Issue #5: The Railroad to Hell is Paved With Good Intentions

Railroading is when a DM forces their players along a certain path and don't let them stray from that path in any way, typically because they don't have anything else planned, or they're just people who would probably prefer writing a book than running a roleplaying game. It's also something that brand new DMs almost always do to their players as they don't understand that they need to either be good at improv or overplan for everything in order to account for the randomness of players. New DMs also don't understand that players hate this because it takes away all their agency. One of the many joys of tabletop roleplaying is that it allows you to do what you want, but that is no longer the case when the DM is railroading you.

SCRIPT:

5.1

Michelle: I already told you, you're in a snowstorm. "Greetings fellow wizard!"

5.2

Steven: "Umm greetings!" ...Do I notice anything about him? Can I make a perception check?

Michelle: Umm, I don't know… but, uh, no. He's just another wizard like you. "Come with us, fellow wizard! We found something mysterious over here!"

5.3

Steven: Okay, nice railroading. I attack the wizard! What do I roll?

5.4

Michelle: What!? Why would you attack him?! He's just a friendly old wizard!

Steven: Because I want to learn this game system you created. Do I get a character sheet? I don't see any dice anywhere…

5.5

Michelle: Dice? Why would we need dice? I thought we just used our imagination?

Steven: That's how things are decided in tabletop roleplaying.

5.6

Michelle: And there you go correcting me again…

Steven: Okay, sorry. Let's play. I attack the wizard and I don't need dice or a character sheet to know that's something my character wants to do.

5.7

Michelle: Alright, whatever. The wizard notices you trying to attack him. He casts a ray of heat at your feet.

Steven: I’m pretty sure I would have won that if we were using dice…

5.8

Michelle: A hole exactly your size forms beneath you. You fall into a dark cave. It was apparently located directly under you.

Steven: Good thing this wizard took my measurements first, apparently…