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GM Prep Time - Cognitive Dissonance in Encounter Design?
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<blockquote data-quote="Thornir Alekeg" data-source="post: 5183564" data-attributes="member: 15651"><p>The assumption here is that the PCs will encounter the BBEG and roll initiative. It removes any and all possibilities for any other option. Some players may attempt to <em>talk</em> with the BBEG, to get them monologging, to learn more of their evil plans or to justify to themselves they are in their rights to just kill the BBEG. It is true that probably for 95% of any group, the rest of the stuff like motivation, background etc. does not matter, but for the DMs of those 5%, not having that information means they need to come up with it themselves and usually on the fly when the party does not do as expected and just attack. </p><p></p><p>I agree that statblocks containing whether they NPCs can turn undead or cast Daylight are pretty much useless, but on the other hand, not giving any information as to some of their background, skills and abilities that might be useful in interaction with the PCs other than combat means if needed it is all up the DM.</p><p></p><p>The final consideration is, who is the true target audience of any published adventure? The answer is not the players who run through it, but the person who <strong>purchases</strong> it, and that is almost always the DM. If the players love the adventure, but the DM finds it difficult to run because they are lacking information they need or want, that DM is less likely to purchase another. If the players love the adventure <u>and</u> it has stuff the players never see, but makes the DM's time simpler and more interesting, the DM is likely to become a loyal customer.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Thornir Alekeg, post: 5183564, member: 15651"] The assumption here is that the PCs will encounter the BBEG and roll initiative. It removes any and all possibilities for any other option. Some players may attempt to [i]talk[/i] with the BBEG, to get them monologging, to learn more of their evil plans or to justify to themselves they are in their rights to just kill the BBEG. It is true that probably for 95% of any group, the rest of the stuff like motivation, background etc. does not matter, but for the DMs of those 5%, not having that information means they need to come up with it themselves and usually on the fly when the party does not do as expected and just attack. I agree that statblocks containing whether they NPCs can turn undead or cast Daylight are pretty much useless, but on the other hand, not giving any information as to some of their background, skills and abilities that might be useful in interaction with the PCs other than combat means if needed it is all up the DM. The final consideration is, who is the true target audience of any published adventure? The answer is not the players who run through it, but the person who [b]purchases[/b] it, and that is almost always the DM. If the players love the adventure, but the DM finds it difficult to run because they are lacking information they need or want, that DM is less likely to purchase another. If the players love the adventure [u]and[/u] it has stuff the players never see, but makes the DM's time simpler and more interesting, the DM is likely to become a loyal customer. [/QUOTE]
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