More details on setting, party, and if you're planning for theme, callbacks and have a specific plot end.
Thanks. Oh and what are callbacks?
Peace,
Necro
Reading your reply, I think you got the impression I said just add more detail. I kinda meant I can give better advice if I knew your setting, party strength and if you were going to be playing with things like theme, etc.
Callbacks are intentional references, to events like in-game legends/history, actual in-play stuff or humour. Examples: the legend of the Crystal Thingit involves a fight between brothers to use it, in game one of the PCs learns the Thingit is an intellegt item thats controlling his buddy, so has to fight it away from him; this is always replicated in play, especially when the the players have done something cool or heinous, and sometime later in the game you replicate the scene for that
frission of good gaming; and humour is essentially that in-game joke that comes to life.
Its tough to pull of well, but when you see it done its epic.
I like the dream idea myself, and I'll probably use it sometime. Question is, do you win in the dream, and if so will the RL fight be an exact replay? I like the idea of losing in the dream, maybe because they weren't cooperating, and then teaming up in RL to prevent that.
My own technique for groups is the Council of Elrond. There is a problem, and organisations essentially pick one of their peeps and send them off to meet at this important council etc.