How to give your players choices

09/30/20 • 11 min

Hey Storytellers,
No one likes to be railroaded or only given one option of what you are allowed to do.
Even worse no one wants to do that for 3 hours every other week for 8 months.
In this episode, we will cover how to give your players agency or choice in their actions, but still, allow you the storyteller to be able to plan what they may do.
Think of this like two funnels connected at the large openings. You start small with your hook and give 3 - 4 choices. Each of those choices may lead to 1 to 3 other options (some will be dead ends) and then each of those will only lead to 1 or 2 other choices that will eventually all drive your players to the climax of the scene.

Previous Episode

Ending on a cliffhanger

Hey Storytellers,
Have you ever played a game where after the big battle (that took way too long) the game just ends there? No real conclusion, because you are running an hour or more late and people's significant others are texting asking where they are?
Here are some ways to prevent that:
1) Don't split up the loot. Instead, after the final person falls to the floor and the team is triumphant have them all roll checks to hear that something is moving in the room next to them and end for the night. Just as quick as ending the other way, but no one will ask about experience or loot. They are still in combat....
2) Have enemies rush in for another round of combat that will happen next week.
3) Have no loot of value on the people, because their personal rooms and loot must be behind the next door and you will pick up the game there next week.

Next Episode

Play this monster: Aranea, the shapeshifting kidnapping spider

Hey Storytellers,
After reading the DnD Monster Manual Version 3.5 there is a throw away line for a shape shifting spider.
This spider has three forms (like a lycanthrope or werewolf): Medium sized spider, medium sized hybrid humanoid, medium or small sized humanoid. They can stay in any form indefinitely and they take the same form each time.
Listen to us create a quick scene that you could play using an Aranea as a small female halfling that runs a tavern or brothel and stalks her victims based on their patronage in her establishment whenever she might get low on money.
Her victims are powerful and wealthy in this town so they won't report these kidnappings because they don't want to appear weak. Then the players are hired by the latest kidnapped person's family.
See how we give you different options to give information for your players to figure out who the kidnapper is and even four different possible endings that you can plan for but your players will ultimately choose (5e stats link in our resources page).