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<blockquote data-quote="jgsugden" data-source="post: 8214405" data-attributes="member: 2629">Why continue the game?&nbsp; Because people invest in their PCs, and the wirst fate of a D&amp;D game is a fade away, with no heroic climax or heroic death.&nbsp; It is the fate of most PCs, but it suuuuuucks to have a campaign just end in the middle.That being said, I always give the players what they want (at the surface).&nbsp; They're there to have fun, and if you deny them what they want, it limits their fun.But, that doesn't mean we want to give it to them clean.D&amp;D is an RPG, a role playing game.&nbsp; Characters play a role in a story.&nbsp; The more you invest in the story, the more return you'll get in your investment.&nbsp; Talk to the players.&nbsp; Find out what their PCs want.&nbsp; That is your tool set to make things cook.&nbsp; Often, stories will jump out at you from these feedback sessions.&nbsp; If it doesn't there are some tried and true tools to make use of the information.&nbsp; One of those is my old friend Asmodeus.&nbsp; In my setting, he always deceives, but never lies.&nbsp;&nbsp; He gives you what you want, but takes more in the end.&nbsp; He holds all the cards, and has a huge buy in to play his games.&nbsp; Most importantly, he does not see himself as a villain.&nbsp; He sees himself as a wronged party demanding what was due to him.&nbsp; He was tasked with running the Hells, and it was hellish.&nbsp; When the Blood War began, he was forced into an unending war with demons.&nbsp; He is underfunded in the souls necessary to win that war, and treated as a monster because he does what is necessary to keep fighting it.&nbsp; That is his view, at least.&nbsp;&nbsp; Your PCs are at a level where they matter - and that can draw the eyes of a being like him.&nbsp; And if they want things they do not have, but they have more power already that they seek to add, Asmodeus could see a ... bargain.&nbsp; And a nice bargain that gives them what they want, gives Asmodeus more back, and leaves the PCs with new enemies that Asmodeus wants defeated (but did not mention in the bargain)...If not that, allowing them to glimpse what they want, but need to quest for it, is also a tried and true path.&nbsp; Not having the power in their hand, but having it be clearly ahead of them, can do wonders.&nbsp; I love dropping a whiff of a Holy Avenger to the paladin of the group far before they have a chance to wield it.&nbsp; The Staff of the Magi?&nbsp; The wizard will know exactly where it is, and how awesome it is ... and then there will be the day it falls at his feet after a long journey.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="jgsugden, post: 8214405, member: 2629"] Why continue the game? Because people invest in their PCs, and the wirst fate of a D&D game is a fade away, with no heroic climax or heroic death. It is the fate of most PCs, but it suuuuuucks to have a campaign just end in the middle. That being said, I always give the players what they want (at the surface). They're there to have fun, and if you deny them what they want, it limits their fun. But, that doesn't mean we want to give it to them clean. D&D is an RPG, a role playing game. Characters play a role in a story. The more you invest in the story, the more return you'll get in your investment. Talk to the players. Find out what their [I]PCs[/I] want. That is your tool set to make things cook. Often, stories will jump out at you from these feedback sessions. If it doesn't there are some tried and true tools to make use of the information. One of those is my old friend Asmodeus. In my setting, he always deceives, but never lies. He gives you what you want, but takes more in the end. He holds all the cards, and has a huge buy in to play his games. Most importantly, he does not see himself as a villain. He sees himself as a wronged party demanding what was due to him. He was tasked with running the Hells, and it was hellish. When the Blood War began, he was forced into an unending war with demons. He is underfunded in the souls necessary to win that war, and treated as a monster because he does what is necessary to keep fighting it. That is his view, at least. Your PCs are at a level where they matter - and that can draw the eyes of a being like him. And if they want things they do not have, but they have more power already that they seek to add, Asmodeus could see a ... bargain. And a nice bargain that gives them what they want, gives Asmodeus more back, and leaves the PCs with new enemies that Asmodeus wants defeated (but did not mention in the bargain)... If not that, allowing them to glimpse what they want, but need to quest for it, is also a tried and true path. Not having the power in their hand, but having it be clearly ahead of them, can do wonders. I love dropping a whiff of a Holy Avenger to the paladin of the group far before they have a chance to wield it. The Staff of the Magi? The wizard will know exactly where it is, and how awesome it is ... and then there will be the day it falls at his feet after a long journey. [/QUOTE]

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