This is the multi-year Q&A sessions held by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax here at EN World, beginning in 2002 and running up until his sad pasing in 2008. Gary's username in the thread below is Col_Pladoh, and his first post in this long thread is Post #39.
TSR Q&A with Gary Gygax
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This is the multi-year Q&A sessions held by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax here at EN World, beginning in 2002 and running up until his sad pasing in 2008. Gary's username in the thread below is Col_Pladoh, and his first post in this long thread is Post #39.
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
If you find such situations palatable, more enjoyment to you.Wolv0rine said:
As for me, if I have gone to the trouble of preparing something for the group, they play it or else. The enjoyment of the campaign is a two way street, and that of the GM is equal to that of the player group, for he does all the grunt work to amuse them.
Now if it is just a seat-of-the-pants session, I have no problem shifting gears and dangling another carrot for the lads to chase after.
Cheers,
Gary
PapersAndPaychecks
First Post
I think the "plot hook" thing becomes a non-issue as the DM gets used to the players, and vice versa. The DM learns how to focus on content which the players are likely to use, and as the players start to make sense of the game world and build familiarity with their characters, they'll start to come up with objectives of their own.
At that point it's down to communication. At the end of the session, the group discusses its objectives for next session and hopefully agrees on a destination... and so the DM gets clued in: They're travelling to X-town, so I'll dig out my map of the Badlands of Y which are on the way, and I'd better bring the roster for Z's bandits...
If you're constantly starting new campaigns with different players, then I suppose you probably do have to be good at plot hooks. But in that case, surely the players with these new characters in this new world would be grateful for the railroad that drops them off at the most interesting stop on the tour...
At that point it's down to communication. At the end of the session, the group discusses its objectives for next session and hopefully agrees on a destination... and so the DM gets clued in: They're travelling to X-town, so I'll dig out my map of the Badlands of Y which are on the way, and I'd better bring the roster for Z's bandits...
If you're constantly starting new campaigns with different players, then I suppose you probably do have to be good at plot hooks. But in that case, surely the players with these new characters in this new world would be grateful for the railroad that drops them off at the most interesting stop on the tour...
Flexor the Mighty!
18/100 Strength!
Col_Pladoh said:
Do you ever do some work fleshing out a couple hooks then dangle them all before the players so they can choose what path to go down?
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Flexor the Mighty! said:
Most of the time I am GMing something other that a play-test of some module, I wing the whole adventure session, so the palyers are at complete liberty to do whatever their hearts desire. If it is something foolish, I enliven things a bit more than usual...
Cheers,
Gary
PapersAndPaychecks
First Post
Col_Pladoh said:
Oh, that's interesting. When you say "wing", do you mean that much or most of it just comes out of your head as you go along? Or do you mean you lean primarily on your dice, your notes about the area and recycled encounters from other sessions? (I realise it'll probably be a mixture of the two, I'm asking about the emphasis.)
Flexor the Mighty!
18/100 Strength!
RFisher said:
Sure, but if they decide to do a complete 180 and go in a totally unexpected direction without any advance warning what is the DM supposed to do? I know I don't have 4 separate adventures planned for every contingency. I can always wing it decently enough, but there has to be some willingness of the players to try out what the DM has prepped. I'm lucky I guess in that my players don't really think about the game much outside of the game night so I can usually have a solid idea what they want to do from the last session.
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
PapersAndPaychecks said:
Mainly off the top of my head. I rely on a map for general inspiration, but do not usually have any real notes at all, only pretend ones to make the players think the adventure has been planned. Of course my old-time regulars knew that wasn't the case, especially when they were returning to Greyhawk from the Land of Chin. as well as when dungeoneering, as all of them had seen the encounter notes page for one or more levels, single lines for each of 20 or so places on each level.
Dice assisted in that by indicating random encounters, what was encountered...if it fitted. Otherwise I would select the one that seemed right or make up something.
Cheers,
Gary
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
Just so!RFisher said:
And if the session was compellunbg, there will be a lot of thought between the end of that adventure chapter and the beginning of the next. I know that applies to me too
Cheers,
Gary
Col_Pladoh
Gary Gygax
As a matter of fact...Flexor the Mighty! said:
As the leader of the player group in Jim Ward's Metamorphosis Alpha game campaign I just got an email this morning that urged me to a certain course of action because I had been ignoring the none-too-subtile hints given in the last session
Cheers,
Gary
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