The Table of Plot Twists
N
othing is sweeter than the look on your
players' faces whenever you drop that big,
mind-blowing plot twist! Their jaws drop,
their eyes go wide, and then with a big grin,
you just say "and that is where we are
going to end this session", followed up by a
resounding groan from all the players at
the table. In a game all about storytelling, it is these big,
unexpected moments that make for a truly memorable tale.
What is a Plot Twist?
One of the most difficult things about telling a story in an age
filled with movies, TV shows, comic books, and novels is
successfully surprising your viewers (or in this case, players)
with a dramatic story moment that they didn't see coming.
People are becoming better at predicting the outcome of a
story, having seen so many tricks before.
And yet, being able to catch the audience off guard is part
of what makes a story so special. It is that big reveal moment
that people remember most. Game of Thrones fans will
relate with conversations about "where were you when the
Red Wedding happened"! Everyone loves to be surprised and
kept on the edge of their seat, and as storytellers, it is our job
to make this happen!
How to Use This Guide
This document is meant to be used as a tool to help
brainstorm big story moments for a campaign, book, or other
type of story, though it is most targeted at Tabletop RPG
players. Some of the twists offered in the sections below
require prior planning, while others can be done at the drop
of a hat. It is your job as the storyteller to decide which plot
twists fit your story, and how to execute them.
The guide is broken down into headings that help to
categorize the type of twists below, so that it is easier to find
the inspiration you need. The tables also offer roll numbers if
you decide to live dangerously and roll for stories.
Twists About the World
Ancient History
d6 Plot Twist
1 The world is really a giant experiment being run by the
gods, and people are the variables.
2 The world is caught in an endless time cycle of
creation and destruction.
3 The people of the world came from a different world,
migrating to this one as their old home was destroyed.
4 The world was one big continent before a great
disaster happened that shattered the land apart.
5 An ancient tribe accidently cast a curse upon the entire
world which has been slowly draining it of all magic.
6 The world is connected to other worlds by gateways
that only certain people can open.
Political Landscape
d6 Plot Twist
1 A trusted wizard of the king assassinates his ruler and
places a horrible curse over the throne.
2 The characters are sent as ambassadors to a waring
nation, but one character is secretly sent to assassinate
the other nation's ruler.
3 Receiving an invitation from the king to celebrate their
recent achievement, the party arrives just in time to be
framed for his murder.
4 The leaders of the two warring nations are actually the
same person, a powerful magic-user who changes his
appearance and wants war for dark reasons.
5 The king is an immortal who has lived thousands of
years, feeding off the life of his subjects to sustain his
life.
6 There is no war, and all the soldiers that have been
drafted are being taken for nefarious reasons.
Twists About the Characters
Their Family
d6 Plot Twist
1 The character was actually adopted, and their real
parents were very well-known people.
2 The character has a sibling they didn't know they had.
3 The character has no real parents, as they were born
through a ritual or some other strange process.
4 The character's ancient ancestor was someone of great
evil, or perhaps great renown.
5 The character has the blood of fiends, fey, or another
strange and ancient race, and it is beginning to affect
them in interesting ways.
6 The character has a twin that they never knew existed.
Works best by suddenly revealing a character that
looks identical to them.
Their Past
d6 Plot Twist
1 Someone they believe dead is actually still alive.
2 They are searching for someone, but what they do not
yet know is that they are the very person they are
seeking.
3 They saw something wrong in their past. What they
thought had happened was not what really happened.
4 Someone from their past returns suddenly, just in time
to throw an unexpected kink into the character's plan.
5 Their memories of the past were actually fabricated by
a powerful magic-user in order to hide the truth or to
influence them a certain way.
6 The character is thrust back into the past and has a
chance to change their own past, but at what cost?
Relationships
d6 Plot Twist
1 Their friend is not truly their friend, and they have been
using them this whole time to achieve a mysterious
goal.
2 Someone they care deeply for suddenly dies, or is
taken away from them (someone unexpected, not the
predicable choice).
3 They must make a hard choice between a relationship
with another character or accomplishing an important
goal they have worked so hard to reach.
4 Something happens that causes the character to
question their relationship with another character in
the story.
5 Someone the character cares about learns something
from the character's past that causes them to doubt or
question the character and their true motives.
6 The character accidently harms or kills another
character that they care deeply for.
Twists for Dungeons
Dungeon Features
d6 Plot Twist
1 The dungeon is not what it seems. It is actually inside a
monster's belly, part of a greater structure, or another
such twist.
2 The dungeon has an ancient history that reveals itself
in the present with dangerous effect.
3 The trap is actually a distraction from a much larger
danger.
4 There is a being in this dungeon that first tests the
party, and then decides them to be a true threat.
5 The dungeon is outside of time, walking further into
the past as one delves deeper.
6 The dungeon is in the mind of the characters, never
having existed at all. Perhaps a test of the Gods, or a
dream of prophesy.

Equipment
d6 Plot Twist
1 The character finds a powerful item that turns out to
be cursed or enchanted. Getting rid of the item is not
enough to break the curse or enchantment that is
upon them.
2 The item is possessed by a spirit, demon, or mind that
befriends the character, though it may have ulterior
motives.
3 The character finds an item with the name of someone
from their past inscribed on it.
4 Something the character owns mysteriously vanished.
Was it stolen, was it there to begin with?
5 Something the character has contains a secret
compartment that holds something they have been
searching for.
6 The character finds a clue to an item that will help
their current situation, but the location of the item
might get complicated.

Twists in Combat
During Battle
d6 Plot Twist
1 A familiar foe suddenly enters the battle, turning the
tide of the fight.
2 The characters battle a foe that is later revealed to have
been a friend.
3 A character is cursed or hypnotized and begins to
attack their allies instead of their enemies. Works best
if the player maintains control of the character as they
attack their companions.
4 A great enemy attempts to escape, turning the battle
into a chase.
5 In order to reach an important objective, the party
must battle a reluctant ally to the death, or else give up
the prize.
6 An important character suddenly becomes caught in
the crossfire of the battle, forcing the party to save
them or else risk losing them.