tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post7552432134027909223..comments2023-05-12T05:10:20.941-04:00Comments on Raven Crowking's Nest: C is for Choices, Context, and Consequence (Part I)ravencrowkinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-7008815382783612442014-03-04T22:54:16.978-05:002014-03-04T22:54:16.978-05:00As a point of fact, tonight I ran the second sessi...As a point of fact, tonight I ran the second session of a published adventure that I had written. I included a lot of background information - enough information that the judge running the adventure, at least, could understand all that was happening, and make meaningful decisions when the players threw him a curve ball. While I included some means for the players to gain information, they have not yet used them.<br /><br />On the other hand, the players themselves have come up with means to gain information. The means that they have used were actually designed into the rules themselves, and having the background information available was very useful as a result.<br /><br />In most games, means are built into them for PCs to acquire information. The writer of an adventure can, and should, consider how information can be learned. But this does not make it not the job of the GM to consider the same, and to be open to the player's attempts to learn new information. I don't need Gary Gygax to hold my hand in order to consider what might be learned about the Caves of Chaos if the PCs interrogate a kobold.ravencrowkinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-73589492391156495972011-06-15T19:17:43.140-04:002011-06-15T19:17:43.140-04:00Thanks!
I would agree that the adventure designer...Thanks!<br /><br />I would agree that the adventure designer has this job; that doesn't mean that you don't have that job as well.ravencrowkinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09315630554847698555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-56690789605291171962011-06-15T18:43:17.488-04:002011-06-15T18:43:17.488-04:00One of your major jobs in presenting a published s...<i>One of your major jobs in presenting a published scenario is to examine that background – that context – and figure out how the players can learn bits and pieces of it.</i><br /><br />No. That's the job of the adventure designer. If they didn't do that work then, yes, I'll need to do it for them. But that's equally true for any number of other failures in published adventures.<br /><br />In general, my philosophy for adventure prep is something of an "inverted iceberg": At least 90% of what I prep is designed for the players to see it; no more than 10% of that is "foundation" that the players aren't expected to become aware of. (In actual play, the iceberg will generally "sink" since the players won't make the discoveries or choices necessary to see and do everything. But I don't prep for that: I prep for the players to see it.)<br /><br />Other than that, I think this is a great little essay.Justin Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02227895898395353754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-60022629511803786332011-06-01T08:31:36.798-04:002011-06-01T08:31:36.798-04:00A coherent philosophy for running a rewarding camp...A coherent philosophy for running a rewarding campaign. In message board debate, the amount of logical fallacies levelled against sandbox gaming tend to obscure its virtues; here, they are presented with clarity, an added bonus. I particularly like the emphasis placed on the three concepts in the title; in a briefer "mission statement" on my site, I have argued similarly.<br /><br />Good job, and an impressive blog. Carry on!Melanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07165894144553629675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1801483473113363785.post-55171805097539197732011-05-31T19:22:08.773-04:002011-05-31T19:22:08.773-04:00Very nice piece. This should have been #1Very nice piece. This should have been #1Josephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10760453165301871031noreply@blogger.com