Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="sd_jasper" data-source="post: 7577252" data-attributes="member: 6888436">Here is my advice: Don't plot a story, set up a problem! PCs are going to go off and do unexpected things. You can't stop that... and nobody is going to have a good time if you try. So avoid trying to set up some grand story that the PCs are "suppose" to get involved in.Instead, set up a problems in the world that will only resolve if the PCs get involved. Easiest is if the PCs have a goal already. Ask the players what they want to be working towards and then throw some roadblocks in the way. Another option (and my favorite starting place) is to have powerful NPCs or NPC factions that have come to some sort of stalemate. The have that conflict interfere with the PCs in some way. They can always ignore the problem, but that makes their lives hard. So they will have to get involved, pick a side, and change the balance of power.If the PCs decide to "take a left" and just bolt... go with it... but maybe their problems end up following them, or have already "arrived" at the new destination. Maybe a whole new set of problems await (but I tend to fine a way to tie things together so that the overall theme stays consistent).Also, how are the PCs interrupting dialog? If they are speaking in character, then the NPC should react and call them out for rudeness or whatever is appropriate. But also be aware that PCs are the "stars" of the show... not the NPCs. And if an NPC is just up "monologuing" and you have written out a 5 min bit of expositions.... stop that! You're going to lose the audience. Just in film, it's better to "show don't tell".</blockquote>

Verification