Advice/Help Correcting/reminding players plot points

[kevintheradioguy]

So, this has been bugging me for a long, long time now.

Currently, I have a D&D campaign I DM for a while now, and we have two players (well, one who does this often, and one who's just kind of forgetful), who tend to mix things up. As in, for example, a player had a vision from their deity "In the land of Far-Far-Away there is a werewolf I want you to kill", and the player agrees: "Yes, senpai, I will!". But two sessions later, she forgets that she has to go to Far-Far-Away, and starts collecting rumours about all the werewolves in hopes to find the one she needs.

Or, as a part of a contract with a mage, they must, say, collect the blood of twelve virgins, but not via stabbing them, when she after a few sessions (they're slow, btw, it's always at least two sessions between getting and starting the quest for them) she misinterprets as getting the blood without hurting them.

And sometimes... sometimes I do not have plot ways to remind what it really was. As in, sometimes, I can throw an NPC at them, or go with "while you manage the camp, you stumble upon a contract, and you notice that you should not, in fact, only stab virgins, which makes your job easier, as you understand you can slice, pierce or punch them" (...well, that turned too dark for no reason!). But at other times, such as with vision with their god, I cannot use any such things without breaking the immersion. The vision was supposed to be blurry, as the god wants for her to interpret it in her own way, and see what she does, so he won't clear this out.

Hell, I even explicitly say "If you forgot something, if you have questions, or doubt - ask the DM, DM is nice, DM will remind you certain things.", but they reply "Nope, we remember everything correctly." - "Are you sure? Are you absolutely, absolutely sure?" - "Yep!" - "Really!?" - "Really!"

So, there goes my struggle: on one hand, I should help my players - I do not want them to end up in a ditch with no pants on, just because they forgot one important plot point; on the other hand, I want to allow them to make mistakes, and misinterpret things. So, there. A poll! Help me out here, please, they kind of went too far at this point. Not that I won't make a story as we go, but they want to follow the story they began with (and me as well), but they are now headed to an absolutely wrong place.

 

[rae2nerdy]

I guess it depends on how much interaction your suppose to have out of character with players ? Never done anything D&D so I have no idea what the established protocol is there.

In forums the GM is ( as I understand it ) much more interactive and usually an estabilished part of the roleplay itself rather than just someone who controls the setting.

So in those cases they would just wander over to the out of character thread or PMs and tag Player X and remind them about the plot points.

But I dunno if IRL Roleplays or whatever have the equivalent of a out of character thread / pm system. ( really a way for you the DM to take Player X aside and be all BTW you forgot ABC )

 

[kevintheradioguy]

I never doubted you'd be the first to reply XD

But I dunno if IRL Roleplays or whatever have the equivalent of a out of character thread / pm system.

I don't think there's a real difference, honestly.
It's more of "allowing players to make mistakes and have free will vs leading them to the story they want to pursue".

I, myself, often make my own characters misinterpret things, because they are more stupid than me... which is lots of fun, as these days I am playing in detective stories, and lead the investigation (knowingly) in a ve-e-ery wrong direction. And I like the freedom of being allowed to guess wrong.

 

[Marira]

Or, as a part of a contract with a mage, they must, say, collect the blood of twelve virgins, but not via stabbing them, when she after a few sessions (they're slow, btw, it's always at least two sessions between getting and starting the quest for them) she misinterprets as getting the blood without hurting them.

I gotta say, I can see where the misinterpretation followed, especially when you mention that you can't stab them, but later on saying you can pierce them (???) I haven't seen your D&D thread btw. So when you say "stabbing" idk if you just mean not to plunge a knife into their heart (or other vital organs) thereby killing them. To which I would argue you could still kill someone by slicing a vital artery.
Though going the route of not harming the virgins (also assuming that in that era, all virgins are considered female) I can't help but imagine that

Spoiler: TMI warning

They're going around stealing "rags" and hovering bowls between their legs like "GIMME YER MENSES" lmao

 

[kevintheradioguy]

I gotta say, I can see where the misinterpretation followed

That was from the top of my head, that's not what really happened XD (the werewolf thing did tho)

you can't stab them, but later on saying you can pierce them (???)

Stabbing versus piercing.

I haven't seen your D&D thread btw.

It's a real-life event.

TMI warning

Yeah, i wanted to include that in a post as well XD

 

[rae2nerdy]

I never doubted you'd be the first to reply XD

I don't think there's a real difference, honestly.
It's more of "allowing players to make mistakes and have free will vs leading them to the story they want to pursue".

I, myself, often make my own characters misinterpret things, because they are more stupid than me... which is lots of fun, as these days I am playing in detective stories, and lead the investigation (knowingly) in a ve-e-ery wrong direction. And I like the freedom of being allowed to guess wrong.

I guess I’m not understanding how reminding people of information they forgot is leading them anywhere? I mean I have a memory like a leaky cauldron so I would regularly forget anything that wasn’t written down and practically stapled to my person.

It’s why I usually make whole documents about any world building I’m doing because otherwise I’d forget things pretty easily.

So to me a friendly reminder ( as long as it’s okay and doesn’t break the flow or whatever ) is actually super helpful.

I think the question you should be asking is to your players ( preferably before you get started but now works too )

Hey so if some estabilished character information gets forgotten would you guys like a refresher or to just sort of move along as if your character forgot XYZ naturally.

As not everyone is intentionally forgetting something for a big reveal later and therefore if you don’t mention it somehow they’ll just end up confused later when your like

Aaand you did XYZ wrong because you forgot ABC plot point

 

[Marira]

ah, okay. I was going alongvthe definition of game weapons that have what's considered "piercing damage"

 

[kevintheradioguy]

I was going alongvthe definition of game weapons that have what's considered "piercing damage"

Oh, I try to... not metagame in social interactions If an NPC says "don't use large weapons inside", that wouldn't mean Large Weapons - only what he, personally, thinks is large. And a weapon.

 

[Marira]

Oh, I try to... not metagame in social interactions If an NPC says "don't use large weapons inside", that wouldn't mean Large Weapons - only what he, personally, thinks is large. And a weapon.

okay I'm a bit confused now lol

 

[kevintheradioguy]

okay I'm a bit confused now lol

Well. Characters don't talk terms from the rulebook, right? Characters talk like characters who did not read any rules for the world, because there are no rules inside this world. They can not say "That undead is immune to piercing damage", because that is metagaming. They can say that arrows seem to have no effect, but by no means "immune" to "piercing" damage.
In other words: DO NOT METAGAME IN MY D&D.

 

[Marira]

Well. Characters don't talk terms from the rulebook, right? Characters talk like characters who did not read any rules for the world, because there are no rules inside this world. They can not say "That undead is immune to piercing damage", because that is metagaming. They can say that arrows seem to have no effect, but by no means "immune" to "piercing" damage.
In other words: DO NOT METAGAME IN MY D&D.

oh kay. I see where you're getting at now. I was looking at it strictly from a "transfer to a player's perspective and thought process." I'm not expecting ANY character to expect another to have an immunity to a specific damage, as you've described. I was simply stating how stabbing and piercing can easily be used the same way for a player.

 

[kevintheradioguy]

I was simply stating how stabbing and piercing can easily be used the same way for a player.

Honestly, not after playing with me for so long, and knowing my DMing ways. But anyway, good that was just a theoretical situation.