Here, the forgotten whispers of time linger, and unseen forces stir in the depths of the unknown. This unknown is where the Vagabond comes from…
Foreshadowing is fun. Nothing anyone can tell me will ever make me feel otherwise. Foreshadowing incentivizes the DM to think through the story more, plant theories into your players’ minds, and add an extra layer of story to your campaigns. This is how to hint at future events in your campaigns.
When you foreshadow, you can be foreshadowing events that will happen soon, or toward the end of the campaign. Both of these styles of foreshadowing have their ups and downs, so pick and choose when and how you want to use them. I will also offer ideas and tips on how to make the foreshadowing more ominous, immersive, and fun.
Short-term foreshadowing.
When short-term foreshadowing, you are usually alluding to events that may happen in the dungeon that your players are in currently. There can be murals on the wall depicting a devil that sieged the dungeon and possibly lingers to this day or you can have blood-written messages that warn adventurers. Here are the pros and cons of short-term foreshadowing:
Pros:
1. Versatility. Short-term foreshadowing is easy to use and make on the spot. Something simple like a small message in a bottle with a text you make up on a whim is not difficult to do.
2. Dread. If you’re looking to cause dread, short-term foreshadowing is excellent at such a task. As mentioned earlier, murals, blood-written messages, and more can cause your players to know something is here, but not what is here. This can also be good for scarier campaigns if that’s what you like.
3. Small. Short-term foreshadowing will not have an impact on the larger story of your campaign. Short-term foreshadowing is not made to hint at the big bad’s presence or power. If they do mention the big bad guy, then it should just be mentioning them as the boss, a higher-up, or a cohort, not the main focus of the foreshadowing.
Cons:
1. Simplicity. A short-term foreshadowing is not going to very puzzling or confusing. If it is puzzling or confusing, then by the time your players work out the hints, the boss of the dungeon is going to be staring them in the face. Keep short-term foreshadowing relatively simple and easy to figure out.
2. Singular. A short-term foreshadowing is going to only have one subject. This can change in very specific circumstances, however. If multiple creatures act as the boss(es) of the dungeon your characters are in, then you can have multiple subjects (being these boss creatures). Another way to have more subjects in your short-term foreshadowing is that there are something like worshippers or underlings.
3. Boring. Short-term foreshadowing is sometimes a little boring. Since this type of foreshadowing is simplistic and easier to figure out, the players will find it more boring than the mysterious long-term foreshadowing that you may introduce. This is okay, though, since short-term foreshadowing is not needed to keep players hooked, it is to inform your players of something.
…
Since we have gone over short-term foreshadowing, allow me to talk about the other kind: long-term foreshadowing.
Long-term foreshadowing.
When you long-term foreshadow, you are trying to allude to events that are far in the future but are nevertheless important to the plot. Long-term foreshadowing can hint at the final boss’s identity, a legendary keep, or a trove of treasure. Here are the pros and cons of long-term foreshadowing…
Pros:
Dread. Long-term foreshadowing creates a sense of dread and foreboding in your players’ party, which creates excitement and anticipation. The players will also be more hooked on the campaign's storyline, making sure they stay focused and interested.
Puzzling. Long-term foreshadowing allows you to bring in some mysterious lore that can cause your players to think about your campaign. It can get your players interested. Long-term foreshadowing is a great opportunity to put in a riddle, because who wants to give story hints that are easy to figure out? I sure don’t so make long-term foreshadowing reasonably puzzling and tricky.
Prophecy. Long-term foreshadowing is also a great way to give your players a sneak peek at what may happen in the future, other than the main event that the long-term foreshadowing would refer to. This can be something like one of the characters being hinted at obtaining a sword before the final boss, or something along those lines.
Cons:
Waiting. This should come as no surprise that long-term foreshadowing takes a long time to matter. The event that long-term foreshadowing takes a long time to happen. This may be the point of long-term foreshadowing, but it is still annoying to have to wait a long time to see what the long-term foreshadowing was alluding to.
Neglectable. I may have said that your players can appreciate a long-term foreshadowing mystery that needs to be figured out, but it is entirely possible that your players do not feel like trying to figure it out. At this point, it makes you, the DM, probably a little discouraged and the players will be missing a large bit of the story of your campaign.
Quite, honestly, I can not think of a third con. You should use long-term foreshadowing. It’s a great story-telling aspect that can lure in your players’ imaginations and make them excited for future events.
Thank you for reading! Foreshadowing is fun. I highly recommend using it. Again, thank you, and remember, come back to the Homebrew Hermit… You may find something you like.
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