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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...

Never had them ever discover something that consequently upset them, but I hear you. My games have always been kinda railroady, but I think it works for me whatever I'm doing. I definitely don't think of my sessions as open world. I always put some prep -- not much but some -- into the games...

I apologize. I went back and read that first comment, and I did exactly what you said, which is a massive pet peeve of mine! -- straw man fallacy. You did say reduce, not eliminate. My bad.

House rules can also very easily reduce friction. There's a big difference between 2 simple house rules (say, eliminating initiative, max HP per level, or simplified spell components) and a multi-page list of house rules.

Understood. You may already be doing this, but you might want to get some smaller tuneup games under your belt before starting something that sounds as ambitious as this. Ambitious in that it's public and open to strangers who don't know you and have no vested interest in seeing you succeed...

Completely disagree with your last recommendation here, both in fact and spirit. Setting expectations properly doesn't equate to providing a multi-page document or a lecture on the right way to play D&D. The right way to play IMO is what works best for this particular DM, and in many cases...

First question: how much experience do you have as a DM? Because this can be tough if you haven't done it much before. Second thing is a statement, not a question: If it isn't made clear to prospective players up front that the DM is the referee and can/will interpret and adjust the rules as...

nvm

I'm very confused by this thread. If an adventure called The Catacombs of Lusmanora places the catacombs beneath Monomonomp, and the plot revolves around the party's exploration of the catacombs, should we feel bad about trying to guide (a.k.a. railroad) the party to hurry up and get their...

Good point. Perhaps I should have said "prioritize" instead of obsess. I obsess over all of it, but I prioritize fun for the table.

"House rules" is a big, nebulous term. The house rules in my games are anything but disruptive, and most have been introduced or suggested by me, not my players. They're always obviously only ever made in a group's best interests. They've enhanced enjoyment and facilitated comaraderie...

That's interesting.

Fair enough. I accept that it's impossible for you.