Necross
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Warning: Kind of a problem in the adventure book

Mon 15 May 2023, 15:25

SPOILER. Just wanted to warn other GMs for a small problem in the beginning of the adventure book, or a least a little detail that can mess things up if you want to run the campaign without modifications. When my PCs found the tattoo on the dying guy in the beginning one of them wanted to roll to recognize it. He rolled a 1 and my mind slipped and told him about it being related to a evil cult. Oooops. Now I have to modify the rest of the story instead of running it as written. So I would recommend that the PCs don´t find that tattoo.
Last edited by Necross on Mon 15 May 2023, 16:14, edited 1 time in total.
 
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Fenhorn
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Re: Warning: Kind of a bug in the adventure book

Mon 15 May 2023, 15:36

To use the word "bug" here is misleading. Your players found some clues. Clues that the campaign even adress that they can follow up on later in Outskirts, which the players most likely will get to next. Smart players (they don't have to be that smart really) knows that there is more to this story than whatever information they got during the first session and they should research more about this with caution.
“Thanks for noticin' me.” - Eeyore
 
Necross
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Re: Warning: Kind of a bug in the adventure book

Mon 15 May 2023, 16:16

To use the word "bug" here is misleading. Your players found some clues. Clues that the campaign even adress that they can follow up on later in Outskirts, which the players most likely will get to next. Smart players (they don't have to be that smart really) knows that there is more to this story than whatever information they got during the first session and they should research more about this with caution.
OK, I changed "bug" to "problem". I could change it to "potential problem" but I felt it got too long. I hear what you say, but if feel that if they know that the tattoo means evil cult the "twist" gets too simple, so the adventure/campaign needs modifications. Or?
 
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Short Fey
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Re: Warning: Kind of a problem in the adventure book

Mon 15 May 2023, 18:19

My players ended up digging up stuff i was not expecting they would find out about until much later, and from throw away lines began to nose around and ended up dealing with the cultist plot quite early in the campaign.

I think that ultimately, the campaign isn't REALLY written to make it "essential" for the cultists to be involved all the way to the end, especially with the number of ways the players can learn about them. The only main thing is if Leanara or Quasimund makes it for the ambush after retriving Um-Durman.
Beware the fey!
 
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Melvin
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Re: Warning: Kind of a problem in the adventure book

Mon 15 May 2023, 18:41

You may also mislead them, saying that he was maybe infiltred or changed his mind and try to make things right and give you something important.
 
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Fenhorn
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Re: Warning: Kind of a problem in the adventure book

Mon 15 May 2023, 19:05

I think to be just enough vague here is the trick, to mention some alternative truths. That way, they got the clue so they have a bit of information but also some alternative ways of interpret that information.
“Thanks for noticin' me.” - Eeyore
 
simontmn
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Re: Warning: Kind of a problem in the adventure book

Fri 19 May 2023, 08:32

I'm not seeing the problem. Are Leanara & Quasimund tatted up?

I actually had PCs spot Leanara pass Quasimund a note with the demon emblem on it! They still took no action until Quasimund's thugs killed the female knight. At which point they looted the knight's room for the 200gp they knew she must have to pay for the statue parts from them. :D
 
Bunboybee
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Re: Warning: Kind of a problem in the adventure book

Tue 20 Jun 2023, 23:45

I Don't let my players "want to roll for thing". It breaks down the standard GM/Player social contract and leads to issues. That is(the contract), for the GM:

1. Answer Questions about the world, in a consistent way. (This make the world feel real). This also includes setting up an initial scene.
2. Apply rulings in an impartial way, calling for use of game mechanics when needed.

For the players:

1. Ask questions about the world. i.e. What do I see down that hallway? Is there a sound coming from that door if I put my ear to it? Etc.
2. Make choices based on information given.

When this isn't followed there's this sort of breakdown between what the players are doing and what you as a GM are telling them. It's a sort of "I try to open the door, I will roll lockpicking! Aha I got a 1"... but the door wasn't locked it was barred this isn't being a meany and telling them that their roll of 1 is meaningless, but it makes no sense to roll lockpicking at all on an unlocked but barred door. This of course is an silly example of using the wrong skill for a situation, but it applies when it's the right skill, but as a GM I don't know what success might look like going in.

Remember, at the core of RPGs is a conversation. Talk about it, ask questions of each other, then make the roll when you know why you are doing it.

In this case a player wanted to know about a tattoo, as a GM I need to ask, "Do they have a reasonable chance at knowing? If they do what would they know about it?" I'd definitely give them my best description as a starting place. When a player calls and makes a roll, I need to interpret what success in this case with that skill means. If I call a roll, because I asked this question of myself first, I know what success would look like. If the best the player can hope for is knowing that they've seen it in certain places but not what it means, that's what success means. If they have done a lot of study or know very well lore of local cults, then success absolutely should be being able to give a name to that organization. Try establishing stakes and the rewards for success before making the roll. Blades in the Dark, among other games, has this as a mechanic where the GM decides explicitly how dangerous failure is and what effect success will have each time before calling a roll.

Sorry, I know you were trying to give a warning and not asking for advice. And feel free to ignore my advice, but I thought I'd post this here in case someone reading this is afraid of the same problem they might be able to get out ahead of this and learn some tips from an old veteran GM.

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