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General Tabletop Discussion
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GMing: What Keeps Long Running Campaigns Exciting?
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<blockquote data-quote="pming" data-source="post: 8085476" data-attributes="member: 45197"><p>Hiya!</p><p></p><p>"Simple", really... <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> Here's all you have to do as a DM...</p><p></p><p>Realize that the hard-back, full-colour, 200 page "Epic Adventure Story Adventure Book" is the Red Herring; what the Players choose for their PC's to do is what the <em>actual </em>campaign's story is.</p><p></p><p><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>Wanna keep them, and yourself, interested in playing the same PC's over 7 years of weekly games? Ok... stop trying to "run adventure stories" that you bought or have pre-written in excruciating detail, from the uber-mega-double-top-secret BBEG and his/her/it's plans, to the plots and reasoning of every so-called 'important' NPC in the pre-written 'story'. News Flash! The NPC's aren't important; the PC's are. Twist News Flash! The PC's aren't important either. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></p><p></p><p>What do I mean by the PC's aren't "important"? Simple: Let the game play out and the dice do their part...if a PC dies, well, obviously that PC was not 'chosen to defeat the Evil Shadow-Source'. If the PC lives and defeats the Evil Shadow-Source, then I get they were the chosen one. PC's shouldn't be assumed to be 'destined for greatness', and every story/plot you have as a DM is just an idea of a possibility; don't fall into the trap of thinking YOUR story is more important and better than the Players sitting around the table. Surprise News Flash! <em>It's NOT <u>your</u> story!</em> It's theirs. Let them tell it, you just fill in the blanks.</p><p></p><p>Do that... accept your job as a "presenter of the world, without bias, and with internal consistency...and not as ultimate story narrative director", and let your Players drive the bus. Hard for a Player to get 'board' with something when they are the ones deciding what to do in the first place. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></p><p></p><p>^_^</p><p></p><p>Paul L. Ming</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="pming, post: 8085476, member: 45197"] Hiya! "Simple", really... ;) Here's all you have to do as a DM... Realize that the hard-back, full-colour, 200 page "Epic Adventure Story Adventure Book" is the Red Herring; what the Players choose for their PC's to do is what the [I]actual [/I]campaign's story is. :) Wanna keep them, and yourself, interested in playing the same PC's over 7 years of weekly games? Ok... stop trying to "run adventure stories" that you bought or have pre-written in excruciating detail, from the uber-mega-double-top-secret BBEG and his/her/it's plans, to the plots and reasoning of every so-called 'important' NPC in the pre-written 'story'. News Flash! The NPC's aren't important; the PC's are. Twist News Flash! The PC's aren't important either. ;) What do I mean by the PC's aren't "important"? Simple: Let the game play out and the dice do their part...if a PC dies, well, obviously that PC was not 'chosen to defeat the Evil Shadow-Source'. If the PC lives and defeats the Evil Shadow-Source, then I get they were the chosen one. PC's shouldn't be assumed to be 'destined for greatness', and every story/plot you have as a DM is just an idea of a possibility; don't fall into the trap of thinking YOUR story is more important and better than the Players sitting around the table. Surprise News Flash! [I]It's NOT [U]your[/U] story![/I] It's theirs. Let them tell it, you just fill in the blanks. Do that... accept your job as a "presenter of the world, without bias, and with internal consistency...and not as ultimate story narrative director", and let your Players drive the bus. Hard for a Player to get 'board' with something when they are the ones deciding what to do in the first place. ;) ^_^ Paul L. Ming [/QUOTE]
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