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ForgingtheRealmsArchive|1/11/2013

WhenStuffHappens,WhatsaDMtoDo?
ByEdGreenwood

HowandwhereandwhendidtheForgottenRealmsstart?What'sattheheartofEdGreenwood'screation,and
howdoestheGrandMasteroftheRealmsusehisownworldwhenherunsD&Dadventuresfortheplayersin
hiscampaign?"ForgingtheForgottenRealms"isaweeklyfeaturewhereinEdanswersallthosequestionsand
more.

natournamentroleplayingsituation,there'sanunwrittenbutunderstoodagreementthataprepared,
preordainedadventuremustbeundertaken.Theplayercharactershaveamissiontoaccomplishora
problemtosolve,inalimitedtime.It'snottheoccasionforwanderingaboutcasually,exploringtheworldin
anyandeverydirectionwithaneyeoutforthingsthatlookinterestingandthatcouldbeinvestigatedlater.
Therewon'tbeany"later."

Inacampaign,however,playerssometimeswanttojustwanderabout.Perhapstherealworldhashanded
themenoughstressandwehavetofixthisrightnowcrisesfortheday,andtheywanttorelaxwiththefameor
richesorsecuritythey'veearnedinpreviousadventuringandjustenjoythescenery.They'dliketohavesome
fun,dally,spendaneveningtalkingwithinterestingNPCs,orcatchupontheircharacters'dayjobsortraining
oreveninvestments.

IfthecharactersaresituatedinoneofthebetterdetailedlocalesintheRealmswhentheydothis,youcan
easilyindulgethis.Butwhatifplayisn'tunfoldinginaspotwhereyou'repreparedtodescribeeverywindow
plantandchamberpotwhentheplayersturnwhimsical?

Andwhataboutthetimeswhenplayersnottobedifficultorforaprankbutasanunintentionalresultofthe
wayeventsunfoldwon'tsticktoexpectedpatterns?Idon'tmeantheyarechafingattherestrictionsofalinear
plot,butratherthattheyarereactingunexpectedly,ortheirdicegoicecold,andtheactiontakesawildly
unforeseenturn.

WhatdothapoorDMdo?

There'salwaysthetimehonoredsurpriseattack/unexpectedchallengefromoutofnowhere("Nooneexpects
theSpanishInquisition!"),butifthatsortofdeviceisnothandledcarefully,youruntheriskofdoingunforeseen
damagetopreparedadventurehooks.Worse,itcanmaketheplayersviewtheDMasafoewhopunishesthem
forupsettingthegameplan.

Alternatively,youmighthavearangeofbackupencountersthatyoualwaysbringtothetable,incaseofjust
suchanemergency.There'salottobesaidforhavingaPlanB.NottomentionaPlanC,aPlanD,andsoon.
Yetthesealternativestoocanappeararbitrary,evendesperate,unlesssomethingrelatesthemtoprevious
eventsinthecampaign.

Thebeststratageminsuchsituationsistohaveseveralsubplotsgoingonatalltimes.Theseexistingelements
furnishyouwithbuiltinbackupplans.Ahastilyimprovisedadventureorencountercanbehungononeofthem,
anditwillseemtotheplayerstobepartofsomethingthey'vealreadybecomeinvolvedinbecauseitis.

Ofcourse,"existingsubplots"can'tbewhippeduponthespurofthemomenttheyneedtoalreadybepartofthe
worldtosomeextent.Butthatdoesn'tmeantheyneedtobewelldeveloped,fullyunderway,oreven
completelythoughtout.IfthecharactersbattledZhentarimduringthelastfewplaysessions,andnowsomeone
wholookslikeaZhentoraZhentallyisseenspyingontheheroes,theplayersareapttothinkthespyingis
relatedtotheirrecentexperiences.

ThiskindofspeculationbyplayersiseasyforaDungeonMastertoreinforceonthefly.Justlistentotheplayers,
andtheycanunwittinglycreatemuchofasession'sentertainmentwiththeirreactionsandtheirtheoriesabout
what'sreallygoingon.Nothing'swrongwithlettingplayersbelievethatthey'vecrackedanefariousplotbythe

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DM,wheninfacttheplotwastheirideaallalong,andallyoudidwasassesstheirfearsandsuspicionsandput
themintoplay.

AllofthisisaloteasierfortheplayerstobelieveandacceptiftheDMhasestablishedastyleinthecampaign
thatinvolvesfrequentsmallmysteriesandalwayshasthreeormoresubplotssimmeringonthestove.Whenan
NPChasbeennoticedfollowingtheadventurersforafewdays,willtheplayerswonderifthatcharacteris
romanticallyattractedtooneoftheheroes,orbeingpaidtospyonthem?Coulditbeboth?

