D&D 5E [+] Questions for zero character death players and DMs…

[Charlaquin]

Do people mean scripted when they say authored? Is that where I’m getting confused?

Even if that is true it’s a huge stretch to say that a game is scripted if a single character moment isn’t randomly resolved.

I mean already planned. Not necessarily in detail, and certainly not to the point of there being a script (though I wouldn’t care for that either). Just, that the DM already has a story in mind.

 

[James Gasik]

Do people mean scripted when they say authored? Is that where I’m getting confused?

Even if that is true it’s a huge stretch to say that a game is scripted if a single character moment isn’t randomly resolved.

That's the way I understood it. Unless that also includes "guided narrative", which is how I always saw D&D. You present events, and the players actions make the story.

 

[Charlaquin]

That's the way I understood it. Unless that also includes "guided narrative", which is how I always saw D&D. You present events, and the players actions make the story.

Yeah, “guided narrative” is definitely not my preference. I’ve played in and ran such games, and enjoy them well enough, but I much prefer when the DM presents an environment (and the people and things within it), rather than events.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Do people mean scripted when they say authored? Is that where I’m getting confused?

Even if that is true it’s a huge stretch to say that a game is scripted if a single character moment isn’t randomly resolved.

When I say player authored story I mean the player came up with an idea, the GM worked with it and it became a reality in the campaign world. If player wrote up the story of a cabal of mechani-druids because they wanted to interact with them, then with GM approval and editing the cabal shows up in the world.

This isn't just backstory, but can be ongoing and can interact with other players or the GMs stories as long as they don't conflict.

 

[James Gasik]

Yeah, “guided narrative” is definitely not my preference. I’ve played in and ran such games, and enjoy them well enough, but I much prefer when the DM presents an environment (and the people and things within it), rather than events.

So true sandbox. Here's the world, nothing happens until you go poke around?

 

[JiffyPopTart]

I didn’t say RPGs aren’t supposed to work the way you like. I specifically said “many people object to” having a story already planned out, because I know many other people are fine with it and I wanted to avoid sounding like I was saying it was in anyway wrong.

I think you are very reasonable in that you recognize this is a discussion of preference and clearly state thing in the manner of it being how you like to play, versus others in the thread using the language of "It can't work that way because X".

The discussion keeps wavering back and forth from acknowledging different preferences to attacking styles as if they aren't just different but wrong.

 

[Charlaquin]

So true sandbox. Here's the world, nothing happens until you go poke around?

I mean, things should generally be going on in the environment, cause that helps make it feel alive. But, mostly things happen independently of, rather than to, the PCs. Kinda like Fronts in Dungeon World. Random events can also be good. But there’s no prior plans for a story; the only story is the one the players create as they interact with the world.

And to clarify: I am not saying this is the only way, or the only good way, or the only right way, or the only fun way to play. It’s just the way I have found most enjoyable for me.

 

[Vaalingrade]

People do know that improver often have baselines too right? When Who's Line does Helping Hands, Colin doesn't leap aside and do the can-can.

Like improvisation isn't just chaos?

You can have emergent story with limits or parameters.

 

[Hussar]

I mean already planned. Not necessarily in detail, and certainly not to the point of there being a script (though I wouldn’t care for that either). Just, that the DM already has a story in mind.

But that’s the only way to play DnD. DnD isn’t some narrative game where most of the elements are created during play. DnD is a trad game where the dm preps a (or multiple) scenario and the players play that.

The dm must have a story in mind. Unless your game is nothing but random encounters then you have a story in mind. Story might not have a fixed ending, but the ending is certainly implied and typically very predictable.

Even in the most open sandbox the dm will include some sort of conflicts that the players will interact with. The orcs are raiding over here. Baron MCEvil is being evil over there.

And that’s ignoring all the published setting material and adventures which are chock a block with preauthored stories. Or the lore of the game from monster manuals and the like.

I’m frankly ata loss as to how you could play DnD without dm authored stories. It’s just not possible.

 

[James Gasik]

Not possible? I think that's a bit extreme. I mean, look at The Keep on the Borderlands or the Village of Hommlet. There's things going on, but really you're just poking around looking for the adventure- be it the Caves of Chaos or the Temple of Elemental Evil.

I'll admit there's more story to the ToEE, of course. But lots of early adventures are like "for whatever reason, you're here. Go look around!"