Sometimes players of adventure games stop and ask, "Wait, why am I risking my life in this dangerous adventure?" They balk at entering the dungeon, braving the Weird Woods, or seeking the dragon's hoard. "Why would I ever do that?" somebody asks. Referees, you should beat them to the punch. You ask them this question. I have been known to go around the table and ask each player at the beginning of a session, "Why are you on this adventure?" And they understand that they need to motivate their PCs. I get answers like, "I'm searching for a magic object--let me come up with the details later." "Okay," I say. Another: "I want to prove to my village that I'm better than all of them after they picked on me! I'm going to get rich and powerful. Eventually, I'll return home and I'll be the boss." "Okay," I say. "My father was a treasure-hunter and I want to make him proud." "Okay,"
Musings on table-top role-playing games today after spending a quarter century away from them.