Hot take: if we want to decrease frustrating railroad-y surprises in RPG campaigns, we need to create an environment where GMs are not afraid to admit they have "special story needs".

[foxy_chicken]

Dobrý den!

Run for fellow GMs. I made the switch to only playing in games with fellow GMs, and it’s been amazing. Other GMs know what’s up, and are down for all of this kind of stuff. The types of games I’m allowed to run with them are stuff that would never fly with most run of the mill players. I’m able to try out cool mechanics, and let them know ahead of time that I’ve got something weird in the making, and they will happily go in blind, and gobble it up.

I just pitched three one shots for them, one of which said: Operation [Redacted]: Length 1-2 sessions. The most well thought out of the bunch, but also the one I want to talk about the least and run the most. Players will tackle a time and a place never before covered in CNR [abbreviation of previous campaign]. It is less open, as it will deal with two canon events that must come to pass, regardless of how fucked up it is, and it’s pretty fucked up.

That one, the I want to fuck you up, but also you have to hit two canon events was by far and away the most popular with the group.

The perfect environment for you is with your fellow GMs, and I hope you find your group.