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Message: <blockquote data-quote="InVinoVeritas" data-source="post: 5292250" data-attributes="member: 41485">Hi, Clarabell. I'm sorry you had such a negative experience running a game. However, what you've presented here is good stuff; I see a number of mistakes I had made myself over the years as a DM. I think I can help you by comparing your experience to my own. First, is the attempt to perform good deeds. The whole turn-black-coins-to-gold and performing good deeds is good stuff. There's a hook, a reward, and a call to action. This is good, and certainly not a standard hook, making it more interesting. Now, of course, is the stray cat. In my experience, I've always had stray cats around in real life. Some are semi-domesticated, but most are feral. Perhaps you make sure they have a place to sleep somewhere and some food if you want, but most stray cats wouldn't want a home. Personally, finding a home for a stray cat is like finding a home for a stray raccoon. You're doing everyone, including the cat, a favor by not trying. So, in this case, you don't want to show a stray cat, but a cat in need of a home. But really, in this case, the cat isn't the real problem. You said you wanted a sandbox, not a railroad. You want to give the players freedom of choice in their actions. Unfortunately, you gave them a railroad. This is the real problem here. You say you wanted the PCs to go out and do good deeds, but that wasn't really what you were looking for. Donating a cooked deer to the church is a good deed. It wasn't the good deed you expected, but it was a good deed. By limiting rewards to actions that you expect and are prepared for, you take away the sandbox. In essence, the PCs could do whatever they wanted, as long as it was finding the cat a home. If nothing moves forward until the PCs take the hook, then no matter how hidden the hook may be, there isn't actually free will. And free will is absolutely key to a sandbox. The curse you gave the PC is a huge free will killer. Basically, the curse meant that it doesn't matter what the PC wants to accomplish, it won't happen. The PC is not allowed to hold hopes, or plans for the future. So, the player's reaction of running around trying to do as much evil as possible is natural. The player is trying to assert free will, and you tried to prevent it. Players choose what to do in the hope of carrying out specific ends. Sometimes they are successful, sometimes they are not. However, if they are prevented from carrying out any ends that they choose, then there is no free choice, and just the railroad again. In a sandbox, you can't push the players to an action. You can only pull. The coins were an example of a pull. The cat was a push. A pull suggests rewards or a prevention of harm in performing an action. A push merely forces an action. The players also indicated what sort of activities they are looking to perform--they went out and hunted deer without any push or pull. They even donated the deer to feed the hungry. In doing so, they did follow the pull of the black coins. You don't need to blatantly thrust the plot upon them in order to have them run around doing good deeds. You do if you want them to perform very specific deeds (like find the cat a home). Honestly, I hope you give DMing another chance. You haven't made any mistakes I haven't made in the past, and getting over these hurdles will open up the way for you. Here's a few tips that might help next time:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Hiding your hooks doesn't make an activity any less of a railroad.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Respect the players' free will.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pull, don't push.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Listen to the players and watch what they do without hooks. They want to do more of that.</li> </ul></blockquote>

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