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If the "Magical Voice in the Sky" as my group has started to call me, is to often called upon to give them a nudge in the right direction, should I keep doing this? Should I stop and let them try to figure it out (Or give up which would be the likely case)? Or go The Gamers 2 and throw in an NPC that allies with the players that drops hints in character that his character would know and not pseudo-metagame?
Stop giving hints and make them work for it. If the group is REALLY having trouble figuring out what to do next, then you have two options:
1. Make your challenges a bit easier. Something obvious to you might be a little over their heads.
2. As you said, introduce an NPC that acts as a guide. Just make sure the characters at least attempt to roleplay their interaction with the NPC.
..or you can try creating flexible advenures - essentially you create your key NPCs and a few set encounters and drop them where the party decides to roam.
As far as nudges go, two one-shot/limited use ideas:
-- The classic 'You have a strange dream of 'insert plot hook here''*
-- The 'Messenger Slain by 'Random Encounter' trick: The party stumble on a messenger being slain by the beasties of your choice. The messenger has on their persons documents/an item than gives a clue to the party where to go (A letter from a key NPC along with their address, an item from a certain region, a bound familiar belonging to a distraught wizard NPC etc)
*Strange dream nudge story:
We had a Paladin, named Dave the Paladin. The player hated fantasy cliche's and stories. Dave would recieve dreams from his god. It would often take a few to get Dave to take action. One time Dave was being rather stubborn:
The first dream was the classic 'You see a familiar town and sense your comrades are in distress'..
..to which Dave awoke and went 'Yeah yeah, ok' and then carried on with his own course of action which if I recall was tracking down an NPC who owed him 5 gold.
Then the dreams became more specific:
''You're in a familiar town - you stand with your comrades surrounded by fire and death. One by one they fall to an unseen evil.''
..to which Dave awoke and went 'Yeah yeah, ok ok,' and then carried on with his own course of action.
Finally the GM cracked and the last dream was even less subtle:
''You dream that you are standing alone on a mountain ledge, the sense of your god's rage and frustration is overwhelming..... then you all is shrowded in darkness..''
...and Dave woke to find himself in a familiar town, naked at the feet of his confused comrades.
If the "Magical Voice in the Sky" as my group has started to call me, is to often called upon to give them a nudge in the right direction, should I keep doing this? Should I stop and let them try to figure it out (Or give up which would be the likely case)? Or go The Gamers 2 and throw in an NPC that allies with the players that drops hints in character that his character would know and not pseudo-metagame?
It depends. When players are desperately in need of a nudge in the right direction I've found usually the problem is not a lack of imagination on players part but simply my own failure to adequately convey all or enough information in a meaningful way. Could this be the problem? Especially players that are new will have trouble knowing all the options that will be blindingly obvious to the DM. This isn't just new to RPGs but players new to a setting, new to a class they're playing, even just new to you as a DM.
One thing I've found is that nudgeS are better than a nudge. If the characters need a little guidance recap what they know so far. Players forget little things that may be important. Then give them multiple obvious options. Don't tell them anything secret or that they shouldn't know/haven't figured out yet. Throw in a few wrong paths. It may be the players have simply realized that they just have to ask you to avoid any red herrings you've put down and are taking advantage of the situation.
I think nudges are actually good when they are simply reminders. Especially for new players. For example my players had to get into someone's home once. They walked the perimeter making perception checks and casting spells. I told them every point of ingress. There were a number of windows and the front door. I also described the house in detail which included mentioning the vines of ivy that grew along one of the walls. Well they started debating whether or not they should go in through a window or the front door. The problem? Well those were not their only options. There was also the roof. The vines could easily be scaled especially by the monk character who has a very nice climb score. The players hadn't thought of it but that character definitely would have.
I then informed them there could possibly be a way in through the roof but they'd have to get up there to find out. (A hint? Or simply a good way to help them visualize this house as a 3 dimensional object?) It can be easy to get tunnel vision and focus on only what a DM mentions so you have to make sure you mention everything. I thought vines was a good hint but apparently not. Some players may be so experienced or good at visualizing this would go without saying but my players were pretty new and this was only our second game. I had to make it abundantly clear. Well once I said that, the player with a good climb skill wanted to know if she could climb it. I told her she could and reminded her that the area with vines would be especially easy. You could see the gears click and that now she remembered my mentioning it but had ignored it as inconsequential fluff. If I hadn't said anything the thought may not have even occurred to her but it would definitely occur to her acrobatic monk with a good climb skill.
Another who was playing a wizard for the first time asked if she should bother even trying to do this (Terrible climb score) I reminded her she had a levitate scroll with her. (A harmless hint. Her wizard would obviously be well aware she had a scroll that would be useful for this but this player was new to magic casting classes. Usually playing a rogue.)
