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View Full Version : How to "troll" the players and get away with it?



akma
2017-06-09, 11:33 AM
I'm planing an adventure in which the players go to the geographic equivalent of Antarctica to get some things for a lot of money. Parts of it will include false rumors about the continent. Specifically, I plan to manipulate the players to go to a place in which a fabled "pond of revelations" is, and to find out the legends are based off of hallucinogenic mushrooms, and there is nothing mystical about that place. I need that part of the adventure for a few reasons:

1. To help base the belief that they shouldn't treat rumors seriously, to increase an aura of doubt in other parts of the adventure, so I need this part of the adventure to happen very early.
2. To increase the separation between what they were sent to do and what they heard about the continent. They should eventually note that they were sent to retrieve none of the things that turn out as nonsense, and that everything they were sent to retrieve turns out to be real, even when it makes no sense.
3. A bit of a realistic feel, just because it's a fantasy world doesn't mean that every rumor is true. I do plan to have some parts of the adventure on realistic issues, like how they get food in a wasteland and asking how they handle boredom in days without events.

I'm worried that this specific event would piss off the players too much. Unlike other rumors that will turn out to be false, this one will be a complete waste of time - they could collect some mushrooms, and drink some water, but besides that, it will be just a delay in their journey. And I need to do this very early in the adventure. How could I do it without causing too much strife?

Lvl 2 Expert
2017-06-09, 11:38 AM
Make sure they realize it's a dead end, make sure they already have their next destination when they arrive, and as you said, do it early in the campaign. It sounds like a great way to set their expectations. Show, don't tell.

akma
2017-06-09, 11:52 AM
Maybe it is a flaw in the adventure design, but the only real direction they will have at the start is "there is something big and green in the middle of the continent, find out what it is and hand me proof". I'm not entirely sure if it fits your next destination advice.

Lvl 2 Expert
2017-06-09, 12:15 PM
Maybe it is a flaw in the adventure design, but the only real direction they will have at the start is "there is something big and green in the middle of the continent, find out what it is and hand me proof". I'm not entirely sure if it fits your next destination advice.

Then when do they learn about that fabled pond?

When you do that, also give them a rumor that makes them go to the next thing, or just make sure they're interested in finding the green parts.

On the other hand, maybe don't make the next step so enticing they'll go there and never look back...

akma
2017-06-09, 12:47 PM
Then when do they learn about that fabled pond?

The characters will originally be a group of random people with useful skills from the same southern island, the human settlement closest to the continent, so they will naturally know a lot of rumors about that area. I plan to drop the rumors when they will see some visual markers, something along the lines of "You see three mountains forming a triangle in the south east, with sharp peaks. You heard a legend about a pond in the middle of mountains in that exact same arrangement and appearance...". I think it's both easier and more effective then telling the players random lore at the start.



When you do that, also give them a rumor that makes them go to the next thing, or just make sure they're interested in finding the green parts.

On the other hand, maybe don't make the next step so enticing they'll go there and never look back...

Making it more interesting sounds hard in this case. I planned an interesting scenario in which they would get the mission, but then I thought it might be counter productive, as this might cause delays - even if I'll drop all the non-essentials on the one who gave them the mission, it still leaves it as a stranger that offers to pay them a lot for things that the continent shouldn't have, and nothing for things the continent should have. They might be tempted to try to investigate about that character, so I thought it would be best to just start the adventure at the point in which they arrive at the continent. It's hard to build hype in the middle of a wasteland...

Koo Rehtorb
2017-06-09, 01:11 PM
This sounds annoying if the assumption is you're telling them to go there because you're the DM and that's what you prepared and please play along otherwise you don't have any content.

This sounds fine if the understanding is they can go anywhere and do anything they want but here is one of many possible leads that they can follow up on.

Yora
2017-06-09, 01:14 PM
"In the middle of the continent" is really big. How could they possibly know that they reached the place they were send to and that the thing they are searching for isn't there? It's vital for the players to know that the goal can not be accomplished and that there is no point in keeping searching.

Also, by this point the fact that they can't accomplish their original goal should no longer matter. Because they already need to be working on something much more important. Shrugging and going back home is not a viable option. Now that they are in that place, there needs to be something pressing for them to do there.

akma
2017-06-09, 01:36 PM
This sounds annoying if the assumption is you're telling them to go there because you're the DM and that's what you prepared and please play along otherwise you don't have any content.

This sounds fine if the understanding is they can do anywhere and do anything they want but here is one of many possible leads that they can follow up on.

