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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 7054780" data-attributes="member: 29398">But what happens when there's something significant going on - or about to go on - that the characters (and thus by extension the players) cannot and do not know anything about?&nbsp; For example; yes they might know the Dusk War is on the horizon but what if you-as-DM have predetermined that the main infantry legions of the invading army are going to be wiped out by a divinely-sent flash flood three miles into their march, rendering the whole war mostly moot?Highly relevant if it impacts the PCs in any major way and-or over the long term.&nbsp; For example: their mentor, for whom they've been working almost since the start of their adventuring careers, isn't and has never been what he seems...in some ways.&nbsp; He's sent you on these adventures for legitimate and noble reasons; he's in fact working in the best interests of the empire you yourselves also defend, but were it ever to become public knowledge (and here 'public' includes the PCs) that he's in fact a vampire who has killed thousands in the past he'd be executed pretty much on the spot.&nbsp; This is absolutely plot now and story later even if the PCs never learn a thing about it during the campaign.Again, you're using 'plot' where I would use 'story', to differentiate.&nbsp; Breadcrumbs never followed up on are merely breadcrumbs, even though they may have tried to point to the DM's intended plot, and are eventually forgotten.&nbsp; But once followed up on those breadcrumbs retroactively become part of the game's story.&nbsp; Either way, the breadcrumbs themselves are in the story somewhere, even if buried deep.Lanefan</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 7054780, member: 29398"] But what happens when there's something significant going on - or about to go on - that the characters (and thus by extension the players) cannot and do not know anything about? For example; yes they might know the Dusk War is on the horizon but what if you-as-DM have predetermined that the main infantry legions of the invading army are going to be wiped out by a divinely-sent flash flood three miles into their march, rendering the whole war mostly moot? Highly relevant if it impacts the PCs in any major way and-or over the long term. For example: their mentor, for whom they've been working almost since the start of their adventuring careers, isn't and has never been what he seems...in some ways. He's sent you on these adventures for legitimate and noble reasons; he's in fact working in the best interests of the empire you yourselves also defend, but were it ever to become public knowledge (and here 'public' includes the PCs) that he's in fact a vampire who has killed thousands in the past he'd be executed pretty much on the spot. This is absolutely plot now and story later even if the PCs never learn a thing about it during the campaign. Again, you're using 'plot' where I would use 'story', to differentiate. Breadcrumbs never followed up on are merely breadcrumbs, even though they may have tried to point to the DM's intended plot, and are eventually forgotten. But once followed up on those breadcrumbs retroactively become part of the game's story. Either way, the breadcrumbs themselves are in the story somewhere, even if buried deep. Lanefan [/QUOTE]

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