RPGMemes

Kidnap your players. It isn't railroading if it's a prisoner arc!

The secret is to not work from what you'd like to do, but to work backwards from what your players want to do.

Seriously, throw out all the prep you have that isn't landing, and just ask your players what kinds of things they want to do. Then, make stories inspired by the actions or accomplishments they want to undertake.

... This does require that your players have some idea of what they want to do, though. If you have checked out or uninvested players, there's essentially nothing you can do I'm afraid.

So now I will soapbox to the players reading this: Your job is to be invested in the game. If you don't put energy into being invested, you're not fulfilling your side of the arrangement at the table.

When you got these awesome ideas for the next big thing that should happen in your campaign and when you get to the table and actually realize you have no idea how the group is supposed to get to the thing organically.

"I guess you kind of just walk there"

Over the years, I’ve found it’s less helpful to think of the campaign as a planned road trip - and more helpful to think about it like you’re in a car chase and your brakes have been cut.

Don’t plan out meticulously, just prioritize steering into the next interesting thing that can happen, ideally one that the party is already kinda heading towards. You can have some ideas about things that could happen afterward, but you have no idea what your players will do yet.

They could befriend the lich’s minions, commit the crime before the villain has a chance to, or just straight up die to terrible luck.

Just use them.

I know you want everything to perfectly make sense, but your players are there for a good time. Don't worry about minor details, just do cool stuff.