations for player behavior and narrative style.
5. **Prioritize Player Perspective and Pacing:** The opening should revolve around action, choice, or dilemma—not exposition. Keep it playable, character-focused, and built for momentum.
The session begins with a crashing explosion in a city square as masked figures flee into the crowd. A mortally wounded guard points to one of the PCs and gasps, “You did this…” (**inciting incident + point of engagement**). The players have five minutes to escape or prove their innocence before martial law locks down the area (stakes + call to action). The masked figures wear insignias the party won’t understand until much later (foreshadowing). The t**one is tense, political urban fantasy**, and this scene sets it instantly.
* A well-defined conflict with immediate consequences
* Personal or factional connections to the player characters
* A clear decision tree or scene path for Act I based on player choices
* Session zero or character tie-ins to establish emotional hooks
#### 1. **Inciting Incident**
* The specific event that disrupts the status quo and demands action.
* Should be dramatic and immediate.
* 📌 *Examples:* A murder in the village, a fortress under siege, a stolen relic.
The Inciting Incident is the spark that ignites the narrative. It introduces disruption—an unexpected event or revelation that demands response. In a TTRPG module, the inciting incident kickstarts the story by challenging the status quo, forcing characters into motion, and confronting them with a problem they cannot ignore. A strong inciting incident creates urgency, frames the adventure’s stakes, and anchors the players in the unfolding drama.
1. **Establish the Disruption Clearly and Immediately:** The incident should unfold within the first moments of play. Avoid exposition. Use action, consequence, or sudden revelation to create a narrative rupture. Begin with something that demands attention—emotionally, physically, or socially.
2. **Ensure It Requires a Response:** The incident should create a situation that cannot be ignored. Whether it’s a crisis, mystery, injustice, or threat, the players must feel compelled to do something—or else something worse will follow.
3. **Design It to Create Questions:** Let the incident raise immediate narrative questions that the players will want to answer: Who did this? Why now? What does it mean? What’s at risk?
4. **Let the Incident Reshape the World:** The world should feel different after the incident. An explosion, death, betrayal, or revelation should leave a scar—physical or emotional—that marks the beginning of the adventure.
5. **Avoid Vagueness—Use Specific, Sensory Details:** Describe what the players see, hear, and feel. Anchoring the moment in sensory detail pulls them into the fiction and raises immersion from the very first interaction.
As the party arrives in the farming village of Bristlehaven, the local harvest festival is in full swing. Children laugh, banners fly, and pies cool on windowsills. Then a scream cuts through the cheer—an old man stumbles from the crowd, stabbed, gasping, “The Queen is dead… and so is the sun.” He dies at the PCs’ feet. Behind him, the sky is already beginning to darken (inciting incident). The players must act—investigate, flee, or defend—as chaos begins to ripple through the crowd. The tone is **dark folklore with a surreal mystery twist**, and the incident triggers the collapse of normalcy in the world.
* A defined world state or equilibrium that can be broken
* A single event that feels both shocking and inevitable
* Some existing or implied connection between the incident and the player characters (social, geographic, moral, etc.)
* At least one obvious response pathway (investigate, intervene, escape, defend, etc.)
#### 2. **Point of Engagement**
* How the players are *personally* connected or drawn in.
* This answers: *Why should the players care?*
* 📌 *Examples:* The event threatens their home, involves a patron, or they’re wrongly accused.
The Point of Engagement is where the adventure becomes personal. It connects the players—through their characters—to the incident in a way that compels emotional or moral investment. It transforms the event from “a thing that happened” into “a thing that matters to us.” Without this step, players may observe rather than participate.
1. **Create an Emotional or Situational Anchor:** Tie the event to something meaningful—an NPC, faction, home, belief, or past event in the characters’ lives.
2. **Use Backstory, Role, or Setting:** If possible, draw on player backstories or pre-session character choices to provide a natural reason for involvement. Alternatively, use geography, culture, or profession.
3. **Avoid Forced Connections:** Players are more likely to engage when the connection is plausible, not arbitrary. Provide them with a reason to care, but don’t rob them of their agency.
4. **Let the Players Shape Their Buy-In:** Invite players to define their response in character: grief, fear, outrage, duty, guilt. A well-framed engagement allows for a range of reactions.
As the town panics in response to the old man’s death, one of the PCs notices that the dagger used is etched with the crest of their childhood orphanage—a place they haven’t spoken of in years. Another sees a merchant they recognize slipping away from the scene. The event suddenly isn't just a murder—it's tangled with their personal history. (Point of Engagement)
* Some NPCs, places, or artifacts tied to the players’ characters
* Session zero or pregame prompts that help you mine backstory for connective tissue
* At least one “entry point” the players can discover that links them to the incident
#### 3. **Initial Stakes**
* What’s at risk if the party does *not* act.
