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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Keldryn" data-source="post: 5128628" data-attributes="member: 11999">It does sound to me like the players in the original post are deliberately being difficult.  It could be in response to some perceived "railroading," but I've also gamed with a fair number of players over the years who have more fun simply throwing the DM off guard than by actually playing the game.  Assuming that the players actually want to play D&D (if they just want to screw with the DM, then that's a different discussion altogether), then they need to suck it up and just go with something that the DM has prepared.  If the players are truly uninterested in any of the plot hooks provided by the DM, then the DM should consider asking the players what sort of adventures they want to participate in so as to accomodate their interests.There is nothing wrong with the DM saying "look guys, I can't run the game if I have nothing prepared, so if you guys want to play tonight, pick one of the plot hooks that I have prepared for you and then after the game tell me what kind of adventure you want to participate in."  For the most part, the DM is the one putting several hours a week outside of the game into preparation, while the players generally don't need to do anything outside the game.  In my experience it is not uncommon for the DM to also be hosting the game at his residence as well as supplying many of the books, battlemats/tiles and miniatures.I've always considered it part of the social contract of the game that the players understand that the DM needs to prepare for the adventure beforehand (either by writing his or her own or reading and modifying a published adventure) and that there is a huge investment of time spend outside the game in preparation.  Thus, while the DM should go out of his way to make the adventure interesting for the individual players, the players need to work within the framework that the DM has prepared.  Explictly setting a rule that "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" does strike me as too heavy-handed an approach that is mostly likely to simply result in more resistance from the players.My suggestion would be to talk to the players directly about the issue:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> ask them if they really are not interested in the hooks which you have provided of if they are mostly just unhappy with feeling like you are telling them what to do.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> ask them what sort of hooks would intrigue their characters.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> ask them what kind of adventures they (as players) would like to participate in.</li> </ul>   After getting a general idea what they really want and whether there is a huge gap between your wants and the players' wants, involve them more directly in building the campaign:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> ask each player to give you an interesting rumor that their character has heard.  The rumor doesn't have to end up being completely true, of course, but it gives you something to go on</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> ask the group to collectively decide upon why they are working together and what they are trying to accomplish as a group.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> when you have an undefined area of your world that the players start asking more questions about that you have answers to, ask them what they think is there or what they are looking for there.  If it's not too outlandish, then let them find it there.  At the very least, there can be some kernel of truth to what they told you should be there.</li> </ul>Rather than telling the players that events such as these are happening in the area:Drop the passive approach to adventure hooks and draw the players in directly:<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> While traveling through a remote area, they are confronted by an angry iron dragon who is defending her hunting ground.  He is very agitated, as there is a green dragon trying to take over his hunting ground; if the players are diplomatic, they can learn this information.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> Grave robbers plant stolen items in the PCs' gear or in their places of residence, and these items are discovered by the town guard.  The players then learn of the rash of burglaries of local crypts.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> While traveling along the coastline, they spot a merchant ship being boarded by pirates.  If the PCs do nothing, the ship is eventually set on fire and it crashes into a reef.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> The players encounter survivors of an attack on a homestead a few days out of town.  As the move farther away from the town, they encounter advance scouts of this orchish horde.  If the PCs do nothing, the orcs raze the town within a month and establish a temporary base there.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> The PCs stumble across an attempted murder, witness a senior Goodwin guild member bribing a town official, or witness a Goodwin thug extorting a local merchant.  When the PCs go to buy something, the prices are ridiculously inflated, due to the Goodwin's guild cutting off his supplier.  </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> The PCs witness a murder on the docks.  Someone is murdered on the docks, and a witness identifies one of the PCs as the murderer.  One of the victims was the person that was supposed to supply the PCs with information, and now he's dead.  One of the PC's relatives was a murder victim.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> Prices of food in the town rise dramatically, as local farmers are losing much of their crop yield and/or livestock to gobliln raiders.  If the PCs don't care, then they may encounter homeless farmers seeking refuge at the town gates, and later find the charred remains of a farmstead.  Perhaps the PCs witness a goblin raid on a farm as they travel.  If any of the PCs grew up on a farm, well then guess which farm will be raided next...</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"> A mysterious cave appears in the middle of town and monsters start pouring out of it.  While the PCs are eating breakfast in the tavern.  Or the mysterious cave appears out of nowhere, right where the equipment/magic store used to be.  It could also appear around the PCs while they are sleeping by the side of the road, but that could really annoy players.</li> </ol>If players aren't biting at plot hooks, stop dangling them in the hopes that they decide to pick one.  Hit them over the head with a plot hook, and try to make it personal.</blockquote>

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