Post/Author/DateTime	Post
LightSpectra 04-02-05, 11:49 PM	I don't expect them to follow every single thing I hint them to do, but I'd like to avoid them from attacking an important NPC because of a misunderstanding or something. Basically, one of two villains begins the game with the characters, and due to uncontrollable circumstances, he's trying to get the PCs to retrieve a couple artifacts for him. I've set up something where if the PCs don't follow him, the second villain will become the prime villain, but I'd hate them to not follow his words at all -- about 40% of my campaign is based on some stuff the villain needs the PCs to fetch.
Eightbitmage 04-03-05, 12:11 AM	Why does it depend on the PCs recovering it? Why cant someone else. Also: Ok fine, they don't want to recover it. What do they want to do? Ok make it so that they get that if they do what you want (or if you want to be really evil just make them think they will get that.) Always remember PC motivations. If it is money, make the choices you want them to take have the most money tied to them. If it is their characters family, kidnap a family member, or have a family member need something/request something.
LightSpectra 04-03-05, 12:19 AM	The campaign starts in villain #2's prison, with villain #1 in a cell. Villain #1 will promise to free the PCs if they owe him later; the favor being picking up a few relics.
Ferrum_Angel 04-03-05, 12:33 AM	It depends on what sort of game you want to play. Is it a real story driven game with the plot hinging upon players picking a particular path, or is it more of a simulation? If it's the first, then I have found in my own experience that it's real hard to run that type of a game without any railroading. Players are rather unpredictable, and at times will do things that don't go with your grand design. In that case, you're going to have to railroad to save your plot. Recently, I've been running a game that is little more than a reaction to the player's actions. If they burn the journal that has the information they need, then they'll end up clueless and confused. If that's the case, they either limp along and try to figure out what's up, or they abandon their current quest to follow up a lead they heard about a couple of towns back. Regardless of what they do, the villains continue to carry out their diabolical plans until the players or some other party do something to derail them. A lot of the time it's frustrating to watch a well-crafted plot go up in smoke (literally), but in the end I have fun watching the players react to the crazy situations that they have gotten themselves into.
Eightbitmage 04-03-05, 12:46 AM	Go another route: Villian 1 will free the PCs to defend him as he escapes. When they get out, he offers them a lot of money/power/glory to get these items. Also once again, why does the villian need the PCs? If he could have anyone do it, have NPC party #1 do it, then the bad guy gets the item, and then later when the PCs find this evil guy fighting their BBEG they join him/fight him so they kill the BBEG/ignore him let him be a distraction. There are a load of choices, but the best way to avoid railroading is to remember that the PCs don't have to be there for every signifigant event.
LightSpectra 04-03-05, 05:59 AM	Well, sure, he could get other people to do it for him. But that kind of ruins the fun.
snowlynx 04-03-05, 12:28 PM	Think about your characters. What motivates them? Is there some reason only the players can do it (the villain needs a certain alignment, a person with the bloodline of X, or a certain race to activate said artifact?) Now, make the villain look like a good guy, not a villain, if your characters are good and are trying to save lives, etc. Use what motivates them (lifting an ancient curse from the king? saving the lives of innocent children? money? they want a particular spell?) as a catch for why they need to get the artifact. This villain, knowing them to be good an honest people, might use claim some other plight currently in your world could be solved with this artifact, and ask the PCs to return with it; if they're greedy, he might offer them money and magic items, but only give some payment in advance - that way he doesn't have to give up the rest of the money, if he's careful. If they don't care, have them work on finding the solution to the plight or problem, and have them discover that the artifact can indeed solve the problem, but it's not known how to use it (or it only works while being held by bloodline B). The players may give it to this villain in order to solve the issue, and either way, they have gone on the quest to solve the artifact. If it's money that motivates them, I'm lost too.
Teshub 04-03-05, 08:26 PM	If you RP it well you should be able to trick your players into trusting the villain. This is a great tactic, usually followed up with the startegic backstab move or grab and dash type scenario which gives the players wonderful aingst. Also any clever villain will be good at escaping emergencies, and so would sooner flee then be cut down by the PC's who are outnumbering him/her. Remeber the villains mantra: "He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day!"
fractal 04-03-05, 08:48 PM	Remeber the villains mantra: "He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day!" "He who fights and runs away, lives to run away another day!"
