Elfquest: Plot Concepts
If you're not familiar with the [comic] series, I'll sum it up very generally to say Elfquest is based off the travels of a chief of a tribe of elves called the "Wolfriders" (who have a special bond with their canine kin), and how this chief deals with the other kinds of elves he discovers, and finally with the origins of the elves on this world with two moons (Abode.) It's a story of change, exploration, survival, with all sorts of romances and betrayals, and some great soap opera, so, of course, you would think that it would be a world ripe for gaming!
I would agree, but now you're waiting for the, "except..."
Plot thrives on conflict. I think we're all familiar with this basic rule of thumb. A romance isn't a plot unless there's something that threatens the romance, et cetera. The conflicts in "Elfquest" are fairly simple. There are no "gods," although there is magic.
So the basics are:
Elf versus Elf
Elf versus Non-Elf (Human)
Elf versus Non-Elf (Troll)
Elf versus Non-Elf(Animal)
central character(s) and opposition character(s)
Elf versus Non-Elf (Magical) (Elf's Work)
morality play
Elf versus Environment (Nature)
central character(s) and event or phenomenon
Elf versus Self
usually subplot
Now, Elf versus Elf is strongly frowned upon in Elfquest canon. Elves are just too rare to spend in mortal contest, and some are just more dangerous dead than alive. Elf versus Non-Elf is the most obvious conflict, and while there have been some interesting opposition characters, it's a yawn. Elf versus Environment is, well, not the kind of conflict that interests me much, unless, of course, the Environment in question is a lull in the magic-ban around the world which releases Horrors from other dimensions. [ahem] Elf versus Self I'm sure we'll have a lot of, at least in the characters, but it's not the kind of conflict that really drives troupe-play (except in fun bits like, say, Don't Rest Your Head).
Now, the GM I'm assisting is looking at relationship-driven conflicts, which is a kind of skew from these traditional ones, but only works when you have a developed background. We're on a tangent from the developed storyline, pre-dating it and not interfering with it. (We have options to tie it back into existing canon, but nothing we're planning on, depending on the strength of the chronicle.) This has meant fleshing out an entire new family group (and their lineages) and adventures in the past.
[I have one complaint, but it's made of two small pieces. The first is the GM chose a modified White Wolf system as the base. Alright, blah blah, ease of use, familiarity, etc. The second is that the GM is a setting-purist, and doesn't want me to blend in any other references, however tempting. Tempt, tempt, tempting...]
Relationship-based conflict requires knowing your characters (and to some extent, your players.) This holds us up as we develop the tribe as a whole, but we can gauge some trends. We've got a lot of playful characters. A lot of people want to play with magic.
I keep trying not to sum it up with, "The players have bad habits from other gaming." I don't WANT them to fall into the, "I want to be as powerful/as much of a generalist as possible," trap. For one, the genre is one of cooperation - if you can't do something, there is someone to help. Munchkin may be an extreme example of the independent mindset most games seem to push, but it wouldn't be so funny if it wasn't true.
We've had to cut out a few character concepts of the "lone wolf," however appropriate, mostly where "was raised alone," is inappropriate in the original "it takes a village" (or a pack) sense.
The challenge is not going to be plot, I think, it's going to continue be developing play skills and characters to meet the kind of game the players are capable of creating.