Plot Hooks for Unresponsive Players · Game Master's Laboratory

Aug 18 in Advice

Plot Hooks for Unresponsive Players

Hey everyone! Was hoping I could get some advice on this. I started DMing for my brother and a friend yesterday and it was fun for sure. However, there was a bit of friction in that they really didn’t want to follow any of the plot hooks I gave them. I know DMing is like herding cats, but I get the feeling that my storytelling style might not work for these two. Not quite sure how to put it, but they’re like 50% of the way toward “murder hobo” territory. Nothing wrong with that play style, I’ve just never really handled it before.

My question is, how do you give players plot hooks when they’re really not interested in helping NPCs and want to mind their own business? They just kind of ignored the obvious “hey look, go here” stuff. They even made a remark that they knew I was trying to get them to go somewhere at the very start but ignored it. I’m worried that whatever I try to make look interesting, they’ll just continue to look past. That and I’m not sure how to make a plot for them that doesn’t rely on them being at least somewhat interested in NPCs.

This was a bit rambling but I hope you kinda get what I mean. Long story short, players aren’t very responsive to what I have set up and I need a new way to make them invested. Or at the very least follow the breadcrumb trail I leave out for them.

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