Avoiding the mechanics or damocles sword/finger on the button play?
Mathew E. Reuther:
I rarely ever kill anyone. I beat the hell out of them and terrify them. But I rarely let them die.
Because the close calls are what get them going and keep them coming back for more.
(I'm generally satisfied with a game session if I ave a player sweating out their character's fate.)
oculusverit:
I'll agree with Callan's point about "master illusionism" being more about making people feel they're in danger than actually being in danger.
For example, in one Exalted campaign I ran years ago, the player characters were so damn powerful they could basically mow down extra upon extra upon extra. They knew it, they'd been in battles I'd run where they'd consistently stunt their way through killing dozens in single attacks. However, time after time I would threaten them with huge armies coming at them and they'd still react with worry, based on the situation. "What? Trapped between an army at sea and an army on land, and we're on the coast? Whatever shall we do?" And they'd come up with all sorts of elaborate plans, or start a parley with the general, or something. But I knew they knew deep inside that they had the mechanics to just blast through one of those armies and get away... so why didn't they? I still couldn't tell you, really, but it might have had something to do with the picture I painted them, or maybe they just had an agenda that involved "roleplaying realistically"... either way, it made for play that was more fun for all of us.
Ar Kayon:
I'm a big advocate of illusionism. Whether or not the threat is real, it appears as a threat all the same. In the end, what matters is the players' experience because I believe that a GM's enjoyment of the game is relatively proportionate to that experience. Therefore, it behooves him to not mow down his players, nor to imply that victory is granted. In my opinion, illusionism is the best way to maintain consistency within this middle ground.
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