For initial development practice, we'll be using a public domain and famous storyline as a rough guide for the story, William Shakespeare's "The Tempest". It has all the elements necessary to turn into an RPG experience for one or more PCs. We will be customizing it to be more fantasy based and less "historical", and to use "modern" NPC language, so it will not be a faithful reproduction, rather just a guiding light. We will also be using ideas from the IF books of other similar works for To Be or Not To Be and Romeo and Juliet by Ryan North.

If you need a refresher on "The Tempest" (all developers need to ready or listen to this so we are all on the same page), there are a lot of public domain options available of various production and performance quality. Here is one that may be good enough for you, plus it includes the text to help make it easier to follow along:

https://speak-the-speech.org/the-readings/the-tempest/

Video References

• Lighthearted interpretation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qheHYn3rLY&list=PLT6zlV94UtITIScdLQ_8FzJcsUrjZQbH6
• Darker more modern interpretation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slvIfbCWcS0
• Animated summary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAZKIpWGN_Q&list=PL8oU3hYrMZtGy1gZxornF9h-Luv62aelc&index=6

Also Spark Notes for reference (but please do listen/read the full version!): https://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/tempest/summary/

Very Basic Adventure Outline

• PCs shipwrecked by storm on unknown island.
• Watched by unseen "spirit" Ariel.
• Hear strange sounds and musics.
• Strange animals.
• Travel on foot across island over various obstacles.
• Run into strange creatures.
• Have to unravel riddles.
• Run into other survivors scattered across the island (other key NPCs).

PC Introduction

PC Opening Scene

PC Washed onto the Shore

Assessing resources & what to do next

...

Referenced Tempest Plot Diagram

Introduction

1. King Alonso's ship encounters a tempest.

Rising Action

2. Prospero tells Miranda of their exile to the island.

3. Ferdinand reaches shore where he and Miranda fall in love.

4. The king and his men arrive on shore.

5. Alonso mourns the certain death of his son.

6. Antonio and Sebastian plot to kill Alonso.

7. Caliban, Stephano, and Trinculo plot to kill Prospero.

8. At the magic feast the men's past treachery is exposed.

Climax

9. Prospero throws a masque to celebrate the coming wedding.

Falling Action

10. Prospero forgives all the offending parties.

11. Alonso approves of Ferdinand and Miranda's wedding.

Resolution

12. Prospero asks the audience to release him by applauding.

Reference: https://www.coursehero.com/lit/The-Tempest/plot-summary/