D&D General The Great Railroad Thread

[pemerton]

There's a large old tradition of crooks gathering in the back room at a bar in film; I don't know I've seen an SF take on it, but then, there's few SF takes on what would consider freelance troublemakers anyway. When there is, its usually a group that's already together and often in a Traveller-esque ship wandering around (see Firefly).

Crooks gather in back rooms, sure. But they're generally already known to one another.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Crooks gather in back rooms, sure. But they're generally already known to one another.

Recruitement stories are not particularly common in fiction in general, but when I've seen it in film, the first meeting is still in that back room of the bar.

That's a big part of the gig, I think; in most fiction if you have anything resembling a PC group, showing how they got together is not something the author is going to think was a good use of space. If they do do so, they'll often do so in flashbacks or the like.

 

[bloodtide]

The only meeting in an inn, in LotR, is Strider meeting the Hobbits. And that is not a "quest-giver" looking for doughty adventurers.

My comment was for the more general "start the story/game with laid back fun is a safe place. Like LotR starts with the Hobbits.

Keep on the Borderlands is an example of a module where the intended play is pawn stance, and the starting point is low(ish) stakes. .

This might be D&D's "Ur one"

Even if the the likely outcome of the roleplayed scenes is that the characters pick up the quest and head to the dungeon/haunted castle/etc, I think that it is usually worth playing it rather than just skipping directly to the "adventure location." The roleplaying is important for establishing the context of the quest, creating emotional connection to the NPCs involved, and generally getting the players invented beyond "lets kill some monsters for XP." And yes, here some thespian skills on the GM's part certainly help a lot.

I think it is much better to role play during the quest adventure.

 

[Maxperson]

I generally think of "thespian play" as play that prioritizes participant dialogue (both players and GMs), both inter-PC and PC to NPC. There's generally an expectation that relatively little stakes will be established or consequences endured, as the bulk of play isn't mediated by any resolution system (maybe an occasional skill check or weak spell use).

Strange. I keep seeing Critical Role called out as thespian play, but that definition excludes them from being thespian play. They have lots of skill checks and strong spell use.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Count me in for getting right to the adventure. If that’s what play is meant to be about, then delaying it just seems silly. Context and character can be established as you play.

It’s never felt organic to me to do a bunch of free roleplay and only then proceed to what’s been prepared.

 

[pemerton]

Count me in for getting right to the adventure. If that’s what play is meant to be about, then delaying it just seems silly. Context and character can be established as you play.

Agreed!

One technique that I use as GM - and it's hardly revolutionary - is to ask each player how their PC came to be in <the situation>. I'll work with them to help, if useful/necessary. This can help establish a bit more backstory, and also connections between the PCs.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Count me in for getting right to the adventure. If that’s what play is meant to be about, then delaying it just seems silly. Context and character can be established as you play.

It’s never felt organic to me to do a bunch of free roleplay and only then proceed to what’s been prepared.

Free roleplay is to get to know the situation and the NPCs. It does not need to be "recruited at the tavern" that is very basic, but I think the thematic and emotional connection to the events is better, if the players actually interact with the people. Like if you need to save a princess from the dragon, then actually talking to the distraught and teary-eyed king and the chancellor who is worried that without the leadership of the princess the kingdom is doomed will make the quest feel more meaningful.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Strange. I keep seeing Critical Role called out as thespian play, but that definition excludes them from being thespian play. They have lots of skill checks and strong spell use.

I would say that thespian play leans in to narrating the outcome of a skill check, especially the more incongruous rolls. The roll creates the prompt for the performance, just as you would have the audience suggest prompts in improv theatre. Therefore the dice rolls are important.

What you will see is players performing scenes that have no objective and no stakes, and therefore no reason to make a check.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

What you will see is players performing scenes that have no objective and no stakes, and therefore no reason to make a check.

That certainly happens too. But checks or rules are not required for a scene to have objective, stakes or consequences. It should be rather obvious that a conversation can have all of these, and indeed regularly do both in fiction and in the real life.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Free roleplay is to get to know the situation and the NPCs. It does not need to be "recruited at the tavern" that is very basic, but I think the thematic and emotional connection to the events is better, if the players actually interact with the people. Like if you need to save a princess from the dragon, then actually talking to the distraught and teary-eyed king and the chancellor who is worried that without the leadership of the princess the kingdom is doomed will make the quest feel more meaningful.

I don't know if I agree. I think there's a time and place for some of this sort of thing, but I also think that there are other ways to establish stakes. I think the type of scene that you're talking about works well in traditional fiction... a novel or a movie may benefit from such a scene to help establish the emotional connection to the characters. I think it's less effective in an RPG, for a variety of reasons.

With an RPG, I think there are other ways to establish this type of thing. And they don't necessarily come at a cost of immediacy.