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Message: <blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 9287979" data-attributes="member: 6785785">Well, I don’t think plot is horrible. My D&D games largely involve a plot. I’m not afraid to say that. I play plenty of other games that don’t involve plots. There are clear differences.As for the “dudes”… if this is more than just a cosmetic change, then you’re partly there. An NPC does something. It need not be about how the PCs try and stop him. Maybe they work with him? Maybe they capitalize on it on some way? Maybe they use it as an excuse for some other endeavor? Having NPCs act and then leaving it up to the players what they do about it, if anything, is avoiding plot. In my experience, based on actual play as both a player and a GM, and based on discussion (including both the Alexandrian blog and this thread), very often what GMs to is create several different plots. They then create hooks to engage the players in some way, and once engaged, the plot unfolds. Often, the players will be free to engage with whichever of these plots strike their fancy. They may even be able to engage with more than one at a time. Though usually, each has a sense of momentum of some sort, and past a certain point, any given plot will demand full attention. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with this at all. It’s a perfectly fine way to play, if everyone is on board and enjoys this type of play. I just don’t see what’s the problem with admitting that there are plots involved.  To revisit the idea of a villain… clearly, when a GM thinks of the character this way, it’s a character that’s meant to be opposed. That’s a basic plot. The GM has decided “the villain has done this” and then introduces a hook, something like “the PCs’ friend tells them that several villagers have been taken captive by goblins” and so the PCs will get involved. That’s a sequence of events. It’s required that these things all occur for “the adventure” to happen.Sure, there are potentially multiple paths forward… different ways of engaging with a plot. But it’s still a plot. And that’s fine! I honestly think saying “don’t prep plots” is bad advice for D&D. It seems what he means is more “don’t dictate what the players must do to resolve problems or overcome obstacles”. Let them engage with the plot in their own way. Maybe they can track the goblins and kill them. Maybe they can convince the goblins to turn on the cruel villain. Maybe they can buy the prisoners freedom. Whatever. Allowing for different solutions doesn’t mean you’ve not prepped plot, even as loosely as JA defines it.</blockquote>

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