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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Janx" data-source="post: 5082938" data-attributes="member: 8835">Alright, this is actual a pretty straightforward request. You want examples.Bear in mind, I think we have different definitions of railroad.  To me it is a very specific per encounter very bad DM behavior where the DM actively negates playr choices.But let's see if I can come up with a bit more (which actually I had referred to a few techniques already).Technique:Establish a sense of urgency in combat:real combat is quick and choppy.  Rushed. Each action is NOT optimized and planned for 10 minutes.  I have a blog article on making combat faster.  Read that, use it, those are the methods.Establish a sense of urgency outside of combat:If the PCs are in a situation where they should feel rushed, because they don't have all night, you should bring in game elements to remind them of that.wandering monsters are a good tool (or any patrol), when the party is in hostile territory and dithering on taking action, when in reality, they would get noticed.  If you let the PCs sit in a populated dungeon, in a room and plan for 4 hours, they will not feel like they need to hurry and decide.  If they know (because they hear footsteps, or have encountered previously) that reinforcements could come any minute, they will hurry up.Setting a deadline (as in something will happen in x amount of time, if you let it)Use Chekov's Gun/Foreshadowing:If you've got some item or spell that would help defeat the BBEG, make sure it appears in the early part of the adventure (before they really set off to defeat him).  This is actually a clue, you're giving them as to one way to beat the bad guy.  Don't be too obvious, watch just about any sci-fi show, and you'll see the new trick used early in the episode for something harmless, and later on, it gets used to save the day.  That's checkov's gun.Cut to the chase:if the 100 mile trip to somewhere cool is just a bunch of random encounters along the way, skip it.  Just say "four days later, you arrive"  Save game time for the cool scenes that advance the story.Real action films have less fights than a D&D game:Cut back on the meaningless fights.  Instead, make them tougher.  D&D takes a long time to play, compared to watching a movie or TV show.  You can't model them exactly, but you can scale back the meaningless fights, to get to just the good ones.  Don't pass over them, just don't make so many extra monsters waiting to be attacked.  Stock up on action film DVDs and start taking notes.  How many fights were there?  You'll get a sense of the average count.All roads lead to RomeBy all means, don't actually do this literally.  If the BBEG is south, and the PCs go north, they leave the BBEG far behind.  But what you can do, is have the BBEG embroiled in a number of things, that happen to intersect the PCs.  This gives multiple vectors for the PCs to pick up on the BBEG and decide to deal with him.Make it personal.Whether by chance or intention, the BBEG does something that affects the PCs or their interests.  Otherwise, there is less chance the PCs will care to get involved.  There are stories where the protagonist just happens to involve themselves in somebody else's problems, but most of that died out in the 80's (unless it was their job).  The players, being egocentric, will also appreciate stuf that is about them.That's just a few techniques.  There's more, and there's variations, and there's more to be said to refine what I said.</blockquote>

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