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"Illusionism" and "GM force" in RPGing
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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 7923583" data-attributes="member: 29398"><p>An argument could be made - and hey, I might as well make it, just for fun - that the definition of Force could easily be expanded beyond both the goal and GM aspect and instead have it read <em>gentle guidance or manipulation, by the GM or a player, to a fore-ordained run of play.</em></p><p></p><p>Yes I know the thread's specifically talking about GM Force, but allow me to diverge a bit, below...</p><p></p><p>Maybe. Maybe not. The secret door is what it is; if the players/PCs still have an open and unfettered choice as to whether to go through it once found then where's the Force? The outcome isn't preordained.</p><p></p><p>Whether the door is salient or not might not be known info to the players and thus doesn't enter into their decision-making beyond "maybe".</p><p></p><p>You're right it's not neutral, but it's still Force in a way; only this time it's being exerted <strong>on</strong> the GM rather than <strong>by</strong> the GM.</p><p></p><p>Just like D&D tends to hand the DM Force to use as a tool in the box, so here does BW seem to hand players some Force to use on the GM in how they want to shape the run of play.</p><p></p><p>It might not, immediately.</p><p></p><p>Time for some names.</p><p></p><p>Let's say that going in as GM I've decided that somehow during this campaign I'm going to find a way to run B7 Rahasia, L1 Bone Hill, and JG's Dark Tower - preferably in that order due to level suitability - because I happen to think they're all excellent adventures and because I happen to know none of these players have been through any of them before. There'll be other adventures too, of course, but somewhere in this campaign those three are going to appear.</p><p></p><p>Pretty much no matter what background-goals-interests the players have for their PCs, chances are very high I can find something in each of those modules that'll relate somehow - and so we might well end up exerting Force on each other: they through forcing me to play to their goals etc. and me through using those goals to get them into those adventures.</p><p></p><p>And if any of the players have anything related to a PC's ancestry as a goal or interest, I'm gold. The Rahib in Rahasia could be a Necromancer with info leading to the whereabouts of an ancestor who is in fact the chained-up skeleton in Bone Hill, who in turn informs the party she was put there by the lich in Dark Tower. (and I made that up while typing it, so stringin' these things together can't be that hard!)</p><p></p><p>Is this bad? I don't think so.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 7923583, member: 29398"] An argument could be made - and hey, I might as well make it, just for fun - that the definition of Force could easily be expanded beyond both the goal and GM aspect and instead have it read [I]gentle guidance or manipulation, by the GM or a player, to a fore-ordained run of play.[/I] Yes I know the thread's specifically talking about GM Force, but allow me to diverge a bit, below... Maybe. Maybe not. The secret door is what it is; if the players/PCs still have an open and unfettered choice as to whether to go through it once found then where's the Force? The outcome isn't preordained. Whether the door is salient or not might not be known info to the players and thus doesn't enter into their decision-making beyond "maybe". You're right it's not neutral, but it's still Force in a way; only this time it's being exerted [B]on[/B] the GM rather than [B]by[/B] the GM. Just like D&D tends to hand the DM Force to use as a tool in the box, so here does BW seem to hand players some Force to use on the GM in how they want to shape the run of play. It might not, immediately. Time for some names. Let's say that going in as GM I've decided that somehow during this campaign I'm going to find a way to run B7 Rahasia, L1 Bone Hill, and JG's Dark Tower - preferably in that order due to level suitability - because I happen to think they're all excellent adventures and because I happen to know none of these players have been through any of them before. There'll be other adventures too, of course, but somewhere in this campaign those three are going to appear. Pretty much no matter what background-goals-interests the players have for their PCs, chances are very high I can find something in each of those modules that'll relate somehow - and so we might well end up exerting Force on each other: they through forcing me to play to their goals etc. and me through using those goals to get them into those adventures. And if any of the players have anything related to a PC's ancestry as a goal or interest, I'm gold. The Rahib in Rahasia could be a Necromancer with info leading to the whereabouts of an ancestor who is in fact the chained-up skeleton in Bone Hill, who in turn informs the party she was put there by the lich in Dark Tower. (and I made that up while typing it, so stringin' these things together can't be that hard!) Is this bad? I don't think so. [/QUOTE]
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