Moving the campaign along with PC's who wont give inputs.

[trikkydik]

I'm running a campaign with experienced players who love to say things like, "Let's do this totally random thing that has nothing to do with what the DM has planned for this session."

So, at the end of our last session, i decided to give them an opportunity to "Make their own adventure" (To help me tailor the next session toward their goals.)

And it failed completely.

They said, over and over, "I dunno, what should we do?"

I replied. "I don't know what to do, i'm just (insert NPC name here)"

In light of that failure I now have to make an adventure that is open enough for my PC's to do their normal "DM plot thwarting tactics," while simultaneously giving them a specific task to perform.

I know what I'm going to have to do:

Make more NPC's than i want to, expand the map, add more details to the existing portions of the map, and sprinkle in conspiracy and adventure. (and have a few audibles in case i really need them)

I guess i'm just fishing for some ideas/tips/tricks/experiences that DM's have had like this, and what they did to successfully navigate this terrain.

Thanks Giants.

[Darth Ultron]

This is the big downside to the players making the adventure...and one you don't hear much about. Most posters here will just say that all players are super masterminds that make games a lot better then any silly DM can do.

But the truth is most players are not like that. At least half of them. The truth is most players just want to sit back and have an adventure unfold around them. It's a big reason a lot of people want to be players.

The most obvious thing to do is simply not let them make the adventure. Make the adventure for them to follow. And even more so make a very tight, streamlined adventure. Make it so they can really only do one thing. Get rid of all the distractions and side treks.

And the best way to do that is to make the adventure the players want to go on. That way, they will simply go on the adventure.

[OldTrees1]

I guess i'm just fishing for some ideas/tips/tricks/experiences that DM's have had like this, and what they did to successfully navigate this terrain.

Thanks Giants.

Well the biggest thing is requiring each character have a goal and tell you that goal before you start. However since you are already past character creation this might not be an easy or even possible step.


So on to the more useful tips:
1) Detail enough such that you can derive the rest. Depending on how you structure things and how well you know your world this might require very few things to be detailed because you are deriving everything. However do remember that deriving takes time so continue to prep until you expect to be able to keep up with your players.

2) Focus on having conflict even if the PCs do nothing. This way the PCs have more choices as to who to side with / fight against. This increases the chance the players act within your prep zone.

[nedz]

Well it seems like you successfully called their bluff :smallamused:

Sandboxes aren't for everyone, player wise, and you can't really turn an existing game into one overnight. I take it you have exhausted their character backgrounds ?

[Telok]

Start a war. Specifically start a huge global war between two strong and omnipresent factions. Factions that want the PCs. Spies, pawns, allies, magic items, denying the enemy assets, mistaken identity, ancient prophecy, pick one, several, or all of them as why a faction wants them. Make the PCs the MacGuffin that everybody wants.

It won't matter what they do, the plot is coming for them.

[trikkydik]

I freaking love you guys. You all gave great input.


Start a war. Specifically start a huge global war between two strong and omnipresent factions. Factions that want the PCs. Spies, pawns, allies, magic items, denying the enemy assets, mistaken identity, ancient prophecy, pick one, several, or all of them as why a faction wants them. Make the PCs the MacGuffin that everybody wants.

It won't matter what they do, the plot is coming for them.

I've decided I'll do 1 of 2 things. (Unless you guys give me more ideas, which is likely because you rock.)

1.) do what telok suggested.
(Which is easy because the environment of this campaign is fierce.)
Or
2.) send them on a task through various levels of hell, to return with the horns of a balor/pit fiend.
Back story: A NPC, a necromancer, is an old colleague they believe had been slain in battle. He has an artifact (still need to think of what artifact/piece of equipment to give them) that he's willing to trade in exchange for the horns of a balor/pit fiend.
Let me know your inputs. Thanks a bunch.

[OldTrees1]

I've decided I'll do 1 of 2 things. (Unless you guys give me more ideas, which is likely because you rock.)

1.) do what telok suggested.
(Which is easy because the environment of this campaign is fierce.)

I suggest this ^. Telok is right that the PCs will be surrounded by proactive plot hooks. Even sessions of trying to avoid following any of the plot hooks could be exciting engaging sessions. Furthermore with the diversity of hooks there is a greater chance the PCs will pursue one of them (for as long as their attention span lasts).

[CharonsHelper]

Also - with the various plot hooks, I'd use a trick so that you don't have to plan out every theoretical encounter beforehand. Have the players make the choices of what mission to take etc. at the end of every session so that you have time to plan it out by the next one.

[Âmesang]

Back story: A NPC, a necromancer, is an old colleague they believe had been slain in battle. He has an artifact (still need to think of what artifact/piece of equipment to give them) that he's willing to trade in exchange for the horns of a balor/pit fiend.
Let me know your inputs. Thanks a bunch.
Might I suggest the Bringer of Doom from WORLD OF GREYHAWK®? :smallamused:

"The Bring of Doom is a small box with a strange, circular red gem set in its lid. If the gem is touched and depressed, the box itself explodes in a blinding flash. So great is the force of the blast that everything within 100' (including the user and the item itself) is destroyed utterly.
https://www.schadenfreudestudios.com/backup/pictures/indent.gifThe explosion opens a temporary one-way rift to the Gray Waste of Hades from which 100d10 hordlings pour forth and destroy everything they encounter. Rarely (10% chance) some other, greater fiend comes through the rift as well. The Bring of Doom always reforms, to be discovered some time later."
Despite being mentioned throughout Oerth's history, especially with regards to the Twin Cataclysms, the artifact's stats were actually printed in the PLANESCAPE™ Monstrous Compendium Appendix. I suppose it's due to the hordlings' connection to Hades.