Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Introducing Complications Without Forcing Players to Play the "Mother May I?" Game
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Immortal Sun" data-source="post: 7557165"><p>I think after reading your post I'm as confused as you are, but I think you're honestly overthinking the situation.</p><p></p><p>Every action has some kind of reaction, but this isn't physics, that reaction may not be equal, and it may not be opposite. The "consequences" of an action may be positive. It's difficult to determine from your post exactly how you determine consequences of actions already....so I'll talk about myself instead.</p><p></p><p>Generally speaking whenever there is an opportunity, I will pre-determine some "costs" associated with those. Some of those costs will be able to be learned by appropriate checks by the players (though I may not mention which rolls they may or may not make to determine this). Some costs simply can't be known, they're too far out, they're too vague, they're highly improbable. Usually I'll make some behind the screen rolls as players go about their adventure, and depending on their actions will determine which costs become most apparent and immediate.</p><p></p><p>There will be an ever-decreasing skill-check possibility to learn of these costs until it effectively hits 0 and that's when those costs smack them in the face. </p><p></p><p>I'm not really sure how you're seeing this as possibly playing "Mother May I?" to some extent the players always have to ask the DM if something is possible, even if they're doing it via declaration. "DM, is this possible?" is effectively the same "I do the thing, DM tell me how it turns out." The DM must make a determination on if a thing was possible, how possible it was, and how successful, if at all, it was. </p><p></p><p>You player doesn't know what goes in to running a thieves guild. So he essentially has to ask you, the DM, how difficult it would be to accomplish the task and if accomplished, how effective it was. Perhaps the two of you eschew the dice and narrate your way through this. Perhaps you hold opposed die rolls to determine success or failure.</p><p></p><p>I don't think any of this is "Mother May I?" That's just a healthy negotiation between players who want as much as possible for as little cost as possible, and DMs who want players to have to work for their supper. </p><p></p><p>I dunno, maybe I'm as confused as you are.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Immortal Sun, post: 7557165"] I think after reading your post I'm as confused as you are, but I think you're honestly overthinking the situation. Every action has some kind of reaction, but this isn't physics, that reaction may not be equal, and it may not be opposite. The "consequences" of an action may be positive. It's difficult to determine from your post exactly how you determine consequences of actions already....so I'll talk about myself instead. Generally speaking whenever there is an opportunity, I will pre-determine some "costs" associated with those. Some of those costs will be able to be learned by appropriate checks by the players (though I may not mention which rolls they may or may not make to determine this). Some costs simply can't be known, they're too far out, they're too vague, they're highly improbable. Usually I'll make some behind the screen rolls as players go about their adventure, and depending on their actions will determine which costs become most apparent and immediate. There will be an ever-decreasing skill-check possibility to learn of these costs until it effectively hits 0 and that's when those costs smack them in the face. I'm not really sure how you're seeing this as possibly playing "Mother May I?" to some extent the players always have to ask the DM if something is possible, even if they're doing it via declaration. "DM, is this possible?" is effectively the same "I do the thing, DM tell me how it turns out." The DM must make a determination on if a thing was possible, how possible it was, and how successful, if at all, it was. You player doesn't know what goes in to running a thieves guild. So he essentially has to ask you, the DM, how difficult it would be to accomplish the task and if accomplished, how effective it was. Perhaps the two of you eschew the dice and narrate your way through this. Perhaps you hold opposed die rolls to determine success or failure. I don't think any of this is "Mother May I?" That's just a healthy negotiation between players who want as much as possible for as little cost as possible, and DMs who want players to have to work for their supper. I dunno, maybe I'm as confused as you are. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
Introducing Complications Without Forcing Players to Play the "Mother May I?" Game
Top