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J B
United Kingdom
Norwich
Norfolk
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I can't help myself. Writing interesting conversations with NPC's that have a brain, a history and an agenda, the world comes alive, and the places they reside in begin to pop into interesting and three dimensional spaces.
This is great for immersion.
It also raises problems of wandering off the path as you unwittingly describe areas that you never intended players to show interest in.
I had already decided that a ruined palace the players are currently visiting would be a non event. A place where some NPC's are living in past splendour, a source of information and plot tracking, and a chance to either make a friend or an enemy of an otherwise neutral but welcoming group. I don't really have the time to setup a nice sidetrek here above and beyond the NPC's already present.
However. The ruined palace exudes mystery. The greater part of its expanse is ruined and covered in jungle. Unnatural things roam just beyond its walls, and guests are warned not to wander into the disused spaces. Paths wind away from the compound, only to disappear under foot into tangled undergrowth.
And thus with my colourful descriptions, I fear the palace will be an irresistible mystery to explore and delve into. A path must go somewhere right ? And it disappears into undergrowth ? You are told its dangerous ? You might as well paint a sign saying Go This Way.
One of my players died recently, and his reroll is already a guest in the palace - the living players will meet the reroll as part of the whole meet and greet NPC malarkey. Given that, I have pre-briefed the reroll player on some facts about the palace which he may choose to divulge to the other players -
"You have seen at least half a dozen servants moving around the palace at any one time. 5 or so of the muscled guys. And an equal number or so of beautiful women. You are probably no expert on what attractive is for a human - but even to you, if you have travelled in human settlements, the number of flawless skinned women in the place is extraordinary.
Most of the place is disused, and some of it you have been warned is dangerous. Dangerous how remains a mystery. You have been told to stick to the obviously used areas for your own safety and so far you have mostly complied. You have wandered a little and discovered that to the North, the ruins of the palace sit overlooking a precipitous cliff drop into thick jungle. A path leads down from the palace, but it is disused and in disrepair and you have not had the inclination to test its dangerous way.
the jungles surrounding the palace are filled with all manner of disturbing noises during the night, and some of the unnatural cries have only reinforced your reticence about venturing into the darker corners of the palace. "
So it seems my writing has betrayed my decision to have a non event happen in the palace, and I think it will be inevitable I will need to rustle up some odd goings on in the undergrowth. Even to me it sounds too interesting to pass up.
Doh.
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