PDA

View Full Version : No Adventures



Nakun
2007-08-05, 07:55 PM
As I ran a session today, I noticed that my players are moving completely away from the adventure line I had planned, acting on different things and moving to different places. This, of course, was expected since I was warned to look out for plot destroying PCs, however, it has lead me to consider just figuring what is going on around them in the world and using that for the storyline, interjecting points of the main plot when I deem necessary so as to allow for a BBEG. This would mean that the "adventure's" level would fluctuate because they only picked up bits and pieces when I intended them too, leaving only site based adventures on a strict level of difficulty.

So, I'm hoping that this would turn out to be some sort of whole storyline plot weaving deal. Does this sound like a reasonable course of action, or am I asking for trouble?

Diggorian
2007-08-05, 08:22 PM
No, I've run similar to this for years now. It may take some adjusting at first but it's ultimately easier to let players choose their own course.

I'm not sure what you mean by "interjecting points of the main plot when I deem necessary" though.

Ranis
2007-08-05, 08:23 PM
If you can pull the appropriate strings, go for it.

Learning which strings to pull, however, is simply part of the trial-and-error experience of becoming a good DM.

Nakun
2007-08-05, 08:26 PM
Diggorian- I meant, like make them bump into an important NPC when they needed to as opposed to letting them wander through thousands of non-plot advancing scenarios of "OMI GOD! Ogres are attacking the town."

And, yeah I figured this would turn into one of those experience things...Why are there no rules for DMs advancing in levels by beating up a party of adventurers? :smallfrown:

Dairun Cates
2007-08-05, 08:29 PM
Why are there no rules for DMs advancing in levels by beating up a party of adventurers? :smallfrown:

I got most of my experience points by role-playing exp. and making the players shoot soda out their nose. GM's an interesting class. You have no power over the plot no matter how hard you try, but Dear God do you get a lot of luck dice and action points.

Zincorium
2007-08-05, 08:32 PM
Generally, I assume that PCs have ADD and are looking to start trouble, and base my adventure hooks off of that. I have never been disappointed. Make sure that things that you want them to notice have lots of interesting characteristics (hair color, bright clothing, visual stuff), give a good bit of description based on what the PCs would notice, and sound interested and excited while describing it. That stimulates the 'ooh, shiney...' response from players, their attention will naturally be drawn to it.

That and present opportunities for the players to screw things up horribly for other people. Let them get away with it. Grin evilly when they start boasting.

Diggorian
2007-08-05, 09:41 PM
Diggorian- I meant, like make them bump into an important NPC when they needed to as opposed to letting them wander through thousands of non-plot advancing scenarios of "OMI GOD! Ogres are attacking the town."

Ah. Yeah having the party intersect NPC plots is the way to go.

NPCs are like your characters, with skills, resources, goals and plans (some neutral some not). Regardless of what plot PCs choose to get involved in all the others advance naturally. Makes for a realistically organic setting developement.

Nakun, "You've taken your first step into a larger world." Raisin maple walnut cookie to reference the quote. :smallbiggrin:

Rockphed
2007-08-05, 09:51 PM
Nakun, "You've taken your first step into a larger world." Raisin maple walnut cookie to reference the quote. :smallbiggrin:

Obi Wan Kenobi, Star wars. To Luke when he beats the Remote on the Millennium Falcon. Right around when Alderan blows up.

Edit: And if you want your players to go stomp the Viscious Whatever of Bloomington Falls, make it sound interesting. Otherwise, just be prepared to come up with random stuff.

Ted_Stryker
2007-08-05, 09:51 PM
Yeah, just make sure that there some internally consistent reason why the PCs would be running afoul of any particular NPC's plans, and the when will sort of take care of itself. It means being a bit more reactive GM, but that's fine, having the PCs drive the advancement of the storylines is probably better, anyways.

Diggorian
2007-08-05, 10:22 PM
Obi Wan Kenobi, Star wars. To Luke when he beats the Remote on the Millennium Falcon. Right around when Alderan blows up.

WRONG! It was Sir Alec Guiness on the set of Star Wars in 197- ... take your cookie Goggle-user. :smallbiggrin:

Just remembered this podcast that discusses this very topic on Fear the Boot (http://feartheboot.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=238569), at about minute 30.

