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Narrative
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alt title(s): Railroaded DM: You're so tired that the ground around here is not restful enough. You need to rest in the more comfortable area on top of the hill. Frodo: Then we probably don't have the energy to climb the hill anyway. DM: No, you have just enough energy to climb this hill, but not enough energy to go on or look for somewhere else to camp. Frodo: That is a very specific level of tired. DM: Maybe. Anyway, it's also dark now. Aragorn: Hey guys, I have an idea. Let's camp on this huge hill tonight. DM: Good idea. Frodo: Stupid DM. 262. "I am not allowed to make choo-choo noises when the GM tries to force the plot."
So, you're the Game Master of the campaign. You've got this awesome idea for a plot for the game, full of action and intrigue, which the players are sure to love just as much as you do. There's only one problem: the players are the ones who control the protagonists, not you... and they don't seem to be taking the bait, instead latching onto some unrelated background detail you mentioned offhand.
What's a GM to do? Force the Player Characters to play his way. Make sure that everything outside of your plot is boring, put in a prophecy so every NPC insists that the party must do what the GM wants Because Destiny Says So, litter the landscape with Broken Bridges and Beef Gates, pull out Schrodingers Gun, trap the PCs in a Closed Circle, even stuff in But Thou Must and Deus Ex Machina situations if need be.
Railroading is widely regarded as a sign of a poor GM, as forcing the players along a single path defeats much of the purpose of a Tabletop Game in the first place. If players wanted that, they'd just play a console RPG instead. That being said, a subtle GM who knows his players, makes an effort to maintain at least an illusion of free will, and really does make stories that are That Damned Good can sometimes get away with herding cats.
It's also worth noting that a good railroading can sometimes be the only way to get difficult or unimaginative players to do something as simple as leave the first town. It can also do wonders to speed up game pacing. Most Game Masters know to only use it when the game slows to a grinding halt and the players just aren't having fun anymore. Railroading players when they are having fun doing what they're doing is a good way to not have players anymore.
Subtle GMs can railroad players without their awareness, by employing Schrodingers Gun. Let's say that the GM spent a lot of time preparing a dungeon to the North of the players, but the players want to go Off The Rails and decide to go South instead. Guess what! The dungeon has suddenly moved to the South (or rather, suddenly the dungeon was to the south all along). By keeping enough of the game world unknown to the players, the GM can place the next stop on the railroad wherever the players move. This is called "Railschroding". This is probably the most effective way to employ railroading, since the players think that they are driving the train - it just ends up in the same place no matter which way they go.
Also note that for players or GMs who treat their tabletop game like a CRPG, this is 100% par for the course.
Pipe Shooter is a video game subtrope. Contrast with Off The Rails.
Examples:
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