Start With the Simple

When designing RPG characters and scenarios it can be easy to get carried away with complexity and intrigue. Details will snowball, grow more elaborate, and eventually become a wide web of relationships and events. A character might be part of a triple cross, a monster encounter may include an extensive chase scene, or a villain might be motivated by principles the heroes themselves would agree with. 

Complexity is all well and good, but keep in mind that it comes with risk. The more complicated a story, the more difficult it will be to convey to your players. It will also take a lot longer to sort out a convoluted scenario than a straightforward one, so it can create pacing issues. Nobody wants to run a game that would be considered 'dumbed-down,' but that doesn't mean that every storyline needs to be multi-layered. 

What I recommend is at least starting with a straightforward concept, and make sure it is a strong one. What emotion do you want to convey? Go all out in your pursuit of this feeling. An archduke is seeking revenge. A terrifying monster devours all travelers. A battle will rage in a thunderstorm. Use this as a starting point. Individual players enjoy getting involved with characters and adventures in-depth, but a play group will benefit greatly from artful simplicity. 

Don't let things get boring, or lacking in variety. Go ahead and include shifting terrain, a secret spy, or whatever else strikes your fancy. Just don't overdo it. Don't throw so many things at the players that they feel bewildered. Let them add complexity to the story themselves. They might decide that a bad guy is sympathetic based on their own interpretation of his actions, and that is just fine. But creating a situation in which the heroes don't realize the true foe can easily become more frustrating than exhilarating. (The heroes working for the bad guy is an obnoxious cliche among inexperienced DMs, and hurts DM-player trust)

Sure, there is a time and place for the type of character backstory or encounter design that needs a flowchart to understand. But for most games, it is best to start with the simple. It helps to draw out the foundation of ideas and emotions that will make for a compelling game. After all, the scene that your players will most likely remember from an intrigue-heavy game will more likely be a personal exchange with a character than the interlocking politics of the a royal court. 

There's an elegance in simplicity, so have a key concept that you can explain clearly and concisely for every character and situation you invent. Then you, and your fellow players, will be sure to have a clear understanding, being able to fully delve into the game world and all of its trappings.

Happy ventures!