I'm running D&D for the first time in over 20 years and I've started by learning 5e and running Phandelver.
We've played two very long sessions - the PCs cleared the first cave, hung around Phandelver a bit, fought some Redbrands at the Sleeping Giant and are about to enter the hideout.
My problem is, it's been hard running it without making the "quest" system feel like a video game.
It's partially my fault, partially the modules fault, and partially the players who are all gamers, but instead of the Stonehill Inn feeling like a real tavern it felt like a WoW questhub or a tavern in Skyrim. Everyone "of course" had a little piece of info and a quest to give.
What's a good way to get around this? Obviously I want to guide them to different places but I feel like "quest giving" feels too mechanical. I've been thinking of getting some old 1e modules again to read just so I can see how it was done in the time before video games...
We've played two very long sessions - the PCs cleared the first cave, hung around Phandelver a bit, fought some Redbrands at the Sleeping Giant and are about to enter the hideout.
My problem is, it's been hard running it without making the "quest" system feel like a video game.
It's partially my fault, partially the modules fault, and partially the players who are all gamers, but instead of the Stonehill Inn feeling like a real tavern it felt like a WoW questhub or a tavern in Skyrim. Everyone "of course" had a little piece of info and a quest to give.
What's a good way to get around this? Obviously I want to guide them to different places but I feel like "quest giving" feels too mechanical. I've been thinking of getting some old 1e modules again to read just so I can see how it was done in the time before video games...