D&D General I have been asked for help and I am looking for input

[GMforPowergamers]

So for years I have taught new players. Many have taken 1 or 2 campaigns with me then went on to make there own groups... now since covid I have NOT really been store running (and only 1 con so far since) but I still text and discord with old players now running.

So I am going to keep some details vauge like edition... but 1 of those old players has been DMing off and on and has a newish campaign and he has run into an issue. He has asked me how I would handle it. I will do my best to explain it here then what I have already said... although I started with a laugh emoji and 'welcome to the 'hard' part of DMing'

so the background. He put together an afterschool game (if it matters he is a sr in HS and he was an 8th grader when I first met him) this game has 6 regular players that up until now have made almost every game (witch is a small miracle). the game started at 1st level and is now 4th level and they use XP.

the issue. in a session he had a player ask about an area of the world that he had not preped yet. (he has a hand drawn map that includes city names and ruin names) and he off the top of his head made up a (IMO) cool story about the place being haunted by a ghost dragon. (no he had no stats in mind, no real seed just answering a question) however this has turned the entire session into an argument... 4 players want to investigate this (1 of the 4 wants to actually drop what they are doing right now but other 3 just want that next) BUT 2 of them not only don't want to do it but are refusing to go near a 'ghost dragon' at level 4. Now this wasn't just a pause, but they are mid adventure and a 3ish hour session was derailed by this.

his quastion is what to do when some players WANT to do something and some DON'T, how does he as the DM adjudicate this?

Spoiler: my answer so far

Okay so after laughing at him a bit I promised I would give it some thoughts, but off the top of my head it is something as a DM he has little IN GAME control of, but talking to the players out of game may be the best option...

 

[pogre]

Have the players vote. Majority rules - move on.

 

[jgsugden]

As a DM - don't. Unless you're running an NPC in the discussion, this is something to let the PCs resolve in character. They're making a decision about what the OCs want (or fear) to do. If they make the decision to go there on the cuff and arrive during the same session, wing it. If they make the decision to go there and you have enough in place to keep from reaching it in the session youhave time to plan.

Though not my approach, some DMs would Scooby Doo this scenario and hve the overpowered ghost dragon turn out to be other cretures in disguise using the story of the ghost to keep intelligent foes away.

 

[payn]

Depends on style of game. If its an open sandbox, then the players need to find a way to form a consensus. This can be difficult because D&D specifically makes splitting the party difficult and time consuming. I would find ways as a GM to encourage the group to stay together and act as a team. If its an adventure path, then refrain from making interesting dead ends for the players to ogle at.

Side tangent, the ghost dragon is pretty cool. It would certainly be doable ina few ways. The first that springs to mind is that its not actually a ghost dragon at all. Just some manageable NPC/Monster using illusory magic to scare people away. A little research into the place can go a long ways and promote recon as a game play loop. YMMV.

 

[Xamnam]

his quastion is what to do when some players WANT to do something and some DON'T, how does he as the DM adjudicate this?

The question is interesting, and I want to think about the broader contextless answer, but as far as this specific situation:

4 players want to investigate this (1 of the 4 wants to actually drop what they are doing right now but other 3 just want that next) BUT 2 of them not only don't want to do it but are refusing to go near a 'ghost dragon' at level 4. Now this wasn't just a pause, but they are mid adventure and a 3ish hour session was derailed by this.

This to me sounds like an issue of player assumptions about the world. The two who don't want to seem like they're (reasonably!) concerned about the danger a dragon would pose to adventurers of their power. The four who are on board seem like they're confident it's so not far beyond their capabilities that it's a fool's errand for them specifically to check it out (or, this is just a fact finding mission, and they could retreat if it goes wrong).

So, additional knowledge is the answer! The DM needs to decide how strong dragons are generally in their world, how dangerous this specific dragon is, and communicate to the players what their adventures would reasonably know as residents of that world:

Are dragons something everyone runs away from? Are adventuring parties of comparable strength the standard response to this sort of thing? Is this is a baby ghost dragon who has just started haunting, or an ancient one who has terrorized the domain for hundreds of years, or is it unknown because no one has returned?

And, if that doesn't resolve the conflict, here's a case where pulling back the curtain on their particular style might help. Either saying "Hey, I run a world where you'll die if you seek out creatures you shouldn't." (but running away might be an option) or "If that's the story you want to follow, I'll make sure it's one that's not impossible for you." (but reckless behavior might have consequences)



Edit: Me as a player? Ghost Dragon sounds way too dangerous to chase at level 4, unless we have some special weapon or know a weakness.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Side tangent, the ghost dragon is pretty cool. It would certainly be doable ina few ways. The first that springs to mind is that its not actually a ghost dragon at all. Just some manageable NPC/Monster using illusory magic to scare people away. A little research into the place can go a long ways and promote recon as a game play loop. YMMV.

TBH the ghost dragon was what I thought was the best part of this... and I did tell him that it was a great ad lib that didn't tie him down so I thought it was a sighn he was doing well..

 

[payn]

TBH the ghost dragon was what I thought was the best part of this... and I did tell him that it was a great ad lib that didn't tie him down so I thought it was a sighn he was doing well..

Yeap, its a double sided ad lib drop. Ghost dragon seems way cooler than just a ghost. Though, it also sounds above the paygrade of a low level PC troop. For future reference, I'd recommend the GM consider level and player mindset when going ad lib. This, of course, takes time and experience with a group to develop.

 

[LordEntrails]

I agree with @jgsugden , Don't. If it gets 'bad' enough, then help the players out by having them talk about it out of character. "Hey everyone, let's talk about this out of character for a moment..."

Now, there are lots of things the DM can do before they get there, depending upon how big the map is and how long travel etc would take. Fill the time with rumors and stories. Add some myths to the mix. Just because they have heard the place is home to a ghost dragon doesn't mean it is, and it doesn't mean the dragon is evil or aggressive. Maybe the dragon only roams the land on nights of a full moon, and can be appeased with sacrifices, or... x, y, or z. Maybe their are local nomands who live or travel through the area and take shelter in magical zones when the dragon is about.

But all in all, it's not (should not be) up to the DM to decide what the characters chose to do. Help the players figure out how their characters will come to a consensus, but don't drive the decision.

 

[iserith]

his quastion is what to do when some players WANT to do something and some DON'T, how does he as the DM adjudicate this?

It's a table rule issue. Here is the table rule in my games:

"Keep Things Moving. We do this by saying "Yes, and..." to our fellow players. When a reasonable idea is proposed, we accept it ("Yes...") and add to it ("and..."). We don't shut down other people's ideas or try to tell other people how to play their characters unless they ask for help. It's discouraging to others and slows the game down."

So in this case, whoever proposed a good faith idea to investigate the ghost dragon is supported by everyone else. The two people who in this situation are refusing to go would work on finding a way to be okay with it. "Yes, and since we're scared that a ghost dragon is a bit more than we can handle in a direct fight, let's focus on ways to be stealthy when we approach the lair and have an exit strategy if things go badly." Then someone can "Yes, and..." that offer until a plan comes into focus.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Let them continue on what they're doing now, then have a plothook show up to encourage them in the direction of the dragon since that's what most of the group wants. Have it give the dissenters a reason to go and give hints that it isn't a murder tornado they're expecting.