[Gameplay] Dungeons & Dragons

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Railroading is forcing the characters into the prewritten story that the master created. It's generally frowned upon, because it disrupts the free-will oriented nature of roleplaying. In some cases however, some railroading is required.

A typical example is the following. Suppose the characters enter a city, and find a riot or similar event. The most sensible choice would be to get the hell out of there immediately. If the players choose this strategy, and the master needs their participation in the riot for the plot to develop, characters will find the city door closed, or a mob in front of it which prevents them to leave.