When describing what happens in the world of the characters, what should a DM skip? Should every shopping encounter be played out? How about travel? Do you think it's best to skip a lot or to play out as many encounters as possible, so the world has a more realistic feel?
I'd be interested to know how you handle it.
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I usually only play out the mundane parts of an adventure when they allow me to convey an atmospheric detail that differs from the 'norm' as it suits the story.
For example, if the PCs are in a well-known major city and there's no sinister plot going on in and around town, I'll skip over the shopping (unless its their first time in said town). Now, if the PCs are in a town far from civilization in the middle of a foggy forest where they've heard rumors of people disappearing in the night and vampires stalking the populace, you bet your bottom dollar I'm going to roleplay every scene out in order to maximize the evocation of creepiness. In a situation like that, even a visit to the general store to buy some rope and horse feed can be spooky.
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Fatespinner is wise. Play out the scenes that are going to be interesting, are going to progress the story, or will build atmosphere.
If the group is going back to their "home base" city to sell and buy goods, that is something that can best be glossed over. I speak from experience, having played in sessions where we have to haggle on every sold or bought item; I wanted to slit my wrists.
A bit of what's already been said...
At low levels, I usually describe everything: The trip to the next village, the encounter with the halfling merchants on the road, the encounters with the monsters, shopping at said village, even talking to the guards as they approach the village. Since there is a potential for danger in every encounter at low levels.
At medium levels, I'll start skipping the shopping parts, and even skip some of the encounters on the road to the Free City. Who cares about the five kobolds when you have an eigth level party. Just mention to the group that the trip took six days and was uneventful except for the five kobolds that just took off in the woods when they were spotted by the group.
At high levels, I skip everything but the important parts. Combat is long enough as it is at this level, so skipping wilderness trips, mundane encounters and shopping for potions just means that we can get a bit more done during the session.
Ultradan
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Owner - Johnny Scott Comics and Games
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I run every first time mundane experience in each location. After that, it depends on the character's reactions. If they enjoy meeting the NPC shopkeeper/stablehand/innkeeper (I do voices), then I'll do it again. If not, I'll gloss over it.
I'll repeat this process for each town they enter. The players enjoy it, and they get to know the NPCs better by dealing with them this way. For example, they remember which town gave the best deal when they sell back items, and keep items till they return there. They also pick the inn/tavern they hang out at in each town based on the initial encounter with each innkeeper.
I think the best advice is to do whatever is fun for your players, and gloss over the stuff that isn't fun.
Just my 2 cents...
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Fatespinner is wise. Play out the scenes that are going to be interesting, are going to progress the story, or will build atmosphere.
If the group is going back to their "home base" city to sell and buy goods, that is something that can best be glossed over. I speak from experience, having played in sessions where we have to haggle on every sold or bought item; I wanted to slit my wrists.
Been there. Barter system...I want a sword, so I gotta go trade 2 goats for a camel, a camel for a set of cookware, set of cookware for 2 shares of an expeditions' spoils,....,15,000 eggs for a sword.
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I think the best advice is to do whatever is fun for your players, and gloss over the stuff that isn't fun.
I couldn't agree more. I really think that it depends on the group. We have 3 women who tend to like to go "shopping" in fantasy land for everything from clothes to weapons. When they do go shopping, they like to know the shop keepers' names, the description of the store, the descriptions of the items that they find, and so on. Most of the time, I would gloss over most of that, but since they enjoy that aspect of gaming, I try and accomodate them to the best of my abilities.
The rest of the advice here has been right on as well, but the way I see it --
If they like it -- do it. If they don't -- skip it.
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I agree with the posters above about only playing out scenes that bring something to the story. That "something" could be as simple as just wanting to give the payers a chance to experience the local culture.
To make roleplaying a little more spontaneous for myself, I use the DM Toolbox. It's a third party book that is just a bunch of random lists of things like shops, or exotic fruits, or random road encounters or whatever. So when the group is travelling from one place to another or wants to go to the tavern, I can pull out that book and say "Okay, the caravan you've come across on the road has X, Y, and Z for sale" or "the other tavern patrons are X, Y, and Z."
But the book is only a list, it's up to me to come up with an exciting or interesting encounter based on what I come up with using the rolling.
I agree with the posters above about only playing out scenes that bring something to the story. That "something" could be as simple as just wanting to give the payers a chance to experience the local culture.
The major problem is of course that when you concentrate only on important story points it is harder to sneak in foreshadowing or innocent-sounding events which are not innocent...because you describe it, it is important.
Indeed, at lower levels it is usually best to play as much as possible but when characters start building routines those routines can be skipped (unless players don't want to).
I stick to the major theme that the characters are following or things important to the mission if you like that phrase better. Usually, my players are following clues in a specific plot line or sub plot or completing a mission for some group or personage. I recap the plot direction and personages involved and things they have solved and quesions that still linger 3-5 minutes. I dont recap travel other than party traveled from point A to point B but more why they did so. I dont recap fights other than; they encountered such and such and the result. After this short recap; I start at my left and ask what that character is doing; go around the table until everyone has given me their character actions then the in-game clock starts and all the actions commence and the game starts.
this never changes from 1st to 15 or any other level; interesting how others do it.
hmm after rereading the posts; I think I missed the point the first time; I play out everything; every detail; I am every shop keeper; during travel I tell the pcs what they pass and what they see during each trip and the players fill out their player map if they choose to with the details so if the players find something in the future that says "...I hit the thing under the statue of the one armed lady" they might have seen one. Routes they have traveled previously I gloss over. Some merchants barter; some take cash only; depends on the local economy. I try to ensure each person gets about the same play time; the group finds they get to play more if they stick together which is easier on me, but not always practical. I like to have menues ready for players in some places and shopping catelogs for them to peruse, I like to physically give them scrolls generally in old Cigar tubes and stuff like that for them to interact with thereby trying to make the world come alive in their minds so they can get immersed in roleplaying.
I agree with the posters above about only playing out scenes that bring something to the story. That "something" could be as simple as just wanting to give the payers a chance to experience the local culture.
The major problem is of course that when you concentrate only on important story points it is harder to sneak in foreshadowing or innocent-sounding events which are not innocent...because you describe it, it is important.
Known problem indeed; which is why I usually put a few duds in; pieces of description that don't really lead anywhere, or by forcing the players to actively go looking for description.
Beyond that; I play out what the players find interesting, or anything they want to do but that doesn't work out as planned.