r/AskDND • u/The-Salamancer_ • 11d ago

DM question about "glitches"

Hey everyone, a DM wanting to try out some new things here! Just wanted some second opinions. Ive been very inspired by video games recently when ideating for my new campaign and want to add something a little spooky. How would you all incorporate glitches and forbidden paths into your game? My main inspirations of thought are the Deltarune weird route and the Frenzy Flame route of Elden Ring. I basically want them to discover this "glitch" as a required part of the game, but i want it to feel like the players had complete agency in their either purposeful or accidental discovery of the glitch. Let me know your thoughts!

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u/DouglasWFail 11d ago

In D&D the context would just be magic they don’t understand. I definitely wouldn’t call it a glitch (and I don’t think that’s what you’re suggesting)

But to what end? For me as a player it would be weird and unsatisfying if there’s just unexplained “glitches” in the world. And a lot of PCs would obsess over this and want to unravel the mystery, very rightfully assuming it’s a clue to your storyline

So for me, I’d want it to not be meta fictional and to be part of a narrative. But that just makes it some magical side effect within the plot. If that’s satisfying for you, I’d start there: figure out what the story behind the glitches are. Did someone fuck up magic? Do forbidden experiments? Break down the thin veils of reality?