Bleys Icefalcon
First Post
As the DM in most versions of our game anyway, you're in charge. But, you have to take into account their personalities, wants and desires as well. If they want to spend time discussion things - that are important to them, though not your carefully prepped scenario - so what? - I don't stop it. As other have pointed out, have a random encounter or patrol show up at some point if it seems to take way too long.
The biggest issue I saw was the level of absolute control you seem to want to exercise. If I tried the whole "If you wander off the roads, the penalty is death" trick with my characters, the last place you'd ever find them is on a road. They'd see through such a contrived effort on my part to control where they went and how they got there they immediately, and wouldn't put up with it. Over the years it has come to my attention that if I am more flexible, and allow them to get there, at their own pace, in whatever fashion - where ever that is, the games go much smoother. Indeed I have had entire, heavily detailed scenarios - hell, entire quests - go to places I was completely unprepared for because of the choices of my players. As their DM, it is my job to roll with those punches, not throw up my hands and quit. Some of the best games I have ever participated in were off script, almost entirely improvisational - prep work be damned.
The biggest issue I saw was the level of absolute control you seem to want to exercise. If I tried the whole "If you wander off the roads, the penalty is death" trick with my characters, the last place you'd ever find them is on a road. They'd see through such a contrived effort on my part to control where they went and how they got there they immediately, and wouldn't put up with it. Over the years it has come to my attention that if I am more flexible, and allow them to get there, at their own pace, in whatever fashion - where ever that is, the games go much smoother. Indeed I have had entire, heavily detailed scenarios - hell, entire quests - go to places I was completely unprepared for because of the choices of my players. As their DM, it is my job to roll with those punches, not throw up my hands and quit. Some of the best games I have ever participated in were off script, almost entirely improvisational - prep work be damned.