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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TheSword" data-source="post: 9065662" data-attributes="member: 6879661">By mystery I mean who, what, where, when, why - where the players start with zero knowledge. Is the noble a friend or a foe. Can the guard captain be trusted. Who is responsible for the abductions one the docks. Where does the strange black door lead to. What is the purpose of the small vials of brain matter found in the murdered merchant's belonging etc etc. These are things I consider mysteries. Its also most of the exploration tier of play, which people in D&D terms sometimes think is all about rolling survival checks. When in truth its about exploring the unknown.I'm saying that players deciding these things can lead to self-indulgence. The DM on the other hand is there to provide entertainment to the players. Five people creating a story can lead to a fractured, unconnected and self-indulgent elements. I see it all the time when multiple authors work on Adventure Paths. I think it leads to a weaker product.You can do both. A story can be revealed but also influenced and changed by the players. As soon as [USER=7041885]@ZebraDruid[/USER] decided that the noble wanted to kill his family he started to tell a story. Agency is about being able to influence the story. Often I see people equate agency with autonomy - being able to act independently of influence or oversight. Agency is great - autonomy isn't practical for the kind of games I like to both play in and DM.</blockquote>

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