rubycona
2010-04-29, 10:05 PM
...when you don't know what the players are going to do?
The players have stated they want to go and find a druid's grove, because they want to know the druid's point of view on how the land is being treated
Problem is, I haven't a clue how the players are going to go about trying to find the druids. I don't want to just hand them every little idea on a silver platter, they should work for it (as a note, if it matters, I've yet to hand them anything on a silver platter). But I don't know if they're just going to go into the woods, and count on the party druid for guidance (would that even work? She's from a far distant grove, not in this nation). I don't know if they're going to go into the city to search for clues, or check the bounty board (they're conscripted bounty hunters) for bounties on druids, or check with the rebel camp, or... I dunno, use magic (yay for having both a druid and a wizard in the party, all we need is a cleric, and the world bending magics will be complete XD) to try to divine the location of a druid's grove. Or use magic in some other way. They're only level 6, so they don't have too much magic potential yet.
Maybe it's my fault, for having too many options. Should I sit down and write out the possibilities for each and every path the players might take, that I can think of? And hope that I can improv well enough if they (predictably) do something out of left field? Or perhaps, only have a few possibilities that will work out, and risk the frustration of the players if they don't happen on one of the ideas I personally found likely?
Or should I take the easy way out, and give it to them on a silver platter, IE, on their way back to the city (their most likely direction, being as they're in the middle of nowhere), they notice a nymph or pixie or some kind of fae being held captive for intruding on human territory or somesuch?
That last one makes making the adventure pretty easy, but it seems too... well, too much on a silver platter. ...but it occurs to me, is that a bad thing? I kind of think it is, but I Have had a complaint or two that my game's too open ended, and the party feels like they lack direction >.>
So... basically, I'm left really unsure of the path I should try taking as a DM. The game's Saturday, so I have a little time. I've got the framework for the druids themselves pretty good now, I just need to figure out how the party's getting there.
Thanks for your help.
Possibly relevant information:
Party are all level 6, we are playing Pathfinder with lots of 3.5 influence/books, spellcasters can draw from any books, but generally only know about the spells from core (3.5 and pathfinder both) and the spell compendium. We've got a rogue, non skill focused, a druid centaur, and a human wizard. They were forced into this fairly restrictive nation at early level, and their characters (and players) have fairly limited knowledge of the nation's workings. As non-citizens, they've been strongly encouraged into dangerous work, such as bounty hunting. They're wanting to find the druid's grove to get an idea, from a nature lover's perspective, how good this nation is, and whether they should fight for it, or join the rebel camp.
Edit: Suggesting what you would do, as a player, to find the druids in that situation, would be very helpful, too, because being as I'm not omniscient, I'm very liable to miss ideas :P
The players have stated they want to go and find a druid's grove, because they want to know the druid's point of view on how the land is being treated
Problem is, I haven't a clue how the players are going to go about trying to find the druids. I don't want to just hand them every little idea on a silver platter, they should work for it (as a note, if it matters, I've yet to hand them anything on a silver platter). But I don't know if they're just going to go into the woods, and count on the party druid for guidance (would that even work? She's from a far distant grove, not in this nation). I don't know if they're going to go into the city to search for clues, or check the bounty board (they're conscripted bounty hunters) for bounties on druids, or check with the rebel camp, or... I dunno, use magic (yay for having both a druid and a wizard in the party, all we need is a cleric, and the world bending magics will be complete XD) to try to divine the location of a druid's grove. Or use magic in some other way. They're only level 6, so they don't have too much magic potential yet.
Maybe it's my fault, for having too many options. Should I sit down and write out the possibilities for each and every path the players might take, that I can think of? And hope that I can improv well enough if they (predictably) do something out of left field? Or perhaps, only have a few possibilities that will work out, and risk the frustration of the players if they don't happen on one of the ideas I personally found likely?
Or should I take the easy way out, and give it to them on a silver platter, IE, on their way back to the city (their most likely direction, being as they're in the middle of nowhere), they notice a nymph or pixie or some kind of fae being held captive for intruding on human territory or somesuch?
That last one makes making the adventure pretty easy, but it seems too... well, too much on a silver platter. ...but it occurs to me, is that a bad thing? I kind of think it is, but I Have had a complaint or two that my game's too open ended, and the party feels like they lack direction >.>
So... basically, I'm left really unsure of the path I should try taking as a DM. The game's Saturday, so I have a little time. I've got the framework for the druids themselves pretty good now, I just need to figure out how the party's getting there.
Thanks for your help.
Possibly relevant information:
Party are all level 6, we are playing Pathfinder with lots of 3.5 influence/books, spellcasters can draw from any books, but generally only know about the spells from core (3.5 and pathfinder both) and the spell compendium. We've got a rogue, non skill focused, a druid centaur, and a human wizard. They were forced into this fairly restrictive nation at early level, and their characters (and players) have fairly limited knowledge of the nation's workings. As non-citizens, they've been strongly encouraged into dangerous work, such as bounty hunting. They're wanting to find the druid's grove to get an idea, from a nature lover's perspective, how good this nation is, and whether they should fight for it, or join the rebel camp.
Edit: Suggesting what you would do, as a player, to find the druids in that situation, would be very helpful, too, because being as I'm not omniscient, I'm very liable to miss ideas :P