Bregalad 04-04-05, 12:52 AM	Some general thoughts for this and any other times. Always have "side-plots" ready. They can be big or large, a near-miss from a carriage, thieves, vampires in the cemetary, etc. They are good to have when players *ahem* go astray. Even better when you can use the side-plot to highlight your main campaign. If your main NPC has a possibility of being attacked, by accident or not, always leave an escape plan. A scroll, potion, item or even a nearby NPC friend can make for a quick exit and a quick enemy. And having a former associate as a nemesis is a good thing (in game terms).
was_fired 04-04-05, 01:23 AM	"He who fights and runs away, lives to run away another day!" Odd my minor villians seem to love the mantra, "Heroes are forgetful. If you run away for a day or two and then come back to the same hideout they will never bother you again unless you attack them."
Bloodtide_the_Red 04-04-05, 01:28 AM	Remember that nothing is 'set in stone', unless the PC's know about it. So that lets you make anything, anything you need. They don't want to help guy A, well look guy B wants the samething(or close to it). And even if you set something in stone, it can be changed too. The backstory says the kings daughter died years ago.....but she turns up alive(or does she). For the treasure hunting...it never hurts to give them more then one reason. Guy X wants the item...but also in the horde is something a PC wants. It's logical that a treasure stash may have both. And there is also the other factor. The artifact is in the lair of the dragon Bok.....and look Bok just carried off a ship full of gold bars......well, gosh now the king need some one to get them back. Don't be afraid to make things 'too big to ignore'. Like the gold bars were a wedding gift to X, if they are not returned...it will lead to war. If the PC's want to stop the war...they need to get the gold bars..and slay the dragon..and get it's treasure..and villians artifact. BT The villian can always offer the PC's the world. Just make him powerful enough that he can. Give the PC's titles, land, fame, presige or whatever.
Alluvian 04-04-05, 10:12 AM	The hardest thing about players not following your chosen path is all the neat things you had planned that you never get to use. But remember that this is not really the case. The players never SAW the lost temple of hoochi-babba :) that you had planned out. You can easily re-use that entire setting later with the players being none the wiser. Or you can just take your favorite traps/rooms from it and move them to a different location that might turn out far better for the additions. After a few unfollowed paths, you can probably put the pieces together into a whole new adventure.
LCD2YOU 04-04-05, 10:26 AM	There's nothing a PC can do that an NPC can't. I don't expect them to follow every single thing I hint them to do, but I'd like to avoid them from attacking an important NPC because of a misunderstanding or something. Basically, one of two villains begins the game with the characters, and due to uncontrollable circumstances, he's trying to get the PCs to retrieve a couple artifacts for him. I've set up something where if the PCs don't follow him, the second villain will become the prime villain, but I'd hate them to not follow his words at all -- about 40% of my campaign is based on some stuff the villain needs the PCs to fetch. Rule #2: The game world still turns even if the players do nothing. If your players decide that after they get to "liberate" 10,000gp from a dank, dark dungeon and set up an Inn in a village, let them. It's your world but they get to play in it. After a few succesful NPCs come in to the Inn, talking about their near death encounter with the Mind Flayer and how good ol' Thag the Half-Orc barbarian wet himself after the mind blast (and when fight between the NPCs stop) the PCs may get the urge to go out again.
SneakyPetey 04-04-05, 11:38 AM	Think about your characters. What motivates them? This is the essense of sustaining a successful campaign! If your characters don't have anything to motivate them, your players will make unpredictible decisions and ignore or destroy major plot points in the campaign. I haven't always been successful at getting the players to do *excactly* what I would like them to do, but I usually get them moving in the right direction by playing on their character's motivation. I have the party leader so angry at the villains in our campaign that he will never rest until they're defeated! You see, they wronged his family. The bad guys got caught doing bad things, then framed his father who was summarily executed. This all happened when the character was very young. Each character in our campaign has their own motivation. By giving them a detailed background, or causing certain things to happen to them, I can get them interested in the next plot point of the campaign. Ask yourself: "Why would my players want their characters to work for a villain and/or recover these artifacts?" Have you made it important to them? If it's money that motivates them, I'm lost too. Are you kidding? :) That's the easiest motivation of them all! Have the villain (posing as a good, honest person) promise the characters a TON OF LOOT to return the aforementioned artifacts. The villian (being an unscrupulous person) can then take the artifacts and run once he/she has want he/she wants! This will provide your players with even *more* motivation as they will probably seek to get what's "rightfully theirs" and perhaps even make the villain pay for cheating them... I hope this helps!