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Message: <blockquote data-quote="random user" data-source="post: 1695551" data-attributes="member: 16581">Oh on that note, something I try very hard to do, is to have at least 3 (I prefer 4 usually) methods for a player to gain a piece of info.  For example, if a caravan owner came into town and then left, and the players want to find where he went, they could 1. ask at the tack and feed shop where he stopped to resupply, 2. ask at the adventurer/mercenary guild where he tried to pick up a guard to replace one that retired, 3. happen upon said guard at a local bar (perhaps he overhears of they ask the bartender), or 4. talk to another caravan that just got in and passed him on the way in.Now this is a pretty poor example, as it's pretty late I can't think of another one off the top of my head, but the point is that instead of having to go to one particular place, there are multiple ways to get the info.Here's the secret part: there is no reason you can't cheat.  Let's say you want the players to find out something that not a lot of people are going to know about.  It's simply not realistic that 4 sources will be able to supply the information they need.  Simply come up with 3 or 4 possible people that might have the information.  Chances are they will hit a couple dead ends before finding one of your sources.  After they encounter that source, none of your other potential sources will actually know the answer.This can actually allow the players to interact even more directly.  Let's say you have an evil character who has done something, and the players are trying to uncover who is backing him.  You think some interesting possibilities might include: the mages guild, who secretly need something bad done, the half-orc rebels outside of town, a minor noble the party has met a couple times, or a new cult that has been forming a couple towns away.Now, only one of them can be the actual backer, but you may decide that it's too hard for your party to stumble onto the exact one.  Simply decide that whichever the players find first will be the actual one.  This also allows the PC to actually have more of a say in how the world turns out.Now some of you may call this cheating, and I suppose in some ways it is.  But used in moderation it's a great way to help the flow of the game.  Don't uveruse it though -- sometimes the players *should* fail because they weren't smart enough to figure it out, and have to deal with the consequences they see unfold.  It's simply not realistic (at least in most campaigns) for the players to always figure out what's going on within the first 3-5 attempts.</blockquote>

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