Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="InVinoVeritas" data-source="post: 3896795" data-attributes="member: 41485">Heck, when I write adventures, I specifically design to this requirement. Always assume that the players won't take no for an answer, and will blame you if they can't do what they want to, no matter how ridiculous it is.For example, in one adventure, the players are supposed to view a historical (nonmagical) artifact, which is then subsequently stolen. So, I can't have the PCs standing guard, because they'll die trying to prevent the theft. The local guard, therefore, tells them that they can't stick around. Fair enough. Of course, some PCs won't accept that; it's there, it'll probably get stolen, so they have to stick around to prevent it. So, I dealt with it by having the guard adamantly refuse them, and turn them away. Most (well, many) players take the hint and leave. Those that don't will typically hide, and try to sneak back in to guard the artifact. So, the adventure as written gives them the option of doing this--then seeing the artifact already stolen, the PCs caught by the guard, accused of the crime or at least breaking and entering, and being thrown in jail. Players typically won't be too upset by this. They're the sort that will have been in jail before, they can break out. But then one of the adventure's bad guys, having been placed in jail earlier, breaks himself out of jail by slaughtering the jailers and animating their corpses. The PCs, locked in a cell, denied their equipment, and under the effect of a silence spell cast by the bad guy, are unable to affect the course of action. This is where the players get the actual punishment for being stupid above; the simple denial of affecting the outcome eats away at them. However, the bad guy finished up by freeing the PCs as well before leaving. Since the PCs survive and are free again, they don't blame the DM; they blame the bad guy. Otherwise, I'm left with a situation like I had once, as a player. Our party was in a major battle with the BBEG, and we do terribly. Everyone except one person falls. We're all unconscious, in negatives, when the BBEG turns to the one PC still standing and gives him the chance to surrender. One of the players of a fallen PC, not even yet stabilized, calls back, "No! We can take them!" Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed.</blockquote>

Verification