* Should escalate in seriousness if ignored.
* 📌 *Examples:* A town falls to plague, a war begins, or an NPC dies.
The Initial Stakes make clear what will happen if the players choose not to act. They define urgency, outline danger, and clarify consequences. Good stakes motivate without railroading by letting players choose how to act, even if they can’t avoid action altogether.
1. **Answer the Question: “What Happens if They Walk Away?”** Stakes should escalate over time, but the immediate risk must be tangible and clear.
2. **Make the Consequences Compelling:** Threaten something players want to protect—people, power, safety, knowledge, reputation.
3. **Link Stakes to Time or Escalation:** Add urgency by making it clear that things will get worse if they delay: a caravan leaves at dawn, a bridge will collapse, the assassin has a head start.
4. **Keep Stakes External, Not Just Emotional:** Emotional stakes are great, but combine them with world-state consequences.
The mayor declares a lockdown: no one enters or leaves Bristlehaven until the murderer is found. Meanwhile, crops are left to rot and villagers grow paranoid. Rumors of a second death reach the party by nightfall. If they don’t investigate quickly, innocent people may be blamed—or worse, sacrificed. (Initial Stakes)
* A sense of what would happen if the characters did nothing
* A clear timeline of escalation
* Threats that are credible and visible to the players
#### 4. **Call to Action**
* A clear, actionable goal or quest.
* Even in a linear game, player choice starts here.
* 📌 *Examples:* “Travel to the ruined tower,” “Find the missing heir,” “Clear the road of bandits.”
The Call to Action is the first actionable prompt in the adventure. It gives the players a clear next step to take in response to the incident and stakes. While linear modules often guide this tightly, the best calls to action offer options within structure.
1. **State a Clear Goal:** What needs to be done? Find someone? Retrieve something? Stop an event? Provide a short-term mission that feels urgent.
2. **Make It Character-Driven:** The best calls to action aren’t delivered by NPCs—they’re chosen by the players. Provide information and pressure, but let them decide how to proceed.
3. **Embed Conflict or Decision Points:** Avoid calls to action that only lead to one obvious outcome. Provide multiple paths even if they converge later.
4. **Signal Forward Momentum:** This is where the story starts to move. Make the action immediate and engaging.
A frightened townsfolk begs the party to find her missing brother, who vanished just after the murder. The mayor offers a reward to anyone who brings forward information. The PCs can question witnesses, track footprints into the woods, or visit a temple for guidance. The direction is clear—the how is theirs to choose. (Call to Action)
* NPCs with opinions, agendas, and requests
* Multiple, actionable leads
* At least one scene-ready encounter to follow the call
#### 5. **Foreshadowing**
* Subtle or overt hints of deeper threats, themes, or twists.
* Builds long-term narrative resonance.
* 📌 *Examples:* A symbol found at the crime scene, a shadowy figure watching from afar.
Foreshadowing plants seeds of future truths early. It hints at deeper patterns, unseen threats, or coming twists—turning an otherwise linear story into a layered experience. It invites players to speculate, observe, and connect dots.
1. **Introduce Symbols, Echoes, or Contradictions:** Use repeated imagery, cryptic warnings, or offhand remarks to quietly signal what’s to come.
2. **Keep It Subtle, But Memorable:** Foreshadowing works best when it doesn’t feel important… until later.
3. **Tie It to Key Themes or Antagonists:** What’s the hidden conflict behind the visible one? What truths will be revealed later?
4. **Use NPCs, Objects, and Environment:** A repeated phrase, an unexplained sigil, or a strange reaction from an NPC can all serve as narrative cues.
A raven lands on the dead man’s body and caws three times before flying off. Later, ravens are revealed to be harbingers of an ancient, returning god. A young child hums a song with lyrics that describe events that haven’t happened yet. (Foreshadowing)
* A firm idea of the adventure’s larger arc or hidden antagonist
* 1–2 symbols or motifs that can recur
* A journal or timeline of when clues appear and pay off
#### 6. **Tone and Genre Establishment**
* Use the opening moment to set expectations.
* Horror? Heroic? Grimdark? Whimsical?
* 📌 *Examples:* Start with rain and blood for grimdark; start with a festival disrupted by chaos for high fantasy.
The Tone and Genre of an adventure tells players what kind of story they’re in. This isn’t just aesthetic—it guides roleplay, expectations, and decision-making. Establishing tone early creates narrative cohesion and minimizes dissonance later.
