A funny thing happened on the way to the Dungeon

[KRT]

How many of you have planned for hours a great (in your own humble opinion) adventure only to have the party book the first tangent out of the storyline and end up hundreds of miles from where you want them to be? Do you play along and save the dungeon for another time or campaign, or do you invoke some sort of inevitably gravitational story force that herds them to the dungeon?

 

[Jupp]

Let them follow their own path. Out of experience those adventures were always the most fun for the group. Though it's more demanding and challenging for the DM since he has to react to actions of the players in a very short time. But if it is done well it will be a memorable campaign.

 

[Crothian]

Let them have thier own path, the dungeon will be there when they are ready

 

[Tarangil]

Playing along is usually the best thing to do. Nobody likes a Puppetmaster.

Most experienced players when together can tear apart a module, so you may as well be prepared to expect the unexpected

 

[BiggusGeekus]

A classic DM problem!

You actually want this to happen. The players need to be engaged in the setting and the story. If they pass on your planned adventure to persue a goal that still connects up to the main plot that's fine.

As to your adventure, you're still golden. You told the PCs about it, correct? They ignored it, right? So it stands to reason that the bad guys have only gotten more powerful. A quick way to update a stat block of a generic critter is to give it +1 to all saves, +1 attack and +5 hit points. That's a reasonable fudge and you can get away with it to advance a monster up a level. If the PCs come back two or three levels later, you'll have to do a little more work, but hopefully you have a tool that can help out with that such as PCGen.

When the PCs come back to the area, they'll find it all burned up and broken with the bad guys more powerful. Don't beat them over the head too much with this. Remember, you still want them making decisions in your game and in control of their own fate. Just make it clear that your world is a dynamic place where events happen and it is up to the PCs to thwart evil, etc.

Happy gaming!

 

[DragonLancer]

I try to bring them back without a railroad, but if they want to go "off book" then thats what we do, and I save the scenario for some other time, but I make sure any repercussions for not doing the adventure (orcs or whatever swarm out and destroy town... crappy example...etc) take place. If they come back to do it later, I make sure that its changed enough to suit their new levels and abilties.

 

[hexgrid]

But at the same tame, some players might not have any trouble following up the plot hooks they know the DM spent his valuable time fleshing out. It's just a game, afterall... why go out of your way to make it more difficult for the person running it for you?

In practice, I think most groups operate this way.

 

[devilbat]

I love when that happens, as it means I am pre-prepared for another session down the road.

 

[The_Gneech]

My problem is sorta the opposite -- the players focus on the theoretical stated goal of the adventure so much, that they ignore everything else.

Been tasked with killing the giant at the bottom of the dungeon? Okay, let's find the shortest possible route straight to him! Hey, what's this weird shimmering fountain? Who cares, it's not the giant! We've been attacked by hobgoblins! Kill 'em quickly and don't loot the bodies -- they're not the giant! Hey, here's a grizzled old hermit who wants to tell you the tragic tale of his son and his Amulet of Involuntary Polymorph Into Giant. Go to bed, old man! You're not the giant!

etc.

They're definitely goal-oriented, I gotta give 'em that. But they're missing 2/3s of their own adventures!

-The Gneech

 

[Krypter]

Been tasked with killing the giant at the bottom of the dungeon? Okay, let's find the shortest possible route straight to him! Hey, what's this weird shimmering fountain? Who cares, it's not the giant! We've been attacked by hobgoblins! Kill 'em quickly and don't loot the bodies -- they're not the giant! Hey, here's a grizzled old hermit who wants to tell you the tragic tale of his son and his Amulet of Involuntary Polymorph Into Giant. Go to bed, old man! You're not the giant!

That's very funny. I guess both extremes can be bad.