Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Oryan77" data-source="post: 6390869" data-attributes="member: 18701">So I just gave the group a Mimir in our last game. I've used them a couple of times in past groups, and I think players seem to have a hard time understanding what you can do with it. I'm not sure if they really don't understand, or if they are just trying to exploit the intent of the item. Other players seem to understand and even try to help me explain it to the confused players. But every single time the confused players try to use it, they always try to do the exact same thing with it.For example, the item is meant to just be used to give information about a particular location, organization, or maybe even about the traits of the plane. I base this fact on the contents provided in the Player's Primer to the Outlands CD. I like to play those tracks when players ask the Mimir questions. Those tracks are based on very specific topics.The problem is, players try to use it to gain information related to some obscure detail that is more related to helping them gain an advantage in their adventuring rather than just simply learning knowledge to help inform them about the campaign world (the Outlands) and where they might be heading. So this last session, I was getting things like, "Tell me of the nearest portal to Bytopia." Or, tell me of all of the portals out of the Outlands." Or, tell me about the Temptress of Man's Desire." Or, "Tell me about the item known as the Black Heart."Then, every single time I explain that it doesn't hold information in that way unless that info is just mentioned in passing when the recording is talking about a specific location, commonly known objects & people, or organizations. For example, I explain that you must ask it a question about a topic that might be listed in a table of contents, "Tell me about the Realm of the Norns.....I ended up in the Outlands when I stumbled out of a portal from Bytopia and it dropped me in the middle of an area called the Realm of the Norns. That's where I encountered a frightened man that claimed to have escaped the clutches of a woman he called the Temptress of Man's Desire. He told me that she carries a gem known as the Black Heart, yet he was unable to retrieve it and prove this story. yadda yadda yadda."If that topic happens to mention something that they wanted to know, great. But the table of contents isn't going to have "Black Heart" listed as a topic.So what happens after that? Well, the first thing the player will do is try to make his own recording about the Black Heart as if trying to exploit the system. Then I have to tell him that the recording will fail. This happens every time, and usually multiple times from the same players.I know I could make it work like that if I wanted. But I don't want it to. I don't want to make it an unlimited source of free information. I just want it to be a fun little tool to learn about the Outlands in a way that is more entertaining than just reading the books. I don't mind if they make their own recordings, but I want the topics to be similar to what is on the CD or in the book.I just want to explain how to use it so that they find some kind of use out of it. If I have to keep telling them, "There is no information on that subject", then they will quickly think it is useless and forget about it. Even if they go to a gate town, they won't even think to use the Mimir first to get familiar with the town, since it is "useless" to them.So how would you describe how this item is to be used? Or do you think my players know, but they are just being stubborn and trying to continuously exploit it?</blockquote>

Verification