It will be something like "*description and hype building* ...but going there will delay your journey for a few days, do you want to go there?". I plan on a few things like that, sometimes with an option of taking a longer route to avoid a possible danger. The adventure in general is supposed to be a bit sandboxy, filled mostly with things they may interact with or may try to avoid. The pond thing might be the only thing that they will get nothing from.


"In the middle of the continent" is really big. How could they possibly know that they reached the place they were send to and that the thing they are searching for isn't there? It's vital for the players to know that the goal can not be accomplished and that there is no point in keeping searching.

The pond is false rumor, the "green and big thing" in the middle of the continent is something real and important. As for finding it exactly... Navigating to the middle of the continent should be pretty simple if you can find the south, and since it's huge, it should be visible from quite a distance away. Saying big made it sound smaller then it is, it's an area in the size of a small country.

erikun
2017-06-09, 04:05 PM
Hmm. Interesting.

The first question I'd ask is, what is the purpose? I mean, what kind of standard or expectation are you planning on imposing in the game with such a task? Is the goal to inform the party that some of the plot hooks are false? Because certainly, that would be reasonable, but it might make the players less inclined to be following them. (especially ones which involve travelling halfway across the continent) Is the goal to show that some NPCs have false information and not all information will always agree?


If the goal is a bait-and-switch, where they hear rumors about a treasure but instead find some kind of monument/town/important location instead, that's perfectly fine. They are, at least, finding SOMETHING based off the rumor. Showing that rumors may be false but not necessarily false leads is okay. My concern was having rumors which just lead to absolutely nothing, thus discouraging the players from relying on rumors at all.


I would think that, if the goal is to show that not all rumors are true, it would probably be easier (on everyone) to start things off a lot more local and simpler. Perhaps have rumors in town about a witch who seduces or kidnaps men on the outside of town, where the stumble back late at night, only for the party to find out that she makes ale in her home (https://www.craftbeer.com/editors-picks/what-do-witches-and-brewers-have-in-common) and the "victims" are just going there in evenings to get drunk. This is a relatively low-stakes situation, both with little resources invested to explore it and little lost if they mix things up - unless the party just plans on murder without listening or just burning the place down.

I'd have to agree that, if the party invests heavily into travelling halfway across a continent, they are unlikely to just give up so easily. It is far, far more likely that the mystery pond is hidden in a sealed off cavern, or located within a hidden dungeon, or magically enchanted to prevent people from finding it, rather than it just not being there - this is D&D, after all, and those are some fairly common tropes. And the middle of a continent is massive, with a huge amount of area to cover, even between three mountaintops. (assuming there aren't more mountains!) More specifically, players are far less inclined to just let go of an idea than you might assume, and might either try returning to that place later or just refusing to leave in the first place.


I plan to drop the rumors when they will see some visual markers, something along the lines of "You see three mountains forming a triangle in the south east, with sharp peaks. You heard a legend about a pond in the middle of mountains in that exact same arrangement and appearance...". I think it's both easier and more effective then telling the players random lore at the start.
If your goal is to show that rumors and past knowledge is not always reliable, then this doesn't sound like a good idea at all. The best way might be to simply give PCs different (and conflicting) background information right from the start. Perhaps the dwarves have lore that the dragons razed the barren wastelands, while the elves have lore that the barren wastelands killed all the dragons - it's clear that both are not correct, without conflicting with the facts the party knows. (that there are dangerous barren wastelands)

Also, this really ties into my first point, especially since it is something which you are telling the party right at that moment. Telling the party "you see a location which rumors say might hold hidden treasure" and then having it turn out as a dud will make them highly suspicious about any such spontaneously occuring rumors.

Fiery Diamond
2017-06-09, 04:52 PM
Also, this really ties into my first point, especially since it is something which you are telling the party right at that moment. Telling the party "you see a location which rumors say might hold hidden treasure" and then having it turn out as a dud will make them highly suspicious about any such spontaneously occuring rumors.

This is a really good point. This approach might make them suspicious of spontaneously given rumors specifically, not all rumors.

akma
2017-06-10, 02:15 AM
The first question I'd ask is, what is the purpose? I mean, what kind of standard or expectation are you planning on imposing in the game with such a task? Is the goal to inform the party that some of the plot hooks are false? Because certainly, that would be reasonable, but it might make the players less inclined to be following them.

To make the players doubt any rumor I dangle in front of them. For example, there will be an option later to go a direct route through an area that is rumored to have some ridiculous danger, or try to go around it and delay their journey, and I want the players to also consider the option that this rumor is complete nonsense and it is entirely safe. I want them to doubt any random data I tell them, instead of blindly following such leads while thinking "if he said that, it must be important and we shouldn't ignore it".



