Do your players recognize the influences of an adventure during play?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

My Midwood groups are currently going through two adventures inspired by great fantasy literature, but no one's yet mentioned it, meaning that either they're not good pastiches or the players haven't noticed.

Obviously, Dungeonland/The Land Beyond the Magic Mirror is so obvious that most players catch on pretty quickly, but do players otherwise catch onto inspired-by-X influences during play, in your experience?

 

[Crothian]

Not really. For the moist part I don't think players look for it. It also depends on how well it hits them over the head with the influence or if its kind of subtle.

 

[Nikroecyst]

Hardly ever, most of the time if I want them to notice I have to force feed it. My best example was 7 dungeon levels, each containing a centralized theme of one of the 7 sins, and a guardian at the gate of each new level. Its frustrating but hey, sometimes we do things to amuse ourselvs.

 

[Raloc]

I find that they usually never (or almost never) notice unless the bit is terribly obvious and overt. Even the slightest bit of alteration to fit my game seems to completely throw them off.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Hardly ever, most of the time if I want them to notice I have to force feed it. My best example was 7 dungeon levels, each containing a centralized theme of one of the 7 sins, and a guardian at the gate of each new level. Its frustrating but hey, sometimes we do things to amuse ourselvs.

That does sound like a pretty neat dungeon. Mind posting a basic breakdown of how it worked?

 

[Remathilis]

I've been stealing Doctor Who plots for a year or so now and none of my players who watch it have caught on.

 

[Lanefan]

It once took 3/4 of an adventure before one of my players clued in that the floorplan of the "temple" the party was sacking was the same as that of the high school we both went to...

Lanefan

 

[el-remmen]

When I introduced "The Urn of Osiris" in my last campaign, half the players said, "Oh! Like in Buffy!" (Season 6, First episode) - but since my setting uses the Egyptian gods and Osiris has dominion over death - it just made sense.

 

[sckeener]

I've been stealing Doctor Who plots for a year or so now and none of my players who watch it have caught on.

Glad I am not the only one to steal Dr. Who Plots. I was recently watching the 3rd Dr and realized how little my players realized what I stole. When most of them think of Dr. Who they think of Tom Baker and up....

I agree with the other comments that just tweaking a plot for your game changes it usually enough that the players don't notice. Sometimes that is enough to make the plot amazing.

Another plot device that I love to spring on my players is the opposite plot. I started doing it when I realized what Elric was...the opposite of the Conan genre...another more modern example... China Mieville's PSS or the Scar could be the opposite of the entire fantasy genre (elves/dwarves/kings/etc)....(while still being fantasy...amazing)

My players really don't notice when I do the opposite plot...though I always mix two plots together anyway so it is hard to spot my lifts.

additional: I just remembered one experience I had playing with a DM that lifted. We always tried to find out what movies he had watched that week because that would be what the adventure was about....if it wasn't for the beer and friends I think I would have dropped that game...it was fun but too silly.

 

[billd91]

I think it's a question of what they are paying attention to. At game time, they're usually focused on the situation right in front of them be it puzzle, combat, interaction with the Duke, whatever. But when we read or compose the adventure, we're seeing it a step removed and able to assimilate all parts of it at the same time. Someone reviewing a story hour might have a better chance of noticing it than the players do because they're up at that one-step-removed level and thus able to have a wider angle lens.