What I don’t understand is the notion that railroads save the DM time. Sure, you only have to prep stuff that will actually show up in the game, instead of all the different possibilities. But look at all the work that has to go in to that prep:
- You have to accurately guess what the players are going to want to do at game time, often days or weeks in advance.
- You have to make sure it’s balanced to the abilities of the PCs and the players (and, again, often days or weeks in advance).
- And it needs to be entertaining because if it falls flat, you’ve got no Plan B.
Conversely, if you give players actual choices, you take a lot of the stress out of DMing. For instance, let’s suppose the PCs need to cross a massive chasm deep in the Underdark. Their options might include:
- A bridge guarded by duergar raiders.
- The magically labyrinthine alleys and shops of the Goblin Market.
- A trolls’ tea-party on a flying carpet.
Right there we’ve got all three pillars of 5e D&D. If the PCs want to fight, they can attack the duergar. If they’re more in the mood for exploration, the Goblin Market’s got them covered. And, finally, tea-parties with trolls are available if the players are in more of a social mood.
Instead of trying to guess what the players are going to want to do on a particular day, I give them options. Instead of trying to balance the encounters, I let the players decide how much risk they’re willing to take on. And if the option they pick turns out to not be as fun as expected, they can always go back and try one of the other paths.
Most importantly, instead of being the players’ dancing monkey, we’re all involved in creating a good time together. The DM is not the sole point of failure at which the whole thing falls apart or succeeds. Everybody at the table is invited to lift some of that weight and be responsible for their own good time.
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3 comments:
My guess is that improvisation and on the fly GMing is natural to some and scary to others, particularly to novice GMs. If improv and on the fly is scary then railroading (in which every single detail can be pre-planned) suddenly seem appealing.
Hmm, just so long as your three choices don't end up becoming "quantum" themselves.
Rob Schwarz: Yep, totally true. Though if that's what you're doing, it's best to be up front about that and say, "Hey, folks, this is the adventure I've got prepared today." That avoids any guessing games or the players limiting themselves because of what they think the DM wants them to do.
JB: Not entirely certain I understand what you're saying. If there are three paths and each offers the players a real and understandable choice, how is there a threat of them becoming quantum?
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