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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Campbell" data-source="post: 7805183" data-attributes="member: 16586">The reason the referee steps outside during planning is the same reason why the referee and the player of the thief will step aside during scouting missions. It helps to maintain asymmetry of information so that responses are as authentic as possible. The referee will always try to stay impartial, but removing the temptation whenever possible is helpful for hygienic play.Telegraphing is you use it here is what I would call adequately describing the fictional environment. If something should be apparent it is the referee's duty to describe it. This sort of thing and maintaining consistency of the fiction are not what I would consider any special sort of GM technique. They are the bare minimum of what every GM of every roleplaying game should be doing.  When I refer to telegraphing I think in terms of telegraphing future danger before it strikes, basically a direct and obvious fictional threat that demands actions that implies obvious consequences. If this is the extent of what you mean my criticism would swing the other way. It is hardly sufficient for maintaining a meaningful sense of tension and danger. It in no way establishes clear stakes.I really want to be fair here, but much of the commentary has focused on setting clear stakes and seemed to be deeply concerned with pacing and a sense of immediacy which you broadly agreed with including statements I made about how goal and approach could be used to maintain tension based on my own experience running 5th Edition and Blades in the Dark. Now that bring concerns about exploratory play telegraphs become mere descriptions of the environment and play priorities become radically different.I guess what I am asking for is what are your guiding principles? I will be honest, I find myself broadly suspicious because you and others seem to be saying you have found the secret sauce. In my experience there is no secret sauce. We need to decide what our goals are and use techniques tuned to those purposes.</blockquote>

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