The 3-2-1 quest model

Title: The 3-2-1 Quest Model
Author: Mike Shea
Date:

Dragon of Icespire Peak in the 2019 D&D Essentials Kit has a wonderful quest model worth paying special attention to. I'm calling it the "3-2-1 quest model".

Here's how it works.

First, you put three quests out in front of the characters. They pick one of those quests to go on. When they return, they find the remaining two quests still available to them. They pick another. When they return, you've thrown out the final quest and now offer three new quests for them to choose.

This model works really well for a few reasons:

Here are some tips to make the 3-2-1 model work well:

This last point could use further elaboration. This 3-2-1 quest model is a solid way to keep quests flowing in front of your players – giving them choices about the direction of the game without being overwhelmed with choices – but don't be afraid to break away from it. Maybe that third quest doesn't disappear if there's no reason for it to disappear even if the characters finished the other two. Maybe you have four quests because circumstances worked out that way. That's totally fine.

Like all of the tricks of the Lazy Dungeon Master, this model serves you – not the other way around. You owe nothing to RPG tricks like this one. They owe you an easier and more fun game or they're not worth hanging onto at all.