Grab your coffee and join the Lair crew as we unpack the challenge of fostering player agency in tabletop RPGs. We explore how to spark proactive decisions, avoid the paralysis of infinite choice, and leverage mechanics that reward bold, cinematic play.

Chapters

0:00 Intro1:00 Star Wars Sparks and hesitant players3:00 Fear of splitting the party and analysis paralysis6:30 Encouraging proactive play and giving permission10:00 Using patrons and clear motivations14:00 Narrative hooks and inciting actions17:00 Video game parallels and open-world stress20:00 Mechanics: fate points, plot points, and inspiration24:00 Player chaos: volunteering as hostages26:00 Minion promotions and closing comments

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Watch Player Agency on YouTube.

Show Notes

Erin’s Star Wars SPARKS games: hesitant players and dusty Star Destroyers

Fear of splitting the party and the paralysis of choice

Giving players permission to act and making decisions cinematic

Narrative hooks: long-lost brothers, ticking clocks, and patrons

Game mechanics fueling agency: Fate Core, Cortex, Savage Worlds, inspiration points

Stories from the table: defeating big bads too quickly, volunteering as hostages, “Benny from The Mummy” moments

The balance between modules and improvisation

Open-world video game parallels (No Man’s Sky, Red Dead Redemption, Skyrim)

The episode’s closing: minion questions, potential promotions, and how to connect with the show

Featured Image Meta

A collection of twenty-sided dice.