How Do You Get Your Players To Stay On An Adventure Path?
- Thread starter Zak S
- Start date
Zak S
Guest
I have not. I don't run published adventures unless they're pretty open.
I've read lots of them and whenever I do I think "Ok but what do you do if they players don't do one of these options?"
That is one reason I started this thread.
I've only run one full AP, Curse of the Crimson Throne, we have likely one session left to go. My attempt at Rise of the Runelords TPK'd at the end of Book 1.
Some things I did include ensuring player buy in to the campaign premise of opposing the evil queen, and trying to make sticking to that attractive by eg having sympathetic NPCs, though to be honest I don't think I did a fantastic job.
I think the main thing is just to be honest, say "This AP is about X, do you want to play it?" and taking only players who are enthusiastic about the concept. I'm also a fan of opening up APs and allowing side-quests and sandboxing in places, so they don't seem so claustrophobic - I added a lot of sandbox material in Runelords, and that worked great.
Some things I did include ensuring player buy in to the campaign premise of opposing the evil queen, and trying to make sticking to that attractive by eg having sympathetic NPCs, though to be honest I don't think I did a fantastic job.
I think the main thing is just to be honest, say "This AP is about X, do you want to play it?" and taking only players who are enthusiastic about the concept. I'm also a fan of opening up APs and allowing side-quests and sandboxing in places, so they don't seem so claustrophobic - I added a lot of sandbox material in Runelords, and that worked great.
cavesalamander
Explorer
If the party finishes exploring dungeon A in the AP, and the path clearly continues to dungeon B, they will either want to follow the thread or they won't.
If they follow the thread, it's most likely because the players recognize that there is a larger story at play here, and they want to see it through. They find it fun and interesting and want to keep going. (They also hopefully recognize that the DM finds the path interesting, and the players will want to cooperate with the DM's fun as well).
If they don't, no power on earth will get them back on track short of the heavy hand of the DM, and at that point the campaign might as well be finished, because the players will sabotage and subvert the path every chance they get. It clearly doesn't interest them, and you can't force them to like it.
In short, there are no tricks to keep the players invested in the AP other than making sure they're having a good time with it, and can clearly see the way to go next.
If they follow the thread, it's most likely because the players recognize that there is a larger story at play here, and they want to see it through. They find it fun and interesting and want to keep going. (They also hopefully recognize that the DM finds the path interesting, and the players will want to cooperate with the DM's fun as well).
If they don't, no power on earth will get them back on track short of the heavy hand of the DM, and at that point the campaign might as well be finished, because the players will sabotage and subvert the path every chance they get. It clearly doesn't interest them, and you can't force them to like it.
In short, there are no tricks to keep the players invested in the AP other than making sure they're having a good time with it, and can clearly see the way to go next.
Zak S
Guest
That word "clearly"--that's what I'm asking about.
What makes it "clear"?
I've seen so many adventures where a wide variety of solutions is obviously possible and the module itself only addresses 1 or 2 options, and often ones that don't seem obvious.
A good GM can allow for unanticipated approaches and still continue the AP, adding and cutting material as appropriate. As long as the players are committed to the AP premise they will go back 'on track' eventually.
Storminator
First Post
I ran the Savage Tide adventure path, and at the end of one of the adventures there is a shipwreck, and the PCs wake up on the beach at the beginning of the next adventure.
Me: *reading boxed text about the storm.*
Player 1: I use my Cloak of the Manta Ray!
Me: No you don't - it's an adventure path - *more boxed text*
Player 2: I drink my potion of water breathing!
Me: No you don't - it's an adventure path - *more boxed text*
Player 3: I wildshape into a dolphin!
Me: No you don't *more boxed text*
Player 4: I cast ... I don't, do I?
Me: No.
We had a good laugh, shrugged, and played the next module. You can't actually make your players do anything, the best you can do is have them agree on their own.
In other adventures, where we didn't have 7 more adventures lined up, I've just tossed out the last half of the module, as it couldn't be salvaged after PC action.
PS
Me: *reading boxed text about the storm.*
Player 1: I use my Cloak of the Manta Ray!
Me: No you don't - it's an adventure path - *more boxed text*
Player 2: I drink my potion of water breathing!
Me: No you don't - it's an adventure path - *more boxed text*
Player 3: I wildshape into a dolphin!
Me: No you don't *more boxed text*
Player 4: I cast ... I don't, do I?
Me: No.
We had a good laugh, shrugged, and played the next module. You can't actually make your players do anything, the best you can do is have them agree on their own.
In other adventures, where we didn't have 7 more adventures lined up, I've just tossed out the last half of the module, as it couldn't be salvaged after PC action.
PS
Bawylie
A very OK person
You don't need to do anything different at all.
An adventure path is basically a master plan for the baddies laid out. If the players don't take action to stop the baddies, then they win. And maybe the game is over.
But if your players are engaged and take one of the hooks you've dropped, they'll get on board with stopping the baddies.
Mostly, they'll go along within an expected range of behavior and action. But who cares if they don't? You don't need to force them back to where the adventure says they need to be.
So I guess ultimately the AP is a tool. And you use as much or as little of it as you need in response to the players' initiative. When I use them (fairly rarely), the first thing I do is dig in, find out the baddies' agenda, and rip the rest into components. If they're getting near something the AP wrote, I'll put it there for them to interact with. If not, nbd, I can chuck it.
And if they all go home or decide the major conflict isn't important, then the game is over and we'll play something else they ARE interested in.
That said, I don't think I've ever had to force or corral a player to do anything in a campaign. I've run more direct one-shots, wherein I give win/loss conditions and challenge the players to complete it, but that's just a different mode of play.
An adventure path is basically a master plan for the baddies laid out. If the players don't take action to stop the baddies, then they win. And maybe the game is over.
But if your players are engaged and take one of the hooks you've dropped, they'll get on board with stopping the baddies.
Mostly, they'll go along within an expected range of behavior and action. But who cares if they don't? You don't need to force them back to where the adventure says they need to be.
So I guess ultimately the AP is a tool. And you use as much or as little of it as you need in response to the players' initiative. When I use them (fairly rarely), the first thing I do is dig in, find out the baddies' agenda, and rip the rest into components. If they're getting near something the AP wrote, I'll put it there for them to interact with. If not, nbd, I can chuck it.
And if they all go home or decide the major conflict isn't important, then the game is over and we'll play something else they ARE interested in.
That said, I don't think I've ever had to force or corral a player to do anything in a campaign. I've run more direct one-shots, wherein I give win/loss conditions and challenge the players to complete it, but that's just a different mode of play.
Zak S
Guest
Then in what sense are you playing the adventure path?
Like, if your players think up a tactic not accounted for in the module then solve the bad guy problem in a way not anticipated then a whole chain of events planned for that path is derailed and you're not on the path anymore, right?
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