Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:47 pm
Bullcrap.Judging__Eagle wrote:2) The DM is playing Monsters or NPCs. The DM is NOT playing characters that they enjoy or will get attached to. Any character that the DM gets attached to must immediately be kidnapped, killed, vanish etc. NO FUCKING EXCEPTIONS EVER.
There's nothing inherently wrong with GMPCs or special NPCs or any of the other NPC variants that apparently make players feel small in the pants. Really, there isn't. NPCs exist in the world, and some of them can and will do interesting things.
The problem arises when a dick GM does dick stuff with NPCs. This is a totally separate problem. It can occur even if no NPC lives more than 1 session.
There's nothing wrong with GMPCs or reocurring NPCs - heck, reocurring NPCs make the world more fun and believeable.
Agreed.The only time that an NPC can be attached to a character is if the character will only help the PCs, and in a "I'm assisting you in acheiveing your goals" sort of way, not "I'm going to save the world now for you guys" sort of way. Combat NPCs that are more powerful than PCs, or spellcasters that are higher level are bad. A healer that is higher level than the PCs is much more acceptable for an NPC.
Good.3) Never fucking shove your story down the player's throats.
Bullcrap, again.Your story is shit. Your story is shit. Your. Story. Is. Shit.
Do you get me?
Do you fucking get me?
You are a piece of shit writer and you cannot get any of your shitty ideas published. Therefore you should not try to ram down your stupid story down the player's throats. At most, you should present a setting and have the players interact with it, the setting shouldn't force the players around unless the players have actually been doing things for a long time and actually affecting your setting in such a way that something will now seek them out.
Gaming is shared storytelling. While the GM should not force his story down the players' throats, neither should he lie there like a doormat and exist only to roll the dice for the orcs. He's there to set up the framework of a story for the players to explore and fill out...but without the GM, you've got a lifeless, passive world.
I wonder, is a mystery adventure "railroading"? Because it certainly requires a lot more GM investment than you describe. An adventure where the NPCs have goals and dreams? Where - gasp - things happen even if the PCs aren't there to make them happen?