I am a fairly new GM and (mostly due to time constraints) I mostly run premade material with the occasional homebrew stuff thrown in. I'm not really sure of how to word this question so I'll just come right out and say it:
When you're given a skill check for an area or situation in a module, do you (I'm talking to GMs here) ask your players to make that roll, or let them come up with the check themselves? If they fail to come up with it themselves is it ignored and the cost/reward of said check simply doesn't occur?
I ask this because I've been noticing lately that my players (most of whom are novices) just wait for me to tell them what to do. At best, they have been asking me if they can do something, and I want them to feel empowered and to tell me what they're doing, instead of asking. I don't want them to feel railroaded and am trying to instill a more open-ended feeling to the game.
Maybe it's because they're mostly new and they don't have a good grasp on their options as PCs.
Also, as an aside, when your player makes a perception check, do you ask him to specify exactly what he/she is looking for, or just let it lie as a general check and reveal whatever the roll might grant him/her?
Thanks for any help. And any tips on how to make the game feel less linear, would be great. Maybe some suggestions on how to work some custom non-linearity into my game? Right now they're working for my version of the Twilight Talons based out of an underground labyrinth completing missions which are basically appropriate modules/scenarios with some tweaking.
I roll a few checks which would happen passively behind the screen, such as perception, or sometimes sense motive.
Another strategy with this, that I like in order to keep the game becoming just about the player's math and character sheet, is that I ask players what they want to do. And if there is a success fail component to their action, I ask them to describe the activity and then I as GM tell them what skill check or ability check to use. If they give a particularly innovative or appropriately effective description of how they want to do the thing, I may give a +2 bonus to the roll.
This way, players are less constrained by their character sheet and thinking more about what their character is actually doing.
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The circumstance bonus mentioned above is a good idea to motivate your players ;-)
Another thing : how much of your game do you center on the PCs ?
If the players feel that their characters' identity, personality and actions have a great impact on what happens and how, they will be far more motivated to be proactive.
Well I had a nice long reply written up but my browser at work ate it...
Anyway, so you make their rolls for them in secret? That makes sense but I have a feeling my PCs would be resistant to me making their rolls for them. I think if I explained it well enough they would understand.
I definitely ask them what they want to do often. I read that tip in another thread and letting them lead while I supplement when needed works a lot better than me running the show with them just along for the ride. I want it to be more about them and less about me, and I think we're slowly moving in that direction.
I usually reward smart/intuitive problem solving. Even if their idea isn't quite plausible I usually just go with it since it enhances the storytelling, and in the end that should be what it's all about.
My PCs are not much for RPing their characters. They enjoy CN and the freedom it gives them to pretty much do whatever they want. Luckily the monk is LG so he usually pipes up when the others get too crazy. I'll ask them for some back stories this week and go from there.