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.