D&D General What is player agency to you?

[Raiztt]

So if we both played nobles in the same long running campaign, and every time I used my noble background to secure an audience it was granted and led to new adventures and opportunities that dominated the session, but every time you requested one the GM said 'sorry, the Duke's out fishing', you and I would have the same level of agency in that campaign?

Yup.

If the DM said "You use your ability to try and secure a meeting..." then no. But as long as I'm making the choice.

 

[mamba]

So if we both played nobles in the same long running campaign, and every time I used my noble background to secure an audience it was granted and led to new adventures and opportunities that dominated the session, but every time you requested one the GM said 'sorry, the Duke's out fishing', you and I would have the same level of agency in that campaign?

the ‘every time’ is already a non-starter, it was an exception. If it is an exception, do you think never being denied vs having been denied twice makes a difference?

 

[mamba]

If the DM said "You use your ability to try and secure a meeting..." then no. But as long as I'm making the choice.

you are making the choice to ask for a meeting and then to deny it yourself? Why ask then…

 

[Raiztt]

you are making the choice to ask for a meeting and then to deny it yourself? Why ask then…

You misunderstood. I'm saying that if the DM is telling me what my character does, that is an example of something that is not agency.

 

[Mort]

Aww

You misunderstood. I'm saying that if the DM is telling me what my character does, that is an example of something that is not agency.

But if the DM denies the choice and upon investigation there are, say, 2 things for your PC to do that the DM WOULD allow - isn't the DM essentially telling what your character does?

 

[mamba]

But if the DM denies the choice and upon investigation there are, say, 2 things for your PC to do that the DM WOULD allow - isn't the DM essentially telling what your character does?

how about some more realistic examples, you basically all ask ‘if the DM denies you all agency, doesn’t that mean you have no agency?’.

How about after denying the audience the DM asks ‘what do you want to do now?’….

It also depends on the two choices, if this is like a ‘now that you could not win the baron to your side, do you want to search for allies in the Haunted Woods, or attack the Goblin Fortress immediately, before they grow even stronger?’ that is ok with me. Also, nothing is stopping me from saying ‘I’d rather do…’, but I guess you already decided that it will not work

 

[Mort]

how about some more realistic examples, you basically all ask ‘if the DM denies you all agency, doesn’t that mean you have no agency?’.

How about after denying the audience the DM asks ‘what do you want to do now?’….

Depends on what happens next.

If what happens next is something of the players' choosing then yes.

If what happens next is only what the DM wants to happen next, then no.

 

[Oofta]

Depends on what happens next.

If what happens next is something of the players' choosing then yes.

If what happens next is only what the DM wants to happen next, then no.

I'll occasionally tell players what their options are, but they get to choose and can always suggest something else. I typically only do this if someone is stuck or I have reason to think that I wasn't clear on the scene.

 

[mamba]

Depends on what happens next.

If what happens next is something of the players' choosing then yes.

If what happens next is only what the DM wants to happen next, then no.

what exactly do you think happens after the players have been asked what they want to do?

It’s like you try to make this complicated… if I wanted them to do one of two things, I would not ask this in the first place… I am starting to get the suspicion that you guys need to be restricted by rules for your players to have agency, whereas we can just grant the players some agency naturally

 

[Micah Sweet]

Depends on what happens next.

If what happens next is something of the players' choosing then yes.

If what happens next is only what the DM wants to happen next, then no.

If what happens next is only what the DM wants, why are they asking? Drama?