Mechanics of foretelling the future

[Dannyalcatraz]

Darlene7
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[Hand of Evil]

I have always used the reading and answers as "clue" for the players. You also have to listen to what the players are asking. As a GM, I have events or locations, planned that I can then provide details to the player.

You just have to be general in your answers - the better the success, the more details you can give out.

Example:
You will meet a girl, find her dog. This will lead you to a waterfall and a door behind it, the least good of your party shall open it and if you live the next 10 days, the rewards will be greater than any before.

Also, I use the player's Piety. Players that roleplay their devotion will be rewarded, those that don't will not.

Rule of thump...

• Tell of the road - weather, direction, etc.
• Tell of obstacles - events (random monster)
• Tell of an NPC - someone who may help or try and stop them
• Tell of the villian - hideout or appearance or plot or personality

 

[Janx]

I have always used the reading and answers as "clue" for the players. You also have to listen to what the players are asking. As a GM, I have events or locations, planned that I can then provide details to the player.

You just have to be general in your answers - the better the success, the more details you can give out.

Example:
You will meet a girl, find her dog. This will lead you to a waterfall and a door behind it, the least good of your party shall open it and if you live the next 10 days, the rewards will be greater than any before.

Also, I use the player's Piety. Players that roleplay their devotion will be rewarded, those that don't will not.

Rule of thump...

• Tell of the road - weather, direction, etc.
• Tell of obstacles - events (random monster)
• Tell of an NPC - someone who may help or try and stop them
• Tell of the villian - hideout or appearance or plot or personality

pretty good advice. Each of those elements would be useful to know and is probable to encounter if the PCs are actively pursuing the plot hook.

you may say there is bad weather on the road, and the PCs find a way to bypass it, but they will see that as the prophecy giving them a future to avoid.

When they do meet an NPC who fits the description of helpful old man, they will assume it is the guy and trust him, thereby minimizing the usual NPC distrust conversation lag

When they meet the villain wielding the very sword you said he would (because it was on his character sheet), they'll see that as confirmation of the prophecy as well.

It's not rocket surgery.

though it might not be simplifiable to game mechanics.

I would avoid showing definitive outcomes, like the bad guy dies by having PC#1's blad plunged into his heart, as that might not be how he actually dies. But showing elements of the encounter will inform the party what they will face without declaring the final outcome.

 

[Nagol]

In a 2e game a couple of decades ago, my Druid had Astrology and would cast a chart each day.

The chart gave the group a vague sense of the day's events.

For example, when traveling overland the DM rolled the random encounters ahead of time and gave a general idea of number of encounters combined with their danger level. This was really helpful when the DM told us "Today will be challenging. Traveling in the woods will lead to painful horror". We spent that day holed up in the inn. The DM rolled a high-level CE lich encounter on the wilderness encounter tables.

When at an active adventure site, he gave some general insight into themic challenges.