Isn’t the horribly named “UbreakIfix” chain kind of everywhere now? Not sure what Best Buy adds to the party.

Oh yeah, I wasn’t trying to crap on your post. The stuff you described is A+ DMing and will get a really strong, fun campaign going.

My comment was more about the perception of railroading as a huge problem. I think potential new DMs might be dissuaded from DMing if they fear the players’ reaction to railroading and don’t have the skills or time to take the approach you described.

Ultimately, most players are just happy to immerse themselves in the story and go along for the ride when the DM asks them to board the choo-choo train.

Here’s how it usually works in the groups I’ve played with.

DM: I’m going to run a game.

Everyone else: Awesome! No one else has time/energy/desire to be the DM.

DM: I’m going to railroad you because it’s the best/quickest/easiest way for us to get going. Is that ok with you?

Everyone else (grateful for someone else being the DM): Chugga chugga chugga chugga chugga chugga. Choo choo!

Necromancers??!!

This is my go-to quote.

If they don’t teach it in business school, Hasbro’s army of MBAs won’t have learned it.

Collecting? No. But my group played through Castle Amber and had a blast.