Player Goals

Ask what everyone enjoys and what your players would like to see in the game. You can use these ideas as touchstones to build off of. When you get into the campaign itself, the PCs' goals come to the forefront. Find out what each character wants to achieve and look for opportunities you can place in the game world and its adventures. Consider which part of the game most closely ties to each goal. A PC who wants to become a celebrity needs fame and interpersonal connections, so you can use NPC interactions to give them the resources they need. For a character whose purpose is to help people in danger, build some encounters that include people who need to be rescued. A character who wants to upgrade their gear and become more powerful will most likely enjoy getting a chance to find or shop for new equipment. Character goals can always be progressed through roleplay in downtime or between sessions.

Look for good times to recap the state of a character's goals and remind the player how their character has progressed, particularly when something changes in relation to their goals. Consider rewarding players who keep track of their character'sgoals and their progress, potentially giving out extra Hero Points to incentivize engaging with the campaign's long-term story. The Long-Term Goals section gives you more details on how you can use goals in downtime.