Page 797 - Be Careful What You Plot For

Author: Winged Cat

Guest Author’s Note: “Not infrequently, I have helped the DM come up with plot (when the DM did not object to such assistance) - anything from minor details in a session to campaign-bending arcs. And then there are systems such as Fate and Dungeon World, which encourage the DM to offload work to the players. But as NS pointed out while I was preparing the script, this is not the norm.

“Tell us of a time (other than when the system explicitly recommended it) where one or more players came up with plot that the DM ran, and it went well.”

Newbiespud’s Note: This is a five-page series to round out the guest pages. Enjoy!

Applejack: Hey, you two. Did the carnival get rained o-I know that face. What’s up?
Rainbow Dash: So, uh, while we were riding over here, I explained action economy to her, then I shared some of my tips, and…Iiineedyourhelp!
Applejack: Calm down and explain.
Twilight Sparkle: Oh, she’s just worried because I worked out how to use the setting’s magic to do… let’s call them “out-of-level effects”.
DM: Which won’t work.
Twilight Sparkle: Oh, but they will! I based them on what you’ve already established as canon. Here, see for yourself.
DM: Interesting.
Rainbow Dash: Hiiine…
DM: I assume you want Twilight to practice the spell first before working on the others?
Twilight Sparkle: Yeah. Somewhere out of hte way – maybe Applejack’s farm, on some field she’s currently laying fallow.
DM: You know you’ll roll a 1 eventually.
Twilight Sparkle: That’s the idea. I mean, what’s the worst that could hap- Umm… Is it too late to retract?
DM: Yes.
Applejack: Uh…
Rainbow Dash: …oh.
Fluttershy: Why are we getting scared?
DM: Yeah. I’m not going to TPK over one critfail.
Twilight Sparkle: Thaaat’s not what we’re worried about.
Pinkie Pie: Ooh, ooh, may I suggest what happens?
DM: I’m listening.
Twilight Sparkle: That is.
Rarity: May Applejack’s sanity preserve us all.