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General Tabletop Discussion
D&D Older Editions
Pemertonian Scene Framing and 4e DMing Restarted
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<blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 6088723" data-attributes="member: 82106"><p>Well, again, the DM should know what offers are going to be worthwhile. In the first case I would say that the DM should be giving the players more info. He can create a scene "the T junction" where the signs are (maybe based on rumors, a partial map, smells, whatever) that the characters can choose zombies to the left or orcs to the right. Now its meaningful and it can even be a fairly significant scene in its own right if you want (again the nature of it would be based on the DM understanding what the players will find interesting, it could be a flashback to some distant time, a skill challenge of some sort, or just a quick lore check, choice, and on to the next scene). </p><p></p><p>I think a couple things are also important to remember. The players can make offers and state facts about the situation as well as the DM can. This may depend on the table as to exactly how powerful players are and in some systems there are mechanics and resources involved (plot coupons or other similar things) but in 4e generally it could just be a player saying "hey, there's an interesting looking swamp over there to the east, we head that way!" perhaps. Note too that everyone has some input on how focused in you get at any one point. Maybe the DM says "OK, you cross the swamp, it turns out to be just a small pond with some boggy ground around it, but you spot a ruin on the hill to the north of the pond" (IE he's declining to get bogged down in the swamp, but instead offering a dungeon crawl). Maybe the players want to do some cross country exploration (there may be some goal they want to pursue for instance) and they go on over the hill and down the other side and into the woods, or maybe they go down the ruined stairs into the dungeon (zooming the focus in on a tactical exploration activity and/or some combat). </p><p></p><p>I'd note that this kind of play is well served by a rules system that also has variable level of abstraction. Maybe in the dungeon the players are really only interested in finding some old inscriptions. Its handy if there's a way to just abstract the other parts. This lets you go ahead and have some resource management and still zoom in and out (otherwise resources get a bit wonky, it costs no surges to drive off the kobolds and read the inscription simply because nobody felt like bothering to run it), but if you have a "well, OK, you deal with the kobolds for 7 total surges spread about the party" that can work. Framing things dynamically as SCs is one way to handle this in 4e that works pretty well.</p><p></p><p>Anyway, this is a great topic.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="AbdulAlhazred, post: 6088723, member: 82106"] Well, again, the DM should know what offers are going to be worthwhile. In the first case I would say that the DM should be giving the players more info. He can create a scene "the T junction" where the signs are (maybe based on rumors, a partial map, smells, whatever) that the characters can choose zombies to the left or orcs to the right. Now its meaningful and it can even be a fairly significant scene in its own right if you want (again the nature of it would be based on the DM understanding what the players will find interesting, it could be a flashback to some distant time, a skill challenge of some sort, or just a quick lore check, choice, and on to the next scene). I think a couple things are also important to remember. The players can make offers and state facts about the situation as well as the DM can. This may depend on the table as to exactly how powerful players are and in some systems there are mechanics and resources involved (plot coupons or other similar things) but in 4e generally it could just be a player saying "hey, there's an interesting looking swamp over there to the east, we head that way!" perhaps. Note too that everyone has some input on how focused in you get at any one point. Maybe the DM says "OK, you cross the swamp, it turns out to be just a small pond with some boggy ground around it, but you spot a ruin on the hill to the north of the pond" (IE he's declining to get bogged down in the swamp, but instead offering a dungeon crawl). Maybe the players want to do some cross country exploration (there may be some goal they want to pursue for instance) and they go on over the hill and down the other side and into the woods, or maybe they go down the ruined stairs into the dungeon (zooming the focus in on a tactical exploration activity and/or some combat). I'd note that this kind of play is well served by a rules system that also has variable level of abstraction. Maybe in the dungeon the players are really only interested in finding some old inscriptions. Its handy if there's a way to just abstract the other parts. This lets you go ahead and have some resource management and still zoom in and out (otherwise resources get a bit wonky, it costs no surges to drive off the kobolds and read the inscription simply because nobody felt like bothering to run it), but if you have a "well, OK, you deal with the kobolds for 7 total surges spread about the party" that can work. Framing things dynamically as SCs is one way to handle this in 4e that works pretty well. Anyway, this is a great topic. [/QUOTE]
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