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If your brain can imagine a way to bring the new first-timers or out-of-towners into a session that doesn't make you barf a little in your mouth and shake with revulsion, it's a valid approach. Take the concept of player agency and apply it to yourself as DM. You can do it however you want...

Hmm... Bit on the nose there with the knife-twisting, but I agree that most DMs with more than a few years under their belt probably have more in common stylistically than they don't. Also, I think we may agree that humans in general, even when they're able to improvise better than most, still...

Only speaking for why Ranger's necessary for me -- because no class is necessary for everyone... First, they are cool, and I like them. 😁 Also, Natural Explorer and related stuff lets the whole group track, forage and hide better than other combos of feats and skills do. Hunter's Mark with...

I should make this my profile signature.

Because I like them?

Has Jack gotten a tetanus shot within the past 10 years?

Yes, I still play them the same way, same monocultures, which I always understood as akin to Japan or Saudi Arabia -- culturally closed off, not very welcome to foreigners. For instance, I never took the characterization of drow society in FR by its social critics as something other than a...

This was good! "That way, the long history ceases to become a chain and becomes a toolbox."

I know I'm t-boning this discussion, which has become a bit of a bare-knuckle fight, but I tend to agree. I've mentioned that I do railroading (I think some would call it that). I do try to coax (coerce?) my players back into the adventure funnel when I've created one and they've hopped out. I...

You're lucky. I've known DMs who can improvise everything and show up to gameday with nothing prepared, no maps, lists of fantasy names, NPCs, nothing. Too stressful for me. I've done it from time to time over the years, and it hurts my brain and fries my nerves. When I prepare it's so much...

I was posing it to the group. Of course I allow them to go to the tavern and then devise a way to organically encourage them to head back to the catacombs (basically, I railroad them). I can't remember a time in 40 years that hasn't worked. If I prepared for a session in the catacombs...

Agreed. And if that fails because they verbally agree to stay on track but still unintentionally chase the blinky lights and get easily distracted, just railroad them and make sure they don't notice. Sometimes people need a little help staying on task. 🙂 (Yes, I realize that you probably hate...

After following this thread, personally, I don't have a problem with the concept of railroading. Like everything, it depends on how it's defined and employed. Lots of the arguments for/against it here are filled with misunderstandings. I realize that some people think it's a scourge upon...

What if the players just decide to nope out and hit a local tavern instead of entering the catacombs?

Great points.

Thanks for posting that Five Room Dungeon thing. I've heard of it many times before, heard people casually refer to it, but no one ever did the description justice before. I'd never seen that awesome link before either. I think the framework is right up my alley.

Holy crap! Did I just read a lengthy reply to something I posted on enworld that included an affirmative declaration of mine and come away feeling better?? This is almost unprecedented, but I think I did! Thank you, good sir or madaam, for the pleasant exchange. 🤙

These are fantastic recs! I'd like to upvote them all!

Can I reframe this as...bad railroading is saying "No!" to your players and ticking them off, and good railroading is when they have no idea they're actually being railroaded and consequently have a great time? That's how I look at it.

I still say this thread is very confusing. For starters, I think I define "railroading" in RPG'ing differently than some here. Using my "DM magic" to coax and nudge the players back into the funnel I've planned and prepared for sounds like railroading, but I think it's a good thing for me. I'm...