If the goal is a bait-and-switch, where they hear rumors about a treasure but instead find some kind of monument/town/important location instead, that's perfectly fine. They are, at least, finding SOMETHING based off the rumor. Showing that rumors may be false but not necessarily false leads is okay. My concern was having rumors which just lead to absolutely nothing, thus discouraging the players from relying on rumors at all.

Most leads will lead to something, even if it completely unrelated to the lead (probably all leads except the pond one). And I want to discourage the players from blindly following rumors.



I would think that, if the goal is to show that not all rumors are true, it would probably be easier (on everyone) to start things off a lot more local and simpler... *an example* ...This is a relatively low-stakes situation, both with little resources invested to explore it and little lost if they mix things up.

They won't lose anything by following that lead, except from a slight delay in their journey.



this is D&D, after all...


Actually, it isn't. It is a fantasy world in which humans can not gain much power without becoming less human, and the players will be mundane but skillful humans, maybe some of them with a bit of supernatural power, but not something that will make them epic heroes. They won't have any magic. They might still expect a lot of weird options, as it is still a fantasy world filled with oddities.



And the middle of a continent is massive, with a huge amount of area to cover, even between three mountaintops. (assuming there aren't more mountains!) More specifically, players are far less inclined to just let go of an idea than you might assume, and might either try returning to that place later or just refusing to leave in the first place.

Actually, those mountains would be pretty close to the beach. And I planned to discourage them from getting stuck there by having them find only mushrooms while searching, and feeling nothing while they drink from the water. They will recognize the mushrooms.



If your goal is to show that rumors and past knowledge is not always reliable, then this doesn't sound like a good idea at all. The best way might be to simply give PCs different (and conflicting) background information right from the start.

I can do this, I guess. Maybe I'll do it more subtly by saying that one player heard that drinking from the water gives revelations about the world, another will hear that drinking from it will give revelations about yourself, one will hear that it will give visions from other worlds...


This is a really good point. This approach might make them suspicious of spontaneously given rumors specifically, not all rumors.

I want them to be suspicious of every spontaneously given rumor.

Knaight
2017-06-10, 03:08 AM
This seems pretty straightforward. Drop rumors as they come up, confirm specifics as needed (so that it's clear that they found the pool and the rumor is wrong, and not that there's just some other pool), and have rumors that aren't accurate.

Your second goal is pretty optimistic though. You have one pattern based on events across multiple sessions, and it's relatively subtle. I'd fully expect that to fly under the player's radar.

sktarq
2017-06-10, 10:47 PM
How to make clear that rumours are unreliable but their main mission may be worth it?

Have a rumour be true-with a reward
Have a rumour be false-with no reward or the rumor is expired with an expired reward (perhaps the treasure was in art or spices that have gone bad the town has fallen to raiders, illness, been abandoned)

in that order before things really heat up in their search for the green region deep in the ice.

akma
2017-06-11, 09:42 AM
This seems pretty straightforward. Drop rumors as they come up, confirm specifics as needed (so that it's clear that they found the pool and the rumor is wrong, and not that there's just some other pool), and have rumors that aren't accurate.

Dropping rumors in their path is impossible since they will be the only humans on the continent. I'll guess I'll try to make the description of the place with the pond very specific and very unambiguous.



Your second goal is pretty optimistic though. You have one pattern based on events across multiple sessions, and it's relatively subtle. I'd fully expect that to fly under the player's radar.

It's more of a thing I want them to feel towards the end... I do plan to print cards with the mission goals on them, and have them constantly on the table, to keep it in the players mind. Maybe it will help with that too.


How to make clear that rumours are unreliable but their main mission may be worth it?

Have a rumour be true-with a reward
Have a rumour be false-with no reward or the rumor is expired with an expired reward (perhaps the treasure was in art or spices that have gone bad the town has fallen to raiders, illness, been abandoned)

in that order before things really heat up in their search for the green region deep in the ice.

I guess a worth it event before the pond will make the players less angry, and make them understand I'm not just there to troll them.

Knaight
2017-06-11, 04:06 PM
Dropping rumors in their path is impossible since they will be the only humans on the continent. I'll guess I'll try to make the description of the place with the pond very specific and very unambiguous.

You can include the rumors in narration just fine - note that what they are seeing is reminiscent of rumors they'd heard before leaving for the continent. That's all it takes.

