New DM needs help!

[Epicsakura101]

I'm new to DMing and I need some advice. I'm trying to run a Pathfinder campaign using the "Carrion Crown" adventure path (starts with "the Haunting of Harrowstone"). The group consists of a catfolk inquisitor (who never shows up), an undine Druid, a sorceress (I don't remember her race, but she gets divine stuff) and a dwarf cleric that I'm running as a placeholder for if someone else joins. The Druid is a newb and the rest of us have at least some experience playing in the past.

The adventure looks like a lot of fun, but they're not supposed to enter the dungeon until they're about level 2, and they need to learn a few things through research before they should go on.

The problem with that is the fact that my party has no backbone. They all want to follow someone else. The result is my having to drop a million hints and practically drag them around by the ears. Not to mention none of them have any knowledge local or history (the checks needed to learn the stuff they need).

Then there's the adventure that wants to pile several different time limit factors, one of the which is this weird "trust point" system used to determine their relationship with the town. The adventure guide tells me all sorts of ways their total goes down, but precious little on how it goes up. If it gets too low they get run out of town by an angry mob and loose... Like, they entire adventure is failed.

How should I deal with this? I would highly appreciate any help you guys can give me.

Thanks! :)

[Geddy2112]

The dwarf cleric does not have history? Does the town have access to a library or other ways to gather information? (not super familiar with the AP)

Instead of dragging them down, let the trust of the town go down and light a fire under their butts to do something instead of putz around. If they go into the dungeon half cocked, so be it. If they ignore the town grumblings and instead get run out, then so be it. There should be consequences to any action.

I assume you are hesitant to do this because your players will be mad. This is a possibility, but will they be truly happy waltzing around and doing nothing? If so, you can always ditch the AP and brew your own adventure. If they don't like that either, then the town runs them out and you can go from there-
"You have been run out of town by an angry mob. After hours of running, you believe you are safe in the woods(or wherever they are). What do you do?" Since you are new to DMing I can see how creating your own adventure would be daunting, but there could always be another dungeon they stumble on that is the exact same as the one in the AP, same encounters etc etc.

[Epicsakura101]

Does the town have access to a library or other ways to gather information? (not super familiar with the AP)

Yes the town has several research locations, but the ones that will give them the bonuses they need for the DC25 knowledge check has a requirement for their use: either a high enough trust point total, or a DC25 diplomacy check.

I think I might take your advice though. If loosing the game is what it takes to get these players moving then that's what it takes. Do you have any recommendations for other pre-built adventures I might try? All else fails I do as you said and run them through the dungeon anyway. Things just get frustrating when your players literally tell you "I can't think of anything."

Thanks for the help :)

[Geddy2112]

I think I might take your advice though. If loosing the game is what it takes to get these players moving then that's what it takes. Do you have any recommendations for other pre-built adventures I might try? All else fails I do as you said and run them through the dungeon anyway.
I would not say it is losing, just enforcing the consequences of actions. Buy ale, get ale. Jump off a cliff and fall 200 ft, take a ton of damage. Slay dragon, save town.

All actions have consequences. Good, bad, win, lose-these are perceptions of the consequences, but enforce the consequences.


Things just get frustrating when your players literally tell you "I can't think of anything."
This screams random encounter-this does not just mean a wandering monster, just something happening to the PC's.
Anything from guards chasing a thief through the town, they pass a merchant, find an oasis in the desert, hailstorm, etc. Something that brings the PC's to the now and keeps the game going. When you are a Pro, these "random" encounters leave little baubles and hints towards the next path, or the quest you have been trying to get the party to go on all along.