Bosh
2007-08-05, 10:33 PM
Well giving the players a concrete task and then telling them to go do it is much easier, but I find that its more fun (but time consuming) to throw the PCs into the middle of a multi-sided conflict with a bunch of competing NPCs. Make the world seem more real and less "oh look just as we show up to the new town there's something that only we can do to save the locals." For example:

The players show up for a wedding celebration of their friend's daughter:
-There's a violent drunk berzerker who'll start **** if he gets a chance.
-The friend's concubine is looking for a way to prevent the wedding from happening to make it more likely that her children will inheirit.
-There'll be celebratory games and (especially if they've pissed him off earlier) their friend's farm foreman will attempt to cheat in a field hockey-ish game by wacking the PCs with the stick.
-There'll be a horse fight and the brother of one of the horse's owners has drugged his brother's horse in a way that'll make it go wildly out of control and start attacking people.
Throw in some NPCs and sketch out a farm and that was a couple hours of adventure.

Prometheus
2007-08-06, 10:17 AM
I started my first major campaign without much regard to the long-term plotline. The person I thought was going to be a major villain was completely ignored and defeated easily. What I thought would be a side-line NPC ended up marrying a PC. The cooky wizard that sold them magic items when they got through his mansion of ever-changing puzzles I later decided to become the previously thought dead father of a PC now in jeporady of dying permanently. Some from the most hated enemies became the most trusted allies, while some problems they had ignored escalated to unignorable portions.

The point is, sometimes its better to take plot cues from your players interests then to lead your players EXACTLY where you plan. Give them options either decide to make those options level-appropriate, or have them obviously discover that they are out of their league. Bring back minor NPCs and minor plots hook, or have actions of the NPCs/cities stem logically to the actions of the characters. In the end, I was able to rewrite the plotline so that all the major subplots got involved and the game met an exciting climax.

Citizen Joe
2007-08-06, 10:43 AM
Think of it as a buffet. The characters are just one of many people in line for the buffet. You can have some really nice meat and potatoes sort of stuff (the main plot) with many people digging in. Then you've also got some appetizers and deserts (which adventurers are fond of). If they go after the appetizers, they'll eventually come back to see the main course picked clean.

If you want them to go for the main course, you just need to make sure they see a lot of interest in it, and a big line forming. But it certainly won't wait for them.

Kurald Galain
2007-08-06, 11:22 AM
If everyone's having fun, more power to you!

Jack Mann
2007-08-06, 12:39 PM
I think this is a good opportunity for you to move away from the old fashioned "adventure-based" playstyle. Randomize encounters for a more dadaesque setting. One day they encounter ogres, and the next are forced to sit through the kingdom's Parliament as it discusses the importance of tariffs on beet imports.

Randomize challenge ratings as well. Let them encounter a great wyrm red dragon while level three, or a single goblin warrior when they're level seventeen.

I think it's past time we got out of this outmoded "fun-based" playstyle. Haven't we grown as a hobby?

Seriously, though, this is mostly a good idea. Still, I'd look for ways to try and integrate some of what's happening locally with your overall plot. Start by figuring out what's happening in the area, and then figure out what the BBEG might do to capitalize on it. Don't just toss in an NPC now and again. Have that NPC involved in the siege, or the ambush, or what have you. Obviously, not everything is going to be worth this time, and a lot of the encounters will have nothing to do with him, but if he's a campaign-wide threat (or at least a threat to the area they're in), there's a good chance he's going to have his own agents in working to serve his own interests in the area. Try and have a quarter to half of all encounters related to the main plot in some manner. Eventually, they'll get tired of this BBEG (once they figure out that he's behind it all) getting into everyone's business.

Nakun
2007-08-06, 01:21 PM
Thanks for the advice/ support. I'm trying a more fluid based style tonight, so we'll see how it turns out.

Dairun Cates
2007-08-06, 02:34 PM
Oh, I did forget a rather fun way to get players to do what you need them to do. Give them power. It sounds like this would give them more freedom, but a character in a position of power is bound to certain responsibilities no matter how chaotic he or she is. I'm currently running a game where one of my player's is an overlord. Because of this, his character's actions are fairly predictable. He was always attack anyway that attacks his property or hurts his pride.