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Dealing with agency and retcon (in semi sandbox)
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<blockquote data-quote="bloodtide" data-source="post: 9063854" data-attributes="member: 6684958"><p>So, a lot of this goes on to the DM. You. This is exactly why the DM is special and has all the power in the game: You are the one making the game. It's all on YOU. Everything that happens.</p><p></p><p>A lot of things stand out to me:</p><p></p><p>*Don't do the "fool the players" type quests. They should be RARE or super obvious. Doing the "haha players, fooled you" is just a bad move. And it make no one happy except the DM. Even if you did an full hour of deep role playing with no dice rolls, the players might not be able to figure out your "clever deception". And if your doing the dull mechanics of "oh you roll and don't see anything wrong...blink, blink" it's even worse.</p><p></p><p>*When you do most "fool the player plots", even more so with newer players, you must always add in Three Clues. While it's so "tempting" to make the necromancer an all powerful evil demi god that perfectly alters reality to fool the players.....you should NEVER do that. You always want at least three clues that "something is up". And note by "clue" we are talking about a freight train traveling a billion miles an hour hitting the PC. For example: Family member X tells them the 'real plan'. Evil necromancer slips up 25 times saying 'enslave' and not 'save'...then correcting himself. A dark omen, like a raven, crow, or such 'blocks' the PCs path...a bit unnaturally.</p><p></p><p>*Never, ever, ever make the "Attack the Good Character" plot. Your whole plot is against the Lone Good Guy. You expected them to just STOP and say HEY? Even If they did feel "something is wrong", it's hard for MANY players in nearly ANY group to come out as That Lone Guy. To even have that One Lone Player say "hey" is HARD and really puts the player on the spot. Plus, many or most of the other players won't care...and can often out vote the Lone Good Player. So if the Lone Good Player speaks up....they are risking simply not playing in the game. Why would they risk that?</p><p></p><p>*Mixing Good and Evil. Lots of problems...but just from the above. You have TWO evil characters that will go along with anything evil...as they are evil. What do you expect that Lone Good Character to do? You have two characters that will "do anything". And the one that will say "um, wait guys...good common sense tells me this is wrong". The game will get nowhere with such PC conflict.</p><p></p><p>*Rubbing the nose: It's a bit much for the bad guy to go "hahaahah fooled you" and then do evil right then and there. Real face slap to the poor Lone Good Character and player. Guess you got to see a good look on their face? Ok, simply put....don't do this.</p><p></p><p>*This whole adventure was set up against the good character and player. But...well, sure for the NEXT adventure you had one planned out where the group would be TRICKED into doing a GOOD act, and the evil characters/players would just have to play along and they would of had a problem with all that happening to them. Fair is fair, right? </p><p></p><p>*The Big One: So....who says the "guards" or whoever jump up and say "we must arrest all these law breakers and take them to a court of law! All hail the Law!" ? Well...it's the DM, of course. So why did you do THAT. You did have at least 12 OTHER options. You could have picked one of them. The point is that the game story does NOT have to be "good guy tattletales, group arrested and send to prison. ANYTHING else could have happened.....don't trap yourself in the One Way Only type of thinking.</p><p></p><p>In the end, no, don't recon anything. It's a bit of a waste. Just get them out of prison. Have a prison break or have them be a "Dirty Dozen", for example. Then...going forward, don't make all the above mistakes.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="bloodtide, post: 9063854, member: 6684958"] So, a lot of this goes on to the DM. You. This is exactly why the DM is special and has all the power in the game: You are the one making the game. It's all on YOU. Everything that happens. A lot of things stand out to me: *Don't do the "fool the players" type quests. They should be RARE or super obvious. Doing the "haha players, fooled you" is just a bad move. And it make no one happy except the DM. Even if you did an full hour of deep role playing with no dice rolls, the players might not be able to figure out your "clever deception". And if your doing the dull mechanics of "oh you roll and don't see anything wrong...blink, blink" it's even worse. *When you do most "fool the player plots", even more so with newer players, you must always add in Three Clues. While it's so "tempting" to make the necromancer an all powerful evil demi god that perfectly alters reality to fool the players.....you should NEVER do that. You always want at least three clues that "something is up". And note by "clue" we are talking about a freight train traveling a billion miles an hour hitting the PC. For example: Family member X tells them the 'real plan'. Evil necromancer slips up 25 times saying 'enslave' and not 'save'...then correcting himself. A dark omen, like a raven, crow, or such 'blocks' the PCs path...a bit unnaturally. *Never, ever, ever make the "Attack the Good Character" plot. Your whole plot is against the Lone Good Guy. You expected them to just STOP and say HEY? Even If they did feel "something is wrong", it's hard for MANY players in nearly ANY group to come out as That Lone Guy. To even have that One Lone Player say "hey" is HARD and really puts the player on the spot. Plus, many or most of the other players won't care...and can often out vote the Lone Good Player. So if the Lone Good Player speaks up....they are risking simply not playing in the game. Why would they risk that? *Mixing Good and Evil. Lots of problems...but just from the above. You have TWO evil characters that will go along with anything evil...as they are evil. What do you expect that Lone Good Character to do? You have two characters that will "do anything". And the one that will say "um, wait guys...good common sense tells me this is wrong". The game will get nowhere with such PC conflict. *Rubbing the nose: It's a bit much for the bad guy to go "hahaahah fooled you" and then do evil right then and there. Real face slap to the poor Lone Good Character and player. Guess you got to see a good look on their face? Ok, simply put....don't do this. *This whole adventure was set up against the good character and player. But...well, sure for the NEXT adventure you had one planned out where the group would be TRICKED into doing a GOOD act, and the evil characters/players would just have to play along and they would of had a problem with all that happening to them. Fair is fair, right? *The Big One: So....who says the "guards" or whoever jump up and say "we must arrest all these law breakers and take them to a court of law! All hail the Law!" ? Well...it's the DM, of course. So why did you do THAT. You did have at least 12 OTHER options. You could have picked one of them. The point is that the game story does NOT have to be "good guy tattletales, group arrested and send to prison. ANYTHING else could have happened.....don't trap yourself in the One Way Only type of thinking. In the end, no, don't recon anything. It's a bit of a waste. Just get them out of prison. Have a prison break or have them be a "Dirty Dozen", for example. Then...going forward, don't make all the above mistakes. [/QUOTE]
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