#dnd tip for adventure design: if you want to encourage certain behavior, don't design adventure elements that encourage the opposite behaviors. Tired of PCs breaking the law and putting innocents in danger? Don't make law-breaking, innocent-endangering behavior the best path.
— Shawn Merwin (or a poor clone) (@shawnmerwin) March 20, 2019
Yesterday I tweeted this as my #dnd tip of the day. It inspired some good discussion, if not in the direction I expected. I used “breaking the law” as an example to illustrate the point, but that example overwhelmed the point. I could’ve just as easily said this: (1/4) "Tired of PCs talking to monsters instead of fighting? Don't use monsters that can talk." In short, if you don't want x in your game, don't do things that encourage x. (2/4)
— Shawn Merwin (or a poor clone) (@shawnmerwin) March 21, 2019
The point is pretty simple but tends to be overlooked by designers or even GMs of #rpg. Both in adventure design and in overall game design, we sometimes incentivize behavior or outcomes that we don't mean to. And this is not about removing player agency. (3/4)
— Shawn Merwin (or a poor clone) (@shawnmerwin) March 21, 2019
This isn't about stopping players from doing what they want. It's about designing your adventure or game in a direction you want. Design conscious of that factor, and your creation will be better for it. (4/4)
— Shawn Merwin (or a poor clone) (@shawnmerwin) March 21, 2019