FreddyNoNose
2017-06-17, 01:33 PM
I'm planing an adventure in which the players go to the geographic equivalent of Antarctica to get some things for a lot of money. Parts of it will include false rumors about the continent. Specifically, I plan to manipulate the players to go to a place in which a fabled "pond of revelations" is, and to find out the legends are based off of hallucinogenic mushrooms, and there is nothing mystical about that place. I need that part of the adventure for a few reasons:

1. To help base the belief that they shouldn't treat rumors seriously, to increase an aura of doubt in other parts of the adventure, so I need this part of the adventure to happen very early.
2. To increase the separation between what they were sent to do and what they heard about the continent. They should eventually note that they were sent to retrieve none of the things that turn out as nonsense, and that everything they were sent to retrieve turns out to be real, even when it makes no sense.
3. A bit of a realistic feel, just because it's a fantasy world doesn't mean that every rumor is true. I do plan to have some parts of the adventure on realistic issues, like how they get food in a wasteland and asking how they handle boredom in days without events.

I'm worried that this specific event would piss off the players too much. Unlike other rumors that will turn out to be false, this one will be a complete waste of time - they could collect some mushrooms, and drink some water, but besides that, it will be just a delay in their journey. And I need to do this very early in the adventure. How could I do it without causing too much strife?

Back in the 70s I ran an adventure one night. Players got rumors of wealth in a cave nearby. After much fighting and loss, they defeat the final opponents and unlock a chest. It basically was a fancily written scroll about not believing rumors learned in bars and that real wealth comes from wisdom.

Psikerlord
2017-06-19, 07:36 PM
Why not just tell the players, in your session zero, that rumours arent always true. Do you really need an elaborate mini adventure to hammer the point? If that was my first adventure, I'd probably be annoyed.

sktarq
2017-06-19, 08:10 PM
Another option: Have them choose their own rumours to chase twice. First is probably true (say 3 or 4 options). Have them choose between several rumours to track down again. Know ahead of time that 2 of 3 are bad rumours. Unless they picked the bad 1 in 4 last time - in which case they have a winning rumour every time.

Nupo
2017-06-20, 10:27 AM
Roll play the presentatino of the rumors, and give the one about the pond of revelations from a guy with the voice of Spicoli from the movie Fast Times at Rigmont High. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAiFSHfMeio

Jay R
2017-06-20, 12:26 PM
If the goal is to present the idea that not all quests pay off within a fun and exciting game, then plan for them to get a really good treasure not long afterwards.

If you are just trying to enjoy the players' frustration, then of course ignore this advice.

Sariel Vailo
2017-06-20, 02:20 PM
Every single time they do something ask. Are you sure ask this three to two mlre times. Roll some dice behind the screen and pretend like something happened.have them make a perception roll and now their is a bunny.

FreddyNoNose
2017-06-20, 05:43 PM
Another option: Have them choose their own rumours to chase twice. First is probably true (say 3 or 4 options). Have them choose between several rumours to track down again. Know ahead of time that 2 of 3 are bad rumours. Unless they picked the bad 1 in 4 last time - in which case they have a winning rumour every time.

City State of the Invincible Overlord had tons of rumors. Timely action can be a factor too! OMG, someone else got here before us and took the treasure. Guess we shouldn't have taken our time and planned...

Picanet
2017-07-09, 08:09 AM
Lol. I just gave a character a fancy bow that could do sonic damage... in the fight against a Thunderbird.

*Character snatches bow off the worn and ancient saddle of the Thunderbird and manages to tumble off safely onto the top of the tower*
"It doesn't appear to have a string, but it hums in your hand!"
"I try pulling It?"
"There's resistance and a ripple of air appears in the shape of an arrow!"
"Oh neat!"
"So for the sake of ease, you can use normal arrows, or you have sonic ones always at the ready. Which would you like to use now?"
*other player* "SONIC! use the sonic arrows! Nothing is immune to sonic!"
:D "I use a sonic arrow!"
"It bounces off the massive bird who now realizes you've stolen it's former master's prize."
"But...but sonic!"
"Thunderbird" The GM grinned and tapped the page on her tablet.

It's a moment that comes up frequently in out gaming group. :)

Sacrieur
2017-07-09, 11:42 PM
Plot twist, the prize exists, only anyone who goes into it is cursed into thinking that it's all a baseless rumor and nothing is there.

Mikemical
2017-07-10, 08:22 AM
Use plot hooks from that one thread with all the funny ones, can't quite locate it myself atm.

"A blue dragon is said to keep a large number of marine treasures in his cave." Turns out the dragon just collects rare bottled ships, which can fetch up large prices to the right buyers and could potentially be enlarged to be sailed on Pirates of the Caribbean style, but still, they're bottled ships.

CharonsHelper
2017-07-10, 08:31 AM
Have monsters near the pond that prey upon people stupid enough to go all trippy on the mushrooms?