GMforPowergamers
Legend
OK, so this has come up before, and is pestering us again in my group. Most of us agree the DM has to roll with the story as the PCs go, and can't make them do things (AKA railroading bad), but we disagree as to what is and is not railroading.
well the new rule I put down 3 weeks ago (when we started a 4e 1st level game) is now being challenged as railroading... the rule was "If your character doesn't want to take part in the adventure provided, then that is fine, he can sit out, just draw one up that will so you can play the game"
Now I am going to state from 3 past experences why this rule came into effect.
1) I have had players marvel at the lack of plot hooks for areas... infact in a 3.5 game becuse there was intresting news and adventures (read plot hooks) from 3 of the 4 main settlements around them, they were intrigued by the lack of things going on with the dwarves... and set out to find out why. This iratated me more then a little since I had drawn up 3 possibe adventures for the other three areas....
2) Game 2 of a WoD game set in cammarilla controled CT, all the PCs wanted to defect to the sabbot in NY... my problem, I had no sabbot NPCs drawn up, and a who cam story line ready....
3) My dresden files 4e game (still running once a month) got derailed for 2 games looking for things that were not there, and ignoreing my plot...
OK, so after a few others (these are just the main ones) I set the above rule at character creation. Now I have the city of heartland drawn up, and full of NPCs, I have a poltical villain trying to take over the city from the good and kind lord mayor, and an Orc Horde on the way to sack the town. I now also have 2 PCs who have tried twice to get the group to pick a random direction and leave town. When I enforced my rule, they balked "You can't make me play your pre written story" and I responded "No, but I can tell you I am not running a game that takes place in the white un mapped area of my world, until you atleast try to do something in the town"
Now to set this up the plot hooks they can name (but don't want to run with) are,
1) a dragon trying to claim another dragons huntting grounds
2) a group of crypt being robed that have small dungeons attached that need protecting
3) Pirates raiding boats off the cost
4) Orcs moveing about a month away on a direct line for the town
5) Goodwin;s merchent guild making a play for the town
6) a serieal killer loose on the docks
7) a small tribe of goblins harasing local farmers
8) a mystrius cave that noone ever saw before appeared...
they say that is not enough options, if they want to head out to the west then that is wher the game should move to...
so is that railroading??
well the new rule I put down 3 weeks ago (when we started a 4e 1st level game) is now being challenged as railroading... the rule was "If your character doesn't want to take part in the adventure provided, then that is fine, he can sit out, just draw one up that will so you can play the game"
Now I am going to state from 3 past experences why this rule came into effect.
1) I have had players marvel at the lack of plot hooks for areas... infact in a 3.5 game becuse there was intresting news and adventures (read plot hooks) from 3 of the 4 main settlements around them, they were intrigued by the lack of things going on with the dwarves... and set out to find out why. This iratated me more then a little since I had drawn up 3 possibe adventures for the other three areas....
2) Game 2 of a WoD game set in cammarilla controled CT, all the PCs wanted to defect to the sabbot in NY... my problem, I had no sabbot NPCs drawn up, and a who cam story line ready....
3) My dresden files 4e game (still running once a month) got derailed for 2 games looking for things that were not there, and ignoreing my plot...
OK, so after a few others (these are just the main ones) I set the above rule at character creation. Now I have the city of heartland drawn up, and full of NPCs, I have a poltical villain trying to take over the city from the good and kind lord mayor, and an Orc Horde on the way to sack the town. I now also have 2 PCs who have tried twice to get the group to pick a random direction and leave town. When I enforced my rule, they balked "You can't make me play your pre written story" and I responded "No, but I can tell you I am not running a game that takes place in the white un mapped area of my world, until you atleast try to do something in the town"
Now to set this up the plot hooks they can name (but don't want to run with) are,
1) a dragon trying to claim another dragons huntting grounds
2) a group of crypt being robed that have small dungeons attached that need protecting
3) Pirates raiding boats off the cost
4) Orcs moveing about a month away on a direct line for the town
5) Goodwin;s merchent guild making a play for the town
6) a serieal killer loose on the docks
7) a small tribe of goblins harasing local farmers
8) a mystrius cave that noone ever saw before appeared...
they say that is not enough options, if they want to head out to the west then that is wher the game should move to...
so is that railroading??