D&D General No Fixed Location -- dynamically rearranging items, monsters, and other game elements in the interests of storytelling

[Derren]

Personally, I prefer combining the three-clue rule with proactive elements. So, if the players manage to miss all three clues, I’ll have a fourth clue come to them instead of moving a clue. Both are valid options though IMO.

Then it is not three clues anymore but "as many clues it takes for the players to do what I want".

 

[FrogReaver]

I don't understand the use case. Would you provide a reason or an example why one would change the location of a treasure room in the middle of the session?

For the same reason you changed it on Friday before the session...

 

[Fenris-77]

Then it is not three clues anymore but "as many clues it takes for the players to do what I want".

In a game where following the clues to solve the problem was an understood component of that game. So, really, what's your point?

 

[Derren]

In a game where following the clues to solve the problem was an understood component of that game. So, really, what's your point?

That again this invalidates the players actions as they are not allowed to get it wrong.

 

[FrogReaver]

That again this invalidates the players actions as they are not allowed to get it wrong.

Meaningless actions/choices deserve to be invalidated.

 

[Derren]

Meaningless actions/choices deserve to be invalidated.

So not following your plot is meaningless?

 

[FrogReaver]

So not following your plot is meaningless?

nope. I never said that.

 

[HarbingerX]

We really are again arguing past each other on different styles of play.

• There is a story the players are going to participate in, and alter what they find to help them follow the story.
• There is a setting the players are going to explore in which things will happen, have the setting react based on player action.

Neither is invalid. Both are fun.

In both situations the DM can have better ideas as the game progresses and either change the story, or change the setting.

Can we all get along now? 🕊

 

[Derren]

nope. I never said that.

And yet you throw clues into their faces because they didn't do what you wanted them to do (find clue).

 

[Don Durito]

Solving mysteries is a balance between accomplishment and frustration.

It's it's too trivial or it's inevitable then it's dull. If the players spend too long frustrated about how to solve a mystery without making any progress than the game bogs down and any feeling of accomplishment inevitably becomes anti-climactic.

So you can partly solve this if you are on a timeline, and failure changes the situation for the players (generally makes it worse) - but still, the players have to have the sense that they could have solved the mystery, or it just ends up playing out like the GM dicking around with them, wasting their time for no good reason.

If you allow for no degree of editing once the situation has been set up then you are putting an awful lot of pressure on yourself to get it all right in prep.