The call to adventure is when the hero
first becomes aware that they are going to need to leave the safety
and stability of the ordinary world to enter the special world of the
adventure ahead.
It is very hard to surprise the
players, as they already know that they are going to be entering a
special world. Therefore, it is often best to use this expectation to
build up the player's anticipation and excitement. This suspense
needs to be short-lived however, as player's want to play a game, not
sit around and wait to play it.
The call to adventure comes in many
forms. It is often the catalyst or trigger that sets the storyline in
motion. In some stories, there are multiple calls to adventure, and
the player must decide how to prioritise them, and which to ignore
completely.
The call to adventure can often be
personal to the hero themselves, and can involve family or friends
being in peril. However in some cases, an external event is the call,
such as a large scale grand event.
Temptation can also be used as a call.
Generally, games use greed as the main source of temptation. Using
sexual temptation tends to result in poor games that are often very
distasteful. Greed is a much safer angle to take.
Sometimes the call comes in the form of
a message from a herald. The herald does not necessarily have to be
an ally of the hero, and can reappear as other character archetypes
later, such as the mentor or the shadow.
Sometimes the call to adventure can be
less explicit. This can be the result of an emotional void, or lack
of knowledge on the part of the hero. The call to adventure is also
not always optional for the hero – a player can choose whether to
play or not, but the hero isn't necessarily given a choice.
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