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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JamesonCourage" data-source="post: 6587467" data-attributes="member: 6668292">Context matters here. Is it something like a a Search or Perception check initiated by the players? An "evens they find it, odds they don't" initiated by the GM? What led to this 50% chance? Why might it not be visited again (is it more natural... if you go either direction, the other fades forever into the ether? Or is it because the GM says so?)?I can't answer it based just on that. Who is controlling the roll and the percent, their motivations, a type of "naturalism" vs GM scene setting, etc. all play into answering that question.Example One:So, say it's something like the PCs have made decisions while exploring. They come to a fork. There's a Perception check to allow them to find a hidden clue marking what's left and what's right, and the best guy in the group has a 50% chance of spotting it (just by chance... that's where his skill happens to land). They're very interested in the documents, and in no hurry to the big bad in the other direction, so if they know about the documents, then there's no question they'll pursue them. In this scenario, I say there's no illusionism or railroading.Example Two:The PCs come to a fork. The players elect to go right. The GM rolls a d6; on evens, they see the documents, and on odds, the big bad. He has no notes on what is either direction, and doesn't decide before they pick left or right. I'd call this light railroading and light illusionism, since he's giving them the illusion that their choice of left or right matters, when he could have just said "you come to a fork, and after you decide, regardless, you encounter..." and been done with it. It's a little heavier railroading if he takes away the documents room for no in-game reason; people generally railroad for narrative reasons.Example Three:The PCs come to a fork. The players elect to go right. The GM has notes on what is both directions or had decided before they chose. He doesn't think their choice fits for a better story or fits the pacing he wants right now, so he ignores it and leaves it to fate. The GM rolls a d6; on evens, they see the documents, and on odds, the big bad. I'd call this railroading and light illusionism, since he's giving them the illusion that their choice of left or right matters, when he could have just said "you come to a fork, and after you decide, regardless, you encounter..." and been done with it. It's even heavier railroading if he takes away the documents room for no in-game reason.Do these examples make sense?</blockquote>

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