DMing For the 1st Time in Years - Advice?

[Ziegander]

So, the first session was chaos, as I had planned anyway, so no big deal there. We started at 1st level, so I had to throw trash orcs at them to make sure they survived to 2nd level, and this became a lot more drawn out as the players decided to stay separated for the entire session, so I couldn't make them fight anything remotely dangerous. Whatever, everyone seemed to have fun, and I was optimistic about the next session even though the characters didn't seem to have any in-game reason to stick together.

The second session... disaster struck. The Wizard player murdered three locals immediately upon reaching the King's City, which, considering he was in the slums in a bad part of town, I decided he could get away with. Nobody was keen on stopping him and the guards had more important things to worry about. So, then, I suppose he got emboldened and waltzed to the city's spell shop where he bought a handful of scrolls and attempted to steal a Healing Belt after being warned by the shopkeep to give it back or give him the gold. So, he decided to ready an action to Color Spray the two city guardsmen standing between him and the door, which he took, which triggered the Wizard shopkeep's readied action to Deep Slumber him and the rest of the party.

Mind you, the party is level 2 at this point.

The PC Wizard makes his save vs Deep Slumber, the other two members of the party fall asleep, one of the guards is blinded and stunned for a couple of rounds, and then the remaining guard charges him. Finally, initiative is rolled after the surprise round is over, and the shopkeep Deep Slumbers again, this time the PC Wizard fails his save and everybody wakes up at a prison. The PC Wizard is shackled, spellbookless, and gagged in a jail cell, while the other two, since they hadn't actually done anything, are being questioned by one of the guards.

Basically, at this point I ended the session, because I had no rutting clue what to do from here. The other two PCs have no reason to help the PC Wizard get out of jail, he almost got them completely screwed and he's kind of been a **** to them in character, and I don't know that they could even if they wanted to given their character level and lack of resources.

Have I made some terrible error here? Does anyone have any ideas that might help me out of this situation, or do I just throw my hands in the air and say, screw this? Is the PC Wizard just screwed? Obviously, I'm going to talk to the player outside of game, and I'm going to ask him what he wants to happen to his character. If he says, "just let me out," I'm going to explain to him that he committed two flagrant offenses and that he's facing an appropriate jail sentence.

Problem is, that, like I said, the other two player characters have literally no attachment to him, and likely couldn't get him out if they wanted to. So, they would go on doing stuff while the PC Wizard rots in jail.

Basically, I have no rutting idea what to do, and I'm asking for help...

[Lostbutseeking]

Well think of them being in prison as a Plothook, assuming the locals have access to Geas/quest (or it's lesser version) you can now legitimately compel the wizard and his friends to do something.

Also borrowing from the almighty giant - have a curse similair in effect to the mark of justice put on him.

[Dairuga]

Well, this is certainly an interesting scenario. While sandbox games are fun (That is, games where everyone can go and do everything they want at their own leisure), it often unravels when the party needs to do something together, due to lack of railroading / plot hooks. You seem to be facing a slight problem here, in the fact that they -have- no attachment to eachother, and no reason to help each other out in the time of need.

Perhaps you could come up with some sort of backstories for them? Possibly having their parents share a last name, tie in subtly family ties even if they do not know it themselves, etc. Or perhaps make it so that they have known eachother at some point.

Failing that, given that the authority watched them, could deem that they are of a fighting force, and ask if they would not mind working for the authoritive figures for a little while. Throw in some gold, perhaps free outfitting with armor and some meager supplies, and most people would bite instantly. Perhaps the wizard could be let out if the city is in a time of need, due to every resources needing to be made use of, and put the other characters in charge of watching the wizard. Having one part of the ragtag group be the guardian of the other part, so to say.

That could be an efficient way to keep them together. They have to watch eachother, make sure the others are not scheming up horrible things, work for a joint reward, earn some prestige in the city (as well as some reknown, etc, etc.), and possibly become friends in the process.

Also, what your wizard did was certainly in the leagues of being an *******. What alignment is he, if I may ask? Robbing stores for own personal gain is Chaotic neutral at best, and downright evil if he was willing to kill others for the benefit of it. Perhaps slap on some harsh punishment (A mark of justice, possibly, or intelligence-penalty shackles around one ankle that would only come off once he have served his sentence). No wizard would ever want to be wandering around permanently with a magical restraint, especially not one that hampers him in all the aspects he wants to be good at, and the only way to get it off would be to repent, and make up for what he tried to steal.

Those are some ideas at least, if you think they might be able to be put to good use.

[Ziegander]

Well the party comprised of three characters and I don't really care about alignment, but they can be summed up at True Neutral (Goliath Barbarian), Chaotic Neutral (Halfling Factotum) and Chaotic Evil (Lesser Tiefling Wizard).

I feel like the Wizard player just thinks that because I'm a flexible DM that enjoys powerful PCs that I'm just going to let his character do anything he wants and have everything he desires. I may have accidentally given him that impression somehow...

I don't know.

I am trying to run a very sandbox game, but I don't have much of the world fleshed out yet, and, like I said, I haven't done this in years, and it almost seems like the Wizard player is trying to make it impossible for me.

The idea of using the PCs as a fighting force isn't a bad idea, and they do know each other by name, and even before the game started they had heard of each other. I just don't know how to fix this situation with the Wizard... he put himself into an insane situation and I think he just expected to get off without any consequences. What am I supposed to do with that?

[Dairuga]

As I mentioned for the wizard, there are several options. The one that seems most likely would be reprimanding the wizard.

He tried to steal, and rotting in prison will do no one any good. Therefore, force the wizard to work for the capital. Give him an enchanted shackle around one leg; say a Shackle of stupidity (-4 to intelligence), or some-such. The shackle is high enough of a level that he cannot dispel magic it if he gets a scroll, and it cripples his main stat until he has done at least one good service to atone for theft.

Say that there are thieves littering the town. Or there is an orch / Goblin / Kobold encampment outside town, threatening the welfare of the town. The PC's seems adept at handling the situation, the Wizard can be forced to help with the situation (or risk having a permanent -4 to int), and the city can use the wizard as a free tool to clear up the problems. It is a win-win situation all around. The party whom is not in trouble might get rewards for the trouble, and the wizard can be "rewarded" with having the shackles removed, and if he wants to earn money as well, can be offered to take more jobs from the local Quest-bulletin board.

Another way of reprimanding him would be to tax him a certain amount of gold for compensation to the one he tried to rob from. He can be put under a Geas / mark of justice to ensure he has a permanent debilitation until he has paid up, etc. For someone that likes to wreak havoc, that is the best punishment. Teach him that he will get severe consequences for breaking the law to the degree he did (Attempted theft, assault on guards, resisting arrest, etc. ). Perhaps that will rein him in in the future.

[Ziegander]

I want the players to feel empowered and free to do what they want, but I also want them to understand that they are not always powerful enough to get what they want, when they want it, and that there are always going to be consequences to their actions.

In this scenario, I don't think forcing the players to do what the city guard tells them to do is a good option. It ruins the spirit of the game, and takes the players' agency away from them for the bad decision of one player.

I also don't think forcing said PC Wizard to play a neutered character (see: Cursed and/or Int Penalized) until his debt is repaid would be fun for anyone.

Any other ideas for me?