Weak Plothooks

[Allandaros]

Situation: newbie DM, has prepared big homebrew adventure, lot of work placed into writing it, etc. etc. The plot hook is rather blatantly placed. Your character normally wouldn't bite, but the hook's not diametrically opposed to their alignment or anything like that.

One obviously doesn't have an OBLIGATION to take the plothook. That's never the case. But in this case, should one take up the hook as a matter of courtesy to the DM?

 

[dave_o]

Yes! Us DMs work hard!

 

[Numion]

I think that the premise of the game is that the PCs want to adventure. For me it makes perfect sense. Since adulthood my group has had less and less time to play - why waste it actively avoiding adventures, if you've spotted the adventure hook?

 

[Napftor]

You could always make a backup hook that seems more exciting than the first but leads to the same adventure.

 

[Li Shenron]

Just honestly tell the DM (after the session) that the hook was very naive, and he'll learn that he needs to do better than that.

But you shouldn't miss the hook entirely, otherwise you may end up (1) putting the newbie DM into trouble (possibly forcing him to push the group to the adventure even more clumsily and forcibly) or (2) going home pretty early.

 

[philreed]

The DM should have a large number of hooks at hand and keep throwing them out until the players bite. Keep track of the hooks that have been introduced (but not acted on) since they may affect the campaign in the future.

This is exactly what my two PDFs of rumors (found here and here were written for. They're little more than disguised adventure hooks.

For superhero games, I've been reading through Villainy Amok and it's packed with adventure/plot hooks. And with some digging I bet we could find resources for most every popular genre.

 

[Snowy]

I'd say take it, the DM will be trying their best and encouragment or some success initially will make them more willing to keep on trying and help them cope when they have to use the grapple rules or soem other less than easy event occurs! If they are good they will learn and get better its much easier to recognise corny set ups and bad lines when your in game ratehr than imagining them before hand! (as im learning to my peril)

out of interest of whether people think this was a good or bad approach

when i started DMing i sat down and read a bit about what people had said on here and what I'd experienced with crap plot hooks and mistakes in DMing in the LARP I do (yep first experience of DnD was DMing, very intimidating). I decided that I would run a module as a lead in to my own creations. I sat down with the players and told them the barest description of the intro to the module (standard gaurd a caravan plot hook) and asked them to work out a reason why their character wanted to be going along. Its a bit of a cop out but it did mean that the start of the adventure and their joining as a party went smoothly.

Hmm a bit long winded, was this BAD DMing (tm) or acceptable?

 

[JoeBlank]

Help out the newbie DM by taking the hook, but also by letting him know later that it was kind of weak. Be clear you are offering constructive criticism, and everyone benefits.

 

[PapersAndPaychecks]

Play your character.

 

[DragonLancer]

One obviously doesn't have an OBLIGATION to take the plothook. That's never the case. But in this case, should one take up the hook as a matter of courtesy to the DM?

True, you aren't under any obligation to play his game, but unless the plot hook is so lame, then as players you should be following the adventure he has prepared for you.

The best thing you can do after each session is give some friendly advice. Don't say that the plot hook was crap or anything, but suggest some ideas where he could improve.