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<blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 8996808" data-attributes="member: 4937"><p>That's precisely the sort of vague definitions that I'm pushing back against. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>In the novel, the characters are very much aware that there are others looking for the ring, and one member of their party - the Ranger - even has past experience with wraiths and knows what abilities that they have. He has thwarted one previous attack. The party in the novel does not in fact camp atop Weathertop precisely because it's a place others are likely to go. Aragorn finds evidence that suggests Gandalf had been there before and was attacked some days prior. The party camps in small dell down the side of the mountain (on the rear of the mountain away from the road) as the safest place they can reach before nightfall. Their position is compromised by a campfire, which in the darkened night can be seen at great distance. </p><p></p><p>Like a good GM, Tolkien is keeping track behind the screen of the movements of all the Ringwraiths and all the party allies. Even if the positions aren't revealed to the party, Tolkien has marked all the enemies on the map and how far they can move in a day. The Ringwraiths have limited resources. They are on living horses that need water and food and which can't move quickly in rocky terrain and dense undergrowth. As a good GM, you should be trying not to metagame against the PCs. If the PC's have made choices that could evade their enemies, you should at least give them a chance of having done so. The hobbits don't need "hide from all foes" to evade the Ringwraiths. They just need good woodcraft and a bit of luck. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>You can tell by looking behind the screen (as it were) at the processes of play. See my discussion of the techniques for railroading for how knowing the processes of play would let you ascertain whether the players were railroaded. </p><p></p><p>Whether there is illusionism or not depends on whether the GM is pretending to the player to follow one process of play but is in fact using another. For example, Illusionism would be throwing dice behind the dice screen and pretending to consult the rules or the preparation, when in fact whatever the players did they are going to be attacked by the wraiths and you are just pretending that they had some chance of evasion.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Celebrim, post: 8996808, member: 4937"] That's precisely the sort of vague definitions that I'm pushing back against. In the novel, the characters are very much aware that there are others looking for the ring, and one member of their party - the Ranger - even has past experience with wraiths and knows what abilities that they have. He has thwarted one previous attack. The party in the novel does not in fact camp atop Weathertop precisely because it's a place others are likely to go. Aragorn finds evidence that suggests Gandalf had been there before and was attacked some days prior. The party camps in small dell down the side of the mountain (on the rear of the mountain away from the road) as the safest place they can reach before nightfall. Their position is compromised by a campfire, which in the darkened night can be seen at great distance. Like a good GM, Tolkien is keeping track behind the screen of the movements of all the Ringwraiths and all the party allies. Even if the positions aren't revealed to the party, Tolkien has marked all the enemies on the map and how far they can move in a day. The Ringwraiths have limited resources. They are on living horses that need water and food and which can't move quickly in rocky terrain and dense undergrowth. As a good GM, you should be trying not to metagame against the PCs. If the PC's have made choices that could evade their enemies, you should at least give them a chance of having done so. The hobbits don't need "hide from all foes" to evade the Ringwraiths. They just need good woodcraft and a bit of luck. You can tell by looking behind the screen (as it were) at the processes of play. See my discussion of the techniques for railroading for how knowing the processes of play would let you ascertain whether the players were railroaded. Whether there is illusionism or not depends on whether the GM is pretending to the player to follow one process of play but is in fact using another. For example, Illusionism would be throwing dice behind the dice screen and pretending to consult the rules or the preparation, when in fact whatever the players did they are going to be attacked by the wraiths and you are just pretending that they had some chance of evasion. [/QUOTE]
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