Opinions needed. What do you do?

[Scott DeWar]

Everything that happens in the game comes from the players deciding where they're going to go and what they're going to do. Most of the biggest things in the game have come from them making comments about something minor.

as a player I try to live the philosaphy of "never give the dm ideas." Some times I open my mouth and insert my foot up to the knee (sometimes up to the hip), thus giving my character his own chance at a horrible death, ... or worse.

I'm not a fan of modules. I ran them a few years ago for a little bit, and they work for people who don't want to really think about things very much or roleplay.

I respectfully dissagree. i am getting ready to run a game and I have the oppertunity to research the module and contents to be pathfinder/trailblazer ideas applied. that is no small thing in realsity.

I like to see what the module has for treasure, then look at what the paarty might want and I may have to change things around a bit. That is no small b8it of reading/ work. i think about what the characters may or may not wnat to do or what they amy may do beyond the module. Once they get started, I like to give them NPC's that they amy run into later.

There really is no small task here, ya know. And I am going to enjoy the heck out of trying to confound them at every turn! mua ha ha ha ha ha!!

 

[aboyd]

I'm not a fan of modules. I ran them a few years ago for a little bit, and they work for people who don't want to really think about things very much or roleplay.

You're doing it wrong.

 

[Engilbrand]

Like I said, I know that that stuff can be added to them. Most of the modules that I've seen, though, are a basic railroad with preconceived notions of behavior and answers to possible questions. Can you take that stuff as a basic framework and turn it into something larger? Sure. But you're talking about putting so much personal effort into it that it would be better to just do it yourself.
Maybe my problem is just that I tend to try to stick too much to what's listed in the module. I'm not the only one, though. I know that there are quite a few DMs out there who decide that nothing is allowed if it isn't mentioned in the module. That's part of my problem with them.
I prefer to just run my own thing based on what the players and I think would be cool.

 

[Scott DeWar]

I would give a demonstration of how it leads to something larger and how how it would incorporate what the players want to do and go to, but I know for a fact that on onf my players at the very least frequents this sight and I do not want to tempt him to reading a spoiler. I know he would not intentionaly meta game, and I do not want to tempt him to do so. just please beleave me when I say that a module can just as easily be altered to go where the players wnat, or to provide a side trek on the way there.

 

[ssampier]

You can maybe talk to your DM. You can see what his point of view is. You may be surprised to learn he'd be willing to give you some creative control over his game or hand you the reins.

As for modules, there are lots of bad modules out there. The Paizo ones are quite good, as are many of the WoTC ones. All require to tailor things to your players interest.

I am from old school DMing where the modules writers give you a place and NPCs, it's up to you to make the story. Clark Petersen, from Necromancer Games, once was quoted saying that he sells you the Death Star and you make "Star Wars."

 

[On Puget Sound]

Well, he is GMing, which means he's putting more time into it than anyone who didn't volunteer to GM. Before you get into any criticism, recognize and thank him for being willing to step up.

Then you can talk about what he's doing wrong.