DM runs an adventure you know

Crothian · May 15, 2005

This has happened to me a few times. Without knowing it, the DM uses a module I have read or even run. I am always upfront with the DM once I relaize it and try to reduce the choices my cvharacter makes so that the party leads the group and not me. And that can be hard because lots of times I'm party leader. Now, I don't want the DM to not be able to run certain modules or take away from the experience of the other guys who have never gone through them.

Does this happen to others? What do you do? As a DM will you change things to make sure the player doesn't know or would you trust the player to not use the knowledge he has? Players, are you up front with the DM or do you hide the fact that you are familar with it? Do you act on the knowledge or try to diminish your importance?

MonsterMash · May 15, 2005

Not yet, but I'm sure it will sometime. A lot of times as DM I will tell the players up front what I'm thinking of running so that if anyone has read/played in/run it before I can avoid using it and if the DM for a group I'm playing in is using something that I realise I know once we've started I'd tell them and try and work an excuse for my PC to sit out that adventure or be run as an NPC to avoid spoiling things for the other players (and myself - I don't enjoy being able to think if I open that door to room J5 it's 10 ft square and contains 200 orcs or whatever).

megamania · May 15, 2005

Yes it does.

In the same token- Most of the DMs within my gaming circle change traps and creatures if the game is 2+ years old to avoid this. It keeps us on our toes this way.

VirgilCaine · May 15, 2005

This happened to me. I have all the WotC free adventures archived and a friend ran an adventure on short notice that was from there.

Fortunately, I just knew there were pirates, lizardmen and a coastal town and the PCs had to fight the pirates. But we ended up taking forever to get nothing done, because the party split up and two other PCs were pretty disruptive and annoying.

After that the module died, thankfully for the sake of the player playing the Monk/Prostitute.

CarlZog · May 15, 2005

Crothian, I would think it more unusual for a DM to come up with a module you have NOT read.

Crothian · May 15, 2005

CarlZog said:
Crothian, I would think it more unusual for a DM to come up with a module you have NOT read.

They are out there, there has been a lot of adventuires publsighed since 3e started, I've only read like 75% of them

Endur · May 15, 2005

The hard rule is you can't play in an adventure you've already read. In competitive tournaments, RPGA, etc. this rule is followed.

The softer version of that rule is you can play (because we don't want you to feel left out), but you should not take advantage of your knowledge. This usually applies to home games, etc.

Nellisir · May 15, 2005

I usually just go with the flow and play dumb, unless the game gets bogged down. I don't usually remember all the piddly little traps and stuff anyways.

It also helps that I like to play the #2 character, usually as a big smart grunt. I like someone else to "lead", but I'll provide the momentum.

Cheers
Nell.

haiiro · May 15, 2005

This has never happened to me, but a friend of mine is playing through the whole Adventure Path -- which he has played before. The GM knew this upfront, and the player works to make his choices genuine. If he can't make a choice without using his prior knowledge, he flips a coin. From everything I've heard, it's a fun game and this approach has worked for everyone involved.

Stalker0 · May 15, 2005

As a dm I would change up the dungeon a bit...I don't want a player feeling left out by "knowing too much"

you can do this with minor changes....sub out some monsters for other ones...change rooms....make what was on left now on the right...things like that.