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What to do when your PC's have just lost the plot
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<blockquote data-quote="Nellisir" data-source="post: 6169976" data-attributes="member: 70"><p>A couple of thoughts:</p><p>a) My experience is that "investigating" in D&D is often frustrating and boring. That is not true for your games, of course, which are scintillating and brilliant, but the kneejerk reaction might still be there for your players. Make sure that when you do get them investigating, it's exciting and rewarding for -everyone- not just the clever player or the rogue. The barbarian ought to have fun too.</p><p>b) A variant on Michael Silverbane's suggestion: have them make a list of clues & "stuff" that they know. Watch as they do this, and it will be clear what they know and don't know, and what they think of different pieces of information. You could do this through an NPC.</p><p>c) Make the characters suggestions (or orders) through a mastermind NPC. You want them to be Sherlock Holmes? Introduce Mycroft to give them direction.</p><p>d) You can do nothing and allow the plot to advance, but this risks sidelining the players & characters, at which point...what's the point of playing the game?</p><p></p><p>e) Remember that your job is not to tell a story; it's to have fun and make sure the players have fun. Is there something else they'd rather do?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Nellisir, post: 6169976, member: 70"] A couple of thoughts: a) My experience is that "investigating" in D&D is often frustrating and boring. That is not true for your games, of course, which are scintillating and brilliant, but the kneejerk reaction might still be there for your players. Make sure that when you do get them investigating, it's exciting and rewarding for -everyone- not just the clever player or the rogue. The barbarian ought to have fun too. b) A variant on Michael Silverbane's suggestion: have them make a list of clues & "stuff" that they know. Watch as they do this, and it will be clear what they know and don't know, and what they think of different pieces of information. You could do this through an NPC. c) Make the characters suggestions (or orders) through a mastermind NPC. You want them to be Sherlock Holmes? Introduce Mycroft to give them direction. d) You can do nothing and allow the plot to advance, but this risks sidelining the players & characters, at which point...what's the point of playing the game? e) Remember that your job is not to tell a story; it's to have fun and make sure the players have fun. Is there something else they'd rather do? [/QUOTE]
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