Youdoneedtobecarefulwithsubplots.Noonelikesbeingpouncedonconstantly.AndthespecialkindIcall
theinheritedsubplot("YoumustbethesonofUtherPendragon,andweLakeswordshavealwayshatedall
Pendragons!")getsoldfast.It'sbeenoverused,andittendstoleaveplayersfeelingtrappedandatthemercyof
fate.Subplotsthatthey'veexpressedsomesortofinterestinduringtheirtravelsarealwaysbetter.

AsoneoftheKnightsoncecausticallytoldVangerdahast,theRoyalMagicianofCormyr,"Backoff.We're
heroesweoppresstheRealms,andwedon'tappreciateitwhenwefeeltheRealmsareoppressingus."

(Vangey'scoldreplywas,"Oh?GrowusedtonotappreciatingmuchwhileyoustandinCormyr,then,"but
otherwisehelettheremarkpass.)

I'venoticed,oversomethirtysevenyearsofusingplansBandCinthisway,thattheyalwaysfeelmorerealistic
andacceptablewhentheyinvolvesomethinggoingwrong.Thewheelofamerchant'swagonbreaking,ora
horseboltingwithsomethingvitalinitssaddlebags,orakeydisappearingareeventsjustasbelievableto
playercharactersastheyareinreallife,becausethey'regroaninglyfamiliar.We'renotsurprisedwhenaknight
forgetsorlosesanimportantpieceofhisarmor,orwhenanenvoygetslostandblundersintosomeplace
privatewhereheshouldn'tbe.Wehavenotroublebelievingitwheninkisspilledonanimportantdocument,or
thequeen'sgrandentranceisspoiledwhensheslipsandfallsdownthestaircase.Suchahappeningcanbe
particularlyenjoyableandmemorableiftheplayersfinditamusingorseeitasfittingcomeuppance.Playerslike
thissortofplottwistmorethanrunningintoorcswhereorcshaveneverbeenbefore,orasurprisedrowraidin
theheartofahumancityinfulldaylight,oranythingflyingunexpectedlydownoutofthesky.

Long,longago,IadvisedgamedesignersandwritersworkingintheRealmsthatforeverylooseend
(adventurehook,mystery,orunresolvedconflictorsimmeringtrouble)Ihadleftthattheytiedoffortookcareof
inaRealmsproduct,theyshouldintroducethreenewlooseends.Thisaddstothetapestryoftheworldthread
bythread,keepingtheRealmsfeeling"alive"ratherthanstaticandpreventingcharactersfromeverexhausting
themostexcitingplaypossibilities.

Anexistinglooseendthatplayershavepreviouslybeenmadeawareofcanprovideadandyrationalefor
whateveryouthrowintoplaytotakecareofthesituationwhencharactersridewestinsteadofeastasyou
expected.Ifanoldsagewarnedthecharacterstwomonthsagothatanorchordeisonthemove,itwon'tseem
asfarfetchedifonethundersintoviewasthecharactersheadwestthanitwouldhaveseemedifthehorde
appearedwithoutwarning.Ifthecharactersalreadyknowthatoutlawsaremaraudinginthearea,itwillseem
naturalwhentheyblunderintotheaftermathofamassacreandseeadyingwizardtryingtouseaspelltosave
herself,andhavingitgowrongandteleportasurprisedbeholdertowhereshelieswoundedinstead(evenifall
thisisreallyyourwayofusingabeholderencounteryouhadalreadyprepared).

Andsoon.MyfatheroncetoldmeaboutoneofhislesspleasantdaysinNATOservice,learningtobeanofficer
foramixedforcesunit.Thelessonthatthemilitaryexerciseforthatdaywasmeanttodrivehometomydadand
hiscolleagues,withoutanywarning,wastoexpecttheunexpected,toneverletyourveteranstatusleadyou
intoohyesthisagainoverconfidenceandtorealizethatanysnafu,ifyoudidn'tsteplively,couldquicklyturn
intoarealchallenge.

Asmyfatherputit:"Itwasatrainingexerciseforofficerswhothoughtthey'dseenitallbefore.Ittookeverything
theyhadseenbefore,turneditbackwardandupsidedown,andthrewtheresultsattheofficers,allatonce.Oh,
itwasutter,hardswearingconfusion.Welaughedlikebanshees."(Afterward,ofcourse.)

Which(ofcourse)givesmeanideaaboutlaughingbanshees...

AbouttheAuthor

EdGreenwoodisthemanwhounleashedtheForgottenRealmssettingonanunsuspectingworld.Heworksin
libraries,andhewritesfantasy,sciencefiction,horror,mystery,andromancestories(sometimesallinthesame
novel),butheishappiestwhenchurningoutRealmslore,Realmslore,andmoreRealmslore.Hestillhasafew
roomsinhishouseinwhichhehasspacelefttopileuppapers.

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