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Message: <blockquote data-quote="billd91" data-source="post: 1968945" data-attributes="member: 3400">Yeah, players certainly are weird that way. I've been running the Scourge of the Slave Lords and, so far, I've been really surprised at what the PCs have done twice (and one player was the main source of both plans). First, a wizard character tried to set himself up as Safeton's representative to ransom back a captured noblewoman PLUS a native of Greyhawk willing to ally with the Slavelords and give them an in into the city once the ransom business was concluded.Second, now that they've sacked the stockade, rather than travel to Suderham as the next stop to free the noblewoman, they are currently leading a rag-tag bunch of ex-slaves and wild tribesmen out of the Pomarj and into Ulek.I think part of the challenge of being a DM is flexibility and willingness to put the hooks for the next adventure stages in front of them, even if they pursue different paths than the ones originally intended for them. In this case, since they kept making brief forays against the stockade, eventually burned it, and never did search the really choice areas for further evidence, I've planted the info with other people for whom such clues are reasonable. I also react to their plans with what I consider to be realistically in-character actions for their opponents to take. In the end, I don't expect them to take a linear path to any destination any more.I think this thread helps me recognize and appreciate really well-written campaigns like Masks of Nyarlathotep more. In that CoC campaign, there is no set direction for the PCs to take and clues pointing in all directions. THere are, however, clues that tend to direct the PCs along stronger lines of evidence so they can prepare themselves for the nastiest segments better, but they don't need to follow them. There are also clues that interlock from multiple sources. The campaign is just brilliantly put together and should be looked at even if you're not that much into CoC, as an example of such adventure design if nothing else.</blockquote>

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