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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Janx" data-source="post: 2960661" data-attributes="member: 8835">I think that's an important distinction to make.Any logical event that happens as a result of PC action (cause and effect) is NOT railroading.This means, not pursuing an adventure that is on a "limited time availability" is not a railroadAttacking the 20th level NPC and getting trounced is not a railroad (in and of itself)PC inaction, is a form of action.Furthermore:I don't think that DM's initially think to remove choices from the players.  Initially, I suspect they make the mistake of NOT thinking of other choices than some few obvious ones.If fact, I think this leads to defining 2 examples of railroading:When the DM sees only one choice, and the players invent a new choice, a DM mistake is to attempt to force the original choice on the players.  Example: DM plans a kobold combat encounter.  The PCs decide to sneak around the kobolds camp.  The DM decides to "make" the kobolds aware of the PCs, and fight them anyway.  This is an accidental railroad.  The DM was trying to stick to the plan he laid out, and forgot to accept a plausible alternate path.  This is an accidental railroad, because the DM hadn't intended this, it came about during the course of the game.When the DM hinges an important story event on something happening, he may make the mistake of deliberately countering any alternatives, to ensure this event happens as written.  When the adventure says, "NPC x will do Y to the PCs, and  use A, B and C to ensure that it happens" you have a deliberate railroad.  This must be differentiated from having a powerful adversary who logically has the resources to get his way.  When the adventure says an event WILL happen, and nothing the PCs do can avoid it, despite attempts that would logically work, you have a railroad.There's always exceptions to these things:the PCs in most circumstances cannot stop a natural disaster, barring having the right spell or magic item (there's some things you can't affect)getting attacked by increasingly higher level NPCs good-guys after committing a serious crime (getting arrested is a common result of committing a crime)Missing an opportunity because the PCs did something else (opportunity seldom knocks twice or waits for very long)I think in any case, all non-natural events in your game should be:caused by a logical, and practical NPC action (Lord Evil sends his troops to conscript the Shire)a logical reaction to PC action (the cops start looking for who stole the Gem)All of these NPC actions need to be constrained by the resources the NPC should fairly have at their disposal (per the their level/CR), as well as the time needed to culminate the event/encounter, as well as the NPC having the information to act accordingly.This means the NPCs don't know everything about the PCs, and can't react instantly to the PCs actions (that they were not present for), and can't draw on extra resources (to foil the PCs) just to enact their will (because that would lead to railroading).</blockquote>

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