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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quasqueton" data-source="post: 1348537" data-attributes="member: 3854">Have you ever seen Players get totally fascinated with something in an adventure that has no real significance or interest or bearing? I've seen it a few times, including this last game session. An item or room or something that to the DM and the adventure is just window dressing or flavor; but to the Players, for some reason, it becomes a secret they *have* to "figure out".For instance, a perfectly mundane statue in the middle of a room; or an old water pump that brings no water when worked; or an empty treasure chest.Sometimes it is the fact that the DM described it that prompts the interest. Sometimes it is just the mundanity of it in an otherwise exotic locale or situation. But whatever gets the Players' attention, it sometimes gets them to waste amazing amounts of time investigating it. And the DM just sits there, thinking, "Why are they checking this so closely? There's *nothing* here."Unfortunately, if the DM just comes right out and says there's nothing to do about the place/thing, that gives a clue to the Players for next time. If the PCs encounter something later that catches (or doesn't) their attention, and the DM does not wave them off of it, they know it is important.But then sometimes there is something interesting about an item or room, and the Players overlook it or ignore the hints/clues (subtle or obvious). Or sometimes there is a reason for the object/place that will become evident later in the adventure. (But the Players waste so much time examining the object/place without all the information they could get if they just move on.)It's a Catch 22.So how can a DM get the Players to let something go, when all they are doing is wasting time on an unimportant item/place?Quasqueton</blockquote>

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