When TTRPG heroes gather around the campfire, what do they talk about?
We’ve gotten a lot of great comments on QuestCrawl since we released it, but one in particular has stuck in my head:
A random table of ‘Closing Shots’, little roleplay prompts about your conversation as you turn in for the night, isn’t just a good idea for QuestCrawl; it could punch up a lot of TTRPGs! After all, we’ve all run games where the random encounter table has failed to provide the pacing effect we hoped for. Don’t handwave whole days! If the PCs are travelling eight hours and sleeping eight, they’re presumably spending another eight making and breaking camp, cooking, eating, and shooting the breeze.
Try this little d36 table to prompt a little roleplaying as often as needed, whether you’re playing QuestCrawl or DnD! That’s a d3 for the tens place, and a d6 for the ones place.
d36 Campfire Closing Shots
11. A random PC cooks a family delicacy. Does everyone enjoy it? If not, how honest are they about it?
12. A random PC sleepwalks. What do they do? Who discovers them, and how do they react?
13. The most religious PC makes an annual religious observance. What is it? How does the least religious PC react?
14. Two PCs wake up the next morning to discover they had the same dream. What was it?
15. The PCs get into an argument about the landscape. Who likes it? Who doesn’t?
16. Two PCs get into a competition, each counting how many times they see something on ‘their’ side of the road. What are they counting?
21. The PCs argue: what is the worst monster they’ve ever faced?
22. The PCs dream about a better future. What will they do when this is all over?
23. One PC saves another from a deadly fall in the middle of an argument. What were they fighting about? How does everyone react?
24. Two PCs discover they share a favourite meal. What is it?
25. The most emotionally closed PC accidentally mentions their first love. What was their name? What questions do your compatriots have about them?
26. The smartest PC does something foolish. What is it? Do the others joke about it?
31. A random PC makes the whole party stop to look at an animal or plant. What is it? Are people impressed or frustrated?
32. It’s an uncomfortable day’s travel. How does everyone react?
33. Singing to pass the time, the PCs begin discussing music. What genres exist in your world? What do the PCs like? Do those preferences conform to the other PCs’ preconceptions of them?
34. Who builds the fire tonight? Do any other PCs have strong opinions about how it should be done?
35. As the sun sets, the PCs discuss their star signs. Who believes in astrology? What season was everyone born in?
36. The PCs pass the time before sleep in the most civilized way: TTRPGs! Who’s the game master? What’s the genre? What classes does everyone play?
Expand this table as needed! Help the community, and comment your additions below!
Need more QuestCrawl houserules? Check out our Underwater Rules! Or if you’re just trying to add a little more roleplay dimension to your game, read our GM advice! Either way, don’t leave without stopping by our store; indie TTRPGs don’t exist without indie gamers, so try something off the beaten path!