When a plan comes together

I wrote that title and just shook my head. There have been several times that I expect my players to do certain things, and most of the time, they do something else. Planning ahead can only go so far. My titles are hopes, a tiny glimpse into the overall vision.

After many years of playing with this group, I have been able to adjust accordingly. Unless they have something they really want to do, they will linger in whatever town they happen to be in. Titling an episode with a hope is one of the only ways I know to say “Time to go” without actually saying it.

The hardest titles to give are when I’ve already named the previous episode what I will end up accomplishing in the one to come. That is what happened with “Lorem Ipsum,” though that has become my favorite so far. What the group discovered during that episode, I was expecting them to get to during “Collections,” but you see how far that went.

Then there are the ones where I think they will investigate something, but never do. Fellow GMs, I know you feel my pain. I just want to scream it out because I think it’s really cool, but then I never share it. To be fair though, I’ll forget about it later, well, most of it anyway. I just keep hoping they’ll ask about it. I might have to bring it up in a campaign wrap-up.

Do not lose hope! All those ideas and story hooks can come back around. Re-skin them a bit to make it work later. Nothing goes to waste when you plan ahead. You’ll use it, trust me.