I never understood the phrase “always expect the unexpected”

I mean, it’s a logical paradox. You cannot expect the unexpected because then it’s something expected. And if you don’t expect it, it’s unexpected but then you’re not expecting it.

Paradox and fun aside, and focusing a tiny bit more on RPGs, players doing unexpected things is much more fun but also burns through your energy a bit quicker. Setting a path the characters will take and having them go through it without a spec of randomness is boring. At least, for me, as a GM, it would be boring to show a path to my players and have them follow it to the millimetre. At that point, it would be like teaching a class with the students not asking a single question and looking at me with dead eyes. Players making decisions that surprise you are fun. They make your brain work on overdrive which, while more tiring, is more exciting.

That’s why I usually have a couple of random tables with me. I don’t usually have to use my random encounter tables because my players are awesome and not boring, but it’s nice to know I have something to wake the group up if they are not feeling it that day.

But then again, there’s also the opposite issue. Players being destructively random. It’s like showing your players a path and them bombing it and going the other direction. That’s also not fun. You may say “Yeah but the players can do whatever they want”. And I agree up to a point. But when you are a group trying to play a game, you cannot tell the person who told you they would bring games A, B, and C that you want to play game D, which nobody has brought nor prepared fore. Or to put it more in terms of D&D, you cannot agree with your GM you want to play Out of the Abyss and on the first session try to leave the Underdark and find a shit for Chult.

What I want to say is that there should be some sort of understanding among players and GM. Randomness is meant to be a source for fun for everyone, and not a way to torture your friend who spent a few hours preparing something cool. Because, at the end of the day, not every GM can run a session without prep and not every GM who says they can run a session without prep can do it well.

And that’s the end to my mini rant. I’m glad I have the players I have in my main group. They understand what I wanted to say here. And I’m glad I haven’t had to face such issues in quite a few years now. Anyway, the next prompt is going to be “ally”. I know exactly what I am going to write for that one.

And until next time, have fun!

P.S.: You can find all of my posts for this year’s RPGaDay here. Thanks to AUTOCRATIK and Casting Shadows for hosting another year of the event.