1. **Choose a Narrative Lens:** Is this horror? Heroic fantasy? Surreal mystery? Tragic epic? Choose it, then deliver it from the opening moments.
2. **Reflect the Tone in the World and Its People:** Dialogue, lighting, NPC demeanor, music (if used), and pacing all reinforce genre.
3. **Be Consistent with Genre Expectations:** If you open with cosmic horror, don’t suddenly shift to slapstick. If you open with whimsy, don’t bait-and-switch into nihilism.
4. **Use the First Scene as a Tone Statement:** Let the very first sensory impressions embody your theme—weather, color, language, architecture, attitudes.
The story opens in a snow-covered village at dawn. The sky is bruised purple, and no birds sing. Every villager wears black and avoids the PCs’ eyes. A funeral bell rings once, then falls silent. This is not a tale of high adventure—it is one of loss, silence, and things left buried. (Tone and Genre Establishment)
* A clear genre choice (gritty, campy, tragic, hopeful, surreal, etc.)
* Language, imagery, and pacing that align with that tone
* NPCs, setting, and threats that reinforce the mood
- Act I – Investigation or Travel: Learn world, 1–2 structured encounters.
- Act II – Rising Tension: Obstacles or twists, 2–3 encounters.
- Act III – Climax: Final confrontation or moral choice.
- Epilogue: Resolution and hook for future adventures.
## Linear / Railroaded
- Inciting Incident
- Point of Engagement
- Initial Stakes
- Call to Action
## Sandbox
- World Map or Region Outline: 3–5 key locations, 2+ factions.
- Rumors & Hooks Table: 6–10 rumors tied to locations.
- Points of Interest: 3–6 sites with conflict or treasure.
- Factions & NPC Agendas: Timeline of evolving events.
- Tools for Play: Encounter tables, downtime, travel.
## Hexcrawl
- Hex Map: Populate 10–20% of hexes with content.
- Travel Mechanics: Movement, terrain, weather, foraging.
- Hex Key: 3–5 settlements, 10+ minor POIs.
- Wandering Monster Table: Tailored to terrain.
- Exploration Goals: Optional objectives.
## Dungeon Crawl
- Dungeon Map: Loops, secrets, verticality.
- Room Key: Description, treasure, traps, monsters.
- Themes & Hazards: Environmental threats.
- Encounter Design: 3–5 puzzle/tactical rooms.
- Exit or Boss: Climactic confrontation.
## Investigation / Mystery
- The Crime / Phenomenon: The true nature of the mystery.
- Clue Map / Tree: Each clue links to more.
- NPCs with Secrets: 3–5 with personal agendas.
- Red Herrings: False leads and distractions.
- Timeline of Events: Past and present timeline.
## Heist / Mission-Based
- The Objective: Steal, rescue, sabotage, etc.
- The Target Site: Mapped with defenses.
- Intel Gathering: Options before execution.
- Obstacles: Alarms, traps, guards, rivals.
- Escape Plan: Getaway routes or improvisation.
## Factional / Political
- Faction Matrix: 3–6 groups with goals.
- Faction Timeline: How events evolve.
- Key NPCs: Important figures per faction.
- Competing Missions: Conflicting tasks.
- Player Leverage: Blackmail, diplomacy, etc.
## Horror / Survival
- Initial Threat: Isolation or danger.
- Build Tension: Disappearances, signs, dread.
- Limited Resources: Clocks, sanity, scarcity.
- The Revelation: Nature of the threat.
- Final Confrontation or Escape.
## Epic Campaign / Saga
- Prologue: Early world events.
- Act I – Rise: Regional conflicts.
- Act II – Crisis: Wars, dilemmas.
- Act III – Legacy: Major threats, endings.
- Epilogue: Who lives, rules, or remembers.
## One-Shot / Convention
- Quick Hook: Immediate engagement.
- Three Acts: 3–5 high-impact scenes.
- Simplified Mechanics: Fast rules, pregens.
- Climax: Big moral choice or combat.
- Clean Ending: Resolves the arc.
## Emergent / Procedural
- Toolkits: Random tables and generators.
- Player Goals: Define purpose of play.
- Risk vs Reward Mechanics.
- Prompt Tables: Procedural beats.
- Loose Ending: Players decide closure.
## Meta / Experimental
- Core Mechanic Gimmick: Time, silence, cards, etc.
- Unfolding Revelation: Players learn the truth.
- Symbolism / Allegory.
- Fragile Stakes: Loss and sacrifice.
- Genre Deconstruction.