Included Gary's message:======================

> > > Well, I guess this is where you and I differ on the role of the DM.
> > > I personally think the DM should provide the adventure hook,
> > > outline and motivation and then guide the players through it.
> >
> Hook, line, and sinker.
> Setting asside the degree to which that is appropriate in a "normal"
> (party/adventure based) AD&D campaign, IMO DMing in a Birthright game
> should be far different.

I guess this is, again, just where you and I differ. I don't think DMing a BR
game should be substantially different from any other AD&D game except,
perhaps,
in the scale of events portrayed. The DM has the pretty much the same role.
======================================

Just to throw in my 2 bits: The way I GM is that I go ahead write up
adventures in outline form. Loose, but with plenty of NPC writeups and
monster descriptions ready to go. I'll also create magic items ahead of time.

Then I'll do it again.

And again.

And one more time.

I usually have between 2 and 4 adventures ready to go at any one time. This
is a huge time commitment, but this is Birthright -- it deserves it.

Finally, I have a set of encounters and events (both natural and
NPC-generated) ready to go. When the players arrive, they are immediately
made aware of any important news and they can act or react any way they
choose.

What made my campaign so popular around here was that all the players felt
like they could do absolutely anything they wanted to. I felt it was my job
to anticipate the players' desires -- not script them. Many times there were
things that the players could ignore and the problem might go away. Other
times, it would get worse (examples -- ignore the Warlock of the
Stonecrowns, or the Gorgon's recent rampage. It's happening *over there*.
They could ignore the strange new breed of elf-like beings recently seen
emerging from caves here and there across Anuire. Or they could check it out
in case it's trouble brewing.)

Using this tactic requires a huge amount of preparation and a global
knowledge of how the world works. In real life, it's people's interaction
that changes the world, and I like to reflect that in my games. In the game,
the PCs have that special role that can *most* change the world exactly
because they are not scripted characters -- who knows what they'll do? And
that makes GMing fun for me.

Later!
Dustin EvermoreTo unsubscribe from this list send mail to majordomo@lists.imagiconline.com
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