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<blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 6290089" data-attributes="member: 4937">I think it would be fairer to say that I'm trying to DM something that could be made into a smart novel or a smart movie.&nbsp; I'm not sure I'm always successful at that.I honestly don't know.&nbsp; I'd like to think that it isn't an overstatement, but I no longer have wide exposure to what a lot of other DMs are doing with their games.&nbsp; In my experience as a DM though, players will question whether your story hangs together.&nbsp; If you've got plot holes or inconsistancies in the slightest, your players are going to start tearing at the fabric on purpose.&nbsp; Players are going to be gleefully jumping into them or highly disatisfied with the lack of logic the game has.&nbsp; I don't think I've ever had players that just shrugged and said, &quot;Ok, this doesn't make sense but its what the DM wants us to do so we are going to do it anyway.&quot;&nbsp; At best, I've had players that said, &quot;Since this makes sense, I'm going to go along with it.&quot; rather than players who say, &quot;Let's see if I can make the DM squirm by doing something I think he's completely unprepared for.&quot;&nbsp; I pride myself on being hard to throw off my game.&nbsp; During my recent campaign, the players saved a rural town from an ancient curse, and when they got back to town one of the players that tended to be the one most likely to try to make me squirm was like, &quot;Why aren't we getting paid.&nbsp; We are big darn heroes.&nbsp; We just saved your town; you guys owe us.&nbsp; Give us a reward.&quot;&nbsp; Now, in truth I hadn't prepared for the town to display gratitude to the PC's - in some sense, this whole scenario was just a side quest to explain where the Paladin's mount came from - since the Wizard Aden had been the character that had served as 'quest giver' (gold '!' over his head, heh) and had promised to pay the characters.&nbsp;&nbsp; After first I played the town as (paraphrased), &quot;Errr.. we're grateful and all, but we don't have a lot of money to pay you.&nbsp; No body said we were going to pay you.&nbsp; We don't have a lot of money to give wealthy mercenaries like you.&nbsp; We're wood cutters and many of our homes have been destroyed.&nbsp; You've got or gratitude now.... ummm bye.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp; But the player insisted.&nbsp; They'd done the town a great service, and now they were only getting lip service about how grateful the town was, but no real gratitude.&nbsp; So, I played the NPCs to character.&nbsp; I had the mayor declare a fair and a feast on the player's behalf.&nbsp; I had the local bombastic noble bring a wagon of beer and present a keg of his families own label to the party.&nbsp; I had farmers giving the character's homespun clothes, crates of chickens, bags of newly littered hunting hounds, a barrel of pickled eels, fresh eggs, new wood axes, etc.&nbsp; I don't think the PC's have ever been more satisified by the treasure they recieved.It's a good thing to have players that refuse to look away from a plot hole.&nbsp; If your plot can't hang together, it's not your players fault.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Celebrim, post: 6290089, member: 4937"] I think it would be fairer to say that I'm trying to DM something that could be made into a smart novel or a smart movie. I'm not sure I'm always successful at that. I honestly don't know. I'd like to think that it isn't an overstatement, but I no longer have wide exposure to what a lot of other DMs are doing with their games. In my experience as a DM though, players will question whether your story hangs together. If you've got plot holes or inconsistancies in the slightest, your players are going to start tearing at the fabric on purpose. Players are going to be gleefully jumping into them or highly disatisfied with the lack of logic the game has. I don't think I've ever had players that just shrugged and said, "Ok, this doesn't make sense but its what the DM wants us to do so we are going to do it anyway." At best, I've had players that said, "Since this makes sense, I'm going to go along with it." rather than players who say, "Let's see if I can make the DM squirm by doing something I think he's completely unprepared for." I pride myself on being hard to throw off my game. During my recent campaign, the players saved a rural town from an ancient curse, and when they got back to town one of the players that tended to be the one most likely to try to make me squirm was like, "Why aren't we getting paid. We are big darn heroes. We just saved your town; you guys owe us. Give us a reward." Now, in truth I hadn't prepared for the town to display gratitude to the PC's - in some sense, this whole scenario was just a side quest to explain where the Paladin's mount came from - since the Wizard Aden had been the character that had served as 'quest giver' (gold '!' over his head, heh) and had promised to pay the characters. After first I played the town as (paraphrased), "Errr.. we're grateful and all, but we don't have a lot of money to pay you. No body said we were going to pay you. We don't have a lot of money to give wealthy mercenaries like you. We're wood cutters and many of our homes have been destroyed. You've got or gratitude now.... ummm bye." But the player insisted. They'd done the town a great service, and now they were only getting lip service about how grateful the town was, but no real gratitude. So, I played the NPCs to character. I had the mayor declare a fair and a feast on the player's behalf. I had the local bombastic noble bring a wagon of beer and present a keg of his families own label to the party. I had farmers giving the character's homespun clothes, crates of chickens, bags of newly littered hunting hounds, a barrel of pickled eels, fresh eggs, new wood axes, etc. I don't think the PC's have ever been more satisified by the treasure they recieved. It's a good thing to have players that refuse to look away from a plot hole. If your plot can't hang together, it's not your players fault. [/QUOTE]

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