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Backstories are vital for getting the players to flesh out their characters and their motivations. However, asking players to come up with backstories is often very frustrating and a bit like pulling teeth.........until you offer them experience point or other in game rewards for doing so...

I think that railroading happens when the PCs have to tackle a situation a certain way and when the outcome is even vaguely scripted. It is not railroading to present the Pcs with a situation, and then force them to deal with at least some aspect of it; as long as the forcing part arises...

Return to the Tomb of Five Corners is here DriveThruRPG.com - White Wolf - Return to the Tomb of 5 Corners It contains pregenerated characters, quick start rules and some backstory. It should allow anyone to evaluate Exalted and is FREE!!! You just need to sign up to get it.

The Backstory of Exalted is very good. It is loosely based on Anime and Manga elements but brought together in a compelling way. There is alot of magitech with things like warstriders; constructs that are about 40-50 foot high that are mech-like and used as assualt machines. Magitech is rare...

I agree with the idea that there must be something happening in the world around the PCs and that this is not railroading, just the world taking on a "life of its own". I also agree that the most interesting games are ones where the PCs get to choose who their enemies/friends are. I ran a...

It sounds to me like the problem is the AP, not D&D as such. I know you have put alot of money into the AP but I think it is not for you and you should move the story away from the AP and just mine it for cool encounters and locations and start picking up on your players preferences and...

I have to say that despite my annoying habits, this has been the longest I have ever played (from levels 1-8) and I am really enjoying myself. I used to want to DM immediately I stopped; once burn-out had faded that was. But this time I have changed and am really enjoying it. I LOVE making...

I guess most DMs end up being problem players because we find we suddenly have much less to do, know all the rules inside out (and the game worlds sometimes) and can often think of entertaining things to do in game. Having said this, how much of a problem you are depends on your group; if you...

In our current Undermountain 3.5E campaign our Group is known to the patrons of the Yawning Portal as "Dead and Buried". They love betting on us to die but we keep coming back (though I am on my 3rd character).

Railroading is bad when it restricts player choice but don't you all find that "window-dressing", by which I mean how you describe something, allows you a great deal of control over your players? I have always found, DMing many groups, that merely making minor changes to the description of...

Perhaps more important than spot checks are tracking rolls; any plains creature worth their salt will detect the party via their tracks long before they actually see them.

One thing I would put in my player's guide would be the fact that characters have to be heroic in the highest sense of the word. I just feel that a Middle-earth setting is closely tied to the fact that there are few or no moral ambiguities. it wouldn't tolerate the usual freebooters who abound...

There is alot of wisdom in this thread and I have learn't some things today. But I still maintain that suddenly dialing up the danger with no warning is a sure recipe for a TPK. Don't do so without some warning that the "ground rules" have changed otherwise your players may become overly risk...

Jack7 I find specifics to be far more helpful than generalities; unfortunately once we get to specifics, every edition of D&D would necessitate a change of tactics as they all model combat differently. I would value your insight into the specifics for 3.5E or 4E combat in terms of small unit...

Ask yourself this question; are you serving the needs of your players? If the answer is yes, then you aren't doing anything wrong. Now consider this; could you make the game more challenging and would this be more fun for your players? Again if the answers come out as yes and yes or if you...

I always wanted to run an adventure where the PCs were one of the parties sent out ahead of the Fellowship to draw off the eye of Sauron and his minions. In LoTR it mentions that in the days before the council, Elrond's sons Elladan and Elrohir went out into the land and checked many passes...

Jinnetics is right; just remember, two dots always lie on a straight line, even if there is no relationship between the points ;)

Sissslarn is a lizard man who is well known and accepted as harmless and lazy in your city. He spends his days sunning himself on the docks, warming himself in the sun. He catches rats and insects for people when he needs some money but generally tries to do as little as possible. Recently, he...

Gilladian; your description of the lost children is postively brilliant!

Try this one out; The former Imperial Herbarium is situated close the city walls nearest the lake. This largish stretch of ornate and formal gardens has recently become completely over-run by an extremely invasive and fast growing species of poisonous ivy-like plant, brought by a plant collector...