Now when laying out a scenario I give a rundown of options and end with something like "or anything else you can come up with." So when describing things I try to really take the characters into account and give information I think a wizard would definitely make note of, or that a klepto rogue would definitely care about while reminding them to never be afraid to ask about the efficacy of any crazy idea that crosses their head.
That's the second part. Take a few minutes and instead of them asking you first you should ASK THEM. How do you want to try and kill this person? How do you want to try and enter the fort? If you say a fort is heavily defended that's clear to you but maybe not to the players. Everyone has a different idea on how heavy is heavily?
Letting the players mine you for ingame information their characters would know will get you all on the same page. Someone might ask about something even though you've already explained it. Try not to get frustrated and just repeat yourself. Unheard or MISheard information is the number one cause of players doing stupid things or getting confused. At least in my experience. Getting everyone on the same page with a clear shared visual is the key to a great experience. Sometimes they may ask you something that is a great question but you hadn't even thought of that and now a whole new path is opened up to the players and they thought of it.
I think that plus simply experience has let them get comfortable with the character and let certain things just become second nature. While also letting them get creative and they have begun surprising me by coming up with things I hadn't even thought of.
As for the Gamers 2 Paladin idea. Unnecessary. The characters themselves should know things. Let them hear rumors and put knowledge skills to good use. They'll end up having a lot more fun and feeling much more accomplished. The DM guide is just a form of railroading. (Which I'm not automatically against but it's one of the worst ways to do it.)
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I think we need more info about you the DM.
When you do your famous Magical Sky Voice, what are the kinds of situations the PCs are struggling with?
A) If it's often the case where the PCs are trying to solve a problem -- not a combat but a roadblock -- maybe they gotta talk their way around an NPC or cross a big river or escape the prison cell or get into the city undetected, well, whatever possible solution they come up with -- that should work.
I've seen on many occassions DMs who come up with a roadblock AND its solution. This is bad DMing. Come up with the problem; let the Players come up with a solution.
B) If it's often the case where the PCs are unsure where to go next -- maybe they don't know which NPC is the BBEG pulling the strings or which city to check for the NPC sage or which cave in the mountain leads to the Underdark or, of course, which NPC is which -- well, this has been a weakness of mine, too.
In the last few years I've started a few new things to help:
1. I ask the Players at the end of each session (it's still fresh in their heads) to try and "connect the dots" between NPCs and their resources, motivations, etc. I have no problem reminding them who's who in these cases -- the PC has MUCH MUCH more vested into remembering than the Player running the PC so the PC would remember far more.
2. I also point out information that may be faulty:
Players: "We know that the Liquor Queen is out to ruin the Count but we don't yet know why."
DM: "Well, just don't forget who told you that. Anyone remember?... Yeah it was that NPC who told you. So, according to HIM the Liquor Queen is against the Count. So, if that NPC is trustworthy you got good information."
3. I hand out XP when Players remember something important at opportune times and to the first Player who connects the dots on something big. Now, I know lots and lots of DMs who firmly believe in giving each PC the same amount of XP and, without debating that issue in a Threadjack, well, maybe this works for you, maybe not.
4. I show the Players a picture of each NPC when they meet him or her and let the Players write out info under the picture. I keep these handouts between sessions but the Players can ask to see them anytime during a session to remind themselves of what their PCs have learned thus far.
5. At the beginning of each session I ask the Players to recap what they did last session. In fact, this is how I begin the session -- we arrive and start, like all groups, chatting about our week and all the good and bad in our life -- when I think it's a good time to begin I do my best MAGIC SKY VOICE and say, "Okay, when we last met, wtf happened?" I let the Players do the talking here; I've learned that as soon as I start adding stuff they stop talking (thinking, remembering) and only listen.
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Now, there's a catch to this whole situation.
If your Players aren't gaming for the story aspect, no matter what you do they're not gonna be interested in figuring things out -- they just wanna fight and build their PCs.
What can get tricky is if you have a couple Players that love the story aspect and a couple that just love to roll dice. Then you have to balance your adventures.
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The solution of a "Gandalf" or "Elshmuckster", an NPC that shows up and tells them what to do may work for a couple sessions, or even a whole campaign, but using as a crutch sucks. The "roll dice" Players will always be happy with it; the "role play" Players will never like it.
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Thank you all very much for the help, It turned out to be a combination of my thinking everything was blatantly obvious when it really wasn't, and my players having little experience with roleplaying, in the few months we have been gaming, we have alleviated most of the "Voice in the Sky" problems, and I have managed to give them a few memorable NPC's and Monsters a like.
Sorry this took so long to post.