What's Behind That Door? The Living World of the Tabletop

The Hunger Game Masters know how to switch things up on the fly.

The Modular Dungeon

The key to a dynamic game as I have described it so far is flexibility. One way you can be flexible is to remember that the encounters and elements that you design and prepare for your games are modular and can be moved around behind the scenes to suit the needs of your players. What this means is that as long as you have not introduced an element of your game world to your players yet, you are free to alter and tweak that element as needed. This also allows you to recycle unused ideas and implement them in other ways when the time is right.

At the end of a successful dungeon crawl, rather than forcing players to trawl every room for one hundred percent completion, I will save my favorite rooms that were left unexplored and transplant them in a future dungeon. No sense in letting anything go to waste. If I can adapt a pre-built trap or puzzle for my next adventure, it is all the more efficient!

Adapting Non Player Characters

This principle often extends to NPCs as well. Let's face it, the characters that are the DM's favorites are not always as popular with the players. And sometimes the guy you intend to be window dressing is considered more interesting than the major quest-givers and allies you designed. This is where I apply this idea of flexibility, and adjust the role and behaviors of the characters slightly based on how the players respond to them. If the players view the local bard as a shifty sneaky character, they may have a good reason to feel that way, even if I didn't initially intend it. I will play to the audience, have him whisper to mysterious compatriots and generally skulk around. Maybe he's actually a spy working for a good cause, or maybe he's just as sinister as he seems. The point is I incorporated the players' reaction to him into his character itself. Rather than telling the players how to feel about something, it is better to take note of their natural responses and use that as a jumping off point.

Transparency and Offering Choices

It is still necessary to play fair of course. That's where the principle of transparency is important. Transparency is the measure of information you make available to your players. Sharing more openly with your players will bring them further into your world, but once you reveal a detail it is difficult to take it back. The trick is in controlling the flow of information. Not too much, not too little.

When a player reaches a crossroads, they should have at least some clue as to what lies in each direction. The choice should never be between two identical paths, because that doesn't really represent a real and satisfying decision. Instead, as described in many Game Mastery guides, they should be given enough information about each option to come to an informed decision. It doesn't have to be very detailed, or give anything away. They might hear running water coming from one corridor, and smell brimstone and ash from another. Once this happens, the rooms beyond must match those details, no 'take backsies' or changing of the narrative on the part of the DM.

If you are trying to decide between two different rooms or encounters to set before the players, there is no need to set up a blind crossroad and have the players decide. You can simply roll the dice and place whichever room they indicate at the end of the next hallway. Don't give players 'fake' choices, in which they can only guess blindly. Making informed decisions and seeing them take effect is one of the most rewarding experiences players can have. Keep giving them those opportunities and your campaign will be brimming with adventure!

Happy ventures!