NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 8444549" data-attributes="member: 42582">[USER=6795602]@FrogReaver[/USER], [USER=7025508]@Crimson Longinus[/USER]It's not uncommon in fantasy RPGing for a PC to return to somewhere where they have connections and relationships - either ones established in play, or ones that are part of a PC's background (eg the temple connection that is part of the 5e D&D Acoloyte Background; the family that is part of a AD&D OA PC's background; etc).If a player declares, upon their PC returning to such a place, I keep my eyes open for so-and-so or I wonder what so-and-so is up to; or some more metagame-y, out-of-character thing like it would be cool to see what so-and-so is doing now - how might the GM respond?There are a variety of options. One is that the GM makes a random roll, analogous to an encounter check, to see who might be around.Another is that the GM references their prep - which might be living-sandbox prep - to find out what has happened to so-and-so.Another is that the GM introduces a "free roleplaying" scene in which so-and-so and the PC catch up, and there is a mix of banter that is mostly colour, and the GM taking the opportunity to narrate backstory/setting information - this could include dropping an "adventure hook" for an adventure that the GM has prepped (and a deft GM might use the catch-up to drop the hook as an alternative to a more crude or "brute force" quest-giver or hook-drop).Another is that the GM narrates the NPC as absent, and uses the player's action declarations to find out where the NPC is as an opportunity to reveal more backstory/setting information, again perhaps leading into a pre-planned adventure.Another is that the GM frames the player's PC into some sort of dynamic/compelling "action" scene - eg so-and-so is being kidnapped, or is about to be hanged, or . . .; or so-and-so is angry with the PC, or rebuffs them, and the player has to engage with this if they want to maintain the PC's connection to the NPC.Some systems put some of this stuff under direct player influence (eg BW Circles; Streetwise checks in some RPGs; contact mechanics in some RPGs, including AD&D's OA Yakuza). The degree can vary. And some don't put any of this under direct player influence - eg Prince Valiant.The more the authority lies squarely with the GM, the more the play experience will depend on how the GM decides to exercise it. How the GM takes on board and runs with player cues. Or doesn't. Etc.It's not as if there is nothing useful or interesting to be said about these matters!</blockquote>

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