RE: Re: Improvise or Die

From: MCGINNESS, Stephen <mcginnesss_at_...>
Date: Thu, 28 Nov 2002 14:53:33 -0000

Wulf said:
> One of the things I'm looking forward to in Donjon is the idea that,
> if you WANT a Bag Of Holding, you WILL find one (once you've looted
> enough bodies), because the player defines the discoveries. But, I
> wonder (not having yet actually played), will that remove the feeling
> of achievement, the thrill of discovery? The same might be said of
> Hero Wars. If the players are in control, they have that much less to
> look forward to.

Surely not - it only means that they have solid things they know will happen.

Yup. Sure. Found the bag of holding. That shouldn't be the end of it though should it? You tie the bag of holding into the plotline you are developing at that time. For example my hero band is currently avoiding a certain Lunar captain after they killed his brother, a sorceror, in the Big Rubble.

They've decided that the way to do this (sensibly) was to avoid Pavis. Personally I want them involved in the politics there and this was a bad move for me.

However in the Bag of Holding they find a clues that lead them to believe that one of the Pavic dwarves that aided them in the Rubble is under suspicion of being an Orlanthi sympathiser and a trap has been laid to capture him.

The bag itself may belong to the captain and he'd be drawn to it or there may be other powers they do not know about - such as its use as a gateway - enter one bag - exit another.

Essentially this fulfils the wants of the players but provides twists that can still entertain and surprise them.

Obviously you may not want to do this with ALL of the items they want...

:-)