Clues are crucial for tabletop roleplaying games. Here are a couple of tips on how to be more descriptive with clues in your tabletop roleplaying games. If you don’t have time for it all, here is a short summary.
To be more descriptive give clues to engage players’ senses(like touch, taste, sight) and answer the 5 W’s(who, what, when, where, why) to yourself then include a couple that are pertinent to the situation.
Be more descriptive with RPG clues
Clues vs Facts
A clue is a description that hints at something else(ie, a thin almost imperceptible wire hangs 8 inches above the ground across the bottom of the doorway). A fact in tabletop RPGs is a non-descriptive statement that gives things away(for example, you see a trip wire).
Both examples describe a similar thing however the clue could lead the players to consider it as something other than a trap. It may simply be an alarm, or it opens a passageway to another room. Not all clues should be treated the same though.
Be more descriptive with RPG clues
Types of clues
Some clues lead players to the main story while others are a side quest, and others are pure distractions. Main story clues should never be withheld. You should give these clues out whenever it makes sense. I give out main story clues somewhat as a reward for good ideas players have.
I consider a good idea to be: when a player comes up with a reasonable idea to overcome a challenge. If it is based on skills, spells, and abilities they possess and they succeed then carry on with the story.
Side quests I like to use them as additional story material. The challenges they are tied to are not always directly part of the story but could become part of it. If players choose to deep dive into the side quests then you can expound on those ideas. That can mean adding ties to the main story or as a gateway to the next part.
Distractions are just that, filler that’s intended to give players pause. Now I don’t like letting players totally get off track. For me, I’ll let them run in circles for a bit but at some point I let the players know directly or in-game that it was a distraction(usually I just dead-end them).
Want to improve your storytelling ability, then check this article out.
Be more descriptive with RPG clues
Ways to give clues
Deciding when to give clues can be a frustrating decision. Especially when you are used to the standard way of requiring specific conditions to occur for them to come out. Under those kinds of circumstances, you are trying to give clues directly.
Directly giving out clues with structured moments is a great way to progress your adventures. However, if players don’t make the rolls, and use the right abilities then you all sort of languish. In these instances, it can help to give them out indirectly.
Indirect clues are done through player-driven actions. Meaning that you let the players get involved in side quests, or even distractions and then give a clue that leads back to the main story. Sometimes you may need to come up with a new clue, or if it makes sense, give out the clue that was tied to a specific roll.
When giving clues or facts, it’s easy to maintain uncertainty by asking players “Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”. Or you may use the time-honored GM shoulder shrug with “Roll a d20″(or you roll a die). I suggest caution in doing this all the time as it can cause players to never be sure of themselves. Which leads us to habits to avoid.
Habits to avoid when giving clues
The most destructive thing a game master can do to players is tell them they can’t use skills in order to obtain clues. It’s one of if not the fastest ways to shut down players from even trying to come up with solutions. The next bad habit I see is being unclear with players regarding what’s important.
Players are naturally going to look at every fact as if it’s a clue. This usually means that those players want to go explore and adventure. However, sometimes it means that players have had GMs in the past that made it seem like everything was a clue, and they were always missing out.
So instead of being vague with players about what’s important, be direct-eventually. You can let players go off on tangents and even encourage it. Let them do a couple of things each session that are pointless, reward them for it but then let them know directly that it wasn’t important, or indirectly by dead-ending it.
Be more descriptive with RPG clues
Describing clues
Use the senses(smell, touch, taste, sight, and sound) with the 5 w’s(who, what, when, where, why).
Each of the senses and W’s can be used to create more clues, but also to create adventures. As you are going through asking who, what, etc. this questioning phase will tell you more about what’s going on in your own adventures. That said, everyone gets stuck.
Getting stuck is normal. Sometimes you just need to take a break and come back to it. If you are in the middle of a session and need a clue you hadn’t thought of, don’t fret. You can easily just say “I hadn’t thought about that”, followed by “Help me brainstorm, any suggestions?”.
If you have a good group they will understand that nobody has all the answers. Players sometimes come up with ideas that are more appropriate than what you thought up as well. You are not obligated to use what they said though as you asked for suggestions.
New or experienced, check out how to game master for tips to improve your GM skills.
Be clear and concise
When giving descriptions for clues make them as descriptive as you can and as short as you can. The 3 most common senses to use are touch, taste, and sight. One or two words to describe these three in a sentence or three is more than sufficient.
In marketing the use of the word “you” is very powerful. Doing so in your descriptions can help tremendously as well. Example:
“You see three shadows out of the corner of your eye in the window, and when you look they are gone. Tracking further you find yourself looking out that same window, able to see every guard location on the west side of the market”.
Whos watching the guard? Is it a group of thieves scoping out some marks? How long have they been up to this? So many questions come to mind.
Dealing with missed opportunities
Most every game master has clues that go unused, adventures that never see the light of day, and players never using abilities/skills/etc. How do you deal with moments when this happens?
First, if you want to have players get involved in a side mission then find a way to put it into the game. Don’t get caught up in the “need” for players to “find” the clue.
Second, talk out of character. Just like nobody has all the answers as a GM, players can easily forget about all the options at their disposal. They could be tired, dealing with stress from work, relationships, etc and so many other things.
Talking out of character is a fantastic way to remove the stress of messing up in the game. Ask each player what their skills and such are if needed. If a player is new to a class, roleplaying, etc, then this will be really helpful. Not your responsibility you might say, and fine sure if you want to see it that way go for it. Though, if the game isn’t going in the direction you were hoping the players would go, over and over again. Isn’t your place as GM to try and get things to go differently?