RPGaDay2020 Prompt 12 – Message
Prompt: Message
A trope in gaming is for adventures to be delivered via message. A mysterious courier arrives, looking for the party. The phone rings in the middle of the night. It's so used because it gives an easy way to involve the characters without having to create a lot of background. It's also used as a way out of being written in a corner, i.e. if the PCs can't find the clue you're looking for, finding a more obvious message that leads them to that thread is a lot easier than watching them flail. As with all tropes, unless it's couched in a way that is a bit more original than the device would suggest, it can bring on groans, and sometimes even a resistance to take the lifeline. The trope can be subverted, as in an expected message being counterfeit, which is a good way to use the trope in an unexpected manner. But how can you use the standard trope without it being so easily identified as such? That's a good exercise to dwell upon.