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View Full Version : Roleplaying How to not accept the wrong hook



Chronos
2015-11-06, 07:57 AM
OK, so a bit of background: I've got a pretty decent group now, and we've played through one adventure so far. Everyone found what we were looking for plus a whole lot of things we weren't, and we got to level 5. So far, so good.

One of the players wants to try his hand at DMing the next adventure, with the same party. New DM gets to try something new, old DM gets to finally play a character again, also so far so good.

We have a large enough group that the new DM won't need to keep his character around as a DMPC. So he's probably going to write in a hook to separate that character from the rest of the group for a little while.

And there's the problem. Based on the story thus far, there's an obvious choice for what that hook is going to be, and if that's what it is, it's likely to be more appealing to my character than the actual adventure hook (whatever it is) will be.

So, obviously I'll choose the actual hook anyway, but I need an in-character reason to do so. The obvious choice would be that he wants to stick with his friends... except that the character who's leaving was the one my character was closest to, so that points in the wrong direction, too.

Any suggestions?

Rusvul
2015-11-06, 08:08 AM
Perhaps the old DM's character could do something bad as they leave? Do something horrible and petty (but not exceptionally consequential) so as to disillusion your character and make them stick with the party?

hymer
2015-11-06, 08:16 AM
It is all leeetle vague, which I understand the reason for. Still...
Can it be required that the new DM's PC goes alone, say because there's only a one-person teleport available? Or someone desperately and urgently needs your PC's help just as s/he's about to go, so you stay? You got arrested and couldn't leave town before your hearing? You got sick, and had to stay behind? You didn't know the other guy was going to do what he was going to do, maybe due to miscommunication? S/he had to leave in a tearing hurry to make the boat, and you didn't quite get there? S/he's going to go do the preliminaries, and won't start the real deal until you get there too?

Edit: Or the Tintin solution in the Crab with the Golden Claws (or the Black Gold?), where Captain Haddock is gone for most of the album. He returns out of the blue towards the end, and Tintin is delighted. When asked, the Captain says that it's both complicated, and entirely simple, and everytime he tries to explain it (with considerable relish), he gets sidetracked or interrupted, and you just never find out.
Second edit: It's Land of Black Gold. I know, not that important. :smalltongue:

nedz
2015-11-06, 08:16 AM
What is the DM's character ?

It's usually quite easy to find some down-time activity, depending on the character. and in situations like this it doesn't matter if it's contrived since everyone will know (OOC) that it's just DMPC avoidance.

Segev
2015-11-06, 11:16 AM
Perhaps only the DM's temporary PC learns of the "remove the PC" hook, so yours never learns about it until it's too late?

Geddy2112
2015-11-06, 12:52 PM
1. There is never a wrong hook, but I understand you mean "how to not accept the hook that will make me roll a new character."

2. This is the good and important aspect of metagaming-understanding you are playing a team game and always having a reason to be part of the team.

3. The DM could always make it impossible for you to join, instead of you having the burden, as Segev/Nedz suggested.

Chronos
2015-11-06, 01:07 PM
OK, a little more detail: The new DM's character is a paladin of Ogma. During our last adventure, we just might have completely inadvertently sent a horrible monster in the direction of a prominent temple of Ogma in the middle of a major population center (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?420162-Wherein-I-inadvertantly-give-an-NPC-exactly-what-he-wants). So the most likely hook for the DM's character is that his superiors have ordered him home to deal with this problem (which was totally at least 50% not his fault, and they don't know that anyway).

Now, my character doesn't give much of a damn about orders, and isn't inclined to think of the situation with this monster (which is at least 50% not his fault, either) as a problem at all. But what motivates my character is the unearthing and de-secretifying of ancient secrets, and he's found one ancient secret in the course of the last adventure that he can't make heads nor tails of. So he'll want to consult with some more knowledgeable associates of his... who just happen to be at that very same temple of Ogma.

So, in-character, it would seem perfectly natural: My buddy's heading to the temple, I wanted to go there anyway for my own reasons, why not tag along?

Now, of course, it's not hard to find interest in any given hook a DM might dangle, since almost anything in a D&D world could potentially involve ancient secrets (and in fact, that's part of the reason I created the character to have that motivation to begin with). But then it becomes a matter of seeing which hook is hookier, and I'm afraid that it might be the wrong one.

Red Fel
2015-11-06, 01:55 PM
So, in-character, it would seem perfectly natural: My buddy's heading to the temple, I wanted to go there anyway for my own reasons, why not tag along?

Short answer? Priorities.

Funny thing about ancient secrets - if they've been around for awhile, there's a good chance they'll still be around awhile longer. The Temple has been around a long time, and is likely to be there the next time you visit. Further, if you give your friend awhile to get situated, he might be able to give you a tour when you finally do get around to stopping in.

But right now, you're on a mission. I don't know exactly what it is - you haven't shared that part - but you have a more immediate objective in front of you. Do that first; the Temple of Ogma can wait.

How's that?

Lvl 2 Expert
2015-11-06, 02:02 PM
Maybe talk to the new DM, see if he can help making the right hook shinier, or the wrong hook less so. You're allowed to conspire with the DM if it helps you play your character.

Chronos
2015-11-06, 02:30 PM
But right now, you're on a mission. I don't know exactly what it is - you haven't shared that part - but you have a more immediate objective in front of you.
That's not just me being coy-- I don't know what it'll be yet, either (the new DM might take a while putting it together). We were on a mission, but most of the loose ends for that have been cleared up now.

hymer
2015-11-06, 02:32 PM
So, in-character, it would seem perfectly natural: My buddy's heading to the temple, I wanted to go there anyway for my own reasons, why not tag along?

Stay away, just in case that bad thing you set on the Oghmarites turns up? Then when your friend gives the all-clear (also on whether the Oghmarites are angry with you), you can come sauntering in, after you've been doing some other important stuff.

Segev
2015-11-06, 02:39 PM
Talk to the DM. If he goes with what you think he will, ask him to have the person delivering the message/orders to the paladin also be one of your contacts. Have them give you the information you need/want then and there, so you have no reason to head back with them.

hymer
2015-11-06, 03:03 PM
Come to think of it, might the Oghmarites simply teleport your friend away? Perhaps rather suddenly? You may not even know where he's gone for a while.

Chronos
2015-11-06, 04:04 PM
Quoth hymer:

Stay away, just in case that bad thing you set on the Oghmarites turns up?
Nah, that wouldn't work-- We actually found the thing quite friendly (to us, at least), and my character wouldn't be at all afraid of it.

Quoth Segev:

Talk to the DM. If he goes with what you think he will, ask him to have the person delivering the message/orders to the paladin also be one of your contacts. Have them give you the information you need/want then and there, so you have no reason to head back with them.
Hm, or maybe I could send the mysterious scroll back with the paladin, along with a letter of introduction to the appropriate folks, and ask him to ask around while he's there...

the_david
2015-11-06, 06:56 PM
Ask old DM if he can run a campaign for your character and new DM while your new temporary character takes on new DM's hook.

So you get to go on your sidequest and you get to play in the main campaign. Have fun!