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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Scott Christian" data-source="post: 8009390" data-attributes="member: 6901101">In my example, the DM (a great DM imho) had the story arc - a rash of kidnappings and a plague spreading. The creators (they were the same antagonists) wanted the kingdom to go into chaos so they could take power. So they kidnapped people to test their plague.The story arc is the plot. The DM in this case has the plague and kidnappings occurring and continuing to occur. It has an exposition, rising action, climax, resolution, and denouement. These will happen; however, they may change based on the character's actions. The climax may be they infect the royal family or they are thwarted by the characters. The rising action may be they keep kidnapping innocent people across the land, or some of the kidnappings may be stopped by the characters. The kingdom might fall or it might be saved by the characters. But the events of the story are in place. Two quick points: One, it is not railroading. The characters have plenty of options, but they also have a backstory that made them have a shared goal in stopping the kidnapping/plague. Two, a good DM presents the challenges that are able to be overcome, so success is possible, and even probable. But there is the chance of failure. That takes planning unless you fudge dice rolls or change hit points mid-battle.</blockquote>