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RPG Evolution: That Time I Surprised My Players With Cthulhu
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<blockquote data-quote="Von Ether" data-source="post: 7836576" data-attributes="member: 15582"><p>A textbook example of frequent GM growing pain, the "bait and switch" and the OP has a good list of the temptations to do it and also examined some good reasons not to not do it.</p><p></p><p>Beyond looking good on paper, we often see media and fiction where the protagonist is pulled a bait and switch in the plot, like a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Riot-Rivers-London-Aaronovitch/dp/034552425X" target="_blank">police officer who learns the supernatural is real</a> and eventually embraces it.</p><p></p><p>But players -- and their PCs -- are not a crafted novel. It's more akin to a creative project and, as the team leader, you've switch goals from the agreed upon reason why everyone joined in the first place.</p><p></p><p>And if you are going to switch tone in a game, it's best spell out in particulars.</p><p></p><p>I had a horrible time in an urban game where the PCs eventually became street supers. The GM had a nebulous timeline of when we would eventually go super, but wanted it to occur "naturally" and announced after the fact we may not exactly get the powers we signed up for "to keep things interesting." After about four sessions of waiting for the switch, I was climbing the walls.</p><p></p><p>I think if the GM told us that it would take four sessions before we got out powers, we'd know to settle in. Sadly, I think he trying to feel out the "right" time to do things and was finding out there was no such thing.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Von Ether, post: 7836576, member: 15582"] A textbook example of frequent GM growing pain, the "bait and switch" and the OP has a good list of the temptations to do it and also examined some good reasons not to not do it. Beyond looking good on paper, we often see media and fiction where the protagonist is pulled a bait and switch in the plot, like a [URL='https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Riot-Rivers-London-Aaronovitch/dp/034552425X']police officer who learns the supernatural is real[/URL] and eventually embraces it. But players -- and their PCs -- are not a crafted novel. It's more akin to a creative project and, as the team leader, you've switch goals from the agreed upon reason why everyone joined in the first place. And if you are going to switch tone in a game, it's best spell out in particulars. I had a horrible time in an urban game where the PCs eventually became street supers. The GM had a nebulous timeline of when we would eventually go super, but wanted it to occur "naturally" and announced after the fact we may not exactly get the powers we signed up for "to keep things interesting." After about four sessions of waiting for the switch, I was climbing the walls. I think if the GM told us that it would take four sessions before we got out powers, we'd know to settle in. Sadly, I think he trying to feel out the "right" time to do things and was finding out there was no such thing. [